Mocktails Get Gorgeous, with Tips from AI

Mocktails Get Gorgeous, with Tips from AI

Dry January is a month-long movement all about moderation. If you’re skipping post-holiday cocktails, these beautiful mocktails are for you!

What’s the most ‘grammable go-to drink for the new year? 

Drinks with low alcohol—or no alcohol—are becoming increasingly trendy. This change in diet can happen at any time, but many people like to participate in “Dry January.” A month of moderation often helps participants experience the many health benefits of drinking less after the festivities of December.

So, are you planning to cut back on the cocktails next month, but still want a delicious and photogenic treat to celebrate the New Year? You’re not alone. 

January calendar set-up with a pen and paper surrounded by orange slices and a mug of hot chocolate with marshmellows
Image via ikrolevetc.

Let’s say “bye-bye” to booze, and “bottoms up” to alcohol-free alternatives, as Shutterstock.AI shows us:

  • Go-to garnishes: Which will make your mocktail most clickable—fruit, herbs, or umbrellas?
  • All about that base: Should your drinks be juice-based? Soda-based? Or made of good old-fashioned H2O? 
  • Colorful, clickable cocktails: Which shades of the rainbow will boost your image’s click-through rate?

Ready to make your mocktails gorgeous? Read on . . .


Stuff Your Glass with Green Herbs

Just as Shutterstock’s 2022 Color Trends report indicates, green is super-clickable right now. Different shades of the grassy hue make up a whopping 30% of today’s top-twenty most-clickable colors. 

Out of all these highly-engaging greens, #40C040 takes the top spot as the color most likely to drive up click-through rates (CTRs). This shade is bright, bold, and highly pigmented.

Popular herbs to accompany drinks—mint, lemongrass, and basil—can all give a pop of pigment and engagement to your imagery. Herbs of more subtle colors—rosemary and thyme—also fit the 2022 green theme.

Just behind greens, shades of pink make up 25% of today’s most clickable colors. Lucky for marketers and mixologists alike, there are tons of ways to include pink in your drinks.

In fact, a huge number of today’s foods with the highest CTRs are pink


Solid, Liquid, or Gas: Water Is a Safe Bet

A good old-fashioned glass of water is always in style. Beyond that, it’s actually trending up. Over the last two years, water has seen its CTR rise 39%.

This works well with a simple and hydrating mocktail mix of fruit and water.

Beyond its liquid form, AI has detected that other states of H2O are trending up right now. For example, ice has seen its CTR rise 55% since this time last year.

The stunning mixology element of fog has also seen a boost in engagement rates. Its CTR has risen 85% over the same time period. 


The Best Drink Bases Are . . .

Water is the most-clickable non-alcoholic beverage, but there are a few others that audiences are clicking on right now.

Tea, for example, has seen its CTR increase since last year. While coffee is still 35% more clickable than tea, both are engaging starting points for your mocktails. 

Juice has also seen its CTR on the rise. As of today, it’s 84% more clickable than it was last year. It’s also 21% more clickable than soda.

Despite the decline AI observed in soda’s clickability, it’s seen the CTR of bubbles rise 617% over the last year. Adding a splash of sparkling water or grape juice to your mocktail can give its clickability a much-needed bubbly boost. 


Select Sweet and Savory Garnishes

They’ve been trending for a while now, and there’s no end in sight. Berries are the most clickable fruit, and they have been throughout most of 2021.

Strawberries take the top spot, with a CTR that’s risen 332% since 2019. Blueberries are also highly clickable, with a CTR that’s risen 30% since this time last year. 

If you want your mocktail to pack a tart punch, AI has a few recommendations. Limes are currently the most clickable citrus fruit, with a CTR that’s risen 315% since 2019.

Ginger has seen a surge in engagement, also. As consumers have looked for natural ways to beat stress throughout the pandemic, soothing ginger has seen its CTR rise 600% since this time last year. 

There are some savory garnishes that increase click-through rates, too. Since 2020, AI has observed the CTR of cucumbers rise 178%.

For the Bloody Mary fans—or should we say Virgin Mary—data says that the CTR of tomatoes rose 124%, and the CTR of bacon rose 19%, since 2019.


People Click on the Right Presentation

When thinking about cocktail or mocktail presentation, your mind might jump to the thought of a funky glass or a tiny umbrella.

While those bring their own value to a drink presentation, some classic elements are more likely to garner clicks. After all, umbrellas have only seen their CTR rise 20% since December of 2020. 

AI says that the most clickable type of cup is the wine glass. Their CTR has risen 58% since 2019. In fact, wine glasses are: 

  • 113% more clickable than coffee cups
  • 158% more clickable than champagne flutes
  • And 490% more clickable than martini glasses 

Beyond selecting the best glassware, AI also tells us that straws are making a comeback. In fact, their CTR has risen 272% since 2019. This coincides with the rise in popularity of reusable straws, which can make your mocktails not just gorgeous, but environmentally friendly.


Cover image via Goskova Tatiana.

The post Mocktails Get Gorgeous, with Tips from AI appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog.