non_alcoholic_cocktails

10 delicious non-alcoholic cocktail recipes

These refreshing non-alcoholic cocktails are perfect for designated drivers this summer. You may not even miss the booze.

10:00AM BST 05 Jun 2015

Pink Grapefruit Cooler

Grapefruit juice, refreshing and tart, is making a come-back in cocktails today, so here is one with the sweeter succulence and rosy hue of the pink variety

INGREDIENTS

• 80ml juice from a ripe pink grapefruit
• Juice of half a lemon
• 40ml sugar syrup (made with equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar is dissolved then cooled)
• Cold sparkling or soda water
• 2 x mint sprigs
• Crushed ice

Pour the sugar syrup into a tumbler and add one mint sprig, stirring and bruising it lightly. Add the citrus juices and stir, then top right up with crushed ice and the sparkling or soda water. Garnish with the second mint sprig.

Bitter Tonic

Anything slightly bitter is deeply fashionable this summer. Do try this simple, chic drink with different types of bitters - Fee Brothers’ Cranberry Bitters, for example, are in M&S. Note that a dash of bitters will add a tiny amount of alcohol.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 dashes bitters, according to taste (Angostura is readily available, or try The Bitter Truth’s Tonic Bitters)
• 200ml chilled premium tonic water (such as Fever-Tree)
• Lemon or lime slices
• Ice cubes

Add a few ice cubes to a tumbler then splash over the bitters. Squeeze one slice of fruit over this, then top up with tonic water and add another slice to garnish.

Shirley Temple

The classic ‘mocktail’, which today is often given a fresh lift, as here, with a squeeze of citrus juice (lime is best). Drink with a brightly coloured straw.

(ALAMY)

INGREDIENTS

• 15ml grenadine syrup
• 15ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 200ml chilled ginger ale
• Maraschino cocktail cherry and thin lime slice, to decorate
• Ice cubes

Place a few ice cubes in a tumbler, add the grenadine and lime juice then top up with ginger ale, and garnish with the cocktail cherry and lime slice.

Lavender Lemonade

The aroma of the steeped lavender heads is wonderful, but do be sure to use lavender which hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. It’s best made with flowers that have started to dry out naturally in high summer. Makes about 75cl of pink-tinged liquid.

(ALAMY)

INGREDIENTS

• 10g lavender heads
• 250ml boiling water
• 75g sugar
• 600ml cold water (sparkling if you prefer)
• Juice of 3 small or 2 large ripe lemons, strained
• Ice cubes

Put the flower heads in a small pan and pour over the boiling water. Heat up again and simmer gently for two minutes. Take off the heat and leave to steep for ten minutes. Strain off the flowers, add sugar to the liquid and stir to dissolve it. Add the cold water. Add the lemon juice and stir (the mix turns pink here), then serve in tall slim tumblers with a few ice cubes in them.

Adapted from a recipe in Diffordsguide Cocktails. This tastes really tropical and is deeply refreshing - one for a hot day:

INGREDIENTS

• 75ml pineapple juice
• 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 15ml grenadine syrup
• Cold ginger ale to top up
• Lime slice
• Loads of ice cubes

Shake the juices and grenadine in a cocktail shaker over ice, and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top up with ginger ale, the right amount to your taste, stir and garnish with a lime slice.

Ginger & Elderflower Summer Cup

This is the non-alcoholic cocktail I drink most in the summer, and it is delicate enough to go well with lighter food - salads, fish, seafood - too. I make it quite dilute but do up the amount of juice and cordial for stronger flavours, obviously.

(ALAMY)

INGREDIENTS

• 25ml elderflower cordial
• Small piece - about 2cms square - peeled root ginger
• 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 150ml cold sparkling water
• Mint sprig and lemon slice
• Crushed ice

Grate the ginger finely, adding all the bits and any gingery juices into a small bowl with the cordial and lemon juice. Mix well and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Strain into a tumbler, then add crushed ice and top up with sparkling water. Garnish with the mint and a thin lemon slice.

Firepit Steamer

Here’s a hot, spicy but fresh-tasting drink to wrap your chilly hands around on those late summer nights by the fire…

INGREDIENTS

• 100ml cranberry juice
• 100ml red grape juice
• Half a star anise
• Half a cinnamon stick, plus one to serve
• 2 cloves
• Slice of peeled fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Simply put all the ingredients except the extra cinnamon stick in a pan and warm up very gently, stirring, and keep hot (not boiling) for several minutes until the spices infuse. Strain into a thick glass tumbler or mug and serve with the cinnamon stick for stirring to release the steam. Drink while hot.

