By Kaitlin McDowell
One’s early to late twenties are often described as the wildest time in their life spent dancing the night away with boozy drinks at loud clubs or bars. However, more and more millennials and members of Gen-Z have begun to share how much they really prefer a simple night in. Crashing on the couch with good friends, a cheesy rom-com and an even cheesier pizza after a stressful week rather than patting one’s face with makeup and taking shot after shot before an Uber arrives has become increasingly more appealing to these generations.
This newfound trend of staying in has also been characterized by many people’s choices to participate in dry January or other sober trends, instead focusing on their health and wellness which leads us to a new phenomenon: mocktails.
More and more new mocktails are hitting store shelves. Poppi, a prebiotic soda and female-owned business, is a great alternative to drinking. The soda is infused with apple cider vinegar and prebiotics, making these drinks gut-healthy! They are also packaged in colorful and fun cans, making these drinks visually appealing.
Another new alternative to alcoholic beverages is OLIPOP sodas. These sodas are also gut-healthy and packed with prebiotics. OLIPOP even advertises mocktail recipes that pair with their drinks.
They are sold in multiple flavors such as strawberry vanilla and orange squeeze, making them perfect for a mocktail recipe when poured over ice. Add a fun-shaped glass and you have yourself the perfect drink for a night-in.
TikTok has also popularized the “sleepy girl mocktail.” This is composed of cherry juice and magnesium. Cherry juice is full of melatonin, whose properties help people fall asleep easily and magnesium helps one's body unwind and relax before sleep. This allows one to indulge in a sweet drink before bed that will actually put you to sleep.
Next time you consider going out to a club with your friends and feeling exhausted the next morning, maybe open a Poppi or an OLIPOP instead and put on a good movie!