Sampling Some of Nashville’s Best Nonalcoholic Specialty Drinks

If all you know about nonalcoholic beverages is the term “mocktail,” it may be time to level up on your zero-proof knowledge and expect more from sans-booze specialty drinks. Jon Howard — bar director at Sean Brock’s Audrey — says there’s nothing funny about his restaurant’s nonalcoholic beverage program. Audrey strives to do much more than simply omitting alcohol from a standard cocktail, and they’re not alone. More bars and restaurants across town are taking time to design thoughtful and delicious NA beverages for their bar menus, using flavor-rich ingredients, fresh produce and elevated, zero-proof spirits. Since people like to drink craft beverages for more than just a head change, makers are translating the culinary experience into what they do with their nonalcoholic beverages as well. Here are six examples from Nashville’s celebrated food and beverage scene.

 Turmeric Cooler, Cafe Roze

This drink is a triple threat. It’s lovely to look at, it tastes complex, and it might even make you feel better, since turmeric has been known to ease digestion and inflammation. It begins with a house-made paste, combining turmeric, nutmeg, star anise and other spices, and is mixed with a dash of simple syrup and hot lemon water. The rusty carrot-colored liquid is poured over ice and served in a Collins glass, topped with sparkling water and a thin slice of orange that’s dried to a crisp. At first its flavors are tart and bright, then a peppery depth emerges, making the drink compelling sip after sip while a mild effervescence quenches the thirst. It’s a beverage you’ll return for.

 Brighton Beach, The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club

In one of Nashville’s most lauded craft-cocktail clubs, it’s hard not to smile when they slide this drink in front of you. The Brighton Beach arrives in a tiki glass, complete with nugget ice, a metal straw and, of course, a festive bit of tropical foliage. Made with Seedlip Spice 94, coconut cream, madras tincture, pineapple, lemon stock and ginger seltzer, this is a smooth and sweet, ultra-drinkable delight. It tastes like a coconut-lime liquid dream cloud — a sweet escape in a single sip to plenty of good vibes with no hangovers.

 Rhubarb Spritz, Two Ten Jack

Much like Two Ten Jack itself, this beverage is flirty but sophisticated. Rhubarb is a red, bitter stalk veggie that, for the purposes of this concoction, has been distilled into a sour-sweet drinking vinegar and combined with bitter aperitif, East Asian citrus and ginger seltzer. The result is a subtly sweet treat. The blushy bubbles are served over ice and presented in a stem glass. Though slightly piquant, the off-sweet citrus flavors drink easily and complement Two Ten’s delicious, eclectic cuisine.

 Cucumber Mint Fizz, Etch

When you’re craving something light, hydrating and clean-tasting, this is your beverage. The Cucumber Mint Fizz’s simple but aromatic ingredients cleanse the palate, readying your taste buds for the intricate flavors of chef Deb Paquette’s award-winning fare at Etch. Muddled cucumber, citrus and mint deliver a spa-fresh zest that lifts the spirit. Served over ice with sliced citrus in a Collins glass, it looks like a sexy tonic with a twist while the taste is pure, crisp Zen.

Lemongrass and Gooseberry Zero-Proof Cocktails, Audrey

Just as the traditional bar menu is based on fresh seasonal produce at Audrey, the same goes for their NA mixed drinks. This means you may not find the same beverage available on any two nights. Expect interesting, mood-conscious flavors, ingredients that have meaningful origin stories and elements paired to feature anything but a basic alcohol alternative. The menu is presented in a bountiful basket as whole produce. You select the fruit or veggie you’d like your beverage to feature, and they build it using no more than three ingredients. They extract nectars, muddle or distill the produce and combine it with various liquid elements, pouring everything into a hand-blown glass, made especially for Audrey and for your enjoyment.

The lemongrass beverage I sampled was made from homegrown lemongrass, combined with a ginger cordial and Pentire Adrift (a nonalcoholic spirit). It was served steamy-hot in a green rocks glass. The flavors were subtle — lemon, sage and spice with a light, milky finish. A warm and soothing fall libation.

It’s rare to encounter a gooseberry in real life, much less find it on a craft-beverage menu. Rich in antioxidants, the little golden bulbs were irresistible sitting in their paper-lantern-like leafy shells. The fruit was muddled and strained, mixed with an NA Sobre Tequila and a jasmine tea syrup. Flavors were sweet and robust with notes of plum and silky guava. The presentation was exceptional, in a short tumbler over a large, hand-chipped hunk of ice resembling a magic meteorite. If a good part of the reason people visit bars is for the ritual care that goes into making and enjoying the drinks, there was nothing missing from this nonalcoholic offering.