To some, being a designated driver is boring; or at least it was before bars across the country started selling non-alcoholic “Mocktails” for guests who do not imbibe. “What is a mocktail?” you may ask. It is any beverage made in a manner resembling a cocktail but contains no alcohol. Previously, options for non-alcoholic patrons were limited to soft drinks and traditional “virgin” cocktails that simply omitted the alcohol. There is also a movement to create zero-proof spirits. Namely from Seedlip Drinks, a company that brews non-distilled botanicals that mimic the flavor components of gin without any behavior-altering effects. 

Many bars and restaurants are beginning to cater to non-alcoholic patrons. At least 14 bars in the Portland metro area have adopted a “dry” drink menu. One such location is the bar in Departure, Chef Gregory Gourdet’s restaurant on the top floor of The Nines hotel. Chef Gourdet’s personal struggle with addiction has led him to include a small dry drink menu at the bar. The menu features four mocktails and seasonal additions like the Rainbowfish. 

Having more interesting non-alcoholic options is becoming more prevalent in the United States because we are actually drinking much less. According to a study featured in The Washington Post, 30% of all Americans are sober, and most who do drink only do so socially. The top 10% of drinkers account for most of the United States’ alcohol consumption, with them averaging 10 drinks per day. Catering to the lower 30% of that range opens up an entirely new market for bar managers, one that is expected to see growth in coming years.

https://seedlipdrinks.com/uk

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/25/think-you-drink-a-lot-this-chart-will-tell-you/

Cocktail Menu

My first job in Portland was at a burger joint downtown. It was brutally slow, a few hours of prep followed by a shift of watching the seconds tick by. Some days the only thing that kept me going was the taco place next door after work. Uno Mas is a small local chain of taqueria dive-bars. They have two locations in the Portland metro area, one right next to Providence Park. On game days, the place is often packed to the gills with green and gold-clad sports fans drinking irresponsibly. It’s an excellent place to relax after a long day of doing nothing. 

With my personal bias out of the way, the actual quality of the food is hit-or-miss. It seems as though whenever they stray from classic taco fare the quality drops dramatically. Their steak, carnitas, and lengua tacos are seasoned well albeit with too much cilantro on top. This makes any guesses as to the contents of their spice blend nebulous at best. This is something that all their tacos suffer from, including their more “exotic” fare.

During my most recent trip I thought I’d try something new. Something more interesting that isn’t meant to be washed down with gallons of Pacifico. I ordered the cheese taco, the octopus taco, and the prawn taco. I’m sad to say that all three were thoroughly disappointing. The cheese was deep-fried, but barely. It was essentially a lukewarm mozzarella stick in a tortilla. The prawns were tiny, and had an off-putting flavor of walnuts. The octopus was cooked well, not rubbery or falling apart, but it lacked any seasoning. I’ll just be sticking to the classics thanks. 

The thing that really shines about Uno Mas, however, is their selection of sauces. All of the aforementioned blandness can be solved with the liberal application of their wide selection. Their “Maya” sauce stands out. It’s an emulsion sauce with a high capsicum content, that doesn’t lose its flavor in the heat. Their house salsa verde is also well-made: more mild with a good acidic bite, it livened up the otherwise boring octopus. 

If you’re looking for a place to drink and eat a few tacos Uno Mas has you covered. Don’t expect greatness from the kitchen, but you will certainly not go home hungry at the end of the night.

Hi, my name is Collin Austin and I cook too goddamn much. I’m originally from Reno, NV but I’ve moved to Portland, OR to go to culinary school. I hope to eventually channel my passion for cooking productively and turn it into a career.