What Is Bookending? Start and End the Night With a Non-Alcoholic Drink

Bookending is the habit of making the first drink and the last drink of the night non-alcoholic. Everything in between is up to you. Bookending is popular at holiday gatherings because it shapes the two parts of a long night that matter most for pace: the thirsty first half hour and the last stretch before heading home.

What is bookending?

Bookending means opening and closing a night with a non-alcoholic drink, like bookends on either side of a shelf. It needs no counting and no rules for the middle of the evening, which is why people who don't want a strict plan like it. Bookending works for a dinner party, a work event or a full day of Thanksgiving.

Why start the night with a non-alcoholic drink?

The first drink of the night usually goes fastest, because people arrive thirsty, a little wound up from the drive or the kitchen, and ready for something cold. Making that first drink non-alcoholic sets an easy pace for everything after it. A bittersweet aperitif spritz is a good opener: it feels like the start of a celebration and looks like one in the glass.

Why end the night with a non-alcoholic drink?

The last drink of the night is the one that decides how the night lands. Ending on a non-alcoholic drink gives the evening a soft landing and leaves the next morning wide open, whether that means a Turkey Trot, a long breakfast or the first tree of the season. A nightcap still feels like a nightcap when it comes in a heavy glass over a big ice cube.

What are good bookend drinks?

Good bookend drinks look and feel like the rest of the night's cocktails. Two made with UNDONE and Thomas Henry:

• The opener, a Bittersweet Spritz: 2 oz UNDONE No. 5 Bittersweet Aperitif, 3 oz UNDONE No. 20 Pop-Up Blanc and a splash of Thomas Henry Soda Water in a wine glass with ice and an orange slice.
• The nightcap, a Whiskey Highball: 2 oz UNDONE No. 3 NOT WHISKEY and 4 oz Thomas Henry Soda Water over a big ice cube, finished with a strip of lemon peel.

Can you combine bookending and zebra striping?

Bookending and zebra striping combine easily: start and end with a non-alcoholic drink, and alternate in between. Hosts often set up the bar to make this simple, with one non-alcoholic cocktail on the menu by name and the same glassware for every drink. Read more in What Is Zebra Striping?

Bookending FAQ

Is bookending only for people who are cutting back?

Bookending is for anyone who wants a long night to feel good from start to finish, whether or not they are cutting back. It is also an easy habit for hosts to support by greeting guests with a non-alcoholic welcome drink.

What counts as the last drink of the night?

The last drink of the night in bookending is the final one before you head home or head to bed. For a Thanksgiving that usually means the drink that comes out with pie.

Stock the bookends: the UNDONE x Thomas Henry Spritz Kit includes UNDONE No. 5, UNDONE No. 20, a 750ml Thomas Henry Soda Water and two wine glasses. Shop the Spritz Kit.

UNDONE products are non-alcoholic, produced by dealcoholizing real spirits and wines. For adults 21 and over.