Soul Bar & Bistro, renowned for its high-end dining experience featuring fresh oysters and an ocean view, is now facing a new trend. Katie Cramphorn, Soul’s esteemed bar manager, has observed a surge in the sober-curious movement, with more customers than ever requesting non-alcoholic pairings alongside their meals.
This shift in customer preferences has allowed the restaurant and bar industry to adapt menus and cater to this growing demand.
“It’s easy to see that bartenders are now putting in as much time and creativity into their non-alcoholic drinks programme as they do with their standard cocktails,” said Cramphorn.
In her role at Soul, Cramphorn leads the team of young bartenders to create delicious cocktails for various events and activations. Due to the rise in non-alcoholic patrons, this has also meant an extension of its alcohol-free offerings.
All the zero-alcohol drinks at Soul have a flavour profile similar to alcoholic drinks due to the use of faux spirits and tart syrups.
“We put the same amount of effort into creating our non-alcoholic cocktails as we do to our regular cocktails so everyone can feel included in the party,” expressed Cramphorn.
When asked what her favourite zero-alcohol drink was, Cramphorn said it was the Un-American, a twist on the Americano, a classic
cocktail. The Un-American combines Italian orange and Aperitif Rosso with tonic water and olives. Its bitter-sweet yet refreshing element will take consumers to an Italian balcony on a sunny afternoon.
Another notable mention was The Sweetest Thing cocktail, a new addition that has become extremely popular within the Soul community. The drink combines spiced cane spirit, strawberry, lychee, lemon and whites to create a sweet yet tart drink that is an excellent substitute for a traditional cosmopolitan.
“Previously, the non-alcoholic section of a drinks menu may have only included juice, sodas and mocktails that follow the usual fruit-syrup-soda formula,” said Cramphorn.
"There is now so much variety in the non-alcoholic spirit range that adds complexity and nuance to what you’re drinking; we can recreate almost any cocktails to be enjoyed in a non-alcoholic fashion.”
Moving forward, the team at Soul have set sights on expanding its range of non-alcoholic options, moving away from summer cocktails to winter beverages. With the evolving market of non-alcoholic spirits, wine, and beer, Soul will continue to put effort into catering to a sober, curious community.
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