Lifestyle: 10 Mocktails You Can Serve People Who Don’t Take Alcohol

You may know how to make some of these awesome cocktails like vodka cocktails, gin cocktails, whiskey cocktails, cognac and even rum cocktails. But what about making non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails) for those of your friends who don’t drink? 

Perhaps you want to entertain friends or children who shouldn’t be indulging in alcohol, or maybe you are under medication that requires you to stay away from alcohol. What mocktail recipes can you whip up to achieve a refreshing drink and with the same showbiz as the alcoholic version?

Before we proceed I should mention that there are endless non-alcoholic cocktails that you can make from the comfort of your home. What you need is a bit of creativity, a passion to discover new mocktails and a festive spirit.

   1. Mulled hot cider

Have you tried making home-made orange juice before? Well if you haven’t this is the time to learn and while you’re at it make a tasty, fruity non-alcoholic cocktail. 

Ingredients

• One thinly sliced ripe orange
• 2 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 quarts apple cider
• 2 allspice berries.
• A touch of brown sugar (optional) 

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, put all the ingredients and bring to simmer.
2. Divide in mugs, garnish using cinnamon sticks and serve hot. 

  2. Nojitos mocktail

This is a mojito but without the rum. It is a classic blend of apple juice, lime, soda water and mint leaves. To prepare it you will need the following equipment. 

• A muddler, to crush the mint leaves. An alternative is a wooden spoon or a pestle. 
• A shot glass or a jigger to measure the ingredients.
• A spoon to stir the cocktail and a blender that can crush ice. 

Ingredients

• 1 ounce of fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces of sprite or club soda
• 4- 6 large mint leaves
• Lime slices to garnish
• 1 tablespoon of fine sugar

Preparation

1. In a cocktail shaker add the lime juice, sugar and muddled mint leaves. 
2. Fill the shaker with ice and pour in the sprite or club soda. 
3. Gently shake the mixture bearing in mind that the club soda is fizzy. You don’t want to shake so much and end up with a flat drink. 
4. Strain the contents into a tall cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with slices of lemon and serve. 

Bonus tip; add apple juice, strawberry or mango puree to spruce things up. Also, you can muddle the mint leaves, leave them in a fridge and whenever needed, add them in a glass of soda with ice and serve.

   3. Moscow mule

This is a refreshing drink perfect for the holiday season or a hot season. It is made in the same way as the alcoholic version but with club soda in place of vodka. To make it you need;

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon ginger syrup
• ¾ cup of non-alcoholic ginger beer
• ¼ cup Club soda
• Crushed ice
• 3 or 4 mint leaves (optional) 

Preparation

1. In a copper mug, pour the fresh lime juice, the syrup and the club soda.
2. Add mint leaves if preferred then fill the cup halfway with ice
3. Pour in the ginger beer over the ice
4. Garnish with a lime wedge or mint leaves then serve. 

Ginger helps reduce nausea making this drink suitable for pregnant women.

   4. Pomegranate Bellini 

This is a drink you can serve during Christmas, to celebrate the new year and even on valentines. Its vibrant colour sets the mood for a celebration while its elegance makes it stand out. It is fun, fruity and festive. To make it you will need;

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ chilled unsweetened pomegranate juice
• 1 cup chilled unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1½ cup simple syrup ( 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar)
• A bottle of chilled sparkling water
• 1 bunch of fresh mint
• 1 cup ice
• ½ cup of pomegranate seed to garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Start by making the simple syrup. Add water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Allow the syrup to cool. 
   2. In a 6-8 capacity punch bowl or pitcher with ice, add the simple syrup, cranberry juice and pomegranate juice. 
   3. Gently pour in the sparkling water.
   4. Garnish with lime, mint sprigs, pomegranate seeds and let people serve themselves, or prepare champagne flutes with the garnishing ingredients and serve to individuals.

   5. Cranberry sparkler

Need more refreshing reds in your table try making the cranberry sparkler using the following easy steps. But first, you will need;

Ingredients

• 6 ounces of cranberry juice
• Freshly squeezed lime juice (one lime)
• 2 ounces of sparkling water
• Ice
• Orange wedge to garnish

Preparation

1. In a highball filled with ice, add the lime juice and cranberry juice. 
2. Pour in sparkling water and garnish with the orange wedge.
3. Serve. 

