Drinking without the booze: Zero-proof drinks continue to be popular at bars, restaurants

As the "sober curious" craze continues to spill over to bars and restaurants across the country, Columbus establishments are joining in on the rise of nonalcoholic offerings. 

With local establishments such as DEMARK, VASO Rooftop Lounge, Watershed Kitchen & Bar and others adding alcohol-free options, patrons are basking in the growing shift to zero-proof spirits and prime "mocktails."

"For me, the trend overall rounds out the offering of hospitality on the scope of the restaurant and bar industry," said Joshua Gandee, beverage director at Watershed. "I feel like it was a part that was missing for a long time, so now to have that on a menu or as part of the conversation, shows inclusivity for individuals who don't drink at all, aren't drinking for the night or are taking a round off."

Gandee, who celebrated three years of sobriety last fall, said the expansion of these beverages allows nondrinking customers to socialize alongside their friends without feeling left out. Instead of having a flat carbonated drink or diluted alternative, bartenders have forged more intentional and well-crafted flavors. 

James DeFrance, a bartender at the Refectory Restaurant on the Northwest Side, attributes the rise in alcohol-free items to the surge in demand.

"Nowadays, there are so many different groups of people who may want to have an interesting drink experience but aren't looking to drink," he said. "There are people with medical conditions, dietary restrictions, religious restrictions; they're pregnant or there's just not a time they are drinking." 

In his nine years of sobriety, Brandon Bir, 38, said he's noticed an added effort to accommodate nonalcoholic drinkers in the past few years. Rather than pour up tasteless mocktails, the Gahanna resident said local bars and bartenders have been more intentional in their craftsmanship, which has enhanced his and others' drinking experiences.

"It was really difficult to find those beverages, but more and more you see nonalcoholic spirits on bar shelves and people empathizing with people who don't want to drink alcohol," he said. "It's really grown in popularity over the last two years and it's accelerating."

According to the International Wines and Spirits Record, a market-research firm that tracks worldwide alcohol trends, global sales of no- and low-alcohol beverages are surging. 

The London-based company released a new study in February that examined sales of beer, wine, spirits and ready-to-drink products that contain little or no alcohol.

The firm claims the consumption of these products is expected to increase 31% by 2024 across 10 markets — the U.S., Canada, the UK, France, Germany, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Japan and Australia. 

“What we’re seeing is a moderation trend that’s sweeping across key global markets, and that’s bringing with it increased demand for reduced alcohol, or alcohol-free drinks,” says Mark Meek, CEO of London-based IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, in the study.

"While the traditional alcohol market’s greater exposure to bars and restaurants saw it struggle in the wake of mass venue closures across the world, no/low categories have seen largely positive, albeit muted, growth, with a volume consumption increase in the 10 markets of approximately +1% in 2020" according to information included in the study.

With this shift, DeFrance said the Refectory — which will celebrate its 45th anniversary later this year — and other entities have added nonalcoholic cocktails and beer brands to supplement the growing trend.

For bartenders or establishments unwilling to offer these options, DeFrance said they are wrongfully disregarding a large sector of patrons who are looking for an enjoyable experience without the booze.

"You're missing the point and the opportunity to please somebody who is willing to pay for it, at which point, you're completely not on the right track," DeFrance said. 

Although he understands the importance of alcohol-free drinks, on a personal level, DENMARK General Manager Sean Taylor said he's not much of a fan. 

Taylor said alcohol-free cocktails and beers don't capture the same enriching and lush flavors that come from barrel-aging and other features. Instead, whiskeys typically taste like malt syrup and gins taste like pickle juice, he said.

"When people come up to the bar, they still want to feel included; they want something that makes them feel like they're a part of the group," Taylor said. "But the thing that makes a cocktail a cocktail is the alcohol, and those flavors are almost impossible to replicate without having alcohol in them."

Although he's not a fan of the no-proof craze, Taylor said these options fit within the "culinary tree of flavors," one that encourages bartenders to use an assortment of complex ingredients and additives to make a "mocktail" taste as close to a traditional cocktail as possible. 

As hospitality specialists, Taylor said it's important customers are able to enjoy themselves — alcohol-filled or not. And because of the growing trend and need for no-proof options, he's developing a nonalcoholic menu at DENMARK.

"They (patrons) don't have to drink a Coke while their friends are having whatever they're drinking," he said. "Inclusiveness is important, especially for Columbus. We can't disclude anyone, especially non-drinkers."

With the addition of more nonalcoholic drinks, Gandee said it's pushed him and other bartenders to rethink how to craft no-proof cocktails and for bars to carry more zero-proof brews.

At Watershed, he's been focused on seasonality, locality and the freshness of his ingredients to substitute the taste of gin, whiskey and other alcoholic components. With that, he's exchanged ideas on how to extract specific flavors to draw out the richness of nonalcoholic spirits with his bar staff.

These elements are sparking bartenders' curiosity about the implementation of more health-inspired drinks, Taylor said. Ingredients such as avocado, fresh-grated ginger, tonic syrup, apple cider vinegar, CBD and others have been in use, he said, as more mixologists have dabbled in experimental pairings.

"We're a little behind in Ohio," Taylor said. "If you go to places like Portland or Los Angeles, they're doing CBD-infused cocktails where what you're vibing is actually good for you."

In time, Taylor hopes every cocktail bar or restaurant will have no-proof options on their menu.

