Savor the Mocktail winner shares ‘romantic’ cocktail inspiration

Zack Rhoades of Après Pendry brings home $500 and bragging rights after winning PCARA's Savor the Mocktail Contest. Photo: Hannah Trosclair.

PARK CITY, Utah — Savor the Mocktail winner, Zack Rhoades representing Après Pendry, has been a bartender/mixologist for just shy of two years. An impressive feat for someone who is “a bit new to the game.”

Rhoades’ Midsomer mocktail was created for a non-alcohol-consuming couple celebrating their engagement. Its primary flavor profile is light and refreshing.

“I wanted to come up with something a little romantic, something light before their meal,” he said. “So, I whipped that recipe together. And after that, I just made a couple of extras for us in the kitchen, and everyone loved it.”

This was the first year the Park City Area Restaurant Association included the mocktail category in its contest.

“In Utah, we have a higher population of people who don’t drink, and with 2022 being a year of people wanting maybe to give up more alcohol in their life, they’re looking for lower alcohol cocktails. So I keep that in mind trying to stay modern with bartending trends and people’s drinking trends a lot.”

Rhoades stated that he enjoyed the challenge of a mocktail, where you’re missing that ounce to ounce and a half of flavor and substance in the glass. He said it allows him to be creative with shrubs or floats.

A home cook, Rhoades finds inspiration from ‘garden fresh elements’ like vegetal flavors like cherry tomatoes, tarragon, and snap peas, among other fruity and floral flavors.

Thanks to Brooke Cavins with Alpine Distilling, Kira Collings with Hearth and Hill, and Jacob Nolan and Reagan Chung of Handle for making it a close call in the inaugural Savor the Mocktail Contest.

Midsomer

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 halved strawberry
• 6 mint leaves
• 0.75oz lemon juice
• 1oz honeydew shrub club soda*

Hard shake and dirty dump over rocks. Top with club soda. Mint bouquet and dehydrated strawberry

Garnish:

• Muddle strawberry, mint, and lemon juice.

Recommended Style of Glassware:

• Rocks

*Mash together sugar and cubed honeydew melon, leaving the honeydew fairly chunky. Let it sit overnight, so it can absorb that flavor. From there, make a simple syrup the next day, add rice wine vinegar to taste, and top with club soda.