They look like the real deal, but they won’t give you a hangover come the morning. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome… mocktails! Every good party needs a few mocktails, non-alcoholic beverages that look just as good as their boozy counterparts but won’t leave you feeling like a mess.
Despite how good a flute of wine can be, there are dozens of reasons why you should opt for a mocktail: maybe you’re the driver for the night, you’re taking medications, you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you’re trying to cut back on your drinking habits, you have a couple of kids to look after at the gathering, or you simply don’t like alcohol at all. Let alone that mocktails are absolutely delicious, and it’s easy to find yourself surrounded by people who’d also love to enjoy some of these non-alcoholic drinks.
Be aware, we’re all for a good old beer or a fancy cocktail. But sometimes, it’s nice to spoil yourself with something a bit different and definitely more gentle on your liver. If you’re tired of waking up with a pounding headache after drinking all night, it’s time to try out these mocktail recipes we found scattered around on AskReddit and the rest of the world wide web. And oh boy, did they deliver!
It’s the holiday season after all, and that means it’s time to start getting festive! If you’ve been searching everywhere for a Christmas drink that’ll satiate your thirst without tipping into alcoholic territory, these easy mocktails range from classic to unique, so you’re bound to find something new and exciting for your holiday revelry. There’s something for everyone, from the cute and fruity to the strong enough to knock your socks off — and all without worrying about how tomorrow will feel! And who knows, maybe you’ll find a new fave companion for all your future gatherings, backyard barbecues, and summer picnics.
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"The Shirley Temple is a gold standard mocktail. Sprite, grenadine, and maraschino cherries."
"I really liked "Don't Touch My Car Keys":
0.75oz Lime Juice
0.5oz Coconut Syrup
3oz Sparkling Water
Shake and Pour into ice-filled glass
3-5 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Mint Garnish.
"Pink lemonade. Wash a bunch of lemons, cut them into chunks, remove pips, blend (rind and all) in water, filter out the pulp, and add grenadine and sugar (all quantities to taste). Chill and serve with lots of ice. Possibly the most refreshing drink ever."
"Lychee juice, sprite + fresh mint leaves. Juice and Sprite ratio 3:1."
"Apfelschorle is the national NA drink of Germany. It's a mixture of apple juice and club soda (not seltzer; the minerals are important). I do two or three parts juice to one-part soda, but some people do 1:1. It's less sweet than straight juice and the minerals in the soda give it a slightly savory taste."
"Strawberry Cucumber Mojito":
Strawberries
1 cucumber
Fresh mint
True Lime Packets (1 per mocktail)
Sparkling water of choice
Sweeteners (optional) such as honey simple syrup, agave syrup, or date syrup.
"Lemonade, lavender syrup, and seltzer. I also like to use peach syrup with this combo as well!"
"Pineapple juice and orange juice with a splash of grenadine."
"Mermaid Water":
Pineapple Juice
Gatorade Zero Sugar berry flavored
Gatorade Frost Glacier Freeze
Ice cubes.
"Spicy Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca":
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 jalapeño, roughly chopped
Ice cubes or crushed ice (optional).
"Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri":
Strawberries
Limes
Simple syrup
Lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7up.
"Virgin Mango Orange Mojito":
Mango juice
Orange juice
Lime juice
Fresh mint
Plain seltzer water
Granulated sugar.
"Juicy Julep":
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Ginger ale
To top off 1 teaspoon of fresh mint, crushed or finely chopped
A sprig of mint, for garnish (optional)
Lime wedge and/or pineapple slice, for garnish (optional).
"Roseberry Mule":
1 handful of blackberry
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon agave nectar, or honey
1 bottle of ginger beer, to taste
1 fl oz lime juice.
"Fizzy Blueberry Basil Punch":
1 lb. blueberries
3 cups water, 1 cup sugar
1 cup basil
Juice of two limes
1-liter club soda.
"Blueberry Maple Mojito":
8-10 mint leaves plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon good quality maple syrup
1/3 cup organic no sugar added blueberry juice
1/2 cup club soda some frozen blueberries for garnish.
