Is the classic “mocktail” dead? Food services consultancy group Technomic released an industry insights report showing some restaurant and bar operators are moving away from it. But don’t take that as a pivot from non-alcoholic beverages. It’s just the tweak to the packaging.

According to Technomic, more business owners are dropping the “mocktail” and “virgin” label on their beverage menus in favor of something more palatable. Sometimes it’s “zero-proof” or the more straightforward “alcohol-free.” Other times, owners are nixing the sections completely and choosing to weave non-alcoholic beverages into the general drink list.

Maybe a beverage manager might choose to label a non-alcoholic cocktail with a fun name, like a “No-jito” or a “Sans-gria.” They may choose to not do anything at all, trusting the customer to know the drink anyway because of how popular it is.

A lot of what Technomic is finding is actually being reflected on Houston drink menus. Better Luck Tomorrow has a dedicated “Sans Booze” section with a Sin and Tonic and Miami Advice, $7 and $6 respectively. Rosie Cannonball and Navy Blue have adopted the same approach with the appropriately titled “Free-Spirited” and “No Buzz.”

A big part of why people are leaving the “mocktail” out is the negative connotation associated with them, namely the price.

“N/A beverages are a big deal now as people drink less … but they still can be expensive,” said Jonathan Horowitz of Convive Hospitality. “We got back from Vegas last night and my wife had a few N/A drinks that were $15 to $20 each.”

But others are sticking with the label, like City Cellars owner Daniel Wolfe. Regardless of the research, that’s how his customers are calling them.

“I think the way we choose to label items on the menu just comes from the verbiage that guests and clientele use,” Wolfe said. “Typically, they’re going to say, ‘Do you have any non-alcoholic spirits or mocktails?’ We just mimic what we hear.”

That makes sense, according to Technomic. “Mocktail” continues to be the no. 1 item name for non-alcoholic beverages.