Five trends are reshaping fine dining drinks: designed non-alcoholic pairings, cocktail pairings, kitchen techniques at the bar, tea and fermented drinks, and sustainable local sourcing.

The shift follows guests. Gallup finds 54% of U.S. adults drink alcohol, the lowest reading since 1939, and 17% swapped in nonalcoholic beer, wine or spirits last year.

1. Non-Alcoholic Pairings Become Designed Menus

Paris Gourmet reports that these pairings have moved "past the mocktail cart and into the tasting menu itself." Copenhagen's Geranium has run a juice program since 2007.

Konrad Czlonka, restaurant manager at Dublin's D'Olier Street, says guests on its nonalcoholic cocktail pairing "feel like they are not left out," according to the Irish Times.

Jhonel Faelnar, beverage director at New York's Atomix, told Punch: "30 percent of our bar customers opt for the nonalcoholic pairing."

2. Cocktail Pairings Sit Beside Wine

Some restaurants build whole menus around cocktails. Clemente Bar in New York serves five courses with a cocktail for each, at $225 plus tax.

In Athens, the delta restaurant menu offers a cocktail pairing at €120 alongside juice and wine pairings for its 12-course tasting menu.

3. Kitchen Techniques Move Behind the Bar

Danny Childs, the James Beard Award winning bartender at Philadelphia's Field Day, serves a clarified cream cola and an umami martini with fermented tomatoes, per Tasting Table.

At Kato in Los Angeles, de-alcoholized wine is steeped with tea, fruit skins and spices, then brightened with clarified juice.

4. Tea and Fermented Drinks Replace Defaults

Removing alcohol from wine can dull its aroma, so many restaurants avoid substitutes. The Irish Times notes they favor teas, juices, kombuchas and house-made syrups.

Hiša Franko in Slovenia and Leo in Bogotá use kombuchas and tonics made from regional ingredients. Shanghai's Fu He Hui and Taipei's Logy build pairings around tea.

5. Sustainability and Local Sourcing Shape the Pour

SingleThread in Healdsburg makes private-label nonalcoholic sparkling wine and pinot noir from estate-grown botanicals and food waste.

Jörg Geiger's heritage-fruit drinks appear in 85% of Germany's Michelin-starred restaurants, according to the Irish Times. Delta also builds its menu on sustainability and small Greek producers.

The Five Trends at a Glance

Bring the Trends Home

Home bartenders can borrow these ideas. Start with the Advanced Mixology guides to mocktail recipes and cocktail recipes.

Browse alcohol-free spirits and bartending accessories to build a pairing at home.

Our Verdict

Zero-proof pairings, cocktail pairings, kitchen techniques, tea and ferments, and sustainable sourcing share one idea. The drink is designed with the same care as the dish.

Try one at your next dinner, whether at a restaurant or at home. Ask what is on the pairing list before you default to wine.

Common Questions Answered

What is a non-alcoholic pairing?

It is a set of alcohol-free drinks matched to each course of a tasting menu, often using juice, tea or ferments.

Are cocktail pairings replacing wine?

Not entirely. They sit beside wine pairings, though some restaurants build whole menus around cocktails.

What do drink pairings cost?

Delta lists pairings from €90 for juice to €480 for its top wine pairing. Clemente Bar charges $225 for its cocktail tasting.

How many Americans drink alcohol?

Gallup puts it at 54% of adults, the lowest since it began tracking in 1939.

 

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