Kristi Dukoff created Kristi’s Kraftails with a specific goal in mind: “I started this for pregnant women – low-sugar mocktails with fresh fruit,” she explains. “You can enjoy them as mocktails or elevate them to cocktails. We add local herbs, oils, all sorts of fun things to create craft cocktails without the booze.” The former bar manager at Gracie’s in Providence has been creating upscale drinks for years, and now serves mocktails exclusively at bridal showers, weddings, parties, and events and is a regular at farmers markets around the state.
Among customer favorites are Mint To Be, a mint orange blossom sour mix, and Flower Power, a hibiscus lavender daiquiri, but her most popular product is the Marg My Word. “It’s made with strawberries, garden basil, lime, pink peppercorn, agave, and a little bit of orange oil,” she says. Dukoff also sells pre-packaged rainbow nuts that are “locally roasted and sparkled, with only 35 mg of sodium, but packed with flavor,” she notes. All products can be found statewide in breweries, distilleries, farm stands, and specialty stores. KristisKraftails.com
“We’ve definitely been seeing an increase in people ordering mocktails,” says Lisa Virgadamo, beverage manager with the Inked Restaurant Group, which operates several locations around Newport including Diego’s and Wharf South Kitchen. “Over the past couple of years, mocktails and non-alcoholic beers make up about 5 percent of our bar sales. A lot of younger people are more interested in lower-ABV beverages.”
Like many bars and restaurants, Inked is mixing zero-proof spirits into their mocktails. “We’ve been using Seedlip, Cleanco, and now Giffard, which are putting out a whole line of non-alcoholic liquors that are really good,” says Virgadamo. “It’s given us a little room to make mocktails that are similar to cocktails, so you don’t feel like you are drinking juice like a kid at the bar.” The most popular drink at Diego’s Newport is the Wingman, which is made of a citrus Seedlip spirit, strawberry shrub, hibiscus, lemon, rhubarb bitters, and soda on the rocks. “The shrubs with the vinegar base give the mocktail a little bit of oomph that you would get from the cocktail.” DiegosNewport.com
Torie Gehlmeyer, proprietor of Tea for Torie, specializes in herbal-infused drinks she serves at private parties, events, and in-person and virtual classes. “I have a clinical herbalism background, and all my drinks are formulated to offer functional benefits or provide a buzz without the booze,” says Gehlmeyer, who notes there is a growing interest in drinks that deliver benefits like relaxation or enhanced energy. “People are looking for mocktails that are low in sugar and more refined than a traditional Shirley Temple. Simple choices like ginger beer and mint aren’t cutting it anymore.”
Gehlmeyer says mocktails are especially popular at baby and bridal showers and among health-conscious Gen Z consumers. “In the event space, I typically see a 60/40 ratio between drinkers and non-drinkers. Interestingly, many who consume alcohol also enjoy mocktails, so it’s not strictly a 40 percent sober demographic.” One summer favorite is the Watermelon Blush, “a fun and refreshing drink with aphrodisiac qualities, made from watermelon, mint, lime, and damiana. It has a flavor reminiscent of a watermelon Jolly Rancher, but without any added sugar.” TeaForTorie.com
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