Portland Pop-Up Series Worry Not Celebrates the Beauty of Nonalcoholic Cocktails | Eater Portland

"I watched Cliff Seminerio launch Worry Not in summer 2023 as a nonalcoholic cocktail pop-up meant to showcase the creativity of booze-free cocktails paired with thoughtful food; he emphasizes house-made components and partnerships with Oregon zero‑proof spirit makers like Wilderton, and intends the events to be inclusive so anyone—sober or not—can enjoy them. The pop-ups began as a “not so boozy” brunch and feature chef collaborations (Jahmichael Knutson at the first; Kevin Jones at a later one), with Seminerio designing pairings such as a Wilderton Earthen-based, Dr. Pepper–reduced, burdock-and-anise tiki‑inspired drink riffing on an Alabama Slammer, a koji‑fermented peanut milk paired with Korean banana milk as an Elvis‑sandwich play, and the Darth Brooks (his nonalcoholic amaro with cold brew, Okinawan brown sugar, and toasted milk powder) that reads like an espresso martini; many drinks rely on house-made shrugs, amari, and shrubs to make zero‑proof cocktails feel deliberate and food-friendly." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden