Picture this, you’re back in your childhood days pouring way too many cherries in your Shirley Temple because you want to have a fancy drink just like the adults around you. Back then, you probably didn’t know that a Shirley Temple was called a mocktail and that they would later grow in popularity among the restaurant industry. The mocktail has come a long way since the days of Shirley Temple’s. Now restaurants offer a variety of creative mixtures featuring fruit juices, teas, and staple non-alcoholic bar mixers. According to Nielsen IQ, sales of non-alcoholic beverages have spiked 33% in the last year alone. So, why the growing popularity?
Health-Conscious Option
Whether you are pregnant, have an alcohol addiction, or another health condition that requires you not to drink, mocktails can be a great solution. Mocktails are a safe, healthy, and creative way to provide guests with a tasty drink option other than a normal soda or juice. They are free from addictive ingredients, they don’t alter your decision making skills, and they often have less calories since they don’t contain any liquor.
Appeals to Designated Drivers and Non-Drinkers
When designated drivers or guests who abstain from alcohol completely go out to eat at a restaurant, the options available to them are typically water, juice, and soda. Mocktails give another fun option for them to choose from. Since mocktails have a variety of unique recipes and ingredients, they can still admire the creative craftmanship of the drink just like their peers who may be drinking alcoholic beverages. For people who are used to drinking the occasional Margarita or Cosmo, and decided to be the designated driver, they can still get a drink that mimics the taste without any impairing ingredients.
Fun Option for Children Under 21
Bringing it back to the childhood days of Shirley Temples, we know that mocktails are a big hit among younger teens and children. It gives them a healthy, safe, and creative alternative to straight juice or soda. They find the mocktails tasty, fun, and feel included amongst the grownups.
Mocktails at Innovo Kitchen
With the growing trend of mocktails in the restaurant industry, we decided to add them to the Innovo Kitchen menu. Our team of bartenders work together to create delicious and creative mocktails frequently. Our menu is constantly changing depending on seasonality and ingredient availability. However, we try to always have at least two different mocktail options available to our guests. Be sure to check our online menu or the QR codes within the restaurant for our current menu offerings. If you don’t see one listed or have a question on a specific mocktail, please ask your server.