Location: 1837 M St.
Readers’ pick: Binge Bar’s Mango Mintz Spritz
If you’re eager to live your “Sex and the City” lifestyle of late nights in loud restaurants and gossiping with friends without the inconvenience of a hangover all while being under 21, look no further than Boqueria and its “Peacock” mocktail.
Whether it’s a weeknight or weekend, tapas restaurant Boqueria always has an exciting, cosmopolitan atmosphere perfect to share with friends over a few drinks, especially a sparkly, herbal mixture of sweet and citrus. The “Peacock” ($12) brings the taste of a cocktail without the hangover, headache and exhaustion, perfect for those who are underage or looking to enjoy a drink free of alcohol.
Though the Peacock has an arsenal of ingredients, its standout is Seedlip’s “Garden 108,” a zero-proof spirit infused with peas and classic home-grown herbs, including rosemary, thyme and spearmint. Seedlip revolutionizes mocktails, making them more sophisticated than a sugary concoction resembling some kid’s menu juice, a necessary creation given the rise of sober curiosity.
When I arrived at Boqueria on a chilly Saturday in late March, dressed for the occasion with a friend, I felt anything but childish. Once inside, the atmosphere was sophisticated, with dim lighting and soft music playing. The restaurant was filled with a mostly adult crowd. We slid into one of the high-top tables by the windows. Though we came for the “Peacock,” the menu also offers a second zero-proof cocktail, the “Manzana” – a combination of apple cider, chai, agave syrup, lemon and ginger beer.
My friend and I waited for our matching drinks to arrive. When they finally did, they were worth the wait. Boqueria’s mixologists paired Seedlip’s “Garden 108” with honey, lime, butterfly pea flower, thyme and ginger beer. Each ingredient played a crucial part in balancing the mocktail’s abundance of flavors.
The lime provided a sour note, balancing the honey’s sweetness, while the butterfly pea flower, helped the drink achieve its deep purple color. A sprig of thyme garnished the drink while a splash of ginger beer added sparkle, elevating it from a typical juice.
We finished the mocktails and ordered tapas and dessert because no trip to Boqueria is complete without them. Popular offerings include the patatas bravas ($13), croquetas de jamón ($9) and churros clásicos ($9).
We walked the few blocks home and into our beds, satiated with good food and drink.
The “Peacock” was flavorful without overwhelming my tastebuds. With this drink we had lived our “Sex and the City” dreams as much as we could while below the legal drinking age – chatting in a crowded restaurant with fun, adult-looking drinks in our hands.
