Wine & Spirits - Booze Without the Buzz

John deBary, previously of New York City speakeasy Please Don’t Tell and Momofuku, includes non-alcoholic cocktails in his 1990s-themed cocktail book, Saved by the Bellini. When it comes to the burn—or piquancy—of a drink, he likes to add black or white pepper. “A very common issue with non-alcoholic drinks is that you take two sips and you just crush it—I’m a chugger.” So, to slow people down, he tends to incorporate a lot of bitterness. “I don’t like a lot of non-alcoholic spirits that are reliant on chili extracted to give spice,” he said. “I find that to be a little distracting.”