ETTE HOTEL · ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Liquid art for a new kind of zero-proof experience.
ette hotel · Orlando, USA · Luxury Hotel · Concept Development · Bar Consultancy · Beverage Program Development · Bar Training · Bar Design · Content Creation
CLIENT
ette hotel
location
Orlando, USA
PROJECT
Zero-Proof Beverage Program
scope
Concept Development · Bar Consultancy · Beverage Program Development · Zero-Proof · Craftsmanship Training · Bar Design · Content Creation
THE CONCEPT
Liquid art.
For ette, we approached zero-proof drinking through the language of art and design. Contrast, balance, movement, white space, repetition, texture and shape became creative tools for developing a collection that could feel as sophisticated and expressive as the hotel itself.
The drinks were conceived as small fairy tales. Names such as Moonchild and Queen Bee introduced their own stories, accompanied by short poems and brought to life through unexpected presentation and tableside serving rituals. Behind the whimsy were deliberately mature flavor profiles, using ingredients such as smoked pear, lapsang souchong tea and parsnip to give the zero-proof program depth and sophistication.
ZERO-PROOF DEVELOPMENT
Complexity without alcohol.
Zero-proof became an opportunity to build flavor differently. Rather than relying on a conventional sweet-and-sour structure, we worked with bitterness, acidity, fermentation, smoke, spicy, earthy and roasted notes to create drinks with depth, length and distinctly mature flavor profiles. Ingredients such as smoked pear, lapsang souchong tea and parsnip brought savory and earthy dimensions, while vinegars, botanicals, herbs, flowers, and teas were used to create texture and contrast.
Blue flower tea met violet, floral tonic and Champagne vinegar. Elsewhere, yuzu, espresso, liquorice and cardamom created a bitter, citrus-driven profile, while cucumber, ginger and fresh herbs formed the base of a greener, spicier expression.
The development process moved between advanced bar techniques and methods more often found in the kitchen. Infusion, clarification, dehydration, smoking, fermentation and other forms of preparation allowed us to manipulate flavor, aroma and texture with greater precision. Smoke, aromatic mist, powders, edible textures and temperature added another sensory layer — not as decoration, but as part of how each drink was experienced.
THE DRINKING EXPERIENCE
A little theatre at the table.
Each serve was designed to unfold beyond its flavor profile. Aroma could arrive through a forest dry ice mist, light could transform the glass from below, and edible garnish elements introduced new textures as the drink progressed. Drinks were finished at the table, turning the final moments of preparations into part of the guest experience.
The storytelling continued through the menu. Drinks such as Moonchild, Ice Palace, Dragon’s Tail and Foreshadow were introduced through short poems, with their names, flavors and presentation all belonging to the same imagined world. The result was playful and theatrical, but deliberately refined, showmanship with a reason for being there.
THE BAR PROGRAM
Building the program around the experience.
The creative direction extended into the wider bar program. We developed the zero-proof backbar selection, glassware and barware, ice program, equipment and production requirements, alongside the details that would shape how the bar looked and felt in service.
The bartop and bar design was conceived almost as a working cabinet of curiosities: house-made perfumes, infusions, dried garnishes, elixirs and specialist tools placed within view of the guest. Even the water service became part of the program, infused with botanicals to introduce the approach to flavor from the moment guests arrived.
PRESS & RECOGNITION
in the spotlight.
ette’s approach to zero-proof drinking attracted attention well beyond Orlando. Forbes and international travel and hospitality media featured the beverage program developed by Cocktail Professor and co-founder Jarl de Vries, highlighting its whimsical drinks, theatrical presentation and sophisticated alcohol-free flavors. The hotel itself went on to receive recognition from The MICHELIN Guide.
THE MICHELIN GUIDE
ONE MICHELIN KEY ·
MICHELIN Guide · 2024 · 2025 · 2026
FORBES
Forbes highlighted ette’s zero-proof beverage program, developed by Cocktail Professor co-founder Jarl de Vries, as a defining part of the hotel’s approach to wellness.
“Perhaps the most intriguing way Ette Hotel is redefining wellness…”
“Whimsical, colorful, and zero-proof libations that are theatrically presented tableside.”
— Forbes.
READ ON FORBES →
THE POINTS GUYS
“Bar consultant Jarl De Vries, also known as The Cocktail Professor, has devised high-quality mocktail menus.”
— The Points Guys
EXPEDIA - THE RISE OF SOBER TRAVEL
“Ette Hotel, Orlando, is home to stunning mocktails devised by ‘cocktail professor’ Jarl de Vries.”
— Expedia
VISIT ORLANDO
“A fully nonalcoholic beverage program designed by cocktail professor Jarl de Vries.”
— Visit Orlando
OUR SCOPE
From research to opening.
Concept Development · Bar Consultancy · Beverage Program Development · Zero-Proof · Craftsmanship Training · Bar Design · Content Creation