The Case for Virgin Mixology®

Posted on June 28, 2009
Filed Under Natalie Bovis | 1 Comment

Written by: Natalie Bovis-Nelsen is the author of “Preggatinis™: Mixology for the Mom-to-Be,” which features more than 75 of her virgin cocktail recipes and made about.com’s Top Ten cocktail books of 2008.  She is the founder of TheLiquidMuse.com, a beverage consulting service and online cocktail blog-a-zine.  Natalie is once again the creator of Tales’ “Official Nonalcoholic Cocktail.” This year’s is a julep style drink called the “Sassy Southern Belle,” and will be featured at several events throughout the week, including her Virgin Mixology® seminar on Saturday, July 11 at 4:30 pm.

You may be wondering what the heck a seminar on Virgin Mixology® is doing at Tales of the Cocktail, one of the biggest booze-fests, in the world.  After all, the definition of “mixology” is essentially the “art and craft of the cocktail,” and a “cocktail” by strict definition is “spirit + sugar + water + bitters.”  So, what gives?  Who are these crazy loons avoiding alcohol and why should the beverage and hospitality industries care about them?

Here’s the thing…  The world of “mixology” is expanding quickly.  From the spring board of classic cocktail recipes and quality ingredients coupled with skilled bartending techniques and creativity come a plethora of quickly developing sub-categories within the world of adult beverages.  Organic cocktails, molecular mixology, market-fresh bar programs and food-and-cocktail pairings – all of which professionals have been exploring for several years now – are bubbling up as hot-topics in the mainstream.  Along with those concepts, the desire to bring quality ingredients and culinary know-how to the nonalcoholic drink is finally gaining appreciation.

I view mixology as an integral slice of the culinary pie.  Why wouldn’t it be?  Produce, meats, dairy products are regularly discussed, used, explored, adored and debated with fervor by professional chefs and an impassioned public.  Foodies also love talking and learning about wine, and its relation to food.  Spirits and cocktails are finally becoming part of that consciousness, as well.  People want a complete experience from the first sip of an aperitif to the last nibble of an after-dinner mint.

So, what happens when someone decides to not drink alcohol but still wants a complete dining (or drinking) experience? Are they forever relegated to the “little kids table” of beverages and served Shirley Temples and sickly sweet virgin Coladas ad nauseum?  Would a party host, restaurateur or bartender really want to treat his / her guests in such a way?  That kind of nonchalance would be akin to dismissing a vegetarian with a wave of the hand and a pompously declaring “let them eat vegetable tray” while pompously looking down one’s nose, chilled champagne cocktail in-hand whilst biting into a juicy bite of seared foie gras.

I don’t use the word “mocktail” because to me, it sounds dismissive and judgmental.  I prefer the term “nonalcoholic cocktail” when talking about virgin drinks because the same attention to balance and creative enthusiasm should be employed when designing a liquorless libation.  Mixology as a culinary category is of such importance, in my opinion, that the subcategory of Virgin Mixoloy® should be treated with the same respect.

Designing a nonalcoholic cocktail might be a bit more of a challenge – but its worth it.  Not only will pregnant party guests and non-booze-imbibing restaurant patrons gratefully feel included as valid members of eating-and-drinking society, but there is a steep profit for drinks sans alcohol for on-premise sales.  The trick is designing a unique drink, employing the high-end mixology philosophies of freshly squeezed juices, house-made syrups, muddled herbs, and the like.  Getting creative with foams, teas and exotic fruits can be just as much fun without liquor, and round out any cocktail list.  Why would a bar or restaurant lose the opportunity to sell a beverage to a willing consumer? There is no right or wrong when it comes to eating and drinking.  It is survival.  It is pleasure.  It is part of our every day lives.  And, in my humble opinion, a decent “cocktail” with or without the alcohol is our God-given right.