SHOPPERS in Grays were offered a drink, courtesy of Thurrock Council but there was no alcohol in sight. Staff from the council’s road safety team were promoting non-alcoholic “mocktails” and other non-alcoholic beers and wines to try on the long summer evenings.
The message from the council’s Europa road safety officers was to keep it safe and not to drink and drive – try a non-alcoholic cocktail, a Mocktail, instead.
On average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink-drive related accidents and nearly one-in-six of all road deaths involve drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit.
Mocktails are made from fresh fruit juices and other soft beverages and non-alcoholic beers.
The event was staged alongside the Essex County Council Community Wheels vehicle which gave people a chance to see local accident statistics and to try out a driving simulator to experience driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
The non-alcoholic beers and wines were bought from a nearby store, but most supermarkets now stock them.
Mocktails on offer included:
Sunburst Sensation — add a couple of dashes of grenadine to an ice-filled highball glass, and top up with ginger ale. Squeeze a couple of lemon wedges over the top and drop in the drink. Stir and serve.
Cranberry Crush — shake a mixture of equal measures of cranberry juice and pineapple juice, and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Golden Sand Surprise — place a couple of handfuls of ice, and two parts of pineapple juice to one part of coconut milk into a blender. Blend and pour into a chilled glass.
