By Joshua Lurie
For dineLA.com
LA's alcoholic beverages are facing some stiff competition. Whatever your reason for abstaining, these non-alcoholic cocktails are sure to satisfy your thirst.
Mixologist Tricia Alley made an instant impact behind the bar at Mark Gold’s seasonal restaurant with her cocktails and non-alcoholic creativity. Alley runs a catering business that specializes in aguas frescas, so she knows fresh fruit. At Eva, she mixes mocktails “a la minute” with cordials, syrups and bowls of farmer’s markets fruit and herbs. “It still takes balance, the exact same thought process as making cocktails,” says the self-professed “concoctologist.” Just like the Shirley Temple, her Dakota Fanning is another virgin cocktail named for a child star that involves fresh-squeezed melon juice, lemongrass-infused cane syrup, fresh lemon and lime, all shaken with julienne lemon balm leaves. She tops with soda and garnishes with an orange twist and lemon balm sprig.
- 7458 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, 323.634.0700,
www.evarestaurantla.com
“Why go and experience this great food and not drink something interesting?” So asks Kajsa Alger, chef-partner with Susan Feniger in globally inspired STREET. They answer with options like the sweet-tart Tamarind Ginger Cooler, a “cross continental” refresher involving house-made ginger syrup and tamarind puree. The Sanbitter Sunburst is a pink-hued Italian riff on lemonade that features the non-alcoholic equivalent to Campari, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, orange juice, sugar and water. “If we’re going to do lemonade, we want to do something different,” says Alger. No matter the “cooler,” their goal is to “get people from ordering Coke and iced tea.”
- 742 N. Highland Ave, Los Angeles, 313.203.0500,
www.eatatstreet.com
The retro “speakeasy” in the back of Cole’s from Eric Alperin, Sasha Petraske and Cedd Moses is classic to the core. That philosophy extends to their non-alcoholic drinks, which are inspired by classic cocktails. Bartenders muddle blackberries with lemon juice and simple syrup, pile on the crushed ice and top with soda water and a single blackberry. Add gin, it’s a Bramble. With rum, it’s a Rumble. They’re can also de-claw a Pimm’s Cup, removing the gin, but keeping the cucumber, lime juice, soda and mint leaf. Bartender Alex Day said that technically, you need alcohol to produce a cocktail, but "these days, it's anything that you mix."
- 118 E. 6th St, Downtown, 213.622.9999,
www.thevarnishbar.com
Silvio Ursini and Raimondo Boggia recently opened the second U.S. branch of their contemporary mozzarella-centric café, occupying the former Century City home of Frederick’s of Hollywood. Mallgoers can partake in a trio of non-alcoholic cocktails. For the Smashed Berries, straight from Rome, bartenders muddle raspberries, strawberries and raspberries with cranberry juice and serve the sweet-tart results on the rocks with a float of Sprite. The California Citrus and Gingerella mocktails are site-specific, both involving fresh lemon and orange. The former’s got lime, sugar and tangy pomegranate juice. The latter involves effervescent ginger ale and scores sweetness from pineapple and grenadine.
- 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Century City, 310.556.2452,
www.obikala.com
Noted bartender Julian Cox has earned the trust of Rivera’s clientele and regularly produces “Bespoke Cocktails,” custom-made concoctions based on favorite spirits. Rivera also allows customers to order “Like A Virgin,” taking the same free-form approach to produce drinks that are sweet (or not) and spicy (or not). Focus on a fruit or key ingredient, then leave it to Cox and crew to deliver. A recent special delivery involved ginger syrup and ginger beer, which was made in-house using ginger syrup, lime juice and Bubble Up lemon-lime soda.
- 1050 S. Flower St, Downtown, 213.749.1460,
www.riverarestaurant.com
Lead bartender Justin Pike employs a medicinal approach to cocktail construction, but they still feature more than enough raw materials to mix well-balanced non-alcoholic cocktails. The bar top hosts beakers of ginger syrup, lemon juice, lime and grapefruit juices, plus mint and more. Bartender Devon Espinosa prefers to serve his mocktails in martini and Collins glasses, in keeping with the ritual. He recently created a gin-less gimlet using mint, ginger, soda, lime and agave, served in a martini glass with a trio of cucumber slices.
- 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, 310.392.6644,
www.thetastingkitchen.com
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (there she is again) produce a modicum of mocktails at their Santa Monica standby and new location in Downtown LA. Minty Lime Cooler incorporates fresh lime juice, sugar, a splash of soda, a shower of mint and lime wheel garnish. Naranjada Fresh is sweeter, made with orange juice, simple syrup, muddled lemon and lime, sparkling water and an orange wheel garnish. It's also possible to order a Fruit Margarita, house sweet-and-sour mix blended with fresh lime juice and either mango, prickly pear or strawberry.
- 1445 4th St, Santa Monica, 310.451.1655,
www.bordergrill.com
Silver Lake’s chicest Vietnamese restaurant is known for chef Mako Trinidad Scott’s modern food, but you’ll also find a number of non-alcoholic beverages, including ginger limeade, basil lime elixir and blood orange elixir, all made with concentrated house-made syrups and topped with soda. They’ve also got a special ginger ale that incorporates cinnamon- and five-spice syrup. Co-owner John Himelstein said Vietnamese drinks are known to be salty and sweet, so they used “Asian flavors and ingredients to make them approachable.”
- 2396 Glendale Blvd, Silver Lake, 323.644.1600,
www.gingergrass.com
