EP 98: From Bartender to Mocktail Innovator: Elaineā€™s Booze-Free Glow-Up

Get ready to fall in love with Elaine Empalmado, the powerhouse behind Mocktail Hour and one of the freshest voices in the alcohol-free world! After seven years of slinging drinks in Torontoā€™s nightlife scene, Elaine got sober in January 2024 (cheers to almost a year!) and realized something big: mocktails needed a serious glow-up.

Now, sheā€™s on a mission to make sobriety not just a choice but a full-on celebration. Elaine dishes on everythingā€”from her wild bartending days (firepoles and all!) to how sheā€™s now inspiring the restaurant world to up their mocktail game. Oh, and sheā€™s spilling her fave booze-free picks, like NA gin, Heineken 0.0, and Kin Euphorics.

This convo is just a sneak peek of the longer conversation Elaine and I had for the upcoming Mocktail Summit, happening January 2025! Elaineā€™s summit session is packed with even more juicy stories, tips, and inspirationā€”you wonā€™t want to miss it!


Get in touch with Elaine!
Website | Instagram

Registration is now open for The Mocktail Summit (January 14-16)!

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