Options abound for Western Pennsylvanians celebrating a dry holiday

Recovering addict Lisa Hoey of Pittsburgh’s South Side says alcohol was an integral part of her holidays.

It was part of nearly every detail — from baking cookies and entertaining, to watching TV specials and wrapping gifts, said Hoey, now sober for more than two decades.

An alum of O’Hara treatment facility DreamLife Recovery, Hoey said these days she scouts places to celebrate that are supportive of sobriety and those in recovery. She wants to participate in festivities and feel part of a group, all while knowing there are options to help with her sober journey.

“Nonalcoholic beverages play a huge part in that they allow me to still feel festive and to keep that holiday celebratory feeling going with the warmth and the memories,” Hoey said.

Across the region, there are many inclusive ways to celebrate a dry holiday.

‘A symbol of unity’

DreamLife in RIDC Park has partnered with the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group — home of culinary ventures like Meat + Potatoes, tako torta and Fish Nor Fowl — to create a nonalcoholic holiday drink called the DreamLife Mocktail.

Reminiscent of an orange creamsicle, the beverage is a burst of orange blossom water, lemon and orange juices, vanilla syrup and seltzer.

The mocktail is more than just an alcohol-free option, said Lidice Morales, DreamLife Recovery’s vice president of operations.

“It’s a symbol of unity,” Morales said.

While many festivities revolve around liquor, the availability of the mocktail puts forth a message of support and spreads hope to a broader audience, Morales said. And it provides a space for people to enjoy community warmth and encouragement, she said.

Creative forces at the DeShantz Restaurant Group already had been working to create a nonalcoholic beverage catalog with “thoughtful” ingredients, according to Casey Henderlong, director of events and public relations.

“Dining out and celebrating with friends and family should be an activity everyone feels welcome participating in,” Henderlong said. “We strive to make all of our spaces a welcoming environment for all, and the reminder that there is support and space within the hospitality community for sobriety is so incredibly important.”

The DreamLife Mocktail is available at all of the restaurant group’s locations throughout the Steel City, including Poulet Bleu in Lawrenceville and tako torta in Bakery Square, through Jan. 1.

A festive taste

At JG’s Tarentum Station Grille, trendy drinks — without alcohol — fill the menu year-round. But manager Allison DiNatale said there’s a definite uptick of orders around the holidays.

“People love having specialty mocktails,” she said. “It’s a way to splurge with all the taste but still stay on track.”

A featured mocktail at the converted train station restaurant is the nonalcoholic chocolate-peppermint martini. Drizzled with Hershey’s syrup, the drink is a creamy mix of chocolate beverage and other flavors, topped with a candy cane garnish.

“It looks festive, but the ingredients are such that even a child could have this one,” DiNatale said. “It’s a way to support everyone’s tastes.”

Inclusive menus

According to Quintin Simmons, public relations and communications manager of Collage Group, one of their recent studies found that 7% of all consumers in America regularly drink mocktails.

Mel Babitz, owner of The Open Road Bar in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh, has seen inclusive drink menus rise in popularity over the past year.

“It’s easier than ever to offer an inclusive drink menu,” Babitz said. “Just this year, the number of local bars that we are partnered with and consult for has tripled.”

The nonalcoholic bottle shop began as a pop-up bar in January 2020 to support the Dry January trend. Babitz began working on the idea in 2018.

“I can’t digest alcohol,” Babitz said. “I just can’t drink it, and I wanted the things that I wanted while I was out and about.”

She said that, at the time, there were just a few nonalcoholic breweries developing, and even fewer spirit and wine brands. She said Open Road was Ritual Zero Proof’s first partner, and she has been carrying their products since they first began making drinks mimicking whiskey and gin.

During the height of the pandemic, Babitz fielded online orders and personally delivered products to her local customers. She was able to interact with them on those deliveries and get to know their stories.

“The majority of my customers are coming from a health and wellness space,” she said. “Whether they are cutting alcohol out completely, cutting back or just taking a break from it.”

She said customers have bought her products for a variety of reasons, including recovering from addiction, supporting others who are in recovery or pregnant or, like Babitz, unable to drink alcohol for health reasons.

Since opening the brick-and-mortar shop last year, Babitz has been able to host tastings and expand the variety of products she sells.

Her shop now carries hundreds of brands and has begun to explore the hemp beverage realm.

“It’s so great to see (nonalcoholic options) on the menu in so many places now,” Babitz said. “Our customers can come in to get things like nonalcoholic versions of drinks, sparkling wine options and drinks that have unique flavors and aren’t trying to be other things.”