After several hours of intense mixing, tasting and judging, the Dream-A-Colada reigned supreme.
The chilly concoction—a mixture of pineapple juice, mango, honey, ice and sugar, blended into a frothy smoothie-type drink and topped with whipped cream and nutmeg—was the judges’ favorite alcohol-free cocktail at GW’s fourth annual Mix-Off competition. The Dream-A-Colada was created by students from Fight the Disease: GW Against Alzheimer’s.
More than 200 student attendees and 80 representatives from16 campus organizations participated in the Mix-Off, a mocktail competition to raise awareness about alcohol abuse and promote alcohol-free socializing. Winners received cash prizes for their organizations.
Second prize went to the Undergraduate Public Health Student Union, which created
a cocktail called Don’t Break My Heart and provided attendees with educational information about the long-term effects of alcohol on heart health. Third prize went to EMeRG’s Painkiller cocktail, which participants sampled after trying their hands at a game of “alcohol awareness pong.”
Kristen Moore, a senior majoring in psychology and pre-med and a member of GWise, a peer alcohol-education group, coordinated the 2012 Mix-Off. She said that while the event has an important educational component—all participants provided alcohol education materials along with their cocktails—she was enjoying the fun of the tropical-themed Mix-Off.
“A lot of this is just the fun of doing something different without alcohol,” she said. “We want people to enjoy themselves.”
Students from Campaign GW, who called their explosively fizzy Crystal Light, tonic and cranberry concoction Controlled Blasting, emphasized the need for students to be aware of their surroundings at all times—but especially if they chose to drink alcohol.
The Pink Stiletto Fauxito, a mocktail created by GW Women in Business, was served topped with a single blackberry and mixed with fresh mint leaves. Senior marketing major Amanda Mizrahi, president of the group, said her group wanted to raise awareness about networking opportunities that don’t include alcohol.
“So many events in the business world focus on networking receptions with alcohol,” she said. She explained that statistics show female business executives drink more alcohol than their male counterparts, and experts have hypothesized that this may be related to the stress of competing with men in high-ranking positions. “High-achieving women need to avoid false stress reducers such as alcohol,” she said.
Logan Davis, a junior and co-founder of Fight the Disease: GW Against Alzheimer’s, said her organization was new on campus this semester and she really appreciated the funds the winning mocktail provided for the group.
“We aim to make a place for people affected by Alzheimer’s,” she said, explaining that both her grandmother and mother had signs of the disease, and that she shared her story so that other students in the same position might feel open talking about it. “We raise both awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.”
Alexis Janda, associate director of GW’s Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education (CADE), said she was happy with the turnout and though the Mix-Off was a great success.
”It’s a fun way to connect with students regarding alcohol education,” she said. “It provides a perfect opportunity for substance-free fun that ‘mixes’ in some education too.”
The GW Against Alzheimer's Disease Dream-a-Colada
Blend:
2 parts mango juice
1 part crushed pineapple
2 cups of ice
1/2 cup of sugar
1 large squirt of honey
Top with a dollop of whipped creme and a shake of nutmeg