Cherry Sparkle

Make your own red cherry juice with a tang of lime then top up with sparkling water - could anything be more summery? Makes 700ml, to serve 3-4.

INGREDIENTS

• 225g fresh, ripe red cherries
• 600ml freshly boiled water
• Half a lime
• 50g caster sugar
• Chilled sparkling water, to taste
• Ice cubes

Destalk the cherries, wash them, halve them and take out their stones. Put the fruit in a big bowl and bruise slightly with the back of a spoon. Pour the hot water over them and stir. Peel the lime zest off in thin strips and juice the lime, adding both zest and juice to the bowl, with the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, cover and leave for two hours. Strain off the liquid, divide it between 3 or 4 tumblers and top up with ice and a little cold sparkling water.

Lime & Lemon Grass Spritzer

Taken from Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s brilliant book ‘Make Mine a Martini’ (Mitchell Beazley, 2014), this is easy, scented, mouthwatering…

INGREDIENTS

• Half a lemon grass stalk, outer leaves removed, core sliced, plus an extra stalk to garnish
• 30ml fresh lime juice
• 15ml sugar syrup (make sugar syrup from equal quantities warm water and sugar)
• Chilled soda water, to top up
• Ice cubes

Place the lemon grass in a glass tumbler and ‘muddle’ to release its oils. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the lime juice and the sugar syrup. Top up with soda water, stir briefly and garnish with the remaining lemon grass stalk.

Pussy Foot

A famous Prohibition-era mocktail. There are plenty of variations out there, but all deliver a lip-smacking cocktail of citrus juices. Here’s my favourite version (note it contains raw egg).

(ALAMY)

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml orange juice
• 30ml lemon juice
• 30ml lime juice
• 15ml grenadine syrup
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 1 egg yolk
• Cold sparkling water (optional)
• Orange slice

Pour all the juices and syrups into a cocktail shaker with ice, and add the yolk. Shake well then strain into a large tumbler half filled with ice cubes. Top up with fizzy water if preferred. Garnish with an orange slice.

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Top 10 non-alcoholic drinks

Passing on the booze? We have some suggestions for soft drinks that will more than make up for it.

While some of you choose to decline alcohol all year round, the notion of giving up the sauce for a stint is ever popular, and “Dry January” has truly manacled itself to our national psyche. It seems the lure of saving money, trimming the waist and skipping hangovers is a potent one.

It can be a challenge to inject soft drinks with the same amount of sparkle as their alcoholic equivalents, but we have some tips for ensuring teetotallers don’t miss out.

Blood orange punch

If you’re abstaining at the beginning of the year there is a whole host of seasonal citrus fruit available to turn into juice. Grapefruit, pomelo and clementines are in season during the winter months, but we particularly like blood oranges. They have a very short season towards the end of winter, but make the most of their deep red flesh while you can.

Homemade cordial

Making a batch of homemade fruit cordial should see you through a few weeks of a dryathlon. Try to use whatever is seasonal and for a basic mix combine with just sugar and water. Elderflowers work well and can often be foraged – just make sure you shake off the bugs – or try seasonal berries. Provided they’re stored in sterilized jars, cordials can last several months in the fridge.

Pomegranate mojito mocktail

Alcohol is inextricably associated with celebrating and nothing says party like a delicious cocktail. Ditch the rum and try this pomegranate-based mocktail. Make sure to bash the mint under a rolling pin or with your hands to release the oils, thus plenty of flavour.

Smoothies

Up your vitamin take and whizz up a fruit-based smoothie. Follow our guide to achieving the perfect blend using your favourite ingredients, then get creative with flavourings like peanut butter and spices. If you want to be really virtuous try adding vegetables – a green detox smoothie made with coconut water, apple, kiwi and spinach is one seriously heady beverage.

Mulled apple juice

Often the reserve of festive revelry, the process of mulling works with a wide range of base drinks. Try using apple or pear juice and spice to taste – a touch of citrus, cinnamon and a sweetener such honey or agave should do the trick.

Non-alcoholic tropical fizz

Put tinned fruit to good use in this sparkling quencher with kiwi, strawberries and pineapple. Find yourself a good tropical fruit juice as a base – or if you have a juicer to hand, you could try making your own with anything from mango and lychees to fresh passion fruit.

