Los Angeles' top restaurants are elevating their non-alcoholic drink pairings, both in creativity and price. Kim Stodel, bar director at the three-Michelin-starred Providence, experiments with flavors like charred sweet corn steeped in jasmine green tea to complement dishes. He's part of a growing trend in fine dining, where non-alcoholic (NA) pairings are gaining popularity, driven by sobriety culture, GLP-1 products, and younger generations drinking less.
Establishments like Kato, Sushi Nakazawa, and Somni report significant demand for NA options, with up to 50% of customers choosing them. These restaurants view NA programs as vital revenue streams, especially as margins tighten. Innovations in trade tech, such as vacuum distillation, have improved the quality of dealcoholized wine, making it taste closer to the original. Chefs and bar directors compare the skill required for crafting NA drinks to that of wine pairings, highlighting the parallel in connoisseurship.
The NA pairing movement is still in its early stages, with pioneers like Aitor Zabala of Somni noting it began just three or four years ago. While the future remains uncertain, the enthusiasm and rapid advancements suggest it will only improve. Restaurants are exploring farm-to-table ethics, fermentations, and infusions, making NA pairings a frontier of innovation in fine dining.