The term “mocktail” keeps cropping up on the menus of bars and restaurants these days, but some people may still be unfamiliar with the word and uncertain as to what it means. The term is a blending of the words mock and cocktail, implying a drink that seems to be a cocktail but isn’t. So what is it, and what goes into a mocktail?
Mocktails and cocktails
The primary difference between a mocktail and a cocktail is that the former does not contain alcohol. They are both mixed drinks that are served at bars and feature many of the same ingredients, but a mocktail just does not have alcohol. Such drinks have always been available alongside more traditional cocktails and used to be known as temperance drinks. Only the actual term “mocktail” is particularly new.
What does a mocktail contain?
A mocktail is a specially crafted mixed drink, normally made by the bar or restaurant bar program itself, and is designed to be very similar to a cocktail but sans liquor or any other components that contain alcohol. Most of the same ingredients can be found in a mocktail in Asheville, NC, as in a cocktail, such as shrubs, infused syrups, flavored salts or sugars, and freshly squeezed fruit juice.
Mocktails are special concoctions that come with their unique flavor profiles that are diverse and complex. Mocktails are experimental in the same manner as cocktails, pairing elements such as herbs as well as ingredients that are traditionally savory in nature. Mocktails can be made to have the same flavors as their alcoholic counterparts.