Apple, elderflower & mint sparkle

Use up your homemade elderflower cordial in a simple blend with apple juice, fresh mint and a little soda water. Use a different cordial if you like, and if you can’t get hold of mint swap it for fresh rosemary.

Homemade limeade

Ditch shop-bought lemonade for a cloudy homemade alternative. Lime makes for a tangy drop – blend the limes whole into a pulp and combine with soda water. This recipe works with vodka or rum if you’re catering for those who fancy a tipple.

Lassi

This refreshing Indian drink is designed to cool the palate following spicy food. It has a yogurt base, which in this recipe can be made savoury by adding cumin and coriander, or sweet with rosewater and sugar. We also have a mango version with added pistachio and mint.

What’s your preferred non-alcoholic tipple? Share your ideas with us…

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The Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

A collection of the best mocktails (or non-alcoholic) cocktails. Some are virgin versions of popular alcoholic cocktails, others are proven unique mixes.

Based on the cherry bubblecake but one for the kids and the drivers - great for wedding toasts and parties.

A very great relaxing dinner beverage for non-alcoholic drinkers.

Cool kids drink with two raspberries

This non-alcoholic version of the cocktail has nothing in common with its spirited counter-part. It doesn't resemble the name in no way, except maybe that it is pretty cool mocktail after all.

Refreshing and made with style. Perfect for pregnant women on a party.

A very simple non-alcoolic cocktail.

An alcohol free alternative to the famous carribean desert cocktail.

This mocktail is a take-off on the Bloody Mary.

One of the most popular mocktails. All the taste of the Mojito without the alcohol.

A very simple mocktail with orange juice and tonic water.

A very refreshing summer mocktail

A very easy non alcoholic but very tasty margarita. Serves 4.

A little breeze for the summer. Can be virgin or with bit of tequila.

A fruity mocktail with a touch of innocence.

15 Delicious Non-Alcoholic Spritzers, Sodas, and Mocktails

As we wrote this morning, now is the time to enjoy simple, spring cocktails. But if you don't drink alcohol, there's no reason to fret: you can still enjoy the sweet pleasures of a spring cocktail (er, mocktail) sans the added booze by indulging in one of the myriad drink combinations made with sparkling water, flavored soda, fresh juices, and simple herb- and- fruit-distilled syrups. Here are 15 favorites:

• 15 Mother's Day Cocktail: Hibiscus Mimosa - Top with sparkling water instead of wine for the mocktail version!

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19 Non-Alcoholic Summer Drinks That'll Get Any Party Started

You're better than serving water.

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You can't host a party without drinks — these mocktails, punches, and lemonades got you covered.

And for everyone else who's drinking, we've got some next-level summer cocktails you totally need to try.

Glow Water

Glow Water

Water is so much more fun with flavor!

Get the recipe from Delish.

CLASSIC MASON JARS: Ball Brand Pint Jars, $19; amazon.com.

Frosted Lemonade

Frosted Lemonade

If you love Chick-fil-A's frozen lemonade, you need to try this recipe.

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Glow Water

Water is so much more fun with flavor!

Get the recipe from Delish.

CLASSIC MASON JARS: Ball Brand Pint Jars, $19; amazon.com.

Frosted Lemonade

If you love Chick-fil-A's frozen lemonade, you need to try this recipe.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Watermelon Lemonade

Most refreshing summer drink ever? We think so.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Mango Lemonade

Mango is exactly what lemonade was missing.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Purple Punch

Whoever thought a mocktail could be this good?

Get the recipe from Delish.

Lime Zinger

This mocktail is proof that you can have a party without alcohol.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Sparkle Punch

For extra style points, add lemon slices to the pitcher, and garnish each glass with a slice before serving. You fancy now.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Nothing says summer like lemonade.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Berry Lemonade

You're going to need a giant pitcher of this.

Get the recipe from Delish.

Rhubarb Lemonade

Tired of traditional lemonade? This strawberry-rhubarb variation gotchu.

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Mocktail Recipes

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Virgin Cucumber Mojito

"This is THE PERFECT summer drink. Very refreshing, very easy…what more could you want on a hot day?" – LilSnoo

Alcohol-Free Mint Julep

"Enjoy the classic mint julep with a slight twist!" – SHOWP0NIE

Cocktails With a Twist: Zing but No Alcohol

A column that celebrates drinking should pause every once in a while to celebrate not drinking, given that alcohol is a two-edged sword: catalyst for delight and engine of destruction; handled with restraint by some people, abused and best avoided entirely by others. It’s a drug, with all the attendant dangers, and it’s not the only way to experience liquid pleasure in a restaurant or bar. Others exist and warrant praise.

