Cocktails move aside. It is pouring heady mixes of mocktails in the capital. With mocktails becoming the latest craze among the residents, more and more restaurants and bars have started serving them and with the most exotic names possible.

Starting from fiery Red Blossom made with Grenadine syrup, to the sweet strawberry lemonade which has a hint of lemon and soda and to the Desert Storm?s heady mix of grape juice and coconut cream one can find them all at the city bars.

And many will drink to the modest prices that the mocktails boast of.

Connossieurs admit that the concept of mocktails started a bit late in the city incomparison to the other big metros, but it has caught the attention of the young and old alike.

The Yellow Saphire restaurant and Float Bar, Capitol Hill: Authorities are rather proud of their Coconaple made of pineapple juice along with coconut cream. If that is not tempting enough then try the Yellow Jacket made with orange, pineapple juices and ice-cream.

For those who have a penchant for grapes, they can also enjoy the Desert Storm which has grape juice and coconut cream as its ingredients.

The hotel also offers Sherry Temple to its customers, made with strawberry juice and lemonade. One can also taste the Highway Man a mix of juices of ones choice and different colas to accompany them. Not surprisingly, the food and Beverage manager of the Float Bar, Narendra Singh, maintains that it is the favourite with the customers.

One can also taste Italian Snake with brown sugar, apple juice, cola and ginger ale as its ingredients.

The hotel also boasts of having a Capitol Hill special mocktail which has mango and guava juices added with a dash of Tobasco, a pinch of chillies and spices to add a zing to it.

Mini Natraj Bar, Main Road: The Natraj bar has also introduced a range of mocktails for its customers.

While on one hand they offer Cindrella a melange of cold drinks, juices, black salt, chaat masala, cream and strawberry sauce, they also have the French Punch which has the drinker?s choicest juices in them.

The bar also boasts of a Natraj Special which is finely blended sugar syrup, cream, rose syrup, two juices preferably pineapple and orange to ones liking.

The owner of the bar, Harjot Singh maintains that along with the different ingredients, the decorations which are made with umbrellas, lemon and cherry is well appreciated.

Yuvraj Palace: Here are the Pinacolada made of vanila ice-cream, pineapple juice and coconut powder, for those with a sweet tooth, the Blue Lagoon with Sprite, Mint Syrup all garnished with lemon and cherry. Those with a weakness for strawberry may opt for the Strawberry Planter a mix of lemon, mango and orange juices served with ice cubes.

Red Blossom lives up to its exotic name and is a heavenly mix of grenadine and Sprite.

FIRST HAND

Make merry with mocktails

Harjot Singh, proprietor of Mini Natraj, Main Road feels that the mocktails were well recieved not only among kids and ladies but some men, too, prefer them to hard drinks.
Often garnished with lemon, cherries and paper umbrellas they are attractive to the eyes as well. Also, the mocktails are a respite from the expensive cocktails. The range of mocktails often contain fruit juices that are fresh and do not have the harmful after effects of the cocktails.