Boston’s restaurant scene with a twist as mocktails become more popular

BOSTON — Dry January seems to be spilling over into other months.

Boston restaurants say they are seeing a growing demand for alcohol-free socializing so they are expanding their mocktail menus. Benjamin Chesna, at Banks Fish House in the Back Bay, introduces us to a new trend of drink. “All mocktails are zero alcohol, zero point zero,” said Chesna. They are cocktails created to look like the real thing but they are all served buzz-free.

“You can have two or three, you can really enjoy dinner, have something paired with the food. Have that whole food and beverage experience and wake up the next day feeling great,” said Chesna.

Most people agree a good drink is all about low calories. Chesna says his mocktails are well balanced and they are not all about sugar. “Two hundred calories give or take,” said Chesna.

Chesna, who previously worked in Beverly Hills, says mocktails were getting a lot of traction there and now they are making the rounds in Boston.

“The whole wellness trend where people are being more thoughtful about what they consume and how they consume,” said Chesna. Because none of the ingredients include alcohol, Chesna says when you stick to mocktails there are no impacts the day after. “Go have a drink and don’t worry about the headache in the morning,” said Chesna.

We talked to several people in downtown Boston about whether they are open to the new mocktail trend.

“Mocktails are good. I mean you don’t always need alcohol in your drink. Sometimes things taste better without alcohol in it,” said one woman. But the booze-free trend is not everyone’s idea of a good night out.

“If I do drink it’s to have fun. Take the alcohol in to get loose, funny, having fun,” one man said. Restaurants say the fake drinks are turning up on social media, menus and becoming popular in sober curiosity campaigns like dry January.

“Maybe a night out on a school night because I’m a teacher,” another woman said. “If you want to go out with your girlfriends and it is a work week night have a mocktail.”.

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