Goodbye mocktails: Hong Kong’s teetotallers embrace alcohol-free spirits and soft cocktails
As teetotallers grow in number, bars are serving alcohol-free cocktails that cost the same and take as much care to make as their boozy versions. We talk to some Hong Kong bartenders and the maker of high-end alcohol-free spirits
At The Envoy, Lai shows off the “spirit-free” menu featuring five drinks that look the same as their alcoholic counterparts but have different names and slightly different presentations so that bartenders and servers know the difference.
He says alcohol-free cocktails are good for those with low alcohol tolerance, women who are pregnant, those taking medication, or who had a boozy night the night before but still want to hang out with friends.
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“Making a spirit-free cocktail can be similar to making a cocktail – it needs to be balanced and taste good. Alcohol is very good for extracting flavours from ingredients,” he explains.
