Cocktail Vs Mocktail: Is It Just The Booze?

Every adult social gathering is preluded by one question: To drink or not to drink? Fortunately, since the rise of highly elevated mocktails on menus at bars and restaurants, you now have a third choice that allows you to indulge in the drink without technically "drinking" — that is, a cocktail without any of the ABV, also known as a mocktail. But is the booze really the only difference between the two? Generally speaking, yes. Author and cocktail Instagrammer, Katie Stryjewski, tells Tasting Table that, "I suppose the lack of booze is what defines a mocktail, but you can't just take out the alcohol and expect it to be a good drink. You need to make adjustments in order for it to taste good."

Mocktails and non-alcoholic spirit alternatives are about 9000 years behind alcoholic spirits and cocktails. So while very hip, there's still a long way for these alternatives to go before they reach the level of quality that alcoholic spirits and cocktails have. According to Stryjewski, the primary way you'll experience this while drinking a mocktail is a noticeable lack of what many mixologists refer to as "piquancy" — or that ever so common stinging or burning sensation you get from spirits distilled with alcohol. "The fundamental idea is the same: balancing sweetness and acidity, and using flavors that work well together," Stryjewski says. "But since you're missing the bite and burn of the alcohol, as well as any flavors it would add, you probably need to make some adjustments."

First things first, before diving into what makes mocktails different from cocktails, you have to understand the difference between a mocktail and any other non-alcoholic drink. While, you could easily pour one of the many fancy, fermented, or fizzy adaptogenic drinks that have graced the grocery store drink aisle into your wine glass on movie night, they aren't necessarily mocktails. As an alternative to the cocktail you might usually order or the wine you'd normally pour, it would serve a similar purpose, but, as per the "mock" in mocktails, what makes them different is that the intention is to recreate the taste and flavors of a traditional, alcoholic drink, rather than tasting like and being appreciated as an alternative beverage in its own right.

"The 'mocktail' meaning comes from the fact that it looks and tastes similar to an alcoholic cocktail but doesn't have the main alcoholic ingredients," says Stryjewski. So while the fundamental idea of balancing flavors is the same, the inherent lack of piquancy will require you to lean on alternative ingredients to recreate the taste of your usual alcoholic cocktail. A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, for instance, can bring a similar fermented bite and depth to mocktails, as does a note of literal spice. Black pepper is a key ingredient in deliciously spicy cocktails that can also help recreate that heat, along with ginger syrup and chili extracts. Of course, these ingredients will be balanced with the other ingredients in any mocktail recipe.

"If it's a drink with enough other ingredients, removing the alcohol and giving it a taste can be a good place to start," Stryjewski tells Tasting Table. "But I personally think the best non-alcoholic drinks are created from scratch rather than using an alcoholic drink as a starting point." Apart from including something to provide the necessary piquancy, those other ingredients could include anything from juice and club soda to bitters and egg whites, aquafaba, or a bit of butter or coconut to add familiar textures to mocktails. But while mocktails are, by definition, cocktails without the alcohol, some ingredients do include trace amounts.

While the vast majority of people won't need to worry, if you're someone who is strict about your alcohol consumption or serving guests that are, there are certain ingredients to be aware of. Cocktail bitters, for example, are made from alcohol — usually equating to 35%-45%. However, because they're really only used in small dashes or singular drops, the amount that ends up in any drink recipe is very minor, contributing minute amounts to the overall ABV. Other ingredients, such as kombucha, are similar in that they contain alcohol but are labeled as "non-alcoholic" because they meet the 0.5% ABV threshold outlined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Even with these ingredients, however, mocktails can be enjoyed the same way — allowing you to socialize and partake in cocktail hour responsibly, without any fear of a lingering hangover the next morning.