Derick Santiago: The ‘Mocktail Wiz’
Welcome to TUL’s guest blog series, featured every Friday! This week, get ready for a special edition as we dive into an exclusive interview with none other than Derick Santiago of Mocktail Wiz.
In a world where social gatherings and personal wellness intertwine, the art of mocktail crafting has emerged as an incredible intersection of taste, creativity, and mindful indulgence. If this resonates, well -
Derick Santiago is someone you want to know.
Derick's journey into the world of mocktails began in 2022 when he made the decision to take a break from alcohol. Only months later, our paths crossed on Instagram, where his vibrant mocktail creation videos and genuine kindness radiated through the screen. It was an instant connection. In November of 2022, I had the privilege of interviewing Derick on my Instagram Live series “Happy Hour With Hayley,” and since then, it has been nothing short of inspiring to witness his remarkable growth as a mocktail connoisseur, author, and pillar of the alcohol-free community.
In this interview, Derick shares his experiences, insights, and the inspiration behind Mocktail Wiz. From Harry Potter aprons to being headhunted by one of the top publishing houses in the world, Derick's journey illuminates the boundless possibilities of alcohol-free mixology and the transformative power of passion and perseverance.
Join us as we enjoy an honest conversation between two internet friends - and don’t miss an exciting announcement at the end!!
(Note: Interview responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.)
What sparked your interest in mixology and creating non-alcoholic and zero-proof beverages?
It all started in 2022 when I decided to change my relationship with alcohol. That's my “TV answer” when asked in a panel, but really, I was just not feeling good and alcohol wasn't doing anything for me anymore. I felt that I needed to stop or at least moderate in the beginning, and so I made a promise to myself that I'm gonna cut back that first day Monday, June 6th.
What did promising yourself look like?
I said “okay, I'm not gonna drink this week” and I started reading “This Naked Mind.” But even though you're being educated about what alcohol does to you, there's still that habit that I'd formed that was kind of hard to break. So, on weeknights during the first week, to replace the habit of drinking alcohol I started drinking non-alcoholic beer. I remember feeling no motivation and no creativity just trying to get through the week. Then I got to the weekend and I said “You know what? It would be good to have a full week break from alcohol.” So, even though the weekends are when I would drink, I said “okay, I'm just gonna try to do the tasks today [Saturday] without alcohol.”
How did the idea to create mocktails spark?
On day 6 of no alcohol, I wanted something special to drink while I was cooking, and that's when I made my first mocktail. It was jalapeno, pineapple juice, and club soda. Then I added the chili lime seasoning to the rim. When I drank it, I felt the heat from the spice and thought “this replaces the heat from the alcohol.” I’d been into mixology for a few years, and just needed something to replace the habit. Back then I didn't even know that I was going to be sober for a long time.
That's what sparked the mocktail mixology idea, because - I'm getting goosebumps telling you this - because that really was what sparked the creativity that I thought, “oh, I could have fun with this,” you know? It kind of gave me hope that it's not going to be just a long, boring life ahead without alcohol. And so that's really what sparked the mocktail. And then I started playing with spirit alternatives there.
What happened next?
I went to my local Total Wine and I'm like, now I'm trying to do something good for my body, why not play with this thing? The first one that I found that was worth the money was Ritual. And at that time, it was 2022. It was still limited in terms of what's available in store, and I’m not really a pay-for-shipping kind of guy.
I just kept going, and as the break from alcohol became longer and it was completely out of my body, I gained back the creativity and the drive. It didn’t feel like I was crawling through the days anymore because there was enough distance from the last time I drank. I actually couldn’t sleep because there were a lot of ideas going through my head. I have so many notes on my phone. I had a lot of recipe ideas. Then I decided to create Mocktail Wiz on Instagram, and now here we are.
You mentioned you were into mixology prior to this; can you share a bit more of what that looked like?
I’ve always been into creative expression and the art of cocktails was a form of creativity expression. Influenced by my mother who was into cooking and baking, so I just had that in me. Mixology started when I was in London. I'd go out by myself and watch how bartenders made things. My client ended up giving me a mixology class gift certificate and that’s what threw me into the world. At the end of my class, there was a competition and we won! And the mixologist said it was the most balanced drink in the class and I was like “oh my gosh! This mixologist picked my drink!” so that fuelled the fire in me. I’d create cocktails in my flat and that’s what truly sparked the interest.
How did you come up with the name, Mocktail Wiz?
I sat with my family; Carlton, my partner, and my sister, after I had posted a couple of mocktail videos on my personal page and it got thousands of views and hundreds of likes. I didn’t want to lump together my personal posts so I thought “I’m going to create a new account.”
I did my research with what term resonates with more people. Mocktail is really the all-encompassing term for zero-proof and non-alcoholic cocktails, even in the Philippines and India, where I had visited, people were familiar with the term mocktail. So I had the word mocktail down. In my initial videos I was wearing an apron with the Hogwarts crest so it’s a play on wiz because I’m a big fan of Harry Potter, and also just being a wiz and expert. This is geeky but when I was in college I was a math wizard and a computer wizard, so it just worked.
