bites of bull city
THE AUTHOR IS
THE CREATOR AND
WRITER OF THE LOCAL DURHAM FOOD AND
Booze-Free Bull City Bevs
RESTAURANT NEWS
BLOG, BITES OF BULL CITY (BITESOFBULLCITY.COM).
B Y A M B ER WAT S ON
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ARIETY AND CREATIVITY expressed on a restaurant’s drink menu is important, and for those who don’t (or can’t) drink alcohol, this shouldn’t be limited to just the wine and cocktail lists. There are actually quite a few Durham restaurants offering fun and delicious non-alcoholic alternatives from mocktails to milkshakes so that non-drinkers don’t have to settle for a boring soda. Below are some of our favorites.
CHILDHOOD CLASSICS
I’m a big fan of classic mixed soda drinks, especially when they are recreated and revived. Jack Tar and The Colonel’s Daughter takes diner drinks to the next level by offering new-andimproved childhood concoctions like housemade Shirley Temples and a real blast from the past: the Orange Julius. “There’s a slew of copycat
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recipes around the web, so we played around with a few of them to figure out what we did/didn’t like and cobbled together a version that really spoke to our memories of getting an Orange Julius at the mall when we were kids,” shares Owner Gray Brooks. “Although I imagine what we came up with is probably better, since it tastes good to me now as a grown-up.” Gray compares the process to their tomato soup: It attempts to reference Campbell’s iconic soup, which has such a strong memory connected to it, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype when you have it as an adult. The same goes for syrupy Shirley Temples – with a bit of tweaking, a childlike recipe (and memory) is redefined with an elevated house-made version. And with the assistance of talented mixologist Michael Killbridge (who makes all their own grenadine, shrubs, tonic water and other tinctures for the three restaurants) on staff, just about anything is possible. A big part of the reason the owners of Jack Tar put so much thought and effort into their non-alcoholic drink menu is because they have a young child and are consistently reminded what it’s like to be a 6-year-old in an adult’s world. “Whenever we’d go out to eat with Cole, my wife and I often start with a cocktail, so I started asking the bartenders to make something for our son, so that he could be included in that part of dining out,” Gray explains. That familyfriendly focus, from the food to the drinks, became a focus at Jack Tar.
MOCKTAILS
When dining out, our family has also found that good, skilled bartenders are happy to create a mocktail on the fly. So, if you are out to enjoy a nice dinner and don’t see any non-alcoholic drinks listed on the menu, don’t be afraid to ask if they can whip up something special. You may discover a new favorite drink for your child or for yourself!