If we’re looking for the most creative, colourful and intriguing non-alcoholic drinks inspiration, we’re going to Olivia Noceda. She’s guaranteed to be engaging in some experimental mixology, whether it’s blending achiote syrup into an tacos al pastor inspired recipe, crisping up rice to use as a rim on a mango sticky rice cocktail or blitzing herbs and spices to turn into a refreshing verdita mocktail. Born in southern California but now a Bay Area local, Olivia draws on her Cuban-American heritage, her surroundings and favourite activities (cooking, swimming, spending time in nature) to inspire her recipes and her writing, which you can find on Substack. We asked Olivia a few questions about her life, her holiday memories and how she got into making such beautiful non-alcoholic concoctions.
Where are you right now, what’s the weather like and how are you feeling today?
Good morning from San Francisco International Airport! It’s 7 am and I’m about to get on a plane to attend yet another wedding. The weather in the Bay Area is beautiful - it’s been a lovely 60-65 degrees (Fahrenheit) and sunny each day this week. Honestly, I’m feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed this morning but with that exhaustion comes big waves of gratitude as well.
Can you tell us about a favourite holiday memory you have?
I recently took a solo trip to Copenhagen, Denmark during the winter. I was hell-bent on having a sauna and cold plunge experience, but unbeknownst to me, I had booked a “saunagus” experience… I arrived at 6:30 am to find 12 strangers and a wooden sauna hitched to the back of a truck on the edge of the harbour. The sauna guide opened the door, heat barreling out behind her, and asked us to take our clothes off and please enter. I was thigh to bare ass thigh with a dozen people I had never met in a 230-degree sauna complete with deep breathing, chanting, essential oils, and even a little bit of crying. In 12-minute intervals, we would do a sauna ritual, then exit the sauna and swim in the freezing cold harbor. It turned out to be one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had!
What does taking time off for you look like and how has it changed as you’ve gotten older?
Taking time off means actually taking time off — off my email, off my phone, off my daily routine. For the longest time, I would take a holiday and come back feeling more stressed than I was before I left. I spent time scrolling on my phone, answering my emails, and keeping up with friends and happenings at home. Now, I really like to disconnect. It’s so rare that we have the opportunity to fully release technology and online interaction from our lives, so I believe we need to take advantage where we can. I like to fully disconnect on both the weekends and when I’m on holiday - try it! It’s freeing.
Your non-alcoholic drinks recipes are always so creative and it definitely feels like you squeeze every ounce of flavour from the ingredients you use. How did you start making these concoctions and what do they mean to you?
When I chose to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, I found that I was missing the ritual of having a cocktail. One day, I saw a woman making a spicy blackberry margarita and it looked incredible. I thought, what if I made this without alcohol? I filmed it on my phone, posted it to Instagram, and quickly realized there were a LOT of people interested in non-alcoholic drinks and the idea of being sober curious. It’s all about inclusivity and confidence for me - I want everyone to feel included and confident in their choices when they go out or stay in, whether they’re choosing to drink alcohol or not. I hope that my mocktails make it easier for someone to find that bit of joy and ease!
We talk a lot about whole being as opposed to well-being, which can be a bit of a slippery term very attached to an industry. How would you interpret the term whole being in your life?
I love this. The wellness industry has chewed me up and spit me out over the last 8 years. Back in the day, I was so obsessed with what it took to be “well,” so much so that I was restricting more than I was allowing into my life. I became bogged down by rigid routines and unrealistic habits. To me, the term whole being means knowing yourself well enough to choose what’s right for you in any given moment, even if the industry deems it “unhealthy.” Sometimes it’s important for me to stay up until 1 am dancing to live music, and other times it’s important for me to be asleep by 8 pm. Both can exist at the same time.
How are you drinking Mother Root and where would you most love to be sipping it?
I will literally drink it straight from the bottle, it’s that good. But also, I’ve been enjoying it over ice in a rocks glass with homemade plum & cardamom simple syrup.