PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Dry January gets underway, mocktails are growing in popularity.
Matt Deutsch, beverage director at FCM Hospitality, said about a quarter of his non-alcoholic drink sales come from mocktails — mixed drinks minus the alcohol.
“People want to recharge their batteries after the new year, after excessively drinking through the holidays,” he explained.
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While they are on the FCM menu year-round, the popularity of the non-alcoholic specialty beverages tends to make a resurgence during Dry January.
“It’s a good way for pregnant women, children, people that have to drive home, that don’t want the hangover, that they can enhance their dining experience, be part of the group.”
Making a mocktail still takes skill. Like mixing a cocktail, Deutsch said a mocktail also needs to have balanced flavors.
“At Harper’s [Garden] right now, I have a moon drop lemonade, a Palmer made with fig and vanilla, a blackberry ginger soda, and we’re doing a hot cider just because it’s cold outside.”
In addition to the mocktail trend, low-alcohol cocktails are gaining traction too.
“People don’t want to have all the excess alcohol but they still want to have a libation.”
For mocktail recipes and more, listen to the KYW Newsradio original podcast What’s Cooking on the Audacy app or in the audio player above.