12 places to try bougie mocktails in metro Detroit

Any bar or restaurant can whip up a cocktail concoction without the alcohol — called mocktails. But plenty of places around metro Detroit get creative and fancy offering a selection of mocktails alongside cocktail menus. Many are their own craft creations using juices and their own housemade syrups to blend together mocktails similar to alcohol-based cocktails. Some places also use nonalcoholic spirits with several of their mocktails.

Here's a sampling of several places in metro Detroit with the addition of mocktails on its cocktail menu.

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Bar Pigalle

2915 John R, Detroit

This cocktail bar and restaurant opened last June in the Brush Park neighborhood, offering French-inspired cuisine. On its "NA" menu, according to its website, are a selection of nonalcoholic cocktails made with several nonalcoholic spirits. Kentucky 74 with the flavors of bourbon is paired with elderflower, ginger, lemon and Ango. A gin and tonic is a mix of Seedlip paired with elderflower tonic water and juniper. Its Bitter Autumn Spritz includes Dhos aperitif, verjus blanc, cinnamon, soda and orange. Bar Pigalle is from award-winning mixologist Travis Fourmont, certified sommelier Joseph Allerton and executive chef Nyle Flynn.

For info: barpigalle.com

Basan

2703 Park Ave., Detroit

Basan is located on the ground floor of Olympia Development's Eddystone building redevelopment. Here there are four "No ABV" or alcohol by volume options on its drink menu. Among the four are the "Okay, Tokyo" with cantaloupe, grapefruit, five spice and orange and Open Hand Slap with coconut, calpico (a Japanese fruit drink), palm juice and condensed milk. Basan is the newest restaurant from Four Man Ladder restaurant group, which is also behind Brush Park's Grey Ghost and Second Best bar.

For info: basandetroit.com

Castalia at Sfumato

3980 2nd Ave., Detroit

Located in a Victorian home in Midtown. Here the space is a perfumery by day and a craft cocktail bar at night. There are cocktails and mocktails, each with equal billing on the menu. The mocktail base is a nonalcoholic spirit made by steeping different botanicals in hot water. Each drink is paired with a scent that the drink is based on. There's also a tasting menu with little bites, charcuterie and candied nuts.For info: castaliacocktails.com

Dragonfly

2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit

This cocktail bar in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood is also attached to Freya. Dragonfly is billed as a bodega-style southern Spain-inspired bar. Between the two places, there are 10 different nonalcoholic options that range from fruity and citrusy to savory. Some use spirits that are also alcohol-free. The Sunny stroll features spicy Thai tea, mango, lemon, cinnamon and maple. There's also house-made nonalcoholic white wine. Behind Freya are owners Sandy Levine and executive chef-partner Douglas Hewitt. The team also operates Chartreuse in Midtown. Levine also owns The Oakland in Ferndale. Both places offer mocktails on the menu.

For info: dragonflydetroit.com

Frame

23839 John R, Hazel Park

At Framebar and Frame's curated specially curated dinners, mixtress Jaz'min Weaver, Frame's cocktails and spirits director, is at the helm for both nonalcoholic and craft cocktails. With mocktails, the menu changes each month. Many are created with a flavored tea base such at the Up In Smoke with lapsang souchong black tea, orange and cardamon spiced rice milk.

For info: framehazelpark.com

Grey Ghost

47 Watson St., Detroit

Since opening more than six years ago, fine-dining Grey Ghost has had an array of craft mocktails with housemade syrups and juices on its menu. The Rule No. 1 is a blend of orange, blueberry, lime and calpico — a Japanese beverage made with nonfat milk. There's also the Lift Off with orange, cucumber, melon, ginger, cream and lemon.

For info: greyghostdetroit.com

Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails

9215 E. Jefferson, Detroit

Located in Detroit's East Village neighborhood, Ivy Kitchen & Cocktails has a modern take on a Shirley Temple and fruit and herb mocktails. Its Shirley Ginger has ginger beer, club soda, lime juice and grenadine. The Rosemary Blueberry Smash features blueberries, rosemary sprig, lemonade and sparkling mineral water.

For info: ivykc.com

M Cantina

13214 Michigan Ave., Dearborn

At this Neuvo Latino street food spot, executive chef Junior Merino is also an expert mixologist. For the first three years in business, it offered only Merino's deftly crafted mocktails. Now it serves some amazing cocktails and mocktails. The restaurant uses sugar cane juices in place of rum, has zero-proof margaritas, martinis that use zero-proof Sea Arch gin and Ronsin nonalcoholic rum. A signature Coming up Roses is also made as a nonalcoholic version.

For info: mcantina.com

Public house

241 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale

This Ferndale spot has several mocktail options listed on its menu with the option to "spike it" with booze. There's the Leilani with tropical flavors of mango, pineapple, banana, lime, coconut and ginger. An Ambrosia features apple cider, cinnamon, maple cardamom syrup and lemon. The Rubus is a mix of blackberries, lime and basil.

For info: publichouseferndale.com

Shift Kitchen & Cocktails

117 Willits St., Birmingham

Three mocktails are on the menu in honor of Dry January. There's the Garden Mule, created with fresh cucumber juice, lemon juice, splash of lime juice, a dash of mint simple syrup and topped with ginger beer. A Spicy Strawberry Limeade is made with a house strawberry-jalapeño jam, lime juice and agave nectar. Shift's Grapefruit & Basil Refresher is grapefruit, a dash of lemon and lots of basil.

For info: shiftbirmingham.com

Shelby

Shelby at Congress Street, Detroit

On the online cocktail menu of this speakeasy is the nonalcoholic Enigma. The Enigma cocktail features elderflower cordial, roasted peppercorn and amaro soda. This speakeasy is on Shelby Street in downtown Detroit's financial district. It's a hidden space and guests enter through a lobby with a staircase that leads to Coffee Downunder coffee shop. The Shelby is known for its shared plates, such as the beef tartar or its "Escar-No" of cremini mushrooms with smoked butter, parsley breadcrumbs and mushroom bouillon.

For info: shelbydetroit.com

The Vault on First

3058 1st St., Wyandotte

Wyandotte's fine dining restaurant has mocktails using the Seedlip brand of nonalcoholic spirits. There's the Fall Fashion to resemble a Manhattan with Seedlop citrus blend, the Rosie Cheeks with Seedlip 108 herbal blend, rose syrup, ginger syrup and lemon juice.

For info: thevaultonfirst.com

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dry January: 12 metro Detroit places to try mocktails