Many across the East End, and quite frankly, the world, are taking part in “Dry January,” a campaign initially developed and delivered by the United Kingdom-based charity Alcohol Change, where people pledge to be booze-free for the month. Yet, as ubiquitous as stopping drinking for January may feel, especially now that it’s mid-month, the true latest drinking trend that seems to be sticking is to give up drinking alcohol altogether.
According to a 2024 article by CNN culture writer Leah Asmelash, “the number of people choosing to opt-out of alcohol, whether temporarily or permanently, has grown, and with it, the normalization of being alcohol-free.” Reasons for the change include an increasing focus on health, wellness and moderation. Back in 2022 the World Health Organization published a statement saying when it comes to alcohol consumption, “there is no safe amount that does not affect health.” At the beginning of this month, the surgeon general called for cancer warnings to be placed on all alcoholic beverages.
This trend isn’t going away — in fact, it’s become a part of the new norm. And for most East End restaurant professionals, that’s more than ok.
Fruit-forward and fun alcohol-free limeades are offered at Amagansett’s Coche Comedor, while Townline BBQ in Sagaponack offers the Ginger Hinny, an NA riff on a Moscow Mule. (Photos courtesy of WordHampton)
Across the Hamptons the nonalcoholic drink trend is not only infiltrating what was once a strictly booze-based enterprise, it’s being welcomed with open arms and creative thinking. Drink programs are going far above and beyond the run-of-the-mill soft drink and juice program typically found in eateries across the board. More and more restaurants, shops and bars are expanding their respective beverage programs to reflect the NA beverage category, whether their patrons are simply cutting back or kicking the habit completely.
There seems to be two subcategories within the nonalcoholic trend: the first having what’s called ready-to-drink NA beverages (ones that are already prepared and packaged for immediate, almost single-serving consumption), and the second, the infusing and doctoring up of already existing nonalcoholic spirits and/or mixers to make them more interesting and palatable.
At Nick & Toni’s the Paloma Pirata utilizes juniper berry-infused Stirrings Notas de Agave, fresh grapefruit and Owens Rio Red grapefruit soda while the bitter GHIA aperitif ‘OTR’ cocktail is reminiscent of Campari. (Photos courtesy of WordHampton)
“NA is almost like taking RTD (ready to drink), and grabbing it by the ‘you know what,’ you know?,” says Chimene Macnaughton, beverage director for Honest Man Hospitality, whose restaurants include Nick & Toni’s, Rowdy Hall, Coche Comedor, Townline BBQ and La Fondita. “So, I like taking those two things because I feel like we have to teach our older customer about the ‘why’ of the white-hot RTD category, as well as any zero-proof program in general, right?”
Macnaughton plans for the NA concoctions to firmly remain once the month is over, and is presently working on a slew of NA drinks, elixirs and mixers to add to her already ample program across all five restaurants.
“For sure, this is another opportunity in this category to not make it feel like an afterthought,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for us to not just be like, ‘Oh, it’s just cranberry and soda’ or ‘Well, you’re not drinking. We don’t care about you.’ I don’t want that to ever happen. That just feels so different than how we treat everything in our business.”
Macnaughton and the Honest Man team aren’t alone in feeling that sentiment. In Bridgehampton, Almond is crafting riffs on house cocktails that are well known (and well liked) within their own existing repertoire. For instance, the longstanding specialty cocktail, “The Fat Farmer” is getting an NA version, “The Slim Farmer,” featuring Ritual alcohol-free gin. In addition to a handful of NA beers, Almond’s nonalcoholic offerings include their “Phony Negroni” featuring St. Agrestis, a Champagne cocktail with French Bloom nonalcoholic sparkling rose, and what co-owner Eric Lemonides has dubbed “Not Your Dad’s” gin and tonic.
The Mayan Lemonade and The Slim Farmer are two NA specialty drinks available at Fresno in East Hampton and Almond in Bridgehampton, respectively. (Photos courtesy of WordHampton)
“It’s funny, we started doing our NA beverage program in earnest at the beginning of last summer,” Lemonides says. “The really fun part that I’ve noticed is that people who like to drink [alcohol] also like to drink NA. And they don’t want a mocktail, that’s the wrong term. They want a nonalcoholic cocktail. It’s about being and feeling like you’re a part of the party.”
Fresno in East Hampton is also offering an entire line-up of alcohol-free beverages for Dry January. Among the roster is the “Mayan Lemonade,” a homemade turmeric and ginger infused tea with lemon and honey, then topped with club soda and is owner Michael Nolan’s proclaimed favorite. The beloved locale also offers alcohol-free versions of a sour, a spritz and a Negroni, two 0.5% ABV beers from Athletic Brewing Co., plus a Peroni Zero.
On the wine front, Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack has been hip to the NA drink trend for a while now. Spring in a Bottle, available in both rose and blanc de blanc, is made the exact same way as regular wine — fully fermented to preserve as many characteristics as traditional wine — before the alcohol is removed.
This past Sunday, Sen in Sag Harbor hosted a collaborative chef’s dinner with Aplós (a brand of non-alcoholic spirits) and BKE Kombucha in honor of Dry January. “This is the first of its kind,” says co-owner and GM Jesse Matsuoka at the dinner, “for us to be able to do a collaboration with all non-alcoholic beverages.” To take a peek at what Sen’s current NA offerings include, click here.
According to the International Wine and Spirit Research’s Drinks Market Analysis, nonalcoholic drink consumption is expected to increase by a third by 2026, so while there are still a few weeks remaining for those partaking in Dry January, the trend is here to stay. For Macnaughton, that means setting her sights on featuring a rotating roster of zero-proof beverages to be offered seasonally, reminding that just because the customer may not be drinking alcohol doesn’t mean they still don’t want an exciting, adult beverage. “My goal is to find something that nobody else knows about,” she says. “And it’s not to make more money on it. It’s about discovery.”