With that in mind, I set out the other night for the Flatiron district and the restaurant Craft, the linchpin of the chef, restaurateur and reality-TV star Tom Colicchio’s formidable empire. Craft turns 10 next month and remains a handsome setting with a gorgeous bar, all sufficiently inviting reasons to drop in. Here’s another: like a smattering of other restaurants around town, Craft has begun to pay particular attention to mixed drinks without any liquor.

Nearly a year ago it hired Sean Patrick McClure, who had tended bar at the restaurant Daniel, and asked him to upgrade the cocktail program. Part of what he has done since then is add several booze-free drinks to the nonalcoholic section of the beverage menu, a category that includes boutique sodas and sparkling ciders.

“All the time, people come in who are pregnant or who don’t drink, and if their dining partner is doing something like a full tasting menu with wine pairings, I don’t want them to have to suck down Coke all night,” Mr. McClure told me.

And so he can offer them the yuzu and rose spritz, which is the first of Craft’s nonalcoholic cocktails I tried. It exemplifies the amount of care that can be lavished on such a drink, because its signature ingredient, fresh yuzu juice, isn’t all that easily found. Mr. McClure has his mailed from Washington State. Yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit, is audaciously zingy, like a lemon with a mischievous streak, and my eyes widened the second I took a sip.

Mr. McClure laughed. “That’ll wake your tongue up!” he said.

And how. But the drink tempers the yuzu with rose syrup, which has sweetness and a floral gentleness, and club soda, for the promised fizz. It abided by one of the most important principles of conventional cocktail making: balance. Still, drinkers not inclined toward sourness should be careful. That yuzu packs a punch.

I was fonder still of Mr. McClure’s kumquat-and-fennel smash. In this drink, too, he answers the question of how to heighten interest in a nonalcoholic drink by turning to unexpected ingredients. To a base of orange juice and tonic water he adds agave nectar, kumquat and fennel. The fennel provides licorice notes in a less emphatic manner than absinthe, for example, would: tantalizing sparks instead of an all-consuming flame.

Many restaurants, especially ambitious ones, have been creating and serving distinctive nonalcoholic mixed drinks for years, but there seems to be a bit of an upsurge of late. Bartenders and restaurant beverage service directors say that reflects the increasing adventurousness and high standards that gastronomes bring to all aspects of a dining experience, from the bread service to the coffee. Drinks are part of that, and many people uninterested in wine, beer or hard liquor don’t want to make do with something they could get at a bodega.

“It’s just so nice when you’re not stuck with soda water and a squeeze of lime,” said Erin Ward, the corporate beverage director for the Carmine’s restaurant chain, which has locations in Times Square and on the Upper West Side. Carmine’s added two featured nonalcoholic concoctions to its menus during an overhaul of the cocktail list five months ago, demonstrating that high-end restaurants aren’t the only ones paying fresh attention to drinks.

One of those concoctions, the Bitter Sicilian, combines pomegranate syrup, lemon and lime juices, nonalcoholic bitters and soda. The other, the Pineapple Julep, muddles its namesake fruit and then mingles it with muddled mint, lime and lemon juices and simple syrup, for a sweet-sour-minty medley. Both were put on the menu with an eye in particular on the lunch crowd at the Times Square restaurant.

“There’s a line out the door at 11:30 every morning,” Ms. Ward said, “and the people coming at that time might not want to be tying one on just yet.”

Ten or so blocks north, the Modern, the restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art, recently expanded its selection of special soft drinks with sodas made from artisanal syrups supplied by the P & H Soda Company in — where else? — Brooklyn (the Greenpoint section, to be exact). The flavors, including chamomile-grapefruit and hibiscus, go well beyond anything your neighborhood grocer ever stocked. P & H is also selling syrups to the cult pizzeria and restaurant Roberta’s, in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.

“It’s happening pretty quickly,” Anton Nocito, the soda company’s proprietor, said of the rising popularity of soft drinks as distinctive as their spiked cousins.

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Bartenders I talked to preferred inventing nonalcoholic cocktails from scratch to trying to make so-called virgin versions of actual cocktails, though they will take a stab at the latter upon request.

