Sometimes known as a ‘half-and-half,’ the hybrid is a bespoke drinks flight alternating between wine and a non-alcoholic (NA) alternative — from 0.0 percent ABV wines and juices to sparkling teas and homemade ferments. And it’s gaining popularity at select tastemaking restaurants around the world.
“Younger generations aren’t drinking in the same way [as older generations],” claims Micah Melton, culinary director at Alinea in Chicago. “Not drinking is a little less stigmatized.” While Alinea offers a full NA pairing to go with its experimental tasting menu, the hybrid option is more of an off-menu alternative. “A lot of people will get halfway through a wine pairing, and think, ‘That’s enough,’” says Melton. “So, we offer a mix and match as we see fit.”
For the most part, this alcohol-free pairing was designed to mimic the alcoholic offering — drinks were chosen for their resemblance, in taste or look, to the wines. But, as more guests dabbled with ‘sober curiosity,’ the drinks team got creative. “Sometimes we home in on a flavor in a dish and make a whole drink out of that, or for others we would single out an ingredient we thought a dish was missing,” Melton says. “We have a whole bar team for NA drinks.”
Another pioneer of the half-and-half, among other things, is Iris, the boundary-breaking restaurant in the middle of a Norwegian lake. Managing director Sebastian Torjusen says they see a homemade NA option as an opportunity for heightened flavor-matching. “It’s not just about reducing alcohol consumption, but adding an experiential dimension. Our non-alcoholic pairing can be designed and brewed to offer more than wine can. There are a few more tangents to play with.”
The hybrid menu showcases established producers — including Villbrygg, a Norwegian company making ‘soda for grown ups’ — as well as house-made fermentations using local ingredients.
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In London, Cycene’s hybrid pairing, created by sommelier Douwe Steyn, is similarly experimental, and combines low-intervention wines with house-made ‘softs,’ from fermented kombucha to juices. Most interesting of all, though, is the glass of honeyed yet almost sour-tasting malted milk to accompany dessert. Given the heavy, syrupy characteristics of the more-common dessert wine, a glass of dairy doesn’t feel too wild. A restaurant’s creative potential is no longer just about what’s on the plate — it’s in the glass, too.