When talk turns to Virgin Coladas, Nojitos and Shirley Temples, most people immediately think of sweet, colourful cocktails which stick to their tongue, and which remind them of bowls of children’s punch rather than a cultivated drink to enjoy. Willi Bittorf knows that they can be a lot more sophisticated. He is the Bar Manager at “Bar am Steinplatz” in Berlin-Charlottenburg, which specialises in alcohol-free cocktails. Here, the ambition is to create drinks equally as exciting and complex as their alcoholic counterpart.
Drink and Drive Mocktails: Trendy drinks for the Advent season!
It’s that time of the year again: mulled wine at the Christmas market, a glass of wine with the turkey, champagne to celebrate the festive season. Advent is the time when people look forward to the festive season, but also when they tend to consume much more alcohol than usual. There is no question that the desire to drink alcohol does not mix well with the desire to drive. The designated driver usually has to settle for sparkling water rather than sparkling wine. There are, however, tasty alternatives to flavourless water: mocktails (a portmanteau word formed from ‘cocktail‘ and ‘mock‘) allow you to stay sober while enjoying a drink – and they also let you get behind the wheel with a clear conscience.
As was the case not so long ago when there were barely any vegan restaurants, we will find in the future that there are also more and more places which offer a variety of alcohol-free drinks.
Willi Bittorf
Bar Manager, Hotel Steinplatz in Berlin-Charlottenburg
Since 2019, Bittorf has worked in Germany’s first hotel bar to offer an alcohol-free drinks menu and he knows why these driver-friendly drinks will continue to prove increasingly popular: “People are looking after themselves, it is no longer a case of ‘I don’t care what I pour down my throat’“, the 32-year-old explains. A more conscious and healthier lifestyle is more of a focus nowadays than it was ten years ago. Here, he sees a clear trend which will continue: “As was the case not so long ago when there were barely any vegan restaurants, we will find in the future that there are also more and more places offering a variety of alcohol-free drinks“, says Bittorf. Dublin of all places is also a frontrunner here. “The Virgin Mary” was the first bar of its kind in the Irish capital and party city, opening in 2019 without a selection of alcoholic beverages on its menu.
Enjoy without regret: Vinegar, seabuckthorn and carrot are also being used in mocktails.
And mocktails are proving just as popular in Germany as they are in Ireland. During the summer, the bar, which belongs to the “Hotel am Steinplatz”, serves alcohol-free options to almost half its patrons. And this trend can be observed between November and January, too, with many people preferring to enjoy a drink without a hangover – or regrets – over the festive season.
Meanwhile, there is also a big market across the globe for spirits, such as gin, absinth and whisky, which are in fact not even spirits – but which still taste every bit as good as the products containing alcohol. “Alcohol-free distillates, for example, imitate the edge which one can taste from the alcohol in classic cocktails“, says Bittorf. The Bar Manager is allowing the Volkswagen Shaping Mobility Hub to have an exclusive look at his recipes and reveals how to make the perfect mocktail at home:
This is how you mix the „On the Sea Side“ in your own kitchen.
And what belongs in your bar at home?
“A shaker or a mixing glass are essential but it’s of course best to have both”, says Bittorf. “With regards to the ingredients, every cocktail or mocktail basically consists of three cornerstones: a spirit or, in the case of a mocktail, an alcohol-free distillate, something sweet and something sour. This could be sugar syrup or, for example, a citrus fruit.” Another tip from the professional: “It is important that ice cubes are not too small otherwise they water the drink down.”
And what does the mocktail expert drink during the festivities to stay sober?
“I am in fact rather boring and just drink water”, he admits. But even if he can go without alcohol when mixing and partying, there is one thing that he cannot do without, both at his bar and in his car: good music!
Clear head, no alcohol: whoever goes for mocktails is fit to drive. As with the ID.3 from WeShare seen here.