What makes a good nonalcoholic cocktail?
“They're made with intention,” says Cliff Seminerio, a bartender at Bar Casa Vale and Canard and founder of the alcohol-free pop-up Worry Not PDX. “We're not just making a juice bomb.”
Worry Not PDX is hosting its next event on April 28 at Coopers Hall. Here are some tips to become an alcohol-free whiz before you go:
🍒 Note: Don’t call it a “mocktail.” It’s being taken more seriously than that, according to local bartenders who’ve turned their talents on this genre of cocktail – seeking to delight drinkers of all kinds. And Portland is seeing the benefits.
The local food and drink scene has been a good place for NA creations:
- Two of Portland’s best chefs are famously sober: Gabriel Rucker (LePigeon, Canard) and Gregory Gourdet (Kann, sousòl).
- Wilderton, the country’s first nonalcoholic distillery and tasting room, located in Hood River, is available at a bunch of Portland bars and shops.
- Other local producers of fine nonalcoholic spirits include For Bitter For Worse, The Pathfinder, and Dhōs.
🍸 Where To Go for a NA Cocktail
Seminerio shared a few places he recommends going for a full menu of NA options, including two spots where he’s worked:
- Canard
- Bar Casa Vale
- Voysey
- Rum Club (He shouted out their NA toddy for a cold day.)
🥥 Other picks:
- My current favorites are at sousòl (the gwayav, a coconut-milk-based concoction), and Fools and Horses (the pack mule, which includes horchata). Other City Cast Portland favorites include Eem’s whole NA drink menu.
- Multnomah Whiskey Library, Abigail Hall, The Old Gold, and Luc Lac are among the spots on Eater Portland’s list for zero-proof drinks.
- Your turn: What places have we missed? Please feel free to email me recommendations.
