Roll up your sleeves and get your cocktail shakers out because we are making mocktails!
The table was laid out with fancy cocktail cups, shakers, spiraled spoons and an assortment of bottles, mixers, and garnishes. The crowd was bubbling with excitement and anticipation as they watched the bartender whip up a non-alcoholic Italian Sour.
The mocktail making night, divided into two separate sessions, was so popular organizers had to turn people away at the door.
“This group of students seems really engaged and really informed, which is really cool,” saids Lyndsay Anderson, Dal’s sexualized violence advisor, who planned the night with support from Dal Student Health Promotion.
This group of students seems really engaged and really informed
Anderson began the mocktail night in Dal’s International Centre with a quick introduction to her role as sexualized violence advisor and resources for navigating consent and harm reduction.
She noted that the event was a first at Dal to integrate mocktail making and consent education. It was offered as part of Dal's broader Orientation Week programming.
“We just want to show students that there are spaces and places where they can get involved in some of this harm reduction and safety and consent education but also that it can be fun,” said Anderson.
Soberish, Halifax’s new zero alcohol bar and mixology shop, provided the ingredients, while Two Sailors Bartending facilitated the lesson.
Sagar Sawnani is a first-year engineering student from Halifax. He and fellow first-year friends Matthew Shelton, an arts student, and Parth Vats, a nursing student — both also from Halifax — all had a blast at the mocktail making event. They left the night inspired to get their own mixology equipment to make mocktails at home.
“It’s possible to have fun without drinking alcohol”, said Sawnani, adding that “the most fun part of the mocktails [event] was actually making them.”
Mixing more than just mocktails
Participants learned how to make three different types of mocktails: the Lamelon Ball (affectionately named after the American basketball player LaMelo Ball), the No-Aperol Spritz, and the Italian Sour.
Of all of the mocktails, Sawnani and his friends agreed the Italian Sour was the best, with its aquafaba foam top and beautiful chocolatey colour.
The non-alcoholic spirits used during the event were sourced from Halifax’s new zero alcohol bar and mixology shop, Soberish, and Two Sailors Bartending facilitated the expert mixology lessons.
Vats appreciated that the mocktail event was about more than just drinks, but also consent and harm reduction.
“I think having more of these workshops or even general talks about elevating the experience beyond alcohol and understanding consent and stuff is important” he said, adding that the mocktail event was a fun segway into these conversations.
All the participants of the event walked away with a bag of candy fries, buttons and stickers, with some resources on consent using the FRIES acronym: “freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, and specific.”
How to make an Italian Sour, sans alcohol
Step one: Add the following ingredients into a shaker cup filled with ice.
- 1.5 oz amaro
- 0.5 oz dry gin
- 0.75 oz lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- a dash of foamer (aquafaba or whipped egg white)
- a garnish of bitters
Step two: Shake vigorously, then pour into a tall, shallow bowled glass.
Step three: Enjoy!
“Alcohol and sex can be tricky,” said Anderson, “it’s about taking some important messages and sprinkling them throughout what would otherwise be a really fun, exciting event.”
It’s about taking some important messages and sprinkling them throughout what would otherwise be a really fun, exciting evening.
Students can come to Anderson’s office for support with confidential reporting of sexualized violence incidents, personal support and referrals. Apart from Anderson, there are many other resources on campus for students for help navigating consent, harm reduction and alcohol safety such as the Dal Care Crews and the DSU Sexual Education and Resource Center.
