Nikki Graziano is the owner and do-it-all operator of Bar Palmina, a zero-proof cocktail bar named after her late Grandmother. Nestled under The L on Front Street, the bar serves craft NA mocktails, born not only of Nikki’s creative spirit and desire for community, but also of a necessity to avoid consuming alcohol—for good.
In August of 2022, she found herself on life support for nearly two weeks. “I was pretty much dead,” Graziano said as she described her diagnosis of end-stage liver disease. “I drank myself to death… I drank morning, noon, and night for six years.” The only thing that would save her life was the liver transplant she received, providing her a new lease on life. During hospitalization and through being immobilized, Nikki’s muscles atrophied so badly that she needed to relearn to walk, but that wasn’t the only thing she learned from her near-fatal experience.
Bedridden and bored out of her mind during recovery, Nikki needed something positive to occupy her mind. The idea of starting a business also gave her goals to work toward, but what would that business look like? COVID restrictions had recently been loosened in Philadelphia, but the only certainty at the time was skepticism. The lockdown period drove many of us to, at a bare minimum, become aware of our relationships with booze. But as liquor store sales skyrocketed across the nation, Nikki was reversing course.
When she returned to the point of going out and socializing again, being sober wasn’t difficult; finding good drinks sans alcohol was. Cocktail bars couldn’t offer many creative or flavorful options that didn’t include liquor. She began jotting down ideas and perfecting mocktail recipes, emphasizing quality ingredients over the standard sugar-filled mixers that mask the flavor of cheap products. Her recipes progressed. Sobriety aside, Nikki knew that there must be enough community to sustain a business where people could gather and socialize without needing to get drunk.
By Nikki’s account, more than half of Bar Palmina’s customers consume alcohol somewhat regularly and simply enjoy a delicious craft beverage, regardless of its alcohol content. When asked about the stigma that might surround the price of a mocktail, Nikki pointed to the ingredients and processes involved in producing a well-rounded NA spirit. “It’s actually more work to build something that’s not going to ferment, or to remove the alcohol… per ounce it’s very expensive.”
Bar Palmina officially launched in the summer of 2024, opening its doors to the community. Thousands of customers later, there aren’t any lavish dreams of building a zero-proof empire. “Mostly, I just want this place to be sustainable,” Nikki said. She is also open to the idea of collaborating with restaurants for pop-ups and consulting with bars to make NA drinks more accessible. You can check out the current cocktail menu online or follow along on Instagram for more updates.