Mocktails shake up the celebration drink marketplace, simply in time for the vacations

For those who don’t drink alcohol, being the partygoer carrying a bottle of water among those enjoying colorful drinks in exotic glasses can draw unwanted attention and adversely affect their enjoyment of the moment. That was Bill Gamelli’s thinking when he conceived the idea for Mocktails––colorful, exotic-looking non-alcoholic drinks shaken and served from a cocktail shaker into those same fancy cocktail glasses.

“Almost half of all U.S. adults are non-drinkers,” says Gamelli. “The reason may be temporary, such as pregnancy or an illness, or may be a permanent lifestyle choice based on health considerations or religious beliefs. Even those who dodrink alcohol will occasionally abstain because they are driving or need a clear head to conduct business. We wanted to offer these people the chance to enjoy a party or special occasion without feeling ‘different’ because they weren’t drinking.”

“For Mocktails,” he adds, “these people constitute a significant untapped consumer group.”

But Mocktails also appeal to those who do enjoy alcohol. Alcohol can be added before serving, so drinkers and non-drinkers alike can benefit from Mocktails’ all-natural, healthy ingredients.

To enhance the special occasion feeling, Mocktails are packaged in colorful 21-ounce cocktail shakers, each containing 18-ounces of beverage, or 4 servings. The consumer opens the bottle, adds ice––and alcohol if desired––applies the shaker top and shakes to cool the drink, then serves.

Gamelli worked closely with TricorBraun to develop the packaging for Mocktails. The shaker body is glass, for several reasons: consumers view glass as an upscale packaging material, which reflects positively on the product, and glass lets the consumer see the beverage through the package. The bottle, following the hot filling process, is sealed with a metal threaded closure. The polypropylene (PP) dispensing lid and separate top cap snap securely over the metal closure and the complete package is then sealed in a colorful full body shrink label. The label is perforated just below the closure, so that, after opening, the colorful label remains on the bottle.

The four initial Mocktails developed by Gamelli are the Karma Sucra Cosmopolitan, the Vida Loca Margarita, the Sevilla Red Sangria and the Scottish Lemonade Whiskey Sour.

Mocktails have been a success in Massachusetts, where they were introduced into retail outlets ranging from grocery stores to liquor and specialty party stores. There has been interest particularly among party hosts who appreciate them as a way to help their non-drinking guests feel welcome. The drinks can also be purchased directly from the company website and will soon be available in the Washington DC and Baltimore area as part of Gamelli’s plan to progressively expand distribution across the country.

“We are new to the packaging industry,” Gamelli notes, “and needed a lot of assistance. TricorBraun’s specialists have been with us from the very beginning, guiding us through the challenges and advising us as we made packaging decisions.”

TricorBraun Design & Innovation Group is a business unit of TricorBraun, one of North America’s leading providers of bottles, jars and other rigid packaging components. www.tricorbraun.com