WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — For many, the month of January has become synonymous with going alcohol free.
“Dry January” is now a common practice with people across the United States abstaining from drinking to kick start a healthy new year. Luckily, across Los Angeles, there are plenty of options for nonalcoholic drinks that rival their boozier counterparts.
Mel Meza is the beverage director at Olivetta, a Mediterranean inspired restaurant in West Hollywood. Meza has been at the forefront of a growing trend at bars and restaurants across the country. She creates high end drinks that satisfy the desire for a cocktail, without the hangover.
“During COVID, I think that’s when the nonalcoholic idea sparked,” she said. “With restaurants closing and people overindulging, there was a big need for nonalcoholic.”
Today, Olivetta has nine alcohol-free cocktails on the drinks menu, all crafted by Meza. She said over the past few years, the nonalcoholic spirit industry has been booming. They form the basis for the cocktails and are often made from botanicals and flavor concentrates.
“Since launching the nonalcoholic menu at Olivetta, I’ve been reached out to by many brands,” said Meza. “I’m actually going to several tastings next week. There is a nonalcoholic tequila I’m going to try. I say, ‘Bring it on.’”
Oftentimes, especially on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, Meza says up to 50% of the cocktails sold at Olivetta are non-alcoholic. And the trend is also growing across the country. According to a Gallup poll, in 2021, 60% of U.S. adults said they drank compared with 65% in 2019.
Today, on average, Americans say they have 3.6 drinks per week, compared with 4.5 in 2015.
Marissa Hermer, co-owner of Olivetta and Boujis Group (the company that owns Olivetta), said she was enthusiastic about adding more beverage options to the menu.
“I like cocktails, but I’m also an operator,” she said. “I have young children who wake me up in the morning, and I don’t need alcohol to be in conjunction all the time with being social.”
As a restaurant owner, Hermer said she’s witnessing a change in how consumers approach drinking.
“There is a moment happening, which is really longer than a moment. It’s a lifestyle — the California sober lifestyle, the sober curious lifestyle,” she said. “I can go out and have a mocktail, and still participate in a social dynamic and life, without having a hangover the next morning. It’s a win-win.”
And from Meza’s perspective, regardless of why someone chooses to avoid alcohol, they should always be able to join in and enjoy a delicious drink.
“You can still have that energy,” she said. “And you’re still part of the party, whether you’re drinking or not.”