No Alcohol? No Problem! Saudi’s Cocktails Still Stir up a Good Time
We’ve established that Saudi Arabia is pretty much the place to be – whatever your interest. Sports? Watch them, play them, game on. Music and cinema? Scene-stealing and beats that can’t be beat. Restaurants? Cuisine that eats. We could go on, but…
Cocktail culture? Yes! In fact, Saudi Arabia is becoming the Kingdom of Mixology. In this Q&A we take a look at one of Saudi Arabia’s more surprising new scenes.
Ok, but hang on, cocktails? In Saudi Arabia?
Yes! Why not? Oh, the no alcohol thing? Well, it’s not always the spirits in the drink that count, it’s the spirit the drink’s consumed in. And in Saudi there’s all the classic settings and locations for enjoying a carefully crafted cocktail – bars, clubs, restaurants, music festivals, beaches, house parties, desert wellness retreats (ok, that last one is probably more of a new thing, but you get the vibe). In short, it’s about a drink that complements the company and the vibes, whether it’s refreshing, energizing, relaxing, or something entirely new.
Ok, but what sets the Saudi cocktail scene apart from getting a non-alcoholic drink anywhere else?
Well, in Saudi, non-alcoholic cocktails are the focus (obvs) – not only an afterthought. It’s not just about the usual non-alcoholic suspects of carton juice or fizzy soda, or just handing over sweet and syrupy pre-made “mocktails,” it’s about all the care, skill, and imagination that goes into creating and making a top-class alcoholic cocktail in a bar in Europe or the USA is instead focused on creating a unique non-alcoholic experience. One where an intriguing mix of fresh fruits and scintillating spices bursting with flavor can be both part of the party, the drink to match your dish, or a well of wellness in a health retreat.
What kind of cocktails are we talking about?
You can get all the classics – Negronis, Mojitos, Pina Coladas and so on – in their non-alcoholic form, and there’s also the legendary “Saudi Champagne”; a mix of apple, soda, and fresh fruits. Yet, there are also distinctly new and distinctly Saudi twists on these classics as well as fresh ideas from a new generation of mixologists mixing it up in KSA.
That’s because mixologists crafting their drinks in Saudi are also drawing on some uniquely Saudi ingredients to offer new twists on ‘old fashioned’ flavors. That means traditional Saudi ingredients like spiced dates and tamarind juice, to more unusual ingredients inspired by Saudi-surrounds. Sea salt air foam? Yep. Seaweed chips? Yep. Combine them and you’ve got a uniquely Saudi non-alcoholic cocktail, perfect for a Jeddah Red Sea-side restaurant!
It sounds like these Saudi cocktails might actually be good for me?
Well, they certainly won’t give you a hangover. But more than that, with an increasing focus on fresh, local ingredients and careful crafting some are indeed closer to a super-chill, super-tasty, super-classy health drink. So much so, you’ll see no-alcoholic drinks and bars embraced by Saudi’s growing health and wellness sector. And after all, when you’re purifying mind and body in some of the most stunning landscapes the earth has to offer, you’ll probably want to remember the experience too.
Where are some good places to try mocktails?
There’s these wellness centers for a start. The incredible AlUla hosts its own wellness festival while its year-round wellness resort offering a range of craft fruit cocktails too. The Red Sea resort currently being developed will also offer a whole range of wellness experiences too, so that’s something to keep an eye on.
But, of course, there’s also Saudi Arabia’s nightlife and special events scene bursting at the seams offering no end of places where cocktails are part of the vibe. In fact, Riyadh’s just seen the opening of its first dedicated tonic bar – with an all-women mixologist team to boot! And in the big cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar where going out with friends to enjoy the night with a cocktail is as much part of life as anywhere else in the world, and events like MDL Beast or the Jeddah Film Festival have cocktails as an integral part of the experience.
So, people actually enjoy these things! Where can I sign-up?
No signature needed (it’s all contactless these days anyway), just get yourself to Saudi and enjoy – It’s easier than ever to visit the Kingdom of Cocktails, you can read all about it in our handy article here. Cheers!
