Is it just juice? Why NA drinks cost $10+
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Back on 74 (middle). Photo: Courtesy of Restaurant Constance
As more people go sober, or at least become "sober curious," they might expect to lose weight, sleep better and save money.
- But the savings aren't always guaranteed — especially if you're relying on mocktails for your fix.
Why it matters: Restaurants and bars increasingly must diversify their menus to meet rising demand for NA beverages, but customers often underestimate their cost. After all, isn't it just juice?
- Not always.
Case in point: Consider Restaurant Constance's $14 "Back on 74," a persimmon sotol paloma that customers still ask for to this day, beverage director Riley Ross tells me. Let's break down the cost to the restaurant:
- Two ounces of non-alcoholic tequila: $1.66
- Three ounces of persimmon juice: $2.50
- An ounce of grapefruit soda: 10 cents
- Fennel and simple syrup: About 18 cents
The drink that sold for $14 cost about $4.44 to make.
Yes, but: The remaining roughly $10 goes toward labor, equipment and everything else needed to bring the drink together, plus profit, of course. It takes about 60-90 minutes in batch and prep time.
- Restaurant Constance is higher-end, charging up to $15 for a non-alcoholic beverage.
- "I hate calling them a mocktail just because I feel like they're more curated," Ross says. "They're more intentional than just taking the alcohol out of the drink."
The intrigue: The Thrift Road restaurant's NA beverage sales are up nearly 32% year over year.
Zoom out: Cocktail bar Humbug, on The Plaza, charges around $10 to $12 per non-alcoholic drink and approaches its mixology a little differently.
- "We have a lot of pregnant clientele that come in," owner Andrew Schools tells me. "I want them to be able to have a couple of drinks and not feel like it's breaking the bank."
- To keep the price lower, Schools says he steers away from alcohol-free spirits that can raise the cost and can have a polarizing taste anyway. Instead, he relies on fresh ingredients made in-house and teas.
What to skip: Some NA drinks, though, are just juice. Ross says a true mocktail — like a "virgin" Moscow Mule that merely removes the liquor — may be priced similarly to the alcoholic version just because a bar can.
The bottom line: If someone just removed the vodka, skip it. If they built a drink with boastable ingredients, the $10-plus price tag may make more sense than you'd think.