CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Experience Champaign-Urbana launched their third experience pass, this time highlighting mocktails in the greater Champaign-Urbana area. The pass—CU Mocktail Trail— features over 20 bars and restaurants that have thoughtfully curated a mocktail menu to meet the growing desire for alcohol-free cocktails.
Dry January is seeing an increase in participants, and the two cities are hoping to meet the growing needs of those ordering non-alcoholic beverages.
“According to research from NielsenIQ, the popularity of mocktails has soared over the past five years, driven by Gen Z and millennials,” explained Terri Reifsteck, Vice President of Destination Branding & Development for Experience Champaign-Urbana. “We wanted to celebrate this trend by highlighting those stops in our area that have worked hard to meet this demand.”
The passport, launched during “Dry January,” rewards users for discovering local businesses. Residents and visitors can sign up for the pass and earn points each time they check in at one of the featured stops. If they visit five or more spots in three months, users are eligible to win a $50 gift card to one of the featured stops on the trail. Users simply need to visit experiencecu.org/experience-passes to sign up for free.
Once registered, the CU Mocktail Trail passport is instantly delivered to the user’s smartphone, and can be saved to the home screen for easy access. Using their phone’s GPS, users can check in when visiting one of the featured businesses. There’s no app to download, and users can sign up at any time.
"The goal really is to have our community members, residents, even visitors explore all that Champaign-Urbana has to offer in terms of nightlife and restaurants..." says Cristy Gillespie, Director of Marketing at Experience Champaign Urbana. "It's not just bars that you have to go drink alcohol at. There are so many options and we're really proud of all that our community has to offer!"
Through the CU Mocktail Trail, people who want an alcohol-free experience can find brilliantly crafted drinks throughout our nightlife destinations.
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