They are fun to make, delicious to drink and great for a quick thirst-quenching treat or party. Even the kids can try one. If you are planning a brunch or if you just need a non-alcoholic option for your next gathering, these virgin drinks are as pretty as they are delicious.
A major chunk of the party-hosting crowd which relied a great deal on fruit juices and aerated water to offer the guests have found a delightful substitute in mocktails that are being sipped, slurped and lapped up by people not used to consuming alcohol.
These non-alcoholic drinks are a big hit among the non-drinking, party-going population.
What more, mocktails come as an immediate choice this summer to beat the heat at gatherings, be it a birthday bash, a kitty party or a regular cocktail party.
Virgin pinacoladas and apple margaritas loaded with carbs are a passé. Party animals have suddenly turned health conscious and are thirsting for healthy mocktails that have fresh fruits and even vegetables used as sweetener instead of sugar syrup.
The upward swing in the demand for mocktails in city has served as a pull for the Shangrila School of Bartending which recently opened a branch at Gurunanak Colony.
“Our signature mocktail Shangrila Greeny is a sought-after drink, especially by calorie-watchers,” says Vikram Damera, Director of the school.
Sharing the recipe, he says it is the result of blending spinach, coriander, mint, green apples and pears. “The mocktail is good enough (and thick enough) to eat”, says Damera. Their Summer Special Mocktail, he says, is made out of the ‘goodness of fresh seasonal fruits’ like oranges, lemon and muddled in cranberry juice and a few syrups and topped off with sparkling water (soda) to give it a fizz. “A little bit of brown sugar is added while muddling,” he says.
Just as there are mocktails for those watching their weight there are exclusive concoctions for those “who need their spirit to be lifted”. The Shangrila signature ‘fantasy mocktail’ which has mango, orange, banana, hazelnut and other syrups and flavours is considered ‘energy’ drink.
Damera says mixing of juices, cream, sugar, honey, fruits, herbs and/or soda is more of an art than a skill. The faculty and students of the school often help interested people organise parties. The students are taught ‘flairtending’ or ‘extreme bartending’ (twirling the cocktail shaker). Besides one, two or four-month courses for students interested in a career in bartending, Shangrila also hosts a week-long ‘hobby course” teaching fundamentals of “mixology” to amateurs.
Several students who plan to move to an offshore land like the US and UK are opting for these courses because bartender jobs are aplenty abroad.
