3 Reasons to Bring Non Alcoholic Drinks to the Bar

Mocktails make money because everyone is included.

Nonalcoholic drinks are rising in popularity. Even actress Kristen Bell’s kids drink nonalcoholic beer (though completely alcohol-free beer is agreeably safer).

Alcohol is often seen as an avenue for fun; it’s an anticipated element of most adults’ social activities. But despite being so commonplace, drinking is not accessible to all.

According to a study commissioned by NCSolutions this year, almost a quarter of Americans aged 21 and older don’t drink alcohol at all. One in three are trying to drink less. That’s a lot of potential business that alcohol-exclusive bars aren’t seeing.

Let’s look into why that might be, and why offering nonalcoholic drinks is great for everyone.

1. More younger people abstain from alcohol

Since an early age, I’ve had several recovering alcoholics in my life. Because of that, I only associated sobriety with Alcoholics Anonymous. I believed it was something that resulted solely from years of disordered drinking.

As over ten percent of the population in the United States suffer from alcoholism, I suspect many Americans think similarly. However, there’s an abundance of reasons why someone might abstain from alcohol – for a few weeks or for life.

Religions often assert an opinion over drinking. In Islam and Buddhism, it is forbidden. Christian and Jewish texts allow for the consumption of alcohol, but forbid getting drunk.

Abstinence may be required for medical reasons, pregnancy being a common one. Additionally, and often overlooked, alcohol can be deadly when mixed with medications some need to survive. This means many people with chronic illnesses have to live alcohol-free.

And while people under the age of 21 are often left out of the sobriety statistics, let’s not forget that they want to have fun, too. Mocktails can be a great addition to kids’ parties or as a way to make teenagers feel included with the adults.

Consumers have their eyes on the health benefits, too.

2. Nonalcoholic drinks are better for everyone

Better for health, that is. Most are familiar with the health risks of drinking alcohol. These include risky behavior, heart complications, and liver and kidney damage. But the benefits of nonalcoholic drinks are more than just preventative in nature.

Some love nonalcoholic drinks for the lower calories. They also keep you hydrated, which can be a great relief after one too many alcoholic drinks leave you with a migraine.

Bottled nonalcoholic drinks often boast even more health benefits.

New celebrity-endorsed nonalcoholic beverages have been cropping up in stores in the last couple years, with health being the main selling point. Katy Perry’s De Soi and Bella Hadid’s Kin Euphorics both advertise adaptogens as ingredients, meant to relieve stress naturally.

High quality options allow those who need to be conscious of their health to be included in the social aspect of drinking.

3. Why they should be added to the menu

Alcohol is everywhere. Nightlife thrives off of it. Beer and wine are common companions to a dinner. But that leaves out a lot of people.

Drinking brings people together, but it ostracizes others. Offering mocktails and other nonalcoholic beverages creates a means for the sober to engage in social activities without being othered.

By making space for more people, a bar opens its arms to more business. More than that, the people who are benefited will become loyal customers.

Little risk is involved. Sure, your favorite celebrity’s drink of choice might be costly to stock, but mocktails won’t even be noticeable on your profit and loss statement. Mocktails are made from ingredients you already have on hand.

Most mocktails are some combination of a soda and enough fruit juices to give it a fun color. That being the case, no money will be lost by offering the option to customers and seeing how they respond.

Have fun with it, too

Fun product names and unique glasses and mix-ins can get even a heavy drinker interested. Memorable experiences will keep customers coming back.

With abstinence from alcohol on the rise, it only makes sense for restaurants and bars to capitalize off of it. Offering nonalcoholic beverages has the potential to be great for business, both in that it’s low risk and it encourages new customers.

Beyond business, helping everyone to feel included is a great motivation to give mocktails a go.