"I think we have years of evolution ahead of this," he said. "We have some bars who never considered putting a zero-proof spirit list on their menus who are now doing it or considering it. 

As the trend continues to evolve, Gandee anticipates the conversations around sobriety and alcohol-free menu items will change. Although he's certain the world's shared affinity for alcohol will remain, his hope is that more establishments will begin developing these spirits, and meeting the increased demand among the city's bar-goers. 

– The Columbus Dispatch

Changing of the Guard: Camelot Cellars undergoes a rebrand that mirrors the community it serves.

When Renard Green took over as owner of Camelot Cellars in early March, he knew a change was fitting for the 15-year-old wine bar. Nestled inside Olde Towne East, Camelot has now become a thriving urban château, a far cry from its previous look and feel.  

Before Green acquired the local spot, Camelot was known for its deep-rooted Italian influence, even winning 41 medals in national and international wine competitions. Through numerous ownership changes, Camelot largely took up the same décor and style, offering classic Italian dishes to pair with its stockpile of imported wines.  

But the new owner wanted to veer away from the stylings of conventional wineries. Instead, Green swapped out charcuterie boards and chandelier-filled ceilings for vibrant lights, a blaring hip-hop and R&B playlist and a menu filled with Southern comfort favorites such as collard greens, gumbo, po’boys and sweet potato cake. 

“People are looking for places that are culturally different and give them a chance to experience that culture,” Green says. “And I think that’s what we’ve tried to do with Camelot that’s very specific to us.”  

The drink menu also features a number of variations, favoring a list of fruit-forward and semi-sweet white wines and dry reds.  

The Exotic Fruit White Zinfandel is a blend of passion fruit and fresh ripe berries, making for a unique pairing with smoked chicken wings. The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, filled with aromas of gooseberry, herbs, pink grapefruit, lime leaf and other tropical flavors, aims to satisfy your taste for ocean-deep seafood, while the Chocolate Raspberry Port serves as a bold dessert wine.

Wines continue to be made on premises, but Camelot now offers a make-your-own-wine program good for groups looking to mark down bottles under their own custom label. And with the insertion of a full-scale liquor bar with tropical cocktails and domestic and craft beer options, the winery has become a more well-rounded late night social space. Fan favorite, the Blacker the Berry, is made with fresh blackberry juice, rosemary simple syrup and a dash of blood orange bitters.

Patron Tyler Armstrong, who’s lived in the Olde Towne East area for seven years, says walking in the rebranded winery was a completely new experience. “It’s very innovative,” he says. “It’s a nice twist on a traditional winery, and it may be what more wineries look like in the future.” 

Green, who’s worked as a business consultant for 13 years, took up the ownership role from previous owner Janine Aquino, whom he helped advise while she ran the long-standing winery.  

He wanted to create an environment that reflected his interests and truly felt like a Black-owned business, prompting the official switch to Camelot Cellars Urban Winery.  

He also recognized the potential for additional revenue streams. Green stepped in with a new mission in mind: making it four businesses in one. Instead of solely relying on in-store sales, the new owner has focused on distribution, high quality service and making the venue a backdrop for events. The winery now hosts Wine Down Wednesdays, Fish Fridays and live musical performances throughout the week. “There’s a lot that can be maximized, and until I maximize all of it, then I’ll think we aren’t making any money. We got a bunch of different stuff we can do there,” Green says. 

But just weeks after he acquired the long-standing bar from Aquino, the business faced restrictions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, forcing Green to rely on carryout and wine sales for nearly five months. When they weren’t taking in orders from Postmates, Green and his girlfriend made deliveries with “two bottles of wine and some hope” to keep the business afloat. 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, the winery resumed dine-in on Aug. 29. Green says the reopening speaks to his hustle, a mindset that’s desperately needed during these times. “In COVID, you have to have 35 hustles,” he says.  

Outside the effects of the coronavirus, Green says the biggest transition has been adjusting expectations. Camelot’s rebrand has been met with criticism from longtime patrons, many who still favor the more traditional set up. Coupled with state-mandated limitations in occupancy, access to funding and drops in revenue, the winery has yet to reach its true potential due to these unprecedented times, Green says. “We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, let's be clear. What you’re seeing from my business is only 40 percent of what we could do, so think about how that changes revenue.” 

While receiving pushback from former customers, Marlon Platt and other area business owners have embraced Camelot’s new direction. Platt, co-owner of Our Bar & Lounge, which sits across Oak Street from the urban winery, met with Green to help ease his transition into the historic neighborhood. After the two men connected, they held a collaborative brunch event as a part of their growing partnership. “I’m all about community support,” Platt  says. “The fact that their business is in the same neighborhood as mine, I kind of already know the stuff that he’s going through with trying to grow and develop the business as a Black business owner.”  

Platt says Camelot stands out because it mirrors the people that frequent the area’s latest developments. The winery joins Our Bar and Lifestyle Café as the three Black-owned businesses on the corner of Oak and South 18th streets. “It’s a natural synergy, so it’s truly like a Black-owned corner,” Platt says. 

To strengthen the support of Black-owned businesses in the area, Green joined the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association to ensure he can oversee some of the potential changes being made, encouraging Platt and others to do the same. “I definitely want to have more of an intentional relationship, because we are a unique place,” Green says. “We need to strategize about how we can be more instrumental in some of the decisions that are happening.”  

– Columbus Monthly