By: Kat Bein By: Kat Bein | May 26, 2022 | Food & Drink,
Did you overindulge in alcohol during the pandemic? You’re not alone. According to a report by the National Library of Medicine, drinking among U.S. adults pretty much tripled during quarantine, and now it seems there's a bit of a cultural counter-movement at hand.
Whether you’re looking to save money, cut back on calories or just avoid those day-ruining hangovers, mocktails have become the new go-to trend at bars and restaurants across the country. In fact, a new study by Nielson showed that non-alcoholic and low-alcohol sales counted for $331 million in 2021, and online purchases alone saw an increase of 315 percent.
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What’s so special about mocktails? Turns out a lot of folks are looking that up. The good folks at food sensitivity and wellness testing company YorkTest took a look at the data and crunched the search numbers to determine which mocktail recipes are most popular and which are on the up-and-up.
“Despite new advances in alcohol-free drinks, traditional beverages like the Shirley Temple, margarita and mojito are still reigning top of the list,” says Kerri Ferraioli, one of YorkTest’s expert nutritionists. “But with a big increase in searches for alcohol-free sangria; a very sociable, sharing drink, is there going to be a shift in how we socialize with each other this summer, choosing a mocktail as our go-to refreshment instead?"
Speaking of wine-free sangria, YorkTest found that one drink alone enjoyed a 129 percent increase in searches during the last year. So, too, did the Roy Rogers mocktail, which uses cola and grenadine to create a sweet treat. Not to be outdone, the virgin Moscow mule and mango mules saw a search increase of 120 percent.
“There are so many reasons why Americans are continuing to discover the benefits of switching to mocktails over their alcoholic counterparts,” Ferraioli says. “You’ll not only save money by cutting back on the booze, but it’s better for your health, liver function, memory and sleep. Mocktails are also fun to make - you can get your creative juices flowing while keeping your alcohol indulgences at a minimum.
Interested in the trend? Want to know where to start? Check YorkTest’s full list of most popular mocktail recipes and fastest growing recipes in the U.S. below, and read the full company report at yorktest.com.
The top 10 most popular mocktail recipes in the U.S.
The top 10 fastest-rising mocktail recipes in the U.S.
Photography by: Getty