Mocktail trend arrives in Centre County. ‘Everyone should have a seat at the table’

Thanks to a national trend led by millennials and Gen Z, the popularity of mocktails has skyrocketed over the past five years, according to research from NielsenIQ. Global Market Insights expects the sector composed of mocktails and other alcohol alternatives to grow to $30 billion in 2025.

Mike Tedesco, the owner and operator of Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits, is bringing that national trend to Centre County with the region’s first mobile mocktail bar.

Nellie opened in July and Tedesco describes the menu as “mocktails by day, cocktails by night.” The mobile bar was originally an old horse trailer, and Tedesco said its name came from the famous expression: “Whoa, Nellie.”

“There are non-alcoholic options out there that are tasty and are made the same way as an alcoholic drink,” Tedesco said. “There’s a plethora of non-alcoholic spirits out there that are coming up because people want healthier alternatives while still being at the party.”

Nellie features non-alcoholic spirits along with Tedesco’s own “personal creations.” It’s primarily used for private functions but can also be found at events that highlight local vendors.

Tedesco, who used Nellie at his own wedding, highlighted the inclusivity it brings to private functions.

“It’s kid-friendly,” he said. “People who are pregnant can have it and still be a part of the club.” He added that people who are nursing and people who are on medications can also enjoy Nellie just like everyone else.

“You cover a lot more of the market than just people who drink alcohol, which is great,” Tedesco said. “Because everyone should have a seat at the table.”

Tedesco said the idea for Nellie came to him when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, when “you couldn’t sit at a bar in the state of Pennsylvania.” He was a bartender at the time, and the conditions led him to explore outside options. Thanks to the help of some YouTube videos, Tedesco was able to construct the bar largely on his own.

“I have done probably 90% of the work on this mobile bar,” Tedesco said. “I didn’t know what I was doing, I was a bartender.”

When it comes to cocktails, customers can ask him to have certain ingredients on hand, to make them “something special” or even to make custom menus. For mocktails, there’s a featured menu each week.

Tedesco decides what to feature by going to local farmers markets and seeing what’s fresh and in stock.

“We want to showcase all of Pennsylvania’s agriculture that we use,” he said. “We get to bring the farm almost to the table.”

Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits also hosts cocktail classes, providing customers the opportunity to learn how to bartend as well as the history of drinks.

“If you want to learn how to make specific drinks, I will come to your house,” Tedesco said. “We can host the class and we’ll show you how.”

Along with the classes, Tedesco said Happy Valley Nomadic Spirits also sells non-alcoholic “Scratch Kits.”

“We are the HelloFresh for at-home beverage making,” he said.

The kit comes in a box that features recipes and all the ingredients — minus the alcoholic or non-alcoholic base — necessary for that month’s drink, which can be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, depending on the customer’s preference.

Staci Egan, the owner of Smith + Front in Bellefonte, said Nellie provides “a very different vibe than anything else” in the area.

“Nellie is an experience,” Egan said.

One time when she purchased a mocktail from the mobile bar, she said her husband didn’t want his own because he “didn’t really see the point of a mocktail.” That ended after one sip.

“He even got drawn into the whole experience,” Egan said. “He just kept saying, ‘I can’t believe how good this drink is.’”

Tedesco said he’s motivated by a “love for designing and crafting drinks for individuals.”

“We want people to enjoy themselves in any way they want to,” Tedesco said.

For more information on Nellie the mobile bar, check out its Instagram page @the_nellie_bar.