Just in time to kick off everyone’s Dry January and the Surgeon General’s warnings against alcohol consumption, Dearly Beloved (900 North Franklin, Near North Side) is hosting Chicago’s first-ever Spirit Free Cocktail Fest January 12 from 7 to 10pm. For one night only, the city’s top mixologists will create artful and innovative nonalcoholic cocktails. Attendees can sample eight spirit-free drinks that hold the same attention to detail and focus on flavor as traditional cocktails. I spoke with Aneka Saxon, beverage director for Machine Hospitality Group, about what inspired the event, how to build creative mocktails at home, and if the N/A focus will be a mainstay.
What inspired a focus on a more complex take on non-alcoholic drinks?
I fell in love with cocktailing because of the huge potential to create an experience due to the flexibility in flavor, texture, and aroma. Spirits often carry some of the most complex textures of any liquid. But they don't own the category completely. Creating texture-filled mocktails is actually quite challenging. You might not guess it, but often the thing that cues you to a drink being a mocktail is the thin texture or light body if you want to be fancy. I am personally not the biggest drinker in the world, but always want to participate in a flavor experience. While cocktails have been quite thoroughly explored, zero-proof iterations are relatively new. It's kind of like my wild west right now. A place to explore where there are still new discoveries to be found. Spirit-Free cocktails are inclusive and exciting if you allow them to be more than juice.
What are some easy ways that people can think about ingredients to craft their own n/a cocktails at home?
When building a basic spirit-free cocktail, you need to be sure to balance the sweet and tart elements just like you would with a traditional cocktail. The biggest difference comes from replacing your "spirit." You want to pick something that has balance by itself, aka something you would drink straight and not make a face. Think orange juice, tea, N/A spirits, sodas, etc. You always want to make sure to add a viscous ingredient to a zero-proof concoction. Think agave nectar, honey, fruit puree, heavy cream, aquafaba, etc.
Will these offerings be a mainstay on your menu for those who go beyond Dry January?
Our menu always has a dedicated Zero-Proof section. We are just lucky enough to get to highlight it in January.
Dearly Beloved’s Spirit Free Cocktail Fest is January 12 from 7 to 10pm. Tickets are $25 and include eight unique and inspired zero-proof drinks, showcasing the growing movement toward mindful drinking.