Trend Report: Mocktails

Mocktails are more popular than ever this year and they’re popping up all over on bar and restaurant menus. The Dry January fad, health concerns, and a culture shift have certainly had an influence on creating specific menus catering to those looking to forgo the buzz, which means that skimming the children’s menu for non-alcoholic libations is not your only option anymore.

Mocktails are not only favorable for your customers, but they can also have a positive influence on your bottom line as well. As long as you’re using quality ingredients and your mocktail list consists of more than just lemonade and soda you can charge almost as much if not just as much as you do for drinks containing alcohol. It’s a simple way to satisfy your non-alcohol drinking patrons, increase your employees’ tabs and tips, while also making your venue more money.

Let’s be honest, a lot of bartenders became bartenders because they enjoy working with alcohol, but if you challenge them to create innovative mocktails that trick the taste buds, I’m sure they’ll jump on the bandwagon. Utilizing ingredients your bartenders already use in traditional cocktails is a great way to ensure you won’t lose money in the process. The capacity to offer and sell drinks to non-drinkers can have a surprisingly strong impact on your venue. If you put real effort into the creation of your non-boozy offerings you’re bound to excite customers who might have otherwise brought down check averages.

Don’t know where to start when creating a mocktail menu? Why not give these three options a whirl:

Hibiscus Fizz
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup hibiscus tea, chilled (stronger tea works best)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider
• Vinegar (use more or less depending on your taste preference)
• 1/4 cup lemon seltzer (use more or less depending on your taste preference)
• Slice of lemon for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine hibiscus tea, honey, and apple cider vinegar in a cocktail shaker
2. Cover and shake, shake, shake
3. Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass filled with ice
4. Top with lemon seltzer
5. Garnish with lemon slice

Honey, Blackberry, and Mint Cooler
Ingredients:

• 4 blackberries (plus one more for garnish)
• 1 oz honey
• About 5 fresh mint leaves (plus one more for garnish)
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup lemon seltzer

Instructions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle together the blackberries, honey, and mint until well blended
2. Add the lemon juice and water, cover and shake, shake, shake
3. Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass filled with ice
4. Top the glass with 1/2 cup of lemon seltzer
5. Garnish with blackberry and mint leaf

Cucumber Ginger Mocktini
Ingredients for Batched Version:

• 1 medium-sized cucumber, sliced
• 10 slices of fresh ginger
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• Soda water for serving
• Slices of cucumber for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved (this makes simple syrup)
2. Place sliced cucumber and ginger in a large heat-proof container
3. Pour simple syrup over the cucumber and ginger and let it stand for 2 hours
4. Strain mixture into a bottle and chill
5. To prepare cocktail, pour 2 ounces of syrup and 4 ounces of water into a shaker with ice and shake, shake, shake
6. Strain into a martini or coupe glass and top with a spritz of soda water
7. Garnish with a cucumber slice

Interested in more trends?
Check out Tripleseat’s posts on trends and information for the event industry.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Tripleseat’s Seated magazine, 2019 Spring/Summer issue.