Food & Drink

Comments (0) Best Restaurant Trend - 2009

The mocktail

Pregnant women, recovering addicts, and religious teetotalers unite! No longer must abstainers settle for a lame-o soda or a simple sparkling water. These days, our top bartenders have started mixing equally attractive non-alcoholic alternatives—so raise a glass for the mocktail. These careful blends receive the same attention to detail that arrived with the current cocktail craze: the fresh-squeezed juices, the homemade bitters, the fussy garnishes on the edge of the glass. Johnny Michaels, the mixologist behind the drink lists for Tim McKee and Josh Thoma's restaurants (La Belle Vie, Solera, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque, and Barrio) as well as those at Cafe Maude, has several we love: the tamarind cinnamon cola, the spicy pink grapefruit juice, the sparkling blue raspberry soda garnished with a silver tassel and a marshmallow Peep. Restaurant Max in the Minneapolis Hotel has followed suit, serving sober sippers mixed with everything from sprigs of fresh tarragon to whole cranberries. And the new Bradstreet Crafthouse in the Graves Hotel shakes several alcohol-free drinks—the Art of the Crafts, with its delicate balance of ginger, lime, and jasmine, for example—that stand up to everything else being poured behind the bar. It's positively intoxicating.

Download our Free Best Of App

My Voice Nation Help
0 comments
Sort: Newest | Oldest

Best of Award Graphics

Now Trending

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Minneapolis / St. Paul

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city