What is a mocktail, you ask? If you haven’t experienced the allure (and deliciousness) of an inventive non-alcoholic beverage yet, you’re not too late. In this blog, we’ll break down what a mocktail is and why these spiritless drinks are on trend right now. And of course, we’re providing several innovative mocktail recipes we encourage you to try. Trust us - when you’re done reading this, you’ll replace “what is a mocktail?” with “where is my mocktail?” Cheers!

What Is a Mocktail? Think Cocktail, but Hold the Booze

A mocktail is a flavorful non-alcoholic drink, typically comprised of imaginative ingredients – shaken, stirred, or blended, just like their boozy counterparts. Closely mimicking a cocktail without the alcohol, a mocktail comes with several benefits. As the appeal of craft cocktails continues holding strong, mocktails, also referred to as zero-proof drinks, offer tasty solutions to those who want to share in that experience without a headache the next day. Mocktails maintain many of the delicious flavors, ingredients, and garnishes of traditional alcoholic drinks, making them ideal for social settings (but perfect for at-home sipping too).

Mocktail Popularity Is On the Rise

Trends come and go, often influenced by pop culture, social media, and the mainstream. And although mocktails have been around for a very long time (we’ll get to the history in a bit), “mocktail” has become a buzzword recently. You can see here how consumer interest in this topic has significantly increased over the past few years.

Millennials and Gen Z are the leaders of the pack in the mocktail fan club. Known to be health-conscious, this crowd appreciates that mocktails offer a solution to combat FOMO and a hangover. And their interest in alcohol-free drinks has grown over the past few years.

Several studies, including one from Cedars Sinai, have shown a significant increase in overall alcohol consumption at the onset of the pandemic, with consumption in adults over 30 rising 14% since March 2020. Yet, in 2021, a shift toward “sober curiosity” ensued, with Nielsen reporting that 22% of consumers said they were cutting back on alcohol. And when asked why they were curbing their alcohol intake, people noted going out less and losing interest in alcohol as the top two reasons.

This desire to cut back on booze has helped spark more interest in mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages. In fact, a recent survey by Heineken 0.0 and OnePoll found since the start of the pandemic, 52% of Gen Zers and millennials said their consumption of mocktails and alcohol-free beer had increased. And Nielsen calls out buzz-less beverages as a strong trend for 2022. People continue to look for alcohol-free solutions, if only for a short commitment period such as Dry January or Sober October.

And although mocktails have recently become in vogue, we don’t foresee their appeal diminishing any time soon. According to a report by Fior Markets, the global non-alcoholic beverages market is expected to grow from $923 million in 2020 to more than $1.7 trillion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.19%. Long live the mocktail!

Content courtesy of Roland Foods