TRAVEL TRENDS:
Is “Dry-Tripping” In By Robin O’Neal Smith Associate Editor Mocktails, non-alcoholic lookalike drinks, are gaining in popularity. Many hotels and restaurants have taken “Dry January” and are extending the “alcohol-free” offerings in the upcoming months. One of the popular trends is that destinations, restaurants, hotels, and bars are even packaging vacations and experiences around non-alcoholic activities and adventures known as “Dry Tripping.”
growing segment of “thoughtful” drinkers who want to mix it up occasionally. It’s an exciting and surprising change in the market, but a good one for sure.” Gaibrell Pickney, Food & Beverage Manager at The Emily Hotel in Chicago, echoed, “Between October and December 2023, our mocktail sales have increased significantly. We want to put just as much creativity and care into our mocktails as our standard cocktails.”
Why Alcohol-Free?
Arts and leisure writer Michael C Upton has embraced the “alcohol-free” lifestyle and travels nationwide tasting various “mocktails.” When asked why the trend is becoming so popular, he stated, “Many people have embraced an alcohol-free lifestyle, whether it’s for health reasons or social reasons. Some people are just sick of getting hangovers.
A Popular Option
According to John Cassanos, Director of Food and Beverage at the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel in Milwaukee, “In the last couple of years, there has been a remarkable growth in interest from our visitors as well as good options in the market to use in those cocktails. This is not just a Dry January phenomenon.
Four Flamingos - Watermelon Mint Refresher Photo by Robin O’Neal Smith
“In the 4th quarter of last year, they comprised more than 10% of our total specialty cocktail sales. When combined, the top two zero-proof options would be our second most popular cocktail choice. This is appealing to more than our non-drinking customers, but a -10- | ExtendedWeekendGetaways ~ February, 2024
“Many former drinkers wanted the same flavor profiles found in their favorite cocktails, which needed more than soft drinks. The rise in popularity of zero-proof cocktails comes at a perfect time when the interest in classic cocktail culture is at its peak. People like the nostalgia of old-timey drinks. Those drinks can easily
