In the sustainable Green PearlsⓇ accommodations, you find ambitious bartenders behind the bar. Not only to create delicious drinks, but also to mix them sustainably with local ingredients. Barkeeper Jonas Wolf from Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa is participating in the “Mixology Cocktail Competiton” this year, where ambitious bartenders compete against each other. He has noticed that “the number of guests who choose non-alcoholic drinks is constantly increasing”. The young bartender sees the main reason for this in increased health awareness. In addition, mocktails are now “so advanced and delicious” that they are “perceived as a taste experience in their own right”. Learn about them here!
Mocktails in vogue
The important thing about a mocktail is that you’re not trying to imitate the taste of an alcoholic drink. At least that’s the opinion of SIEGFRIED GIN, whose non-alcoholic WONDERLEAF has been a hit on the international bar scene and has already won several awards. “The special thing (about gin) is not the alcohol itself, but the variety of flavors,” writes the German producer from the Rhineland.
Popular mocktail: Siegfried Non-Alcoholic
WONDERLEAF is “Handmade in Germany” and is offered at the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu as “Siegfried non-alcoholic” with dry tonic water. In addition to mocktails and zero-percent long drinks, the exceptional hotel with an infinity pool in the midst of the Allgäu mountains recently added non-alcoholic organic wines from the Jörg Geiger winery to its beverage menu. “We have noticed that our guests are increasingly asking for non-alcoholic beverages,” says the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu.
GIMBER – the new kick on the block
Another “game changer” in the beverage scene is GIMBER, developed by a Belgian start-up. “You don’t need booze to get loose” is the motto of this organic health drink made from ginger. At STURM in the Rhön, “mocktails with GIMBER are the most popular,” according to the staff. For example, there is the GIMBER Tonic, the Virgin GIMBER Mule, the GIMBER Margarita or the GIMBER Apple Spritz. They are even ordered more often than the popular non-alcoholic classics Virgin Caipi (non-alcoholic Caipirinha) and Nojito (non-alcoholic Mojito).
Virgin GIMBER Mule from STURM
Equipment
- Glass
- 1 Plunger
Ingredients
- 1 organic lime
- 0,7 oz GIMBER
- ice
- soda
- fresh herbs (from STURM Organic Garden)
Instructions
- Squeeze lime and gimber with pestle; top with ice and soda and garnish with herbs.
Jonas Wolf’s signature mocktail: Punica
Bartender Jonas from BarBarossa at Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa chooses THE DUKE “Entgeistert” as his “gin alternative”. THE DUKE is a small distillery from Aschheim near Munich. Jonas is particularly enthusiastic about the “bitterness”, which can be transformed into a flavor play with sweetness and acidity, as in his self-created Punica: “Entgeistert” with pomegranate syrup, pineapple juice and fresh lime juice.
According to Jonas, this mocktail is especially popular with pregnant women. In fact, Klosterhof • Alpine Hideaway & Spa is one of the most popular babymoon hotels in Bavaria.
Sunset Mocktail from the SAND Rooftop Bar
At the Lifestylehotel SAND on the Baltic Sea, you can enjoy your drinks on the rooftop terrace. Here, you’ll chill out on curved wooden loungers with a beautiful view. Unlike the aforementioned hotel bars, this one does not use non-alcoholic alternatives; instead, the mocktails are mixed with juices.
Mocktail recipe SAND Sunset
Equipment
- 1 Glass
- 1 Shaker
Ingredients
- 1 oz Peach syrup
- 0,7 oz Organic lemon juice
- 4 oz Cranberry nectar
- 4 oz Organic orange juice
- Ice
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a shaker.
Tip: Crushed ice works great in a Thermomix (just crush the ice cubes). Not recommended for glass blenders. Alternatively, you can put ice cubes in a freezer bag and crush them with a hammer.
AlpenRausch Bar & Lounge in Schwangau
At Hotel Das Rübezahl, individual attention to guests is a top priority. At the boutique spa hotel’s AlpenRausch Bar, bar manager Christian likes to talk to guests about their mocktail preferences. There is also a daily apéritif. Without alcohol? But with pleasure!
Crodino – Italian non-alcoholic apéritif
An apéritif is undoubtedly part of the Italian way of life. In cities like Venice, people go to a bar for an apéritif around 7 p.m. and then to a restaurant. Probably the most famous alcoholic apéritif from Italy is the Aperol Spritz (rhubarb bitters 11% vol. with prosecco, soda, and ice). It owes its popularity to Campari, which bought the previously unknown Aperol in 2004 and even brought it to America with a major advertising campaign.
