Why Your Restaurant Should Sell Mocktails

January is the perfect time to consider adding mocktails to your menu.

By now, you’ve probably heard of Dry January. Let’s talk about its origins.

Dry January started as a small public health initiative, encouraging people to take a month off from drinking alcohol. A non-profit called Alcohol Change UK launched the campaign in 2013 and had about 4,000 participants. As of 2022, over 130,000 people signed up to participate through the organization. The actual number of people who participate is much higher than those who committed through the organization’s website.

One of the more challenging parts of a lifestyle change like Dry January? Being in social settings. However, with growing popularity over the past decade, Dry January has become more than simply a month-long challenge.

Abstaining from or reducing alcohol consumption has become a lifestyle change for many. More and more bars are carrying non-alcoholic beers, spirits, and wines, so if everyone in your group is out having a cocktail or glass of wine, you no longer have to order water or seltzer. While mocktails used to be as simple as adding fruit to soda water or ginger beer, today they are just as carefully crafted as their spirit-filled counterparts. Mixologists use house-made infused syrups, top-quality ingredients, and aesthetically pleasing garnishes to create balanced and unique beverages.

So why should your restaurant join in the mocktail game?

To start, there’s money to be made! Many of the ingredients that go into mocktails are affordable, and using items already found in the kitchen can even help reduce waste. You can price mocktails higher than a soda or juice, and you don’t have to worry about your LBW gap – so your return on mocktails could be much higher than your LBW items.

Offering non-alcoholic beers, wines, and mocktails creates a more inclusive environment, opening up your doors to more guests.  And more guests coming through our doors is what we all want, after all. The guests who are temporarily taking a break from alcohol are going to be much more likely to return to your bar. And if they had an incredible mocktail while they were in your restaurant, they’re more likely to spend money on your LBW products. Once the word gets out that you cater to both drinkers & non-drinkers alike, guests are likely to encourage friends & family to visit your establishment. The designated driver in the group deserves to have a delicious beverage, too!

Not sure how to start adding mocktails to your menu? Give us a call. We specialize in creating craft drinks that will accommodate all of your guests.