THE RENT IS too damn high, as are prices for most things these days. But mocktails, many of which have a price point comparable to alcoholic drinks, are less of a financial win for bars than you might think. “A bottle of no-proof spirits costs me as much as a bottle of Grey Goose,” Magdalena owner Nick Detrich says, referring to popular no-ABV brands like Lyre’s. The process to formulate alcohol-free versions of gin, rum, bourbon, and more is expensive, and that cost is passed on to customers.
Recipe development also has a price. “Most cocktails you’ll order were developed 100 years ago or more,” drinks consultant Kendall Lockwood says, citing classics like the sidecar (early 1920s) or the old fashioned (1880s). “But most mocktails are the result of very recent research and development, maybe by the bartender who’s pouring you that drink. Creating a great drink, no matter the ingredients, takes time, and time is money.”
The costs of operating a business, from rent, to wages, to the AES bill, are also built into every menu item’s price. Those overhead costs aren’t reduced when someone orders a cocktail made with coconut water instead of Malibu.
That said, most places try to knock a buck or two off their mocktail list items to avoid confrontational customers—but you’ll be surprised to hear that you often end up spending more on mocktails at places that price them slightly less. While people tend to order multiples of alcoholic cocktails, nondrinkers typically restrict themselves to one when they’re comparably priced. But at Noblesville’s Bar Ellis, mocktails are priced $3-4 less than their boozy equivalents. This spurs patrons to keep ordering, co-owner Lisa Wampler says. “It’s all a game of psychology. People know they’re getting a deal, so they’ll get two or three, maybe more. That ends up being very, very good for us.”
