Groups participate in ADPi’s third Mocktail Blend-Off
Zeta Tau Alphas go home with grand prize
By Sarah Krebs
Staff Reporter

When a group of guys dressing as mad scientists or wearing grass skirts and coconut bras dance and cheer, a non-alcoholic drink-making contest usually isn’t thought of.

However, the Hyperfrogs and the Greek community learned the value of non-alcoholic drinks at Alpha Delta Pi sorority’s third Mocktail Blend-Off Thursday, said Jenna Spain, a senior political science major and chairwoman of the Blend-Off.

Due to overcrowding at the Pond St. Grill facilities last year, the Blend-Off was moved to the Student Center and a live band performance was added to increase attendance, Spain said.

All of the organizations competing mixed a non-alcoholic drink and were judged on spirit, taste, presentation and creativity, she said.

About 250 people attended the event, where the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority won the grand prize of a trip for four to New Orleans, Spain said. ZTA also won the spirit award, a trophy filled with candy, which will be passed on to the next spirit winner, she said.

Alicia Price, a junior studio art major and bartender for ZTA, said her group dressed in poodle skirts and did a 1950s sock hop dance to “Jailhouse Rock” but changed it to “ZTA Rock.”

“Went to a party with the ADPi’s, saw some people drinking but didn’t let them drive,” Price sang.

Price said she had a great time dancing and they had hula-hoops and tambourines going before they served the “Pink Poodle,” a drink made out of strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, milk and strawberry preserves topped with whipped cream and a pink crazy straw.

Representatives from the Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission attended and gave out information about laws and news on underage drinking, Spain said.

“The point was to raise awareness about being responsible drinkers, since college students get a bad wrap about it, and we also wanted to raise money for our national philanthropy,” Spain said. “It was definitely more comfortable this year, and I’ve gotten a lot of good feed-back so far.”

A panel of nine people including Neil Dougherty, the men’s basketball coach; Kathy Harbel, the executive director of the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth; Hawkeye from 96.3 KSCS-FM; and Jordan Scott, the owner of Momma’s Pizza on Berry Street, judged each of the 20 teams that decorated their tables, dressed in costumes, made banners and did dances to get the most points, Spain said.

Lee Davis, a judge on the panel and lead singer of the band that performed, said he looked for creativity, taste and how much the group wanted to win.

“There (were) a couple of drinks that I wouldn’t want to try again,” Davis said.

s.d.krebs@tcu.edu