Gracias Shirley Temple, for birthing the 'Mocktail'

Gracias Shirley Temple, for birthing the 'Mocktail'

Who hasn’t been enamoured by the lustrous curls and vivacious voice of the cheerful actress, Shirley Temple. Truly she has been the bright star to liven up gloomy ‘depression-era’ black and white films! Alongside this, multiple generations of women have indulged in the glamourous girly, pinkish-blush Shirley Temple served in those eye-arresting glasses; it all bears testimonial to the fact that mocktail has a long shelf life, just like her movies.

Merriam-Webster says the word ‘mocktail’ was first used in 1916. But then wasn’t the actress born in 1928?! Such discrepancies do boggle us down but let’s go with the ‘spirit’!

Traditionally, the recipe being ginger ale with a dash of grenadine, cherry and lemon for garnish- and your Shirley Temple mocktail drink is ready. This legendary drink has laid down the path for a railroad of gorgeous-looking colourful mocktails that embellish the shelves of shacks and beach bars worldwide.  

So, we were just thinking: Mocktails are literally ‘mock’ cocktails; now ‘mock’ meaning to mimic/ imitate. Of course, you don’t have a mocktail to mock someone, which means teasing them or to deceive them! The innocent ‘mocktail’ is just a cocktail without alcohol. The unabridged premise of a cocktail is that it's alcoholic, removing the alcoholic aspect makes it phoney. Henceforth, in reality, there’s nothing dishonest or misleading about this super famous drink!

Having said that, the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) market of this ‘phoney’ cocktail, aka mocktail, as per Data Bridge Market Research, is estimated in excess of USD 9.43 billion by 2028. Mintel reports that alcohol-free mixed drinks grew 35% as a drink choice at bars and restaurants from 2016 till today. Topper says 17% of 1,288 people between ages 22-24 who drink away from home say they are interested in mocktails. The non-alcoholic movement is indeed growing ravenously globally. Bloomberg says Mocktails Are 100 Proof Millennial Market Gold, a trend spearheaded by health-conscious millennial!

In their words, and we quote,

“….While omicron stirs up pandemic déjà vu with swamped hospitals, canceled flights and millions of people quarantined — one trend that dominated earlier Covid-19 waves is on the decline: binge boozing…..Yes, mocktails are having their moment. And while it’s hard to take faux anything seriously, this latest trend isn’t as trivial as it may sound. Sales of non-alcoholic beverages spiked 33%.”

So, as bartenders who normal sling booze are creating recipes with fun names, like Abstinence on the Beach and Nojito, who all want that Blue Lagoon, Mojito, Fired Ice, Queens Punch, Screw Driver, Virgin Colada, Virgin Mojito, Virgin Mary, Blue Curacao, Kombucha Mocktail or Ice Espresso or an Italian Cream Soda!

Share with us:

Which is your favourite mocktail?

Do you have a Shirley Temple drink memory?

How many times have you clicked that party selfie with your mocktail and posted on insta or facebook or twitter!

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