We Don't Make Mocktails

At Tilden, we don’t make mocktails, we make non-alcoholic cocktails. Find that ridiculous? Let us explain.

While building Tilden, we deeply researched social beverages and our burgeoning idea. We ran anonymous surveys with thousands of respondents, interviewed friends, family, and loose acquaintances about their drinking habits, and picked apart the current beverage landscape. We asked simple questions like, “what comes to mind when you hear the word ‘mocktail'?”

The overwhelming consensus: mocktails made consumers feel second-rate. We agreed.

A mocktail by name mocks another drink, one thoughtfully crafted to have alcohol. A Virgin Piña Colada, Mockarita, or Nojito are made just like their alcoholic counterparts, sans one or more critically complex ingredients, the liquor. What remains is a sugary, one-note drink that's often an afterthought on a menu. The only original mocktail most people can name is a Shirley Temple, named after an adorable child and listed in the kiddie section of the menu. Often, mocktails are listed nowhere at all and the bartender says “I can just make you the mocktail version.”

As nondrinkers, we've ordered many a mocktail. They can be yummy and festive, but they don’t make us feel our age, and they certainly don't welcome us into the cocktail experience—that slow exploration of flavor when sipping a thoughtfully balanced drink.

"The cocktail experience—that slow exploration of flavor when sipping a thoughtfully balanced drink."

There are non-alcoholic brands on the market that own the name "mocktail" with pride. We cheer them on. Those brands make non-alcoholic versions of traditional cocktails such as the Negroni, Old Fashioned, Margarita, etcetera. Some are delicious, and all are imitating a drink originally designed for booze. We crafted our flavors, textures, and finishes from the ground up to stir the senses without alcohol.

Sometimes we're asked, "so what are they supposed to taste like?" Our VP of Sales likes to respond, "Delicious!" She has it right. We don't intend for our drinks to remind you of bourbon, tequila, mezcal, or any other liquor. We do intend for our drinks to take you on a flavor journey with a full beginning, middle, and finish, as a true social drink should. They’re multi-layered beverages with complex ingredients carefully chosen, tested, and combined for perfect balance and a tasting experience unlike any other.

We are pioneering a new sensory experience, specifically designed for when you'd like a drink, and not the booze. Grab a bottle or two here.