Is there a chance that drinking alcohol is going out of fashion? With the vast variety of low or no alcohol drinks rising in the last few years, ‘mocktails’ are becoming a Gen-z favourite. Is this because of the energy boost these drinks provide, rather than the draining and tired feel cocktails leave you with? There is the ever so obvious factor of hangovers. No matter how many mocktails you have, there will always be the promise of no nausea in the morning which so many people get after an alcoholic drink.
As many health driven customers repulse the idea of “poisoning” their bodies, mocktails have become a growing trend, with over a million uses of the hashtag #mocktails on instagram.
With movement such as “Dry January” and “Sober October” becoming more and more popular each year, there is becoming more reason to be “dry” for a month or 2 per year. Perhaps the growing trend is due to the changing drinking habits, or because we now have access to more information about how bad drinking is for our health.
With the pressure of social media influencing job roles these days, there could be a correlation between the hashtag #mocktails. With a lot of potential employers checking socials before hiring a potential employee, there is a certain pressure to not show drinking habits online in hope to get your dream job!
In 2022, 1 in 5 adults in the uk said that they were taking place in dry January, 13% more than 2021. according to a study taken out by Morning Consultants.
The figures show that more people took place in the movement in 2022 compared to previous years. The survey also showed figures on how many of the participants were planning on buying no alcohol beer, wine and cocktails. (linked above) The movements help the no alcohol industry and gains more attention to the market, helping to grow the industry all year round.
So, why is it that people are ordering a mocktail rather than a cocktail? Could it be due to the health risks drinking alcohol involves? The NHS website lists the risks involved with drinking more than 14 units a week could lead to. Alongside the dreaded hangover, and loosing a day after a night of drinking, there are serious health risks caused by drinking alcohol. in a study published by the BJM, it is estimated that alcohol consumption causes at least 13,000 cancer cases in the Uk each year.
Another reason that people have decided that mocktails suit them better, is due to a bad experience when being or being around someone under the influence of alcohol. Alcoholism has long been known to run in families. If a parent is an alcoholic the child is 4 times more likely to become an alcoholic. There is no “alcoholic gene” involved, but social and environmental factors partake. These figures are a lot more accesible these days, potentially being a reason that many decide not to drink.
With this in mind, the choice to order a mocktail rather than a passionfruit martini is becoming a lot more desirable to millennials.
Cocktails are still a loved classic! Cocktail making became popular during the first lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic. With bartenders posting tutorials all over TikTok and instagram it became a whole lot easier! Having a ‘midnight margaritas’ is still a preferable choice for many adults in the UK.
With the endless option on what cocktail or alcoholic drink you want having nearly every option in the world there is still a massive business for the alcoholic market. Mocktails have not yet overtaken cocktails in sales, but is the time for magnificent mocktails starting now?
