Shaken, Stirred, or Spirit-Free: David Burtka Mixes Up Something For Everyone

Neil Patrick Harris loves cocktails. So much that he created the Black Magic Margarita, which is currently served at La Cava Del Tequila in Epcot Center, featured cocktails as a weekly feature in his Wondercade newsletter, and even created a bar in his home that was featured in Architectural Digest. David Burtka is sober. An esteemed chef and entertainer, David did not want to miss out on all of Neil’s cocktail fun—he just doesn’t want alcohol. Nor did he want to stop the party. The idea of a virgin version of Neil’s fabulous cocktails felt depressing to him, so David rose to the challenge to create the most exciting, refreshing, and festive concoctions that he can enjoy while celebrating with others.

After seven years of building up their bar and cocktail recipes together, Neil and David are ready to share what they’ve learned with the world in Both Sides of the Glass, the first guide that combines equally exciting and innovative cocktails and mocktails to suit any mood or event. Together, Neil and David have played with fresh ingredients from their garden, explored flavor profiles from across the globe, and tried almost all the nonalcoholic spirits that have popped up in the past few years to bring you seventy recipes (thirty-five cocktails and thirty-five mocktails) for their very favorite concoctions.

With carefully curated beverages organized thematically around the four elements (fire, earth, water, and air), Both Sides of the Glass truly is the cocktail book for the next generation of drinkers and nondrinkers.

Curious how a cocktail lover and a sober chef stirred up such a perfect mix? David was happy to pour me the story.

EDGE: What was the inspiration behind Both Sides of the Glass? 

DB: I have been sober for nine years. About 14 years ago, I decided to start giving original Christmas and birthday gifts. No more ties or sweaters.  Neil has always had an interest in cocktail mixology. He always loved it. So,  I hired a bartender and famous mixologist from the Nomad Hotel, whose name is Jonathan Lin, to come and give Neil four two-hour sessions on how to make cocktails. When I stopped drinking and he lost his drinking buddy, it got really boring for me to go out and just drink seltzer water because a lot of restaurants at that time didn't have mocktails on the menu, or if they did, it was something always very sugary. Fast forward to a few years ago, the sober space of mocktails, drinks, and herbal distilled beverages such as Seedlip and Roots began offering these herbal alternatives. Our former assistant, Zoë Chapin, mentioned that no one is doing a mocktail & cocktail book. She said it would be a great idea. The younger generation is drinking less now. We thought that was a great idea. And since I don't drink, but he does, let’s write it. Then the ideas for drinks flowed -what's the non-alcoholic version of a spicy margarita? We've had the opportunity to try some truly exceptional distilled herbal drinks, such as Lyre, Ghia, and Roots, but there's much more to explore. Even Tanqueray has a non-alcoholic version that doesn't taste like gin. We also think it's a great book for couples who drink and those who don't. We also feel like it's a great host gift. You never know if someone is a drinker or not, but it was a great idea, and there's nothing in the space for it. We thought, let's do this, and I think it turned out really well. 

EDGE: In the contents, you have Water, Fire, Air, and Earth

DB: We didn't want to feel like doing a seasonal book. I did that in my cookbook. We started with fall, winter, spring, summer, and some of the holidays with seasonal ingredients. We wanted a different vibe for this book, because cocktails require a distinct atmosphere. It's a sort of mood-altering substance. There are a lot of different alcohols that can make you have different vibes, such as a downer or relaxation. A scotch seems more like a wintry drink, and there are also airy drinks that just seem like you want to feel fun and frivolous. There are fruity drinks that seem more water-based, so we broke it down into a more evocative feeling, rather than a seasonal thing. Some are earthy, some have beets, and some contain mushroom elixirs or teas that make it feel more like an earthy drink or a grounding experience. So, that's where the elements came in, and I have never seen a book that's based on elements.

EDGE: What was the most challenging drink to perfect?

