Why your mocktail costs more than $10
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A mocktail could soon cost as much as a fancy cocktail.
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Mixologists are shaking up non-alcoholic drinks with ingredients like cold-pressed water melon juice, elderflower tonic and yerba matte soda for sips that can cost upwards of $13 with an increased demand for zero-proof drinks.
Americans are drinking less booze. U.S. alcohol volumes dropped 0.8% last year, a slight increase from the 0.7% decline in 2017, according to data by industry tracker IWSR for The Wall Street Journal. That means there’s a market for higher quality ingredients in the non-alcoholic beverage space.
Beverage industry experts say health, and the demand for less sugar, is what’s driving mocktail sales.
“Health-forward thinking continues to be a focus in so many parts of a person’s daily life there is a continued want for a fresh, creative well balanced non-alcoholic cocktail experiences,” Art Sutley, publisher of Bar Business Magazine, told FOX Business, adding that the demand for better-for-you mocktails will continue to grow. “Mocktails are here to stay, and have surpassed trend status.”
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Twisted Alchemy, a line of cold pressed, fresh juices with no added sugar that come in flavors like lemon, grapefruit, pineapple orange, watermelon and blood orange, is being marketed to a health-minded crowd of consumers looking to cut back on sugar. Bartenders have been mixing up the juices, which retail for $15.50 per bottle, in non-alcoholic beverages. Sales of Twisted Alchemy juices were up 538% in 2018, according to the brand.