Non-alcoholic spirits, an option for those who don’t drink — and those who do

Non-alcoholic spirits have grown sharply on menus as more consumers, particularly younger ones, choose to forego alcohol but still want to join in with friends who may choose to imbibe.

Whether through the addition of booze-less spirits like Seedlip and other brands, or through a combination of ingredients that evoke the flavors of spirits and are complex enough for consumers to crave, it’s clear there’s room for non-alcoholic spirits on a wide range of beverage menus.

The key is not to think of these concoctions as “mocktails,” but rather as creations that can stand on their own on a drink menu and draw in both drinkers and teetotalers alike.

Market research firm Datassential found that non-alcoholic spirits are on 2.8% of U.S. menus, up 487% over the past four years.

Click through the gallery to learn more about non-alcoholic spirits and to see how one restaurant is using them on the menu.