Cocktail infusions and alcohol-free drinks at Vena's Fizz House.

At Vena’s Fizz House in Portland, Maine, there is truly something for everyone. Opened in 2013, Vena’s was first imagined as a spot for old fashioned, all natural fizz sodas and alcohol-free drinks, fun for all ages and tastes. But now, with a liquor license in place since 2015, Vena’s can make the same delightful drinks with a boozy option, too.

Using bitters and hard-to-find, nostalgic ingredients, the team at Vena’s – founded by Steve and Johanna Corman – created a custom cocktail menu (think shrubs, switchels, syrups and vintage glassware) along with their “Bar in a Jar” line of all natural mixers. It’s the place to go for cocktails, mocktails and a fun mixology experience.

On any trip to Vena’s Fizz House, make sure to sample some of the creative drinks, including the Vena’s Rabbit with apple brandy, lemon, orange, maple and Bitter Pierre, the Longfellow’s Word, a mix of bourbon, spiced pear liqueur, allspice dram, lemon and bitter Armando and the Fluffy Fizz, made with vodka, cherry juice, orange shrub, lemon juice and topped with a heap of cotton candy.

First served sans alcohol for both adults and kids, the Fluffy Fizz is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. “It was so popular that adults wanted in on the fun too, so we began offering it as a cocktail as well,” explains Mary Jo Marquis of Vena’s Fizz House. “Vena’s tagline is ‘where cocktails and mocktails are created equal’. We want everyone to walk away with the same quality experience.”

“As an extension to our bar in Portland, Maine we created an in-house mixology shop for people to buy the ingredients of the cocktails we serve so they could recreate them at home,” explains Director of Business Development, Mary Jo Marquis.

Selections include the Campfire Infusion featuring smokey tea, orange,and vanilla for bourbon and the Sea Rose infusion with rose buds, apples, and orange for gin and a new flavor, the Cran Cherry with cranberry, cherry, lime, simple syrup and Bitter Charles for vodka.

Adds Marquis: “Made with all natural ingredients, the mason jar provides the visually appealing transparency of seeing what you are drinking. It’s a high quality grab-n-go ‘Bar in a Jar’ featuring flavors that compliment each liquor.”