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A new nonalcoholic cocktail revolution? L.A. leads the way

An Amazake Swizzle, left, and a Mandarin Garibaldi are on the menu at Kato restaurant in Los Angeles.
A new wave of nonalcoholic cocktails in Los Angeles includes the Amazake Swizzle, left, and Mandarin Garibaldi on the menu at Kato in downtown Los Angeles.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Peer behind the bar of your favorite L.A. restaurant or watering hole these days and you’ll spy bottles of nonalcoholic spirit replacements sharing space with your usual rum, whiskey, tequila and vodka labels. You’ll notice no-alcohol cocktail menus are more widely available, and the lists of NA cocktails are getting longer too.

As demand for spirit-free beverages has grown, local establishments have expanded their drink offerings, crafting thoughtful recipes that take inspiration from our seasonal bounty and successfully replacing some of our favorite classic cocktails with NA creations.

But it doesn’t end there. You’ll find fine, dealcoholized European wine as a pairing option on a changing Taiwanese tasting menu and countless booze-free beers on your grocery store shelves. From nonalcoholic IPAs to spirit-free recipes courtesy of actor Danny Trejo, here’s how to do Dry January the L.A. way.

Kato’s dynamic drinks duo leads the way for next-level nonalcoholic cocktails and beverage pairings in Los Angeles.

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The recipe for this nonalcoholic version of a classic Garibaldi cocktail mixes the Japanese beverage Calpico and mandarin juice.

Nonalcoholic options have never been more popular, with Los Angeles leading the trend with alcohol-free lounges, nonalcoholic pairing menus and other creative options.

We tried 19 nonalcoholic IPAs (India pale ales) to see which was the best: Here’s what we loved, liked and ... not so much.

Plus, a tasting of several nonalcoholic spritzes and elixirs for the sober and sober curious.

The ‘Trejo’s Cantina’ cookbook honors the A-list actor’s 55 years of sobriety and dovetails with a nonalcoholic trend, the launch of his zero-proof tequila and his growing restaurant empire.

Charred red pepper and fresh strawberries make a delicious drink with an extra hit of smokiness from ancho simple syrup. Everyone will love this savory-ish alcohol-free cocktail. Just don’t call it a mocktail.

Pineapple juice, coconut milk, guava nectar, lime juice and a dash of Tabasco come together for a refreshing tropical booze-free beverage with just a hint of heat.

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