Mixer
– noun
1. A social gathering
2. A non-alcoholic ingredient added to cocktails or mixed drinks
Whatever your reason—be it a pregnancy, medication, physical intolerance, religious prohibition, or you are a recovering alcoholic—you may choose not to drink alcoholic beverages.
Just because you don't imbibe, however, shouldn't mean you feel left out, nor feel the need to settle for water or a Coke when you're visiting a Disney bar or restaurant. While some bars and restaurants accommodate non-drinkers reasonably well—offering a nice selection of what a friend calls “EANABs” (equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages)—other venues have no idea what to do with a teetotaler, and the most they can offer is what a bartender once dismissively called a “fancy Sprite.”
I personally don't drink, and never have. It's a personal choice and not a cause, so I have no problem with people who drink responsibly, and I'm not here to urge a return to Prohibition. In fact, I frequently find myself in bars and lounges as my friends pursue their interests in craft beers or fancy cocktails.
For years, my staple was just a Diet Coke, with the occasional treat of a virgin strawberry daiquiri. I then read a 2008 New York Times article in which the writer related her experience with not drinking during pregnancy. Some of the non-alcoholic cocktails described in the article sounded absolutely delicious, and I wondered if perhaps I just wasn't asking the right questions at bars. So the next time I went out for drinks with friends, I asked the bartender if she could make something interesting yet non-alcoholic… and wound up with a virgin peach daiquiri. Oh well.
While you might expect non-drinkers to get a wary reception in bars, you may be surprised that it also impacts the way guests are treated at restaurants. Nothing pads a check like alcohol, and servers live on tips. Decline the wine or cocktail menu, and you may discover that your cork-sniffing neighbors one table over are getting far more attention from your server. Fortunately, some Disney restaurants are learning that there's still money to be had from non-drinkers, including a wine-centric Disneyland restaurant that has a surprising non-alcoholic option: the Napa Rose at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel.
My husband and I first ate at Napa Rose the Thanksgiving after it opened in 2001, calling on a whim that morning and accepting the only place they had room for us—two spots at the chef's counter. That was a fantastic meal, and I'll never forget the interaction with the kitchen staff, the attentive waiter we had, or the delicious food. Since then, the Napa Rose has become a favorite spot for special dinners, and we dine there several times a year with friends and family.
It was on our second visit that I noticed that we, seemingly alone of all of the other tables, were being passed up by the restaurant's then-manager as he made his rounds. While I don't need to chat up a manager during my meal—in fact, I'm happy enough to be left alone—we thought this behavior was odd. Then we remembered that the manager was also the restaurant's head sommelier (wine steward).
The next time we visited was with friends who did order wine—and to our surprise, the experience differed completely. The manager-sommelier was attentive, and came by our table numerous times to enquire about our meal, bringing small tasting portions of wines he thought our friends might like.
In 2010, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Napa Rose. As our server made her introductions, I braced for that awkward moment where we would inform her that we don't drink alcohol, thereby crushing her hopes of a larger tip on our wine consumption. Instead, she offered us a non-alcoholic wine flight, explaining that the restaurant's new sommelier and new manager (roles now held by two different people) had created this offering for expectant mothers and non-drinkers. In almost a decade of dining at Napa Rose, we'd never been offered such a thing, and we were intrigued enough to take her up on the offer.
The non-alcoholic wine flight was $15, and consisted of three glasses, served with each course. Our appetizers came with a glass of Martinelli's sparking apple juice, a staple among non-drinkers. I suddenly worried that our second glass would be just another variety of Martinelli's, but was pleasantly surprised when our entree was accompanied by a glass of Pinot Noir juice from the Navarro Vineyards in California. Unlike de-alcoholized wines, which are regular fermented wines from which the alcohol is later removed, the Navarro juice is made from wine grapes and bottled before fermentation begins. While one friend dismisses this as fancy grape juice (and to be sure, he has a point), it was interesting to see how the Pinot Noir flavors worked with our entree.
Dessert was served with a glass of white Gewürztraminer grape juice, also by Navarro Vineyards. The server accurately described this as “liquid honey,” and we knew we'd found something to share with my husband's non-drinking family that Thanksgiving.
To the best of our knowledge, Napa Rose is the only Disney restaurant to offer Navarro grape juice, but we'd love to see this option spread to other restaurants and resorts. There are actually quite a lot of non-alcoholic wine grape juices and de-alcoholized wines (including the award-winning options from Ariel Vineyards) available—enough to round out a small alternative wine list.
When I first proposed this article, a Facebook friend said, “Sounds like you want bars to cater to non-drinkers.” In the strict dictionary sense of the word, that's exactly what I want—a bar to “cater to,” as in “provide food and beverage to.” This doesn't mean I expect or even want Disney lounges to turn into juice bars, but it can't hurt to have at least one signature non-alcoholic cocktail available. In fact, there's a real business case to be made for being more inclusive, especially at a resort that draws diners from all over the world with many religious, cultural, and dietary differences.
Think about the last time you were with a group of friends and decided to grab a bite to eat. Among my friends, the choice of restaurant isn't driven by the adventurous foodie, but rather, in consultation with the people in our group with strict dietary restrictions. Though everyone can usually find something to eat wherever we go, we tend to seek out restaurants where suitable entrees aren't an afterthought.
Likewise, while I can order a Diet Coke anywhere, you're more likely to find me (and thus, my friends who drink) at a bar that cares enough to offer a sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktail rather than a fancy Sprite. So Make Mine Mixers—of both the non-alcoholic beverage variety as well as the social get-together.
