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I’m not sober, but I’ve had some absolutely incredible mocktails that more than justified their cost. I don’t know why the presence of alcohol should be a factor in price, there are plenty of other specialized ingredients.
this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2025
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This is a very real social aspect that can make it hard to quit for some people. I legitimately felt left out at a lot of things when I quit drinking because everyone was getting wild drinks and people would get excited for each other's choices, trying sips and whatnot. Then I'd be like yay I have water. Mocktails helped provide me with some of the social excitement while I was still easing out of drinking being a main part of socializing for me
Them costing as much as an actual cocktail though is absolutely criminal. They were so expensive in Seattle $18-22 isn't even satire
Article I read said that making mocktails is harder simply because you can't replicate the taste and balance. Like just adding more simple syrup and such won't work well. So they make specialty additions that replicate the alcohol but they actually cost more than the alcohol itself, thus the higher price.
Same with zero alcohol beer. We finally get beers that don't taste like piss but they charge as much as taxed beers. But the reality is restaurants can't survive without $18 drinks.
I live in the brewery district of Seattle, and I’ve stopped drinking during most weekdays. But I still need the third place after work on some days. Wheelie pop at least does Italian sodas at $2, but every other brewery with NA beers are just as expensive!
Throughout my life I've come to realize that being a non-smoker and non-drinker (alcohol or caffeine for that matter) really puts you in a difficult spot a lot of the time. I've missed on a lot of crucial socializing because of it. People around here tend to meet and bond over these things. Plus, being the only sober person at a gathering... sucks, to put it lightly. My partner recently had to take that role at their work gathering, and after returning home, they just told me "now I know how you feel", lol.
It's normal, but rather pathetic that people can't socialize without getting intoxicated.
Honestly, I'd be happy to find people who just want to play board games and party games (i.e. Mafia) sober, but with my circumstances it's rather difficult. Instead, I vicariously experience it by watching other people do it on the internet, heh...
Sometimes at work functions we go to a bar, and it would be awkward for those of us who don't drink if we also didn't nurse mocktails. I usually go with a lemonade or something, but sometimes I go with a virgin daiquiri or something.
Either way, you can buy a ton of strong vodka for $18 and make 100 drinks out of that $18 of vodka.