You’ve definitely heard the term, ‘Dry January’. For years this tradition of abstaining from alcohol during January has helped people refresh after indulging during the holidays. Over the past few years, however, we have seen a definitive downturn in alcohol sales and consumption, especially among Millennial and Gen-Z communities, leaving room for a slew of high-ticket non-alcoholic beverages to make a splash and boost your bottom line.
Alcohol sales boomed during the pandemic, with 41.9 billion dollars in liquor store sales from March to September 2020. To compare, this was a 20% increase over the same period in 2019! Many believed that this trend would continue increasing and that Americans were voting via ABV. Brands tapped into the alcohol-centric world of the pandemic as a way to boost sales, such as the Cheez-It Wine Box and the hard seltzer craze.
However, once the pandemic had fully settled into everyday life, people began taking a hard look at the hard liquor they were throwing down and started to make the shift toward other beverage options.
A whopping 75% of American consumers have temporarily stopped drinking alcohol for at least a month at one point in their lives. Of those, 52% are replacing alcohol with craft mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. Quitting drinking doesn’t mean quitting buying drinks!
Hard spirits helped raise low spirits among people worldwide locked in their homes during quarantine. But, this frenzied race to get drunk has come to an abrupt halt. Thus, the sober curious movement is born.
Consumers are taking their drinking habits into daily consideration as mental health and wellness have taken center stage. With this at the forefront of consumers’ minds, restaurant operators should consider adding unique and complex non-alcoholic drinks to their menus.
Mocktails for your Margins
Mocktails are non alcoholic mixed drinks meant to replicate the presentation and complexity of craft cocktails, just without alcohol. Through mixtures of botanicals, juices, purees, and florals to create unique flavors, mocktails are meant to invoke an elevated drink experience and to be savored.
Try our Ginger Lemon Lime Mocktail or add your signature twist to make it your own! This drink recipe is the perfect mocktail for the spring months, with refreshing splashes of ginger and notes of fresh citrus to tie it all together.
Ginger Lemon Lime Mocktail
Ginger concentrate (ml 33)
All-natural lime ( ml 18)
Lemonade (ml 13)
Water (ml 283)
Cane Sugar (ml 4)
Mint (ml 4)
We said mocktails were good for margins and we meant it. Using Botrista’s 33ml Mojito-style Ginger Lemon Lime Mocktail, the profit margin can be as high as 85%.
“Now, consider how much you can sell a trendy mocktail for at your establishment. Our recommended pricing would be $7-10 for this beverage, offering a staggering 500% markup”, says Botrista Sr. Marketing Manager Vanessa Famighetti. “Can you imagine how your restaurant would be doing if you were selling more drinks at a 500% markup?”
Restaurant operators need to look to reinvent their beverage menus and display a drink diversification and inventiveness to stay ahead of the curve. With consumption of non-alcoholic beverages expected to grow 31% by 2024, there is plenty of sustained market potential. Tap into the emerging market trend of mocktails today to see your restaurant’s beverage sales skyrocket, to grow your bottom line and get more bang for your buck!
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