CHAMPAIGN — When most people picture a night out at a bar, restaurant or even a movie theater, they picture having a drink in hand for the experience.
But research shows that may be changing: A 2018 study from Berenberg Research said that members of Generation Z drink around 20 percent less per capita than the previous generation, and 2023 stats from the International Wine and Spirits Record show that the no-/low-alcohol market is seeing rapid growth.
“We’re noticing that a lot more people are choosing to drink less alcohol and focus more on the experience that they’re having when they go out,” said Kallan Buss, general manager at the Literary in downtown Champaign. “Who doesn’t want to have a good time and not have a hangover?”
The Lit has had fun non-alcoholic beverages like coffees and teas on the menu for a while, but it’s just one local establishment that has begun putting more of an emphasis on mocktails.
Buss said mocktails joined the menu at the beginning of 2024 for people participating in “dry January,” but ended up being such a hit that they stuck around.
Right across the street, Hamilton Walker’s also has a new focus on mocktails.
Assistant General Manager Cara Bane said bartenders have always been happy to make “virgin” versions of cocktails and had a few custom mocktails available, but they weren’t on the menu until the restaurant started offering non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip Notas de Agave.
“We want people to know about it, right?” Bane said. “It’s been really helpful for underage people, because they’re kind of partaking with their family for celebrations and not just toasting with a root beer.”
That’s the thing: Mocktails and non-alcoholic spirits are usually associated with adults who are trying to stop drinking or may be sober for personal or religious reasons, but the actual audience for fun non-alcoholic beverages is much wider.
When Gallery Art Bar opened in 2023 in downtown Urbana, non-alcoholic options were built into the menu for that very reason.
Any of the cocktails can have zero-proof liquors swapped in, and the menu lists a number of unique flavored sodas as well as some CBD beverages.
“Our whole angle is inclusivity,” said bar Manager Anastasia Pennington-Flax, who played a big role in designing the menu. “You know, I drink alcohol sometimes myself, but sometimes I don’t want to. I am very familiar with the feeling of being the person standing in the back of the room with a $4 LaCroix feeling kind of dumb.”
Pennington-Flax seconded the idea of offering something for underage people who still want to go out but also said people of all ages will come in during the day looking to enjoy a refreshing drink without getting drunk.
It’s also an option for the end of the night, when bar-goers want a drink to sip but need to drive home safely soon.
“You can order something that looks exactly the same as everybody else’s so you don’t have to feel embarrassed about it,” Pennington-Flax said.
Buss said the Lit plans to continue cycling the mocktail menu seasonally — right now, it’s all about the fall flavors like “Frosted Orchard Fizz” and “Equinox Elixir” — with a similar goal of inclusivity.
“It’s important to us to ensure that our guests feel comfortable and that they’re getting an experience that’s specialized to their needs, no matter what the occasion is,” Buss said.
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