A trend that has gained substantial ground in recent years is the unexpected surge in non-alcoholic drinks, especially concoctions that mimic the real thing: a “mocktail”. Restaurants and bars including various Asheville hangouts have discovered that a menu dedicated to mocktails is one way to add more revenue. In addition, a whole cottage industry has arisen of distillers who make craft alcohol as well as their alcohol-free (AF) cousins.

For those interested in experimenting with their own cocktails and mocktails, check out offerings by Monday (alcohol-free gin), Lyres (classic AF spirits), and Sexy AF Spirits, among others. Also browse your supermarket for kombucha blends and alcohol-free Ginger beers such as Fever Tree, The Great Jamaican Ginger Beer Company, Reed’s, and Barritt’s.

Here is one of our favorite winter drinks, in both Cocktail and Mocktail form: the Dark and Stormy!