So there are a few meanings behind the name! That’s really special. Your videos are so good. You can really see the growth from day 1 to now.
Thank you for saying that. I just posted without waiting for it to be perfect and kept doing so and learned as I went. I thought “nobody is going to see this” so I’m just going to post.
And now you’ve exploded!
Yes! The whole of January was just surreal and unbelievable. I’ve been on two TV news outlets. Jan 7th I had my book launch which was incredible. I didn’t take a break over the holidays; I took a vacation from my day job but I prepared for the book launch and events in January. Even on NYE I volunteered creating mocktails for a non-profit that supports people in recovery which was so special to me.
It looked like there was overwhelming support for you at the event. That must have been wonderful.
My brother who is based in Virginia surprised me for the launch. He arrived beforehand. My family did a great job surprising me. Good thing they didn’t surprise me at the event itself because I was stressed beforehand, and then I saw him and started crying! My brother, my sister-in law, my sister, Carlton, and a lot of friends in real life and Instagram came out; it was really good to meet Instagram friends in real life.
How did the book come about?
I received an email about a book opportunity from Simon and Schuster. I was like “uh what?” So I read the email and they said they found me on Instagram and like what I’m doing and my approach to making mocktails. I was at work and was shaking and asked a friend to re-read it for me to make sure I was reading it properly. Then I called Carlton and read the email to him and said “I don’t know, do you think this is a scam?” as I read out the email and Carlton is like “Simon and Schuster?! That’s one of the top 5 publishing houses!” and I’m like “Oh my god!”
That is so exciting!
I didn’t even have 1000 followers at the time! I responded and said I was interested and we hopped on a call. The first call we immediately were on the same page. I asked if I could use my spirit alternatives. They said YES that was the angle they were hoping to go [with spirits]. The reason I asked is because I don’t want to just mix juices; I want to make elevated mocktails. They said it’s going to be speakeasy vibes and I said ‘omg that’s exactly what I go for” and immediately it was an instant connection.
I want to redefine the word mocktail because it’s had a bad rap. People think it’s just juices when it can be so much more. Without them telling me what the concept was I blurted that out and they said “we’re so on the same page.”
This is a loaded question, but how did you come up with all these recipes? Did you include any recipes you put on Instagram?
I chose my favorites from my Instagram and then creative thinking for the rest. I had two and a half months. I would think of flavor combinations during weekdays and add them to my notes app and then test them out on the weekends - up to twelve recipes per day!
The thing that made it more challenging in terms of recipe development, is I didn’t want to combine multiple spirit alternatives together. My goal was to make it as easy as possible, so if you only have one bottle of spirit alternatives you’ll have multiple options to create. We’ve all had recipe books with 400 things from rare places, which I didn’t want to do. It was a sincere goal to make it easy [for readers to create.]
I wouldn’t expect people to spend $70 just to try a recipe with multiple spirit alternatives. There’s also a section for Spirit Free mocktails where you don’t need alternatives.
“If people are hesitating to look at the sober-curious life because they think they’re not going to have fun anymore, hopefully this book will excite them because the fun doesn’t stop when you stop drinking alcohol.”
You mentioned at the beginning of our call that the first recipe you ever came up with was a spicy margarita. Does that have a name and place in the book?
Yes it’s actually called the Spicy Pineapple Margarita (page 74.) I had to include it because it’s special.
Do you have a favorite drink to create?
If I could pick one that would wow people, I would do the Fiery Squad (page 72.) I’ve sampled that one a lot during mocktail demos in January. That one is strong and spicy with a little bitterness; very complex.
I love the thought and care you put into this book; it makes it all that much more special.
I really poured my heart and soul here. At the book launch my partner (Carlton) said something that made me tear up - he said “Derick painstakingly made sure that everything is easy, delicious, and perfect, even without any help at times he still did it.” and the thing that really meant a lot was he said that I was trying to be of service. Because that’s really what it is. Mocktails aren’t for everyone, but they did help me in my sobriety journey, especially earlier on. If people are hesitating to look at the sober-curious life because they think they’re not going to have fun anymore, hopefully this book will excite them because the fun doesn’t stop when you stop drinking alcohol.
This is my act of service to the world for anyone who’s curious.
Don’t be afraid - the water is warm. Dive in!
Is there anything coming on the horizon for you?
I haven’t announced it publicly, but I already have a second one in the works. It’s called Make It A Mocktail Recipe Deck. It’ll be a box with individual cards of mocktails. It’ll be out towards the end of July this year!
Derick Santiago is based in California. His recipe book “The Mocktail Club” is available online at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble and more. You can find him at www.mocktailwiz.com and on Instagram at @mocktailwiz
As we toast to Derick's accomplishments and eagerly anticipate his upcoming project, let his journey be a reminder that change is not only possible but can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Derick's creativity knows no bounds, and his dedication to bringing joy through mocktails is a beautiful sight to see.
Here's to Derick Santiago, the Mocktail Wiz, and a source of inspiration for us all!
Cheers!