DB: The one drink that we kept creating over and over, which was surprising because of the chocolate martini. What pairs well with a chocolate martini? The drink ended up being challenging because we were essentially making hot cocoa, but we needed to elevate it. I think we did it, but there were a lot of things that we were trying to use.  We tested everything from prune juice to cherries. We did it five times. We scrapped the recipe every time we tried. I don't even remember what the pairing was, but it just ended up tasting like Coke. I guess that was the point. Actually, it was not that hard to come up with the drinks because there are many great substitute products available that can be used as replacements for tequila or gin, and are delicious. It's a sipping drink that makes you feel like an adult. 

EDGE: What was it like co-writing a book with your husband — fun, stressful, a little of both?

DB: It wasn't stressful. It was a really easy thing to do. He did his part, and I did mine, and then we combined them. We started with all of the alcohol drinks first, and that was easy. I already had, for me, I don't know how it is for him. He had such a deep knowledge of mixology and what he wanted to do, but for me, I had to come up with the flavor profile and determine what substitutes I would use for my drinks. The hard part now is doing the PR for the book, so we’re going to spend a lot of time together. It will be a lot of fun. We'll have to conduct numerous cocktail and mocktail demonstrations.

EDGE: How do your individual tastes in drinks differ, and how did that play into the book?

DB: I think the only difference is that he drinks alcohol and I don't. He likes a Manhattan or a Negroni. For me, the phony Negronis taste like an Amaro or a Campari, but zero alcohol. If he orders a Negroni, I'll order a non-alcoholic Negroni. I'm glad that many restaurants are now carrying it. I know a lot of sober people who get triggered by some of these non-alcoholic drinks and spirits. They do like the Tanqueray Zero, but it tastes pretty close to real gin. I know a lot of people in the sober community won't touch that stuff, not even non-alcoholic beer; they feel that it's too close to the real stuff. I've never been one of those people who thought, now that I have this, I might as well have that. I just made the decision that I'm going to be sober and stay sober, because if I don’t, I know the outcome is not going to be good.

EDGE: The book is about inclusivity — making sure everyone has something special to sip. How important was that message for you both?

DB: Well, it came out of a frustration. It came from a feeling of frustration when I stopped drinking. I wanted to drink something special too. I felt like I was in the corner, drinking soda water and not being part of anything fun. So, having a baseline of things that I can make to feel special makes me feel great. Additionally, I wanted others who don’t drink to feel special and included. I believe everyone should feel included and never left out. 

EDGE: If each of you were a cocktail or mocktail, what would you be and why?

DB: Oh my God, that's a good question. The first thing that comes to mind is a pina colada, because it can be fruity, fun, sweet, and virgin. We're both Geminis, so there's a significant duality between us, so we could be a scotch on the rocks too. I think there's a wide range of who we are as people, and I do think the Gemini is very serious and then also very crazy and fun. 

EDGE: Many LGBTQ+ people are exploring more mindful relationships with alcohol. How do you see your book fitting into that conversation?

DB: The zeitgeist of where we're going with alcohol is changing a lot. The surgeon general came out saying that it's basically poison for you. People are realizing that it's not great for them and are watching their alcohol consumption. I think the days of saying a couple of glasses of red wine a day is good for you are coming to an end. I think that belief is being debunked. Alcohol is poison for your body. I think that people are being more mindful, especially the younger generation, who are definitely drinking less. I found that people really don't drink that much in LA because you have to drive everywhere, which is why people often opt for mocktails, especially good ones. Many are changing their mindset and becoming more mindful of what they put into their bodies and how they take care of themselves. I think it's a great time to put a book out like this. There are also people who drink but will have a cocktail, then switch to a mocktail. The great thing about switching off is that you're pacing yourself and won’t get wasted. Every time I drank the next day, I'd feel shitty and hate the hangover. It would make me feel sad. So the shift is happening, and I hope that people will read this book and appreciate what we put together. I talk about sobriety in the book. I talk about why I did it and why I got sober. I believe many people are exploring this. Dry January is no longer just Dry January. People are doing Dry September and so on. It's happening more and more, and it’s a good thing.

“Both Sides of the Glass is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your favorite independent bookstore.”