Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste

by Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka

From Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, an innovative cocktail book that caters to a growing trend—mocktails for nondrinkers that are just as delicious and fun as their cocktail counterparts—in a joyful combination of seventy elevated, perfectly paired alcoholic and nonalcoholic recipes that let everyone raise a glass.

Neil Patrick Harris loves cocktails. So much that he created the Black Magic Margarita, which is currently served at La Cava Del Tequila in Epcot Center, featured cocktails as a weekly feature in his Wondercade newsletter, and even created a bar in his home that was featured in Architectural Digest. David Burtka is sober. An esteemed chef and entertainer, David did not want to miss out on all of Neil’s cocktail fun—he just doesn’t want alcohol. Nor did he want to stop the party. The idea of a virgin version of Neil’s fabulous cocktails felt depressing to him, so David rose to the challenge to create the most exciting, refreshing, and festive concoctions that he can enjoy while celebrating with others.

After seven years of building up their bar and cocktail recipes together, Neil and David are ready to share what they’ve learned with the world in Both Sides of the Glass, the first guide that combines equally exciting and innovative cocktails and mocktails to suit any mood or event. Together, Neil and David have played with fresh ingredients from their garden, explored flavor profiles from across the globe, and tried almost all the nonalcoholic spirits that have popped up in the past few years to bring you seventy recipes (thirty-five cocktails and thirty-five mocktails) for their very favorite concoctions.

With carefully curated beverages organized thematically around the four elements (fire, earth, water, and air), Both Sides of the Glass truly is the cocktail book for the next generation of drinkers and nondrinkers.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Food and Drink, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2025

About the author

Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, producer, director, magician, comedian and singer. He is best known for playing Barney Stinson in the television comedy series How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), for which he was nominated for four Emmy Awards. As a child star he played the title character in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993). He is also known for his role as the title character in Joss Whedon's musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) and a fictional version of himself in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011). He has also appeared in the films Starship Troopers (1997), Beastly (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Smurfs 2 (2013) and Gone Girl (2014). Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011. He has also hosted the Tony Awards on Broadway in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, for which he won several special class Emmy Awards. He also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013, and will host the 87th Academy Awards in 2015. In 2014, he starred as the title role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a recipe book that’s also a *reading* book, and Both Sides of the Glass is very much that. After the book’s very good introduction, David Burtka adds a second, heartfelt intro about his decision to stop drinking alcohol. It is brave and true, and very supportive for those who are in (or are contemplating) the same boat. In the spirit of the book, he also writes about wanting to continue to be part of the fun at parties—with something more festive than a club soda with lime.

This desire—nonalcoholic drinks that are as tasty, fun, and festive as a cocktail with alcohol—organizes the book and ensures the “mocktails” are as well considered as the cocktails.

NPH (who we learn is a keen mixologist) created the alcohol drinks, each of which are paired with a compatible nonalcoholic drink created by Burtka. The choices are creative and mesh well without the latter just copying the former.

A wonderful book for reading and entertaining!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty nice recipe book for cocktails, with an accompanying mocktail! I checked this out from the library right when I finished watching How I Met Your Mother for the first time ever, so you could say I was missing the cast when I did that, lol. I liked the humor in the book, and the brief history on certain drinks, as well as personal anecdotes and reasons for not drinking alcohol. Neil Patrick Harris does drink alcohol, while his husband, David Burtka, does not anymore. They shared how they navigate this, and what goes into making a drink GOOD.

I took some screenshots of certain recipes. Not sure if I'll be making any of them, but overall, a nice read for a recipe book!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two are darling. I am always looking for mocktails that are not all sugar and fruit. I was hoping this book would have some broader recipes to that effect. Sorry but no. The ‘mushroom’ based recipes are worth a try, but they too are embellished with fruit juices and garnishes. There also needs to be a discussion of the NA alcohol alternatives such as the whiskey’s and tequila’s they use. A chapter on this would have been a excellent addition. I have tried several and they aren’t very good. Someone needs to do taste tests. Wire cutter?

[Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 cutesy