If only Crodino had gotten that kind of attention! The non-alcoholic Italian apéritif has been produced since 1965 and is a tangy, bitter drink with intense citrus and fruit notes. A Crodino is served in a wine glass with plenty of ice and a slice of orange. At the Relais del Maro, you can enjoy it on the terrace by the pool. At the Albergo Diffuso, guests stay in several rooms in the village of Borgomaro. You can meet in the main house, with its pool, in the early evening and, after a crodino, stroll through the Italian streets to one of the restaurants. Maybe you’ll even take a trip to the sea…
ENZO Alpin and ENZO Spritz – the gentian apéritif
It is scientifically proven that bitter substances stimulate the digestive juices. However, it is only the bitter substance that does this and NOT the alcohol! If you are concerned about taste and health, alcohol-free is the sporty choice!
For example, have you heard of ENZO Alpin? This is a unique drink from the Trausner manufactory – a bitter lemonade made from gentian root. The gentian root comes from the Salzburg Alps in Austria. At the Biohotel Grafenast, you can enjoy ENZO Alpin as a mocktail called ENZO Spritz. At 1,330 meters above sea level, with a spectacular view of the Tyrolean Inn Valley.
Sustainable Mocktails with Local Ingredients
At the Hotel Weihrerhof on the Ritten in South Tyrol, only regional South Tyrolean products are on the drinks’ menu. Instead of Coca-Cola, they serve Plose Cola from a South Tyrolean beverage producer. The staff at the Hotel Weihrerhof describe the non-alcoholic Hugo as “our big seller”: ginger ale, elderflower syrup, organic lime, organic lemon (squeeze out some juice and add pieces into the glass), fresh peppermint, chilled mineral water and ice.
Also on the Ritten, at the ADLER Lodge RITTEN, the mocktails are garnished with herbs and fruits from their own garden. These include flowers, raspberries and thyme.
Butterfly Mojito: The mocktail that turns purple!
Local, of course, always depends on where you are. In Asia, for example, the Butterfly Mojito is the drink of the moment! Have you tried it? Its main ingredient is blue tea, a caffeine-free herbal tea made from the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea). This is a climbing plant with beautiful deep blue flowers that is native to Thailand.
At the luxurious yet sustainable “villa wonderland” Keemala in Phuket, Thailand, blue tea is used in the mocktail of the season:
Freshly squeezed lime juice and organic lime slices go into a glass with sugar, then topped with Butterfly Tea. The wow effect: When the blue tea comes into contact with the limes, the drink turns purple! Keemala’s Butterfly Mojito is garnished with fresh mint.
Homemade Mocktails, Lemonades and Cold Teas
A cocktail is a mixed drink – classically with alcohol – a mocktail is a cocktail that is “mocked” (from the English verb “to mock”, to make fun of something). At the Hotel Klosterbräu, a pure fruit mocktail is currently doing best: the Italian Spring. It’s made with passion fruit juice, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, orange, and lime. If you’re traveling as a couple, you can enjoy the mocktail in your own spa suite, for example, in the giant bathtub.
At SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA, mocktails are enjoyed on the panoramic terrace. During the summer months, you can sit here and enjoy a magnificent view of the sea of lights in Bad Herrenalb. A classic is popular here:
Virgin Caipirinha Recipe from SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA
Equipment
- 1 Caipirinha glass
- 1 Pestle
Ingredients
- 1/2 Organic lime
- 2 tsp Organic cane sugar
- 0,7 oz Lime juice
- Ginger-Ale
- Crushed Ice
Instructions
- Cut the lime into eighths and place in a Caipirinha glass.
- Add cane sugar and crush with a pestle.
- Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice.
- Add the lime juice.
- Finally, top with ginger ale and stir with a long spoon.
At Okelmann’s in the small community of Warpe, Lower Saxony, people prefer homemade lemonade to mocktails. The hits are called raspberry-lavender and grape-rosemary. The herbs come from their own garden. By the way, the tap water (including that for the ice cubes) at Okelmann’s is revitalized according to Johann Grander. This is supposed to give it back the same vitality it had when it gushed out of the spring.
Cold Brew Tea
Another non-alcoholic beverage alternative is cold brew tea. Unlike iced tea (where the tea is brewed hot and then chilled), cold brew tea is brewed while still cold. This trend originated in Japanese sun tea (mizudashi). Here, tea leaves are placed in cold water and then left in the sun for several hours. When the water is cold, the bitter substances in the tea dissolve very slowly. At Gut Guntrams near Vienna, herbs from the farm are finely ground and poured into homemade tea bags with cold water. After about 5 to 8 minutes, you can enjoy the cold brew tea – on hot days, with lots of ice.
As you can see, even though mineral water is the most popular non-alcoholic beverage according to the German Federal Statistical Office, there are really exciting flavors for your glass that fit the current lifestyle and health trend. And they’re super tasty, too, with no headache potential. We hope you enjoyed these tips from the pros and have fun mixing them. Please let us know what you think in your feedback!
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