I asked Mr. McClure what sorts of ingredients might be credibly, or at least sensibly, substituted for certain spirits in such booze-free alternatives. For gin, he said, he might use orange-blossom water: something with both the floral and citrus notes that some gins have. For rum he might turn to maple syrup. Tequila, he said, would be impossible.

“To make a mock margarita?” he said. “Wow. I would steer someone elsewhere because I would be treading on thin ice to make a margarita mocktail.”

He did, though, venture a mocktail corollary to a cocktail on Craft’s list called the Bee Sting. The genuine sting has bourbon, fresh ginger, a cardamom-honey syrup, lime juice and Regan’s orange bitters. The faux sting used apple cider in place of bourbon and, to adjust for the cider’s sweeter effect, cut down on the syrup.

I sampled them side by side. I won’t lie: I preferred the one with bourbon, whose dark, haunting currents and body the cider couldn’t match. But the other drink — let’s call it the Bee Stingless — was plenty pleasurable on its own. I could have been happy with it, and so could anyone else steering clear of alcohol, which is sometimes a necessity or at least an excellent idea.

CARMINE’S 200 West 44th Street, Manhattan; (212) 221-3800; and 2450 Broadway, between 90th and 91st Streets; (212) 362-2200, carminesnyc.com.

CRAFT 43 East 19th Street, Flatiron district; (212) 780-0880, craftrestaurant.com.

ROBERTA’S 261 Moore Street, at Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn; (718) 417-1118, robertaspizza.com.

A version of this article appears in print on February 18, 2011, on Page C32 of the New York edition with the headline: Cocktails With a Twist: Zing but No Alcohol. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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Nonalcoholic Drinks

Whether you're looking for a kid-friendly party punch or a citrusy brunch drink, there's a mocktail for every occasion. Read through our spectacular mocktails that aren't overly sweet, including everything from a cucumber cooler to an emerald palmer.

Meadow Mocktails

Johanna Corman makes this refreshing lavender-and-grapefruit spritzer in large batches for easy summer entertaining. To turn it into a cocktail, swap gin or vodka for some of the sparkling water.

"Verjus is an incredible ingredient and is sadly underutilized behind the bar," says Lacy Hawkins, bartender at The NoMad in New York City. Verjus, the juice of unripened grapes, gives this julep-style mocktail a nuanced tanginess.

Chicha Morada

Chicha morada, a refreshing sweet-tart Peruvian drink, gets its gorgeous hue from dried purple corn. Garnished with chunks of pineapple and apple and spiced with cinnamon and cloves, this sangria-like mocktail is the perfect summer drink.

Philippe Khallins

At Mission Chinese Food in New York City, Sam Anderson mixes coconut milk with gin and serves the drink in small soup bowls because the flavors are reminiscent of Thai tom kha gai soup. This mocktail variation is rich, creamy and incredibly aromatic.

Cucumber-and-Mint “Fauxjito”

This virgin riff on a classic mojito from F&W’s Justin Chapple takes just five minutes to make.

Ginger-Lemongrass Soda

Tuscan Fresco

"A lot of restaurants treat virgin cocktails like vegetarian dishes: They just make a drink from the regular menu and leave out the alcohol," says Boka Kitchen & Bar executive chef Seis Kamimura. "I love the challenge of creating original nonalcoholic drinks that are special in their own right."

Cucumber Cooler

To complement their alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, Jack Falstaff restaurant specializes in fancy bar snacks such as fried sage leaves and pickled turnips.

Fuji Apple Soda

As soon as beverage director Sean Beck spotted a new line of apple-flavored juices and sodas at a grocery store, he decided to make one of his own. After a spirited discussion of apples with a winemaker, Beck chose the Fuji as the base for his drink.

Peachy Sweet

Unsweetened coconut milk tranforms this smoothie into a sophisticated nonalcoholic drink.

Hibiscus Swizzle

Swizzles are drinks that are typically served over crushed ice and churned with a swizzle stick until supercold. Small ice cubes are a fine substitute for crushed ice.

Emerald Palmers

Susan Feniger's refreshing green tea-based mocktails would also be great spiked with gin. While the ingredients can be prepped in advance, it's best to blend everything together just before serving for the most vividly green drinks.

Pomegranate-Ginger-Chile Nojito

All of Nacional 27's cocktails are collaborations with the kitchen. This one took shape after mixologist Adam Seger tasted an amazing mango-habanero salad dressing.

