All hail the mocktail!
Visually indistinguishable from a cocktail, the mocktail is an ingenious way to get an alcohol-free bar drink and still feel like you’re part of the social scene. Some say the Shirley Temple, invented to accommodate the child actress in the 1930s, was the first mocktail, debuting as a tart-sweet combo of ginger ale and grenadine topped with a maraschino cherry.
Now mocktails are a staple at South Florida restaurants, with their own separate section on many menus, and the options have been expanding this steamy summer. They’re often infused with local fruit; others contain ginger beer for a spicy-sweet flavor, or tonic or club soda for the required fizz.
Prices run the gamut; I found reasonably priced $6 alcohol-free drinks at Holly Blue in Fort Lauderdale, while a few blocks away, Bodega Taqueria y Tequila charged $14 for its zero-proof mixed beverages.
The mocktail shows that we are community-minded creatures who yearn to be included, even if we don’t drink alcohol, said Joe Mazzulo, bar manager at Burt & Max’s in Delray Beach.
“It’s such a social thing to drink,” Mazzulo said. “No one wants to be left out.”
Here’s a sampling of mocktails from restaurants and bars in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
BROWARD COUNTY
The Wilder, 701 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-918-7212; intothewilder.com
The popular downtown Fort Lauderdale lounge is known for its inventive cocktails, and the mocktails look pretty good, too. The True Colors is made of fresh pressed cucumber, lime, agave and club soda, while the Lush Lofi consists of mango, almond orgeat syrup, fresh lime and pineapple ($7 each). Located just east of the bustling intersection of Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway, The Wilder has one of the downtown’s prettiest and most popular patios.
Holly Blue, 441 NE Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-488-2117; hollyblueftl.com
Holly Blue opened in 2021 as part of a multimillion-dollar remodel of the historic First Evangelical Lutheran Church, with ambitions of bringing an elevated dining experience to Flagler Village. Its two mocktails ($6 each), sweetened with honey, show that alcohol isn’t needed for a drinker to feel sophisticated. Here’s the Kicker is made of fresh lime, paprika, cayenne pepper-infused honey and grapefruit soda, while Show Me The Honey contains not only the sweet stuff but cucumber, fresh lemon and sparkling water.
Negroni, 1744 Main St., Weston; 954-444-0096; negronius.com/weston
Peruvian and Japanese cuisines collide at this spacious restaurant that debuted in 2023 at Weston Town Center. It’s the second Florida location for the hip Argentine brand, joining outposts in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. The alcoholic version of the restaurant’s namesake aperitif typically contains gin, vermouth and Campari, but you can get its nonalcoholic offspring, the Na-groni, for $8. The Positano ($8) is another option and definitely sweet: It’s made of pineapple juice, passion fruit mix, aquafaba (a vegan-friendly thickener), lime-lemon cordial and orange bitters.
Davie Kava, 8256 W. State Road 84, Davie; 954-418-2085; daviekava.com
This kava joint has more than 15 mocktail options, with some spooky names: Vampire’s Kiss (made of strawberry mix and Sprite), Witch Upon (sour apple mix and tonic) and Satan Killer (bitters, tonic, blood orange syrup and a cherry). All are $13 each. Besides serving kava, which works as a relaxant, the site also offers “happy teas,” which contain kratom leaves that some say are helpful for those addicted to alcohol and other drugs.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Burt & Max’s, 9089 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-638-6380; burtandmaxs.com
Open since 2013, the restaurant is decorated like a modern ski lodge with beamed ceilings, wooden floors and a line of oversized booths that run between the open kitchen and the 32-foot bar. The fruit-oriented mocktails here get their kicks from staples such as watermelon, apples and oranges. Joe Mazzulo, the bar manager, recommends the Pomegranate Fizz ($8), consisting of pomegranate juice, orange and ginger beer, which he describes as “good flavor with a spicy kick.”
Farmer’s Table
1901 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton; 561-417-5836
951 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach; 561-691-3430
dinefarmerstable.com
Farmer’s Table is a health-centric restaurant with an enchanting poolside terrace. They call their mocktails “Elixirs,” and they do seem designed to promote good health. The Essential ($10) is made of organic blackberries, raspberries, aloe vera, cold-pressed beets, carrots, apples, ginger, lemon juice and fresh rosemary. Then there’s the Cuke of Earl ($10), consisting of smashed cucumbers, organic coconut water, lemon juice, agave nectar, plant chlorophyll and mint.
Le Colonial, 601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-566-1800; lecolonial.com
Le Colonial recently updated its mocktail menu to make it clear these drinks are “not an afterthought,” said Declan Nye, beverage director. The restaurant has also overhauled its mocktail look: Instead of using whatever glasses are available, mocktails are now served in new long, thin etched glasses with artful garnishes, including mint, crystallized ginger or a lemon wedge. One of the most popular, according to Nye, is the Saigon Mint Colada ($11), thick with coconut milk, pineapple, lime, mint, turmeric and nutmeg.
Kapow Noodle Bar
402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 561-567-8828
519 Clematis St., West Palm Beach; 561-933-4011
kapownoodlebar.com
Kapow’s mocktails are called “Chak-tails,” as they are designed to “align the chakras,” which are yogic energy centers around the body. Try the smoky Solar Plexus ($9), made of kokuto pineapple shrub, citrus, Smoke’n Flowers tonic, rosemary and bubbles. For those needing a java fix, the Root ($8) consists of coffee, vanilla, hibiscus, espresso and aquafaba.
Elisabetta’s, 32 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-560-6699
185 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach; 561-342-6699
elisabettas.com
Elisabetta’s is an homage to old-school Italian-Americana, with vintage black-and-white photos, wood paneling and ornate glass lighting fixtures. Its mocktails are more 21st century: Try the Cherry Basil Smash, made of Michigan orchard cherries, agave nectar, local citrus juice and basil, or the Strawberry Mint Virgin Mojito ($11 each).
MULTIPLE COUNTIES
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila
21 W. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-945-5545
118 S. Clematis St., West Palm Beach; 561- 559-3119
bodegataqueria.com
The restaurant is equal parts fast-casual taco eatery and late-night speakeasy lounge. The bodega offers three “Zero Proof” options ($14). The Garden Lemonade sounds especially cooling: It’s made of cucumber, lime, hot honey, Sicilian lemonade, citrus rosemary salt and Seed Lip Garden 108, a nonalcoholic spirit that is supposed to remind drinkers of the English countryside.
