For Jared Gonsalves, the reward is the smirk that comes after the first sip.
“The eyes open a little wider,” he says.
But in this case, it’s not a cocktail in that customer’s hand; it’s a mocktail.
Make no mistake, mocktails are having a moment.
“You see a lot of women that are pregnant. You see a lot of people who don’t drink alcohol,” Gonsalves says. “For me to be able to give a drink to someone in that setting, to offer something a little bit different … it’s intrinsically rewarding.”
Here are Gonsalves' tips on taking out the alcohol, but keeping the flavor.
MUDDLE THROUGH IT
“Let’s say you want a margarita or something that tastes like summer, really what I would suggest is muddling,” Gonsalves says. “Muddling your syrups and juices with your fruit. That’s kind of what the gist is in terms of turning a cocktail into a mocktail.”
SPIRIT SUBSTITUTE
Club soda is going to be your best friend here. But there are other elements that you can lean on. “I also like to use Goya purees, they have a lot of taste,” Gonsalves says. “There are also a lot of new offerings of spirits that don’t have alcohol. Most likely, a good liquor store will have something like a Ritual tequila.”
CAN’T HAVE IT ALL
There are some drinks that are just not mocktail-friendly, think of the single-spirit drinks like a martini or an old fashioned, where the vodka (or gin) and bourbon are doing most of the work from a flavor perspective. “If there isn’t a non-alcoholic offering out there, you’re not going to be able to make it,” Gonsalves says.
THE CAN’T MISS
According to Gonsalves, one of the drinks with the best success rate, is a mojito. “Once one person sees a mojito, everyone wants a mojito,” he said with a laugh. But because the drink is so fragrant-forward, with the mint and other aromatics (like a jalapeño if you want a spicy mojito, or cucumber for added freshness), it really lends itself to the mocktail format.
Jared Gonsalves is a personal bartender available for private parties and events. You can find him on Instagram at ThisIsMyBartender