Wellness At The Bar

Healthy ingredients add a new dimension to the cocktail experience.

Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge in New York City is a sober venue and serves non-alcoholic cocktails like The Roaring Twenties (pictured).
Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge in New York City is a sober venue and serves non-alcoholic cocktails like The Roaring Twenties (pictured). (Photo by Eliott Edge)

The start of a new season brings a renewed focus on health and wellness, and the bar is no exception. Among the surge of low- and no-alcohol cocktails and RTDs comes myriad ways to also tie in wellness items, from probiotics and antioxidants to adaptogens and functional ingredients, all designed to offer a health boost along with the social cocktail experience at bars. Some of these ingredients mix well into traditional alcohol-enhanced cocktails, and some are finding a niche in the surging no-abv drinks sector.

At the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern and restaurant Sifr in Chicago, beverage director Roger Gomes plays with ingredients like turmeric, saffron, labneh, and apple cider vinegar in his mixed drinks. In addition, he launched a zero-proof cocktail menu in January that includes fermented ingredients like house-made kombucha and kefir grains. Gomes notes that these ingredients aren’t included simply to be on-trend, but genuinely to enhance the guest experience and align with a healthier lifestyle.

“Our menu showcases an array of beneficial ingredients thoughtfully selected for their unique flavors and wellness attributes,” Gomes explains. “They elevate our offerings with complex flavors and natural probiotics, providing a refreshing and health-focused alternative for guests. Wellness ingredients and mixers are making waves in the cocktail scene. They offer a sense of indulgence with a hint of health-consciousness.”

Sifr’s #3 Talata cocktail (above) blends gin, arak, melon liqueur, and basil-cucumber juice. Sifr beverage director Roger Gomes says health-minded ingredients like green juice benefit guests in myriad ways.
Sifr’s #3 Talata cocktail (above) blends gin, arak, melon liqueur, and basil-cucumber juice. Sifr beverage director Roger Gomes says health-minded ingredients like green juice benefit guests in myriad ways. (Photo by Kevin White)

Sifr’s two most popular drinks are the #2 Itnan, made with Ketel One vodka, St-Germain liqueur, and a house-made mango shrub that has an apple cider vinegar base, and the #3 Talata, blending Gordon’s London Dry gin, El Massaya arak, Midori liqueur, and basil-cucumber juice (each is $16). Both drinks can be made without alcohol on request. “Wellness-focused cocktails can definitely coexist with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options,” Gomes says. “The key is to strike a balance so the wellness ingredients complement the flavors of the drink rather than overpower them.”

Gomes adds, though, that some wellness ingredients require an explanation to bar guests. “When bartenders take the time to share the benefits of specific ingredients—whether it’s a probiotic boost from kefir or a mood-enhancing quality from adaptogens—it can enhance the experience and build excitement,” he explains. “Ultimately, wellness ingredients can serve as both an attraction and a point of differentiation on the menu.”

At Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge in New York City, bar manager Eliott Edge says many customers are already knowledgeable about wellness-minded ingredients. Hekate is a sober venue and serves no alcohol, but it offers a lengthy list of zero-proof spirits, RTDs, beers, and wines, and also has a full cocktail list of no-alcohol offerings. “Some guests walk in basically as experts themselves, while others have lots of questions and are very curious,” Edge explains. “They come to Hekate for an alternative to alcohol, as that’s our whole philosophy. So, when someone asks for a drink that has an effect, we tell them about our offerings.”

To kick off the new year, Hekate added a drink called The Roaring Twenties ($13) to its menu, made with Lyre’s Italian Spritz and Everleaf Marine non-alcoholic spirits, cayenne pepper, rosemary syrup, and Three Spirit’s Social elixir, which contains cacao, lion’s mane, and damiana—all wellness-focused ingredients. In addition, the bar offers the popular Kava & Chill ($15), comprising Kava Haven non-alcoholic spirit—made with the kava plant that’s reputed to have a calming effect—and Three Spirit’s Nightcap elixir, which contains lemon balm, hops, and valerian.

“Folks care about their health again,” Edge says. “It’s all about alternatives now, that’s really key. There’s a customer base that’s extremely interested in wellness additives and no-alcohol wellness-based spirits. There’s no need to beat the wellness message into the minds of guests because they already get it. At a normal bar, you’re there for the booze, but now the tide is turning and guests are looking for more options. It all comes down to making your guests happy at the end of the day, and that means satisfying all parties.”