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.
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.