Non-alcoholic beverages, also referred to as mocktails, have become a staple at Montgomery County restaurants and bars over the last few years as bartenders embrace the challenge of whipping up drinks that are zero-proof, but still fun to drink, writes Sarah Maiellano for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Chef Nick Elmi, Top Chef winner and owner of Landing Kitchen in Bala Cynwyd as well as other establishments, saw the need for restaurants and bars to step up their mocktail game when he stopped drinking alcohol four years ago.

Back then, the only alternatives usually offered were sodas.

Today bartenders are having fun coming up with creative and tasty zero-proof drinks that replicate the structure and texture of alcohol.

At his establishments, Elmi makes sure that customers can still order something special when they are not drinking alcohol.

“It’s pretty easy to challenge your bar team to come up with something fun so that people who want to have an N.A. cocktail don’t feel out of place asking for it,” he said.

Mocktails are now often featured prominently on the menu. The cocktail menu at Lola’s Garden in Ardmore has five mocktails.

One of the most popular is an alcohol-free version of a tequila-based cocktail using grilled pineapple juice.

Read more about the local mocktail scene in Montgomery County’s restaurants and bars in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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