Strawberry & Ginger Cooler

At the Belle Epoque—style Absinthe Brasserie, general manager and cocktail book author Jeff Hollinger serves up modern adaptations of 19th-century classic drinks. His Strawberry & Ginger Cooler is one of the few nonalcoholic refreshers on the menu.

Strawberry Lemonade

This drink was originally part of a "Think Pink" menu that raised money for a local Chicago breast cancer charity.

The Spanish Kitchen owner Greg Morris wanted his Mexican restaurant to feel authentic, so he imported its massive wood-and-wrought-iron doors—among other furnishings—from Mexico.

Cucumber-Lemonade Mocktail

A super-thin slice of cucumber pressed against the glass adds an artistic twist to this refreshing cocktail.

Smoothies that Julie Reiner made when she lived on Oahu inspired this tangy mocktail, which would be a terrific mimosa stand-in at brunch.

Sophisticated Lady

Bar manager Jackson Cannon wanted to serve a mocktail that was neither soda-driven nor a supersweet "juice bomb." The result: this savory take on a cosmopolitan.

Rocking Orange

This terrific brunch mocktail combines multiple forms of citrus fruit: orange, lemon and mandarin orange juices, plus orange syrup and orange peel.

Almond-Fennel Cooler

Like an old-fashioned soda-fountain drink, this mocktail relies on a delicious small-batch syrup. Its creator is Jennifer Colliau, a mixologist at San Francisco's Slanted Door restaurant and an artisanal syrup maker who also owns Small Hand Foods, which sells classic ingredients for pre-Prohibition era cocktails.

Raspberry Fizz

"For a while, I was addicted to raspberry sorbet," says Sebastian Reaburn. "This mocktail is the liquid version of it."

Coffee-Ginger Shakerato

Malin Elmlid's friend John Benjamin Savary sweetens this clever coffee mocktail with ginger syrup and orange marmalade. Marmalade made with Seville oranges is best because it has a pleasing bitter edge.

Lady Lavender's Mocktail

This drink was mixologist Gregory Best's response to a woman dressed in lavender who tottered into Restaurant Eugene with friends for a nightcap. "My darling," she said, "one more will put me directly over the edge. Fruit juice, please."

Festive Holiday Drinks—Hold the Spirits

These festive drinks will refresh and delight your young party guests and non-drinkers. Whenever you host a party, it's important to provide non-alcoholic drinks for your guests so that if they choose not to drink alcohol, they have most options that just soda and water. Fun "mocktails" are tasty and trendy, so pick a recipe that fits your party's vibe. We're partial to serving them in fun, real glassware and saving the plastic cups for your weekend picnics. Bottoms up, friends!

Sparkling Breakfast Punch

Serve this easy punch for a memorable holiday brunch. Combine the juices ahead of time, then add the bubbles (ginger ale and club soda) just before serving.

A Drink for Every Guest

You won’t find any partridges in this pear tree! A little tart and a little sweet, this mocktail of lemon-lime juice and pear juice will wake up your taste buds. Add a splash of seltzer and an herb garnish for a special presentation.

Peppermint Patty Frappés

This easy holiday drink is akin to an off-the-charts milkshake. The peppermint candies add bold mint flavor as well as a kick of sweet chocolate.

Mock Tea Sangría

You won’t miss the wine in this rich, ruby-red drink. Mix together pureed raspberries, grape juice, tea, and orange soda for a little fizz. You can make this faux sangría up to a day ahead of your party and add the soda just before serving.

Citrus Kiss

This striking red mocktail is for the citrus-lovers at your party. Blood orange sparkling cider adds a bit of fun to tangerine juice, lemon juice, and lime juice. Rim your glasses with superfine sugar to complete the “cocktail” look.

Pineapple Wassail

Toast your good health with a glass of this fruity wassail. Simmer pineapple juice and orange juice, apple cider, and apricot nectar with cinnamon and cloves for a holiday drink that will warm you from head to toe.

Festive Fruit Punch

This light and fruity punch blends pineapple, orange, and cranberry juices with tonic water for a little fizzy fun. For an elegant garnish, serve each glass with slices of lime, orange, and carambola (star fruit.

Poinsettia Sipper

Cinnamon and cloves evoke the flavors of fall in this mocktail of cranberry juice and apple juice. Serve chilled or warm in flute glasses and garnish with orange rind.

Thanksgiving Punch

Ginger-infused simple syrup gives this sweet punch a spicy kick that fits right in with your holiday spread. Mix the syrup with ginger ale, pomegranate juice, and pineapple juice for a refreshing drink all your party guests will love.