   6. Sangria punch

Because we cannot get enough of red fruity drinks especially during this festive season, here is another addition suited for wine lovers, who want to take a break from alcohol. As the name suggests, the sangria punch embodies the rich red colour of blood but without all the other ingredients. To make a non-alcoholic sangria punch you need; 

Ingredients

• 1 sliced orange
• I sliced lemon
• 1 sliced lime
• 1 cup of chilled orange juice
• 1 cup of chilled soda water
• 750ml bottle of non-alcoholic red wine
• ¼ cup orgeat syrup 
• Ice 

Preparation

1. Combine the non-alcoholic red wine, orange slice, lime and lemon slices, orange juice and orgeat syrup in a pitcher. 
2. Stir to incorporate and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. 
3. Add ice and club soda to fill. 
4. To serve 6.

   7. Cucumber Tom Collins

Give your skin a super-treat by incorporating this refreshing and ultra-hydrating drink in your diet. The Cucumber Tom Collins doesn’t need any equipment to make and you will love it even more for how healthy it is. 

Ingredients

• Lemon
• Soda water or sprite
• Cucumber
• Mint to garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Peel the cucumber, cut it into small pieces and blend until the large pieces are crushed into a puree.
2. Pour the puree into a shaker and squeeze in the lemon
3. Close the shaker and shake for 15 seconds.
4. Fill up a highball glass with ice cubes
5. Strain the contents from the shaker into the high ball glass filled with ice. 
6. Top the mixture with soda water or sprite if you prefer a sweeter taste. 
7. Garnish with mint or a slice of cucumber. You can also use cumber peels on a toothpick to garnish. 

Considering that the Cucumber Collins is rich in cucumbers and lemons, it can also be a good drink to relieve nausea when suffering from motion sickness.  

   8. Strawberry Cucumber Mule Mocktail

Another fruity, healthy drink that you can make with cucumbers and ginger is the strawberry cucumber mule mocktails. You will need;

Ingredients

• 3 or more sliced strawberries (to be used for garnishing too)
• 2 cucumber slices
• 5 or more basil leaves (garnish)
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• Juice from 2 freshly squeezed limes
• Ginger ale (the brighter the better)
• ice

Preparation

1. In a mule cup, muddle the basil leaves, strawberries and cucumber slices to release the flavours.
2. Add lime juice and simple syrup then stir.
3. Pour in crushed ice and ginger ale till the cup is full. Stir to incorporate.
4. Garnish with strawberry slices and basil leaves. 

   9.  Blackberry Nojito

The blackberry nojito is a perfect example of a non-alcoholic drink that sets the mood for a celebration. It is a purple refreshing fruity drink that blends mint, limes and blackberries but without the alcohol. 

Ingredients

• 1-ounce blackberry syrup
• Fresh blackberries to garnish
• Freshly squeezed juice from 3 limes
• 10 mint sprigs plus more for garnishing
• Lime slices
• Ice

Preparation

1. Add mint sprigs and the blackberry syrup in a cocktail shaker. Muddle. 
2. Into the mixture pour in lime juice and ice. Shake until chill
3. Halfway fill a rocks glass with ice and pour the contents of the shaker into the glass. 
4. Top with club soda and stir
5. Garnish with blackberries, mint sprigs and blackberries.

    10. Pineapple and lime mocktail

We could not end this list without a glittering drink and one filled with pineapples. To show everyone your cocktail skills serve the pineapple and lime mocktail which is made using;

Ingredients

• 750ml pineapple juice
• Edible gold glitters
• 1 teaspoon clear honey
• A bunch of coriander leaves
• 400ml tonic/soda water
• Juice 1 lime
• Ice

Preparation

1. Use a pastry brush dipped in honey to paint a line down on one side of all 4 tumblers.
2. Sprinkle some edible gold glitters over the honey, clean the excess and refrigerate the glass. 
3. In a cocktail shaker, add lime juice, 100ml of pineapple juice and a handful of ice. Chop the coriander leaves and add to the mixture.
4. Shake until the shaker feels chilled. 
5. Strain the contents into the prepared glasses then add extra ice cubes. 
6. Top with the tonic water and the remaining pineapple juice dividing these two between the glasses. 
7. Serve.

Found a mocktail you would like to make?

The great thing about the mocktail ingredients is that if there is some leftover, you can make your alcohol cocktails. Here are some cocktails you might be able to make with the same ingredients – vodka, whiskey, gin, cognac, rum, tequila, champagne and Martini Cocktails.  If you are a Famous Grouse fan here are additional recipes you can check out – Famous Grouse cocktails you can make at home.

Lifestyle: 10 Different Alcoholic Cocktails You Should Try This Holiday