To those of you who read my blog- I know, I’ve already written about Raduno, but some things require more attention.  Which is why when Bo Bennett, General Manager and resident mocktail wizard at Raduno asked me to taste-test what he was creating for summer I had to say,” Yes”.   If you haven’t had a mocktail at Raduno, what makes their drinks so special is the care that goes into the combining of ingredients.   It all starts with the base of each drink, freshly juiced fruits, veggies, and herbs.  All that lusciousness is then added to cocktail mixers that dance together on your tongue in joyous harmony.  Bo’s absolute passion for the garden and combining the freshest of flavors are the key to what makes me come back for more.

The Summer Mocktail menu will still contain the standards – the Cucumber Limonata, which up to now has been my favorite and the For your health (an incredibly close second).  Both drinks are for sure fabulously tasty.  The freshly juiced cucumber and lemon flavors are light and slightly effervescent.  The For Your Health is also delicious with its herby essence and floral finish.  But I was there to taste the new kid on the block, the Cherry Basil Tonic.  To begin, it is a beautiful drink served in a cut-glass rocks glass garnished with fresh basil and lemon slice.  It resembles a sunrise with a pink hue settled at the bottom of the glass that graduates up into translucence.  Bo used Pink House Alchemy dark cherry grenadine with fresh basil as a base and finished with tonic water to create something that at first sip brought me back to the days of sitting on Columbus avenue in NYC people watching and sipping on vodka tonics.  My mouth immediately started to water from the astringent tonic flavor.  The underlying hint of cherry and basil flavors round out the drink perfectly.  This mocktail is a definite go-to summer sipper.

If you’re wondering why the encore at Raduno my answer is this; menus change and I want to keep you up-to-date with what’s out there.  True to my mission of “discovering the best mocktails in Little Rock and beyond”, I have reported on what I’ve found.  Which is also why I am repeating myself, there are very few mocktail offerings in Little Rock.  This leads me to my new mission: A Mocktail for Every Menu.

Read about it in my next installment on mocktailmo.blog

It goes a little something like this –

For those of you reading my blog for the first time, my own personal reason for drinking non-alcoholic drinks is a developed intolerance for alcohol.  (Think of it as a dietary restriction that evolved into an extraordinarily fun lifestyle.)  One alcohol drink makes me sick for days, which of course is absolutely no fun.  But I fit within only one section of a large category of people who don’t consume alcohol for countless reasons.  Here are a few: There should always be a designated driver for groups of two or more people drinking. These people want to feel included even if they are being the “responsible ones”.  Many people don’t imbibe because of religious beliefs.  Pregnant women, who do actually drink, won’t during pregnancy. Perhaps you live in a dry county, of which there are plenty in the Bible belt. Not to mention people who are underage, and curious about cocktail culture. And last, but not least a large number of people who have devoted the rest of their lives to not drinking due to addiction.   This makes up a large population of people who, for whatever reason, don’t consume alcohol, but do spend money and go out. Am I painting a clear picture?

For those in the food and beverage business, this group of consumers is a source of revenue that has not yet been taken seriously.  Wouldn’t you agree that a bit of room on the menu for Mocktails would show considerable hospitality to an up-to-now untapped profit resource?

We want to go out and have fun, and not feel less-than, or excluded, or as a distraction to a busy bartender.  The time for Mocktail culture is now.  Let’s get this party started.

Every journey starts with the first step.  I couldn’t imagine a better beginning than the exclusive tasting of the upcoming Spring Mocktail menu at The Fold restaurant.  Sarah Repp, the bar manager is the genius behind these spirit free libations.  We had talked a few days before about the void in grown-up, alcohol free cocktails, and how she wanted to create a new menu for spring.  I was more than happy to oblige as a guinea pig, so a few friends and I got together on a gray February afternoon to experiment.  In stark contrast, a rainbow of color shone from the bar with six absolutely delicious creations.  From white to pastel green and pink to the most saturated indigo-red, each in an individually shaped glass. 

These were no ordinary non-alcoholic drinks.  No, these were Mocktails with a capital M!  Each one had an identity of its own, and none were a disappointment. There was a standard virgin pina colada that was light as a feather with its tropical sweetness.  My personal favorite was an herby rosemary citrus combination that you could easily sip on a hot summer evening.  We all decided that the drink we called “Berry Minty” was the perfect first date drink because it was refreshingly fruity and left your breath smelling great.  One tasted like Skittles, but not as sweet.  We called that one “Taste the Rainbow”.  There was a yummy cucumber mint combo that was spring in a glass, and a Pear Collins that brought sophisticated Rat Pack thoughts to mind.

Everyone agreed that they wouldn’t feel less-than if they ordered any of these Mocktails when out with friends for drinks.  Each drink had complex flavors that deserved to be savored, and I left absolutely effervescent with joy. What a way to start! Sarah completely gets it when it comes to Mocktails, and I look forward to many visits to The Fold to see what she invents next.

Like most adventurers making discoveries, it’s not always an easy road. However, on the near horizon a Mocktail treasure awaits.

Stay tuned..

So.. Here we are at the start of something big.  It turns out that Mocktails are a thing starting to make traction in popular culture.   What an exciting time to be an imbiber of non-alcoholic bevs.  Up to now when I have gone to a restaurant and asked for a Mocktail it has been a hit-or-miss situation.  A couple of times I lucked into a bored, but creative bar tender who took the challenge and came through.  Mostly I‘ve been offered some version of a Shirley Temple, which is a sort of maraschino syrup soda, or fruity slushies. There must be another way to go out for drinks, and not feel like I should be sitting at the kids table.

What I’m looking for is a non-alcoholic drink for grown-ups.  Something that isn’t sweet enough to rot my teeth, or with a name reminiscent of a six-year-old in ringlets.  I am seeking a drink with a level of sophistication worthy of the name Cocktail.  How many more adults could be served if they were offered a menu of Mocktail creations?  Come on all you mixologists out there- you artisanal barkeeps;  I’m certain that if you put your mind to it…the sky’s the limit.