Apple Julep

Apples, the star of many favorite holiday sides and desserts, take center stage in this perfect-for-a-crowd punch. Pineapple and orange juice add tang to the sweet apple juice, and you can garnish your punch bowl with apple slices, orange slices, and mint.

Spiced Pomegranate Sipper

Sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors are all present in this elegant drink. Pomegranate juice gives it a rich fall color and balances well with grape juice, pineapple juice, cinnamon, and cloves. Try it warm, cool, or with soda water for fun variations.

Holiday Brunch Tonic

Use extra rosemary from your holiday cooking to infuse this orange-cranberry beverage with holiday flavor. Add club soda just before serving for a sparkling touch and garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Almond Tea

Almond and vanilla are elegant and unexpected flavors in this quick and easy tea punch. Balance the sweetness with fresh lemon juice and serve cold with thin slices of lemon, lime, and orange.

Coconut Eggnog

Add a tropical flair to eggnog at your party this year. Similar to a popular drink in the Caribbean, this recipe blends coconut milk with traditional ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, eggs, and cream.

Pink Grapefruit Sparklers

Serve Pink Grapefruit Sparklers at your holiday gathering. Garnish these refreshing, fizzy drinks with fresh mint leaves, if desired.

Chocolate Fizz

This chocolatey drink mimics popular mocha drinks, but without the shot of espresso. Mix the main ingredients, then chill the concoction with ice in cocktail shakers.

Cupid's Creamy Peppermint Punch

If you serve this dreamy drink in a large punch bowl, hang peppermint candy canes on the bowl's rim.

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Delicious and healthy recipes customized for you!

The 30 Best Mocktail Recipes

Here are some of the most delicious and hydrating non-alcoholic drink ideas to serve at your next brunch, lunch, or dinner party.

Hosting a soirée with guests who prefer not to drink alcohol? Here are 30 mocktail recipes they'll love.

1 medium seedless watermelon, cut into chunks

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup sparking water

In a blender, puree enough watermelon chunks so that you have 4 cups of watermelon puree. Add lime juice and agave and mix again. Pour into 4 cups. Top with sparkling water.

Kate Spade Stemless Champagne Glasses, $20 for 4

4-5 slices of Cucumber

1 oz Honey syrup*

1.5 oz Mango puree

1.5 oz Fresh lime juice

1.5 oz Ginger beer

Muddle cucumber and honey syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the mango puree and lime juice and shake, covered, with ice vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a copper mug . Top with ginger beer and stir to incorporate.

Copper Mug Set, $44.95

.5 oz lime juice

.5 oz blood orange purée

4 fresh mint leaves

Splash of soda water

Blood Orange Pureé, $27

½ cup light-colored honey

⅓ cup dried lavender

1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained

Striped Drinking Straws, $10 for 100

By Danielle Walker, founder of Against All Grain

1 Rosemary sprig, stripped

1 oz Honey syrup

1 oz Fresh lemon juice, strained

4 oz Sparkling mineral water

Fleur de Lys Tumbler, $10

1 oz Elderflower Cordial

½ oz Simple Syrup

Orange and lemon wedge

Muddle strawberry with simple syrup and ginger base. Add the elderflower and chamomile and five mint leaves along with the orange and lemon wedge. Add ice and shake before straining into a cocktail coupe.

Waterford Vintage Martini Glasses, $29 for 2

4 cups of Coconut water

2 Cucumbers sliced very thinly

1/2 cup of Lime juice

1/4 cup of Sugar (optional)

1/4 cup of Chopped mint leaves

Double Old Fashion Glasses, $38 for 6

10 fresh mint leaves

10 fresh blueberries

5 ounces Açai Roots' Açai Pome Blue Juice

1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

Splash of club soda

Pome Blue Juice, $21

2 cups cold water

2 cups watermelon (rind removed), seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Juice of 1/2 lime (no more than 1 tablespoon)

1/4 cup mint leaves

1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped Ice cubes or crushed ice (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients and puree until smooth.

Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, forcing through most of the pulp.

Chill and serve.

2.5 oz Red grape purée (recipe below)

1 Cucumber water (recipe below)

.25 oz Lemon juice

.5 oz Simple syrup

Purée red grapes in blender. Press on solids/ pulp to get as much juice into the mix.

