BRUNSWICK, Maine — With the rise of trends like "Dry January," bars and restaurants in Maine are moving towards adding mocktails to their menus year-round.
One of which is Joshua's Restaurant and Tavern in Brunswick, which has expanded its offerings to a lineup of non-alcoholic spirits and beers.
Owners TJ and Cheri Siatras said with more people leaning into the "sober-curious" lifestyle, they decided to reshape how they do business, just a tad.
"As a restaurant, we're here to cater to people's needs. Not everybody is a beer drinker, not everybody is a wine drinker or a spirit drinker," Siatras said. "We use simple syrups that have ginger or hot peppers in them to help recreate and simulate a little bit of the alcohol feel in your mouth."
For those looking to cut back for health reasons, Hepatologist Dr. Martin Moehlen said studies have shown taking a break from booze not only helps reduce blood pressure and glucose but can improve liver tests.
However, he reminded us that for some, going cold turkey could have a different effect and may lead to binge drinking after a break is over.
"The problem is, like many New Year's resolutions, it's the maintaining of the fact," Moehlen said. "And that I think is important to some people, to get that mindset that [drinking] is a choice and not a default."
Moehlen also said recommendations shift from person to person, depending on if someone is dealing with a dependency on alcohol.
If mocktails are a good idea for you, Siatras said some of the best non-alcoholic spirits don't try to replicate a drink but rather switch up the status quo.
"A lot of these spirits here are half the calories, half the sugar, and no alcohol," Siatras added. "And in some cases, you can come up with an alternative that might even taste better than the original."