Raise a glass in toast to Florida Citrus with these Florida Orange Juice mocktails.
During the holiday season and especially as the end of the year approaches, people tend to reflect on years past. As an industry, one could argue that we have more reasons than ever before to count our blessings. Talk to any citrus grower, and they’ll tell you about all the obstacles that we’ve overcome, all the challenges that remain before us, and all the blessings that continue to multiply for the benefit of Florida Citrus.
It’s no secret that citrus greening has reduced our supply in the last 20 years. As we’ve worked tirelessly towards sustainable treatments and developing disease-tolerant varieties, we’ve also had to work equally as hard to keep Florida Citrus in the minds of consumers.
The strategy for this is multi-pronged and involves a collaborative effort with everyone — from the FCC along with all our FDOC staff, to our processors as well as industry partners and extending all the way to our growers. Part of that strategy involves maintaining a strong presence on the shelves during times of lower yields, and that’s been done in part by importing 100% orange juice from other regions.
Another strategy that seems to help preserve some of the shelf space is by creating blend options, where 100% orange juice is combined with other fruit juices. Dr. Marisa Zansler, FDOC director of economic and market research, shared recently on this very topic. “During the 2024-25 season, volume share for OJ blends and drinks in the broader OJ beverage category rose from 38.8% to 40.6%. But these are stopgaps, not replacements, for 100% OJ,” Dr. Zansler said. “Despite this shift, 100% OJ drove over 70% of the category’s revenue share during the same period.”
This data shows us that Florida’s future is 100% orange juice, especially since the returns to growers remain highest in this cornerstone segment.
Yet another important prong of the strategy for keeping Florida Citrus in the minds of consumers is through partnerships like the one we launched earlier this fall between Florida Orange Juice and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Besides our activities during each home game, which will be seen by millions of consumers at the games and watching from home, we’ll also be offering vibrant (and delicious) mocktails to arena fans for two 6-week periods in December through January and February through March. In case you’re looking for a delicious beverage idea to enjoy with the family at home this holiday season, I’m sharing them below.
Florida Orange Juice mocktails to be offered at Tampa Bay Lightning games:
FLORIDA CITRUS PUNCH
3oz Florida Orange Juice
1oz Pineapple Juice
2oz Florida Grapefruit Juice
Club Soda to finish
Florida Grapefruit wedge to garnish
FLORIDA ORANGE MOJITO
3-4 fresh mint leaves
3/4oz simple syrup
3oz Florida Orange Juice
Club Soda to finish
Florida Orange wedge and mint sprig to garnish
Steve Johnson is Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. He is the owner and general manager of Johnson Harvesting, Inc., based in Wauchula, FL.