Cucumber water recipe:

Muddle 4-5 pieces of Cut lemon grass

.5 oz home-made Vanilla simple syrup

4 oz Jasmine Tea

2 oz Rubicon Lychee Juice

Shake with ice. Double Strain into high ball glass. Add cubed ice. Top with crushed ice. Garnish with lemon grass.

Handful of Fresh blueberries - slightly muddle together.

2 oz of Lime juice

2 oz of Simple syrup

Splash of Club soda

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 very ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced

2 liters seltzer, chilled

16 fresh mint leaves, for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove simple syrup from heat, cover, and steep for about 30 minutes.

2. Over a medium bowl, pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing minced ginger against sieve with the back of a spoon to extract flavor. Discard ginger. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled.

3. Evenly distribute peach slices among 8 tall glasses. For each glass, lightly press peaches with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juice. Pour about 2 tablespoons chilled syrup over peaches. (Store remaining syrup in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.) Add ice cubes; then top with seltzer. Stir to distribute syrup, peach juice, and seltzer evenly. Garnish with 2 mint leaves.

1 cup blueberries

Place the blueberries, sugar and water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the solids from the juice with a fine sieve and set the solids aside. Pack glass with crushed ice to the top.

Pour 1 oz blueberry syrup in the glass. Pour lemon juice in the bottom of the glass, being mindful not to mix the ingredients. Fill the glass with water, slowly adding the water until full.

Pinch of Tarragon

5 oz Mixed green juice

1 oz Lemon juice

Recipe for Mixed Green Juice:

4 oz Mint juice

4 oz Parsley Juice

4 oz Basil Juice

10 oz Spinach Juice

10 oz Butter Lettuce Juice

1.5 oz lime juice

1 oz grapefruit juice

1 oz agave syrup

Healthy pinch of sea salt

From Toro, New York City

1 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz Fresh pineapple juice (Make sure pineapples are very ripe; peel, core, and run through juicer; let the juice sit until foam settles to the top; strain off foam before mixing)

1 oz Ginger syrup (Combine 1 liter fresh ginger juice – roughly chopped ginger root through a juicer and fine strain twice – with 675g superfine sugar; stir vigorously to combine)

1 oz Filtered water

2 raspberries + 1 raspberry for garnish

2 oz Pear juice

1 oz Lemon juice

.75 oz Rosemary-infused simple syrup

.75 oz Yuzu Juice

1.5 oz Shiso Sugar Syrup

1 Bar Spoon Elderflower Cordial

Created by Richard Woods for Sushisamba, NYC

1 oz Lavender Simple Syrup

1 oz Ginger Beer

.5 oz Lemon Juice

2 Dashes of Grapefruit Bitters

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grapefruit disk.

From Bryan Dayton at Acorn, Denver

1 oz Strawberry Juice

.5 oz Lime Juice

3 oz Pineapple Juice

In a mixing tin, combine the lime and pineapple juice. Shake well. Strain the contents into a highball glass over clean ice. Top with club soda and float the strawberry juice on top. Garnish with a strawberry and serve.

3 oz Roasted pineapple puree

1 oz Lime juice

1 oz Coconut caramel*

*Note: "We make this ourselves with caramelized sugar broken with coconut milk, but for making at home, you could substitute brown sugar syrup with some fresh coconut milk (but not coconut cream, which is sweetened processed coconut.)

From Jason Percival at Post 390, Boston

2 oz Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

1 oz. Fresh squeezed lime juice

.75 oz Flat lined agave nectar

Q Tonic club soda

From Percy Rodriguez at The Vine, NYC

1.5 oz yuzu juice

2.5 oz club soda

1 oz elderflower syrup

1 ripe cantaloupe

½ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, packed

For garnish: (optional)

Fresh mint sprigs

*For a frostier cooler, freeze the cantaloupe flesh the night before making the cocktails.

Yield: 4 mocktails

1.25 oz Strawberry Black Peppercorn Shrub (See recipe below)

Swizzle with a bar spoon to mix evenly

Garnish: Edible Flower

To make the Strawberry-Black Peppercorn Shrub:

16 oz Strawberries, quartered & green tops off (or any amount, just portion ingredients properly)

4 teaspoons black peppercorn (whole seeds crushed in a mortar)

2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar

1.5 oz club soda

4-5 slices of muddled cucumber

1 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

9 oz carrot juice

15 oz apple juice

2.25 oz ginger syrup (1:1 ration ginger juice/sugar)

.75 oz lime juice

From Chris Barry at Catch, New York City