Alcohol-free cocktails and other drinks are becoming more and more popular. People don’t drink alcohol for many reasons, whether temporary or long-term, and the market is slowly adapting. While you can order a number of alcohol-free mixed drinks, there hasn’t been a single bottled aperitif beverage that didn’t contain alcohol until now.
Proteau is the first drink of its kind. It’s a botanical aperitif created by the bar director at Momofuku John deBary. It’s made of blackberry juice with hints of black pepper, fig vinegar, chrysanthemum, and licorice root. It looks a lot like wine and it’s meant to be enjoyed alone, without mixing with other drinks or ice. Its creator recommends chilling proteau and leaving it in room temperature for a few minutes before drinking it.
“Whatever everyone else is doing, I try to do… not that,” deBary told Food and Wine. “One of the biggest reasons I wanted to make this is because there’s such a lack of credible nonalcoholic drinks—that’s changing, but it’s still nowhere near the craft renaissance we’ve seen in wine, beer, and spirits.”
