Edible Vancouver Island November/December 2023

Non-alcoholic drinks have become elevated choices attracting cocktail lovers and wine aficionados for their creativity and novelty.

STIRRING OPTIONS Seeing an opportunity combined with personal interest and delight in trying new things, Demers launched Softer Drink in 2021 with business partner Jonathan Morissette. Their online shop provides curated recommendations and guaranteed buys informed by years of experience in the hospitality industry. Their shop offers free pick up in Victoria or shipping for $15. Business has been steady, Demers says, noting that Softer’s clientele isn’t confined to non-drinkers. Non-alcoholic drinks have become elevated choices attracting cocktail lovers and wine aficionados for their creativity and novelty. “That excitement of finding something new is really similar to the excitement of finding a new wine that you really love that’s at your price point,” she says. You can add more gaiety with glassware and garnishes. Demers suggests serving canned drinks in cocktail glasses, for example. Simple garnishes add extra refinement–think cranberries, rosemary sprigs, citrus wheels or cucumbers peeled into strips and wrapped inside the glass before pouring. Use different garnishes for alcohol, she adds, so guests can be confident in what they’re drinking. It’s nice to offer equivalent options: a cocktail might have boozy and booze-free variations, while Christmas tables might be set with both types of wine. In a self-serve situation, placing mocktails in a cooler with beers and alcoholic sodas makes the option effortless. “People don’t like to feel like they’re being fussy or imposing on the host,” Demers says. “Some people might choose to drink less if they really felt it was just as convenient.” MOCKING UP A HOLIDAY MENU The perfect mocktail can be chosen according to the guest and occasion. Cocktail lovers will appreciate Calgary’s Wild Folk Sparkling Negroni, which tastes like bitter orange peel and mimics the bite of alcohol. At the milder end of the spectrum, Vancouver’s Hai Tea offers refreshing sparkling teas in hibiscus, mojito and ginger flavours. If you’re hosting Christmas dinner, a bottle of red from the Okanagan’s only non-alcoholic winery, ONES+, will be a worthy table wine. Hosts might also stock booze-free bubbles for Christmas Eve and New Year’s toasts.

WORDS HEATHER LEARY

From crushable pilsners to complex canned mocktails, the holidays are happening during an alcohol-free renaissance in the craft drink world. Once upon a time, options were limited for youth and designated drivers at winter gatherings. With hosts assuming everyone else would imbibe, they invested accordingly in their liquor cabinets. Now, no-booze craft beverages have emerged as an equally sophisticated option, thanks to a pandemic-fuelled trend that has buoyed a huge number of craft drink producers. Non alcoholic beers and wines have eclipsed their flavourless and sugary predecessors, and there’s an astonishing variety of unique mocktails for adventurous drinkers. Non-alcoholic options can feel as festive as classic drinks, suggests Andrea Demers, co-owner of Softer Drink, a Victoria based non-alcoholic drink distributor. It gives the option of mixing and matching or spacing out alcohol, without excluding sober guests from the joy of a unique, indulgent drink. “You almost get a placebo effect, because it’s just fun to have a nice glass of something,” Demers says.

36 NOV/DEC 2023 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND