You sit down at a restaurant and get handed a drink menu.
An extensive cocktail menu with exotic names, tantalizing descriptions, and mouthwatering ingredients. Amidst this sea of alcoholic delights, the mocktail section stands like a lone island, almost always at the bottom of the menu. One or two mocktail options, often unimaginative, grace the page. These token mocktails seem like an afterthought, a nod to inclusivity without genuine commitment.
Another common ploy is offering “virgin” versions of existing cocktails when you ask if there are any mocktail options. While it’s commendable to cater to non-drinkers, merely omitting the alcohol from a classic cocktail doesn’t make it a mocktail. Where’s the creativity? Where’s the flair? A Virgin Mojito is not the same as a well-crafted mocktail with unique flavors.
The Lack of a Mocktail Menu is a Missed Opportunity. Let’s explore the reasons:
Appealing to a Broader Audience: By featuring mocktails, establishments signal inclusivity and sensitivity to diverse preferences. Non-drinkers and health-conscious individuals deserve more than a token nod—they deserve a vibrant mocktail menu.
Boosting Beverage Sales: Mocktails utilize ingredients easily stocked (and already stocked if an existing bar). Offering them encourages patrons who might otherwise abstain from ordering a drink to indulge. It’s a win-win—more sales and happier customers.
Last year there was a public request on Facebook by a Mt. Lebanon journalist looking to run a story about Dry January. They posed the question “where do you go for the best local mocktails?”… and got such a minimal response that they didn’t write a story about it.
Locally here in Mt. Lebanon, there’s an unmet need on menus to offer a wide variety of craft mocktails - not just one or two basic options to ‘check the box,’ but rather an actual dedication to being remarkable. Toward Wellth’s craft mocktail menu will have a few staples but will continually be evolving to provide new experiences to patrons.
What’s a mocktail you want to see ?