30 Mocktails Worth Cocktail-Adjacent Prices

BY TAMARA PALMER

Whenever I’m being comped at a restaurant that offers mocktails, I order one or two. If they don’t have spirit-free options, I ask if they can make me something fun. I’ve had quite a few increasingly more sophisticated virgin drinks over the past couple of years that are worth their cocktail-adjacent prices, which is easy for me to say when I’m not paying very often, but I did actually shell out for a few of these! Here are 30 of the best mocktails I’ve tried in California.

Lost Treasure (hickory-smoked ginger ale, ashwaganda, maple and colloidal gold mineral) at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Beverly Hills

Flowers (schizandra, guayasa, sparkling pink grapefruit, lime and rose syrup), made for Miley Cyrus by Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Beverly Hills

Cherry-Misu (lion’s mane mushroom, cacao, cherry syrup, Cherry Pellegrino, chocolate bitters, hazelnut rim and chocolate shavings) at Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Beverly Hills

Whale’s Tale (pineapple, lime, blueberry, coconut milk and club soda) at Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge, San Francisco

Zen Koan Kooler (kiwi, mint, lime, yuzu-lime soda) at Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge, San Francisco

Iced Bali botanical tea with fresh lemon, pandan syrup and rose at Star Leaf, Pasadena

Virgin prickly pear sangria at Telefèric Barcelona, Brentwood

Salted Tangerine (tangerine juice, tarragon leaves, citrus juice and saline) at Alora, San Francisco

Arabian Storm (pear and raspberry jam, mint and unfiltered apple juice) at Alora, San Francisco

Estrellita (Seedlip Garden 108, prickly pear, epazote, lime and berry air) at Casa Madera, West Hollywood

Yuzu Margarita (Smoke topped Lyre’s Zero Proof Agave Blanco, yuzu and grapefruit) at Sushi Roku, Palo Alto

Golden Sunrise (Dhos Spirits bitter aperitif, rhubarb syrup, lime, soda) at Miller & Lux, San Francisco

Secret Garden (pineapple, celery, lemon, pandan, tonic) at Irie, West Hollywood

Spirits Away (Seedlip Garden 108, watermelon juice, lime, agave, fire water) at Irie, West Hollywood

Non-alcoholic Gin & Tonic (Amass Botanics and tonic) at 25 Lusk, San Francisco

Rose (Seedlip citrus, Calpico and raspberry cordial) at Ardor, West Hollywood

Vung Tau Breeze (coconut, pandan, jasmine tea and sweetened condensed milk over ice) at DiDi, West Hollywood

Strawberry-lime spritzer at Collina, San Francisco

Virgin Luna Verde with strawberry, cucumber, lemon, arugula and soda water at KA’TEEN, Hollywood

Virgin Flor de Manzana (passionfruit, mango and elderflower) at Chotto Matte, San Francisco

Tangerine Dream: (Lyres aperitif, fresh tangerine juice, agave and soda) at Prima Donna, Culver City

Virgin Ube Colada (ube coconut cream and pineapple) at Abacá, San Francisco

Calamansi faux daiquiri (black tea, calamansi and turbinado) at Abacá, San Francisco

Viridescence (coconut water, cucumber, moringa, apple, basil) at Ubuntu, Hollywood

Chicha Tonica (charanda, chicha morada, smoked pineapple, ginger, lime and tonic) at Cavaña, San Francisco

Zero proof Watermelon “Martini” (olive oil washed Seedlip Spice, watermelon juice and strawberry essence) at Carmel , Hollywood

Sugarcane and calamansi juice at Bodega, San Francisco

Sugarcane and calamansi juice at Gao Viet Kitchen, San Francisco

Tostada (corn horchata-esque drink) by Damian, Los Angeles

Meyer lemon-rosemary soda with fennel pollen salt at Anchovy Bar, San Francisco

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