As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to usher in the warmth, joy, and togetherness that define this special time of year. While traditional holiday cocktails often take center stage, we believe that everyone should have the chance to revel in the festive spirit, regardless of whether they choose to imbibe alcohol or not.
Not drinking alcohol shouldn’t mean you’re relegated to boring drinks at parties!
We’ve got the alcohol free wonders that will keep your guests happy at your next celebration.
Get ready to discover the magic of holiday mocktails and elevate your celebrations to a whole new level of festivity. Cheers to unforgettable moments and indulgent sips!
Mocktail Substitutes
When you ditch the booze in a cocktail, you’ll need to make sure you add in the kick of flavor and texture that spirits give. Here are some of our preferred substitutes:
The fizz: Adding unsweetened club soda or seltzer is an easy swap that gives the all-important texture and savory profile.
Tangy soda: A ginger beer or lemonade are ideal substitutes that give the palate a kick. If these are too sweet for your taste, tone it down with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a top up of soda water or sparkling water.
Kombuchas and bitter ice teas: Look out for unsweetened teas and kombuchas, which add a serious amount of acidity, and some have a good fizz too. Kombucha is a fermented drink that will add a serious depth of flavor to your mocktail but, watch out as some can have marginal alcohol content, so check the labels before you buy.
Non-alcoholic spirits: A trendy product that’s a great switch for a spirit is a non-alcoholic spirit, flavored with botanicals like gin. You’d mix this classically instead of gin, but they work for vodka too.
The Mixer’s Top Five Mocktail Recipes
Our expert mixologists have hand-picked their favorite mocktail recipes below. Whether you are going sober or just keen to try something different, non-alcoholic cocktails are a great way to build out your drink-making repertoire at home. It’s a social scene that’s here to stay in 2023!
Shirley Temple
Ingredients (for one)
- ½ oz grenadine
- ¼ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 5 – 6 oz chilled ginger ale
- 3 maraschino cherries for garnish
- Ice
How to Prepare a Shirley Temple
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add grenadine and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Top with ginger ale.
- Garnish with skewered cherries and a swizzle stick.
Level up your drink! Make your own grenadine with 2 cups pomegranate juice, 2 cups sugar, and a small handful of lemon peels. Simply combine all ingredients, bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer with lid on for around 15 minutes and stir every now and then. Cool and decant into a bottle. Keep sealed in the fridge.
Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail
Ingredients (for one)
- 4 oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tbsp lavender syrup
- ½ tbsp honey
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- Club soda or seltzer
- Blood orange slices for garnish
- Ice
How to Make a Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail
- Pour the fresh blood orange juice into a cocktail shaker.
- Add vanilla, honey, lime juice, and ice.
- Shake for about 30 seconds (or until properly chilled).
- Pour into an ice-filled highball glass.
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with slices of blood orange and a stem of lavender.
Take your drink to the next level! To get the most juice out of your blood orange (or any citrus for that matter), make sure it’s at room temperature. Even better? Pop the blood orange into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before juicing.
Mock Mint Julep
Ingredients (for one)
- 2 – 3 oz cooled, unsweetened tea
- 1 tsp mint-infused simple syrup
- A few sprigs of mint and a wedge of lemon for garnish
- Crushed ice
How to make a Mock Mint Julep
- Mix together the tea and mint syrup.
- Add crushed ice to a highball glass, squeeze some lemon into the drink and drop the wedge into the glass.
- Pour in the minty tea mixture and garnish with fresh mint.
Mint Julep alternative: If you want a bubbly Julep, replace the tea with ginger ale.
Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
Ingredients (for one)
- 2 large strawberries, hulled
- 0.25 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 0.75 cup chilled lemon-lime soda
- 4 cubes ice
How to make a Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
- In the container of a blender, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon-lime soda.
- Add the ice and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a pretty glass to serve.
Don’t miss these spooky cocktails and mocktails for your Halloween Party!
Grapefruit & Rosemary Mocktail
Ingredients (for one)
- Juice of 1 freshly squeezed grapefruit
- 6 Deseeded cherries
- ½ Oz Simple syrup
- Club soda
- 2 Rosemary sprigs
How to make a Grapefruit & Rosemark Mocktail
- Add the cherries and simple syrup to a highball glass, and muddle with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the grapefruit juice and fill the glass with ice.
- Top with soda and garnish with rosemary.
Visit The Mixer for more drink inspiration!
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