“Everyone’s sober now, …even if they drink a little?”

“Sobriety Is Trending,” that was the subject line of the email I received from a D.C. bar the day after the New York Times article above came out.  Mocktails are coming to bar menus across the country, and special alcohol-free pop-up nights at local bars.  So I thought I would post a less boozy cocktail.

Before we talk about the drink, I want to acknowledge that I have mixed feeling about referring to sobriety as a trend.  I support drinking less because too often we equate alcohol with being social and having fun, and loosening that bond is helpful.  But there are people out there who have really struggles with alcohol dependency and addiction, so when we’re talking about drinking less, we need to remember that there are people for whom sobriety is more important than a fun mocktail on a Friday night.

And now, back to the show…

Town and Country magazine has a wonderful list of 36 festive and fun mocktails.  I loved their grown-up take on the Shirley Temple and their beautiful (if labor intensive) Tahitian Coffee, but this Mango Mule felt like the perfect thing for the waining days of summer.

The Mango Mule mixes cucumber and honey and mango puree to make a truly refreshing drink.  I’d serve it with Chicken Tikka Tacos for fun backyard BBQ.

Since we’re talking about mangoes, let’s have a dress from Mango.

This bold yellow maxi with a flutter sleeve just screams beach-side dinner at sunset.  I can’t get enough of it.  It’s $80 and also comes in black, if you’re looking for more of a basic.

To accessorize, I would wear this fabulous green disc necklace.  I love the complementary colors together, but this necklace would be a welcome and impactful addition to any wardrobe.

Mango has a lot of great dresses that bridge the gap between end of August and mid-October.  This long, pleated dress in a pinky-ivory is definitely on my list for my rehearsal dinner.

Mango also has a line for women wearing sizes 10-22 called Violeta.  This jaw-droppingly gorgeous dot-print dress is being restocked soon, so get your name on the waitlist.

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