It’s officially the first day of summer!
For many Torontonians, that means making the most out of our gorgeous city by indulging in patio season, beach days, BBQs, music festivals and more.
One thing all these great plans have in common is that nine times out of ten you could end up with a drink in your hand.
But if you’re more inclined to a sober summer or just looking to cut back on alcohol, have no fear because there’s no shortage of epic non-alcoholic drinks at your fingertips.
In fact, in recent years alcohol-free drinks have been gaining popularity everywhere you turn and are seemingly no longer a drink reserved for devout, pregnant or underaged people.
The rise of non-alcoholic beverages have also become an overnight success with many opting for non-alcoholic beer, caesars and shirley temple mocktails or even fun and simple sparkling drinks.
But if you want to take it to the next level and be your own at home bartender, the city has also seen a growth in very unique mocktail making classes and products to match.
Now Toronto had the opportunity to sit in on one class and try our hand at making mocktails with the help of an expert instructor at Famous Last Words cocktail bar in Toronto.
The event was hosted by award-winning non-alcoholic spirit Ceder’s.
This distilled alcohol-free drink is made with 18 South African rare botanicals and comes in a variety of flavours to choose from.
My personal favourite were Ceder’s Wild with notes of clove, juniper and rooibos and Ceder’s Rose with notes of rose, juniper and hibiscus.
And if you’re interested in switching to mocktails or even just taking mocktail courses for the fun of it, there are a handful of locations that have what you’re looking for.
For example, beverage catering service 180 drinks offers mocktail and cocktail making classes both in-person and virtually. Just look out for its mocktail module.
Additionally, if you are crunched for time and can’t whip up a drink fast enough there are loads of non-alcoholic on-the-go options.
One company doing it right is Atypique, founded by Montreal-born and former Canadian football player Étienne Boulay. My favourites are its alcohol-free spiced rum and coke and mojito.
