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Best Summer Mocktails In NY

By Carly Petrone

Summer is the perfect time to meet up with friends and catch up over drinks. If you'd rather skip the alcohol, here are five bars and restaurants serving up mocktails that are actually worth drinking.

L.A. Burdick Chocolates
156 Prince St.
New York, NY
(212) 796-0143
www.burdickchocolate.com

Whether you're craving something sweet or something with a burst of citrus, L.A. Burdick Chocolates has got you covered. This luxury chocolate shop is serving up everything from iced drinking chocolates to decadent alcohol-free summertime beverages like Rhubarb Strawberry Mint Juice and a Summer Berry Spritzer. In the mood for something bubbly? Sip on the Sparkling Apricot Elderflower Juice and enjoy the seasonal taste of French apricots and Austrian elderflowers. Of course, you can never go wrong with one of their decadent iced drinking chocolates (choose from milk, dark, or white). This always pairs well with one of their signature bon bons, adorable mice-shaped chocolates, or rich slices of cake.

See More: NYC's Best Chocolate Shops For Truffles, Artisan Gifts And More

Agern
89 E. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10017
(646) 568-4018
agernrestaurant.com

Agern is reopening its doors this week by whipping up some seriously delicious mocktails. Stop in here if you want to try something a little different. Wake up your taste buds with The Bitter Punch, which is made with grapefruit and verjus, or try the Whey Better, a combination of whey and lemon thyme. You've probably never tasted anything like Rory's – a mix of smoke, pine, and lemon. Yum! You can also go a simpler route and sip on one of their "shrubs," which consists of three choices: bitter grapefruit, fennel frond, or plum. Bottoms up!

See More: 2 Simple Mocktail Recipes For Summer

Beauty & Essex
146 Essex St.
New York, NY 10002
212-614-0146
beautyandessex.com

The folks over at Beauty Essex may be serving up champagne in the women's bathroom but guests can also enjoy a variety of virgin cocktails in the main restaurant and bar area. Choose from four delightful beverages like the Platinum Peacock - cucumber, Granny Smith apple, pineapple, and mint - or the refreshing Ruby Iced Tea - red currant tea, lemon juice, and mint. Keep it simple with their Mint Lemonade (lemon, mint and club soda) or look extra fancy with their Garnet Gimlet (strawberry, basil, lemon nectar, fresh lime juice, and ginger ale). Now these are some mocktails we can get excited about!

See More: Lower East Side's 5 Best Lunch Spots

Riverpark
450 E. 29th St.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 729-9790
www.riverparknyc.com

See More: 7 Farm To Table Books For Everyday Chefs

Tom Colicchio's Riverpark farm-to-table restaurant is doing something right with their Temperance Cocktails. These non-alcoholic drinks hit the spot with refreshing mixes of fresh herbs and citrus. The Somewhere That's Green offers patrons a sensory trip to the spa with a combination of cucumber, lemon, and mint. The Rainbow Connection offers a bit more of a flavor profile with intense flavors of pineapple, basil, yuzu, and cherry. At just $6 each, you can afford to try both.

See More: NYC's Top 5 Bars On The Bowery

Saxon + Parole
316 Bowery
New York, NY
212-254-0350
www.saxonandparole.com

Saxon + Parole makes it easy to find a non-alcoholic beverage thanks to its large menu and enticing prices. All of their mocktails are $8 and each one is quite exotic. Cool off with a Spiced Iced Tea (orange pekoe tea, star anise incture, mint, lemon), try something with a kick like the Bell Pepper Lemonade (fresh red bell pepper juice, lemon, organic agave, chili tincture), or opt for something bubbly liket he Cucumber & Thyme Fizz (fresh cucumber juice, lemon, thyme, Perrier). There's also Salia's Housemade Shrub, which is made with local seasonal fruits and herbs with organice vinegar and sweetner as well as the Garden Tonic – fresh celery juice, celery bitters, lime, house made tonic, and herbs. Finally, their signature Bowery Punch is a sure bet thanks to its island-like ingredients: fresh pineapple, orange juices, ginger, lime, nutmeg, and Perrier.

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Carly Petrone is the founder of Petrone on the Rocks, a lifestyle site about food, drinks, beauty, travel, and more. She lives in New York City.

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