"Salted Caramel White Russian Mocktail":
4 tsp instant coffee
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp sugar
4 tbsp salted caramel sauce
100ml single cream
4 rosemary sprigs, to serve.
If only I could stand the flavor of coffee....this sounds so good!! 😣
"I like ginger beer + POG juice (pineapple, orange, guava). It’s quite sweet but very nice, especially for a party."
"Grapefruit juice with a muddled fresh jalapeño and a splash of sprite. Can easily skip the jalapeño if you’re in a busy bar or don’t like it spicy."
"1 glass of watermelon juice
Mint leaves, soda
Sugar syrup
Lime juice
Crushed ice.
Add mint leaves to a glass. Add crushed ice, lime juice, and sugar syrup. Pour watermelon juice and soda."
"Palo-Marita":
½ Cup grapefruit juice
1 Tbsp agave syrup (you can also use sugar syrup)
¼ Cup club soda
¼ Cup lemon juice.
"Spicy Grapefruit Ginger Fizz Cocktail":
100% grapefruit juice for this mocktail
Ginger beer
Lime juice
Fresh mint
Fresh jalapeno.
"Cranberry Maple Rosemary Mocktail":
Cranberry Juice
Maple syrup
Rosemary
And a little bit of all spice.
"Sparkling water with a splash of juice and/or soda and/or frozen or fresh fruit. I like sparkling water with pineapple cranberry juice and ginger ale and frozen berries."
"Coke Zero and grenadine... Keeps you dancing all night!!"
"Espresso and tonic water with a lemon slice."
"I've used Aloe Vera before (in a mock mojito). It's a great base, not too much flavor just enough & I think it has a great mouthfeel. It's probably healthy for you too!"
"Cuddles on the Beach Mocktail":
Orange juice
Cranberry juice
Peaches
Simple syrup
Lemon, orange wheel for garnish."
"Tonic water with cranberry juice and lime. Looks like a cocktail, tastes refreshing, and allows me to fit right in."
"Heineken Zero has been a blessing for me during social events. It’s funny cause I NEVER liked beer. But removed the alcohol and I love it lol."
"Diet ginger ale plus some crushed mint and a wedge of lime = a fairly decent Nojito (virgin mojito)."
If you can’t afford this stuff, try drinking tap water while thinking about limes. I call it the Pojito.
"I make a sparkling cider/sorrel tea mixture, and it’s so good!"
"A drink I call the "Motrin" it's a nonalcoholic version of the Painkiller.
3 oz pineapple juice
1 oz cream of coconut
1 oz passion fruit puree. It's always a huge hit!"
"3 Na strawberry liquor
2 lemon juice
6 cranberry juice. Shake with egg White and top with soda."
"Cranberry Mocktail with Pomegranate":
Cranberry and Pomegranate juice
Club soda
Lime juice
Fresh mint leaves (optional).
You’re in charge, man. This is your cocktail. Don’t give them a choice. THE MINT LEAVES ARE MANDATORY!
"Blended Tropical Pineapple Slushie":
2 pineapple chopped
1/4 lemon
2 cups of water
1/2 a cup of ice
Mint leaves to garnish
1 banana (optional)
1 pear (optional).
"Pineapple and passionfruit soda":
1 and 1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 and 1/4 cups caster sugar
3 passionfruit, halved
2 liters soda water, chilled.
"Sour cherry mocktail":
Crushed ice
900ml sour cherry nectar
1.2L soda water.
"Mock cranberry mules" are a good go-to, especially if you can put them in a copper mug and make them look like a cocktail. We have plenty of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice on hand all the time, so here's a mint grapefruit soda recipe I started playing around with
1oz GF
.75 simple
And a handful of mint sprigs."
"One of my go-to's uses grenadine, lemon juice, simple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and egg white. It's pretty sweet but the flavor and texture make it a really fun one."
"Really enjoyed a chocolate cherry thing I made for a party this summer -- tart cherry juice, chocolate flavoring syrup (think Monin or Torani, not Hershey's), and either seltzer or tonic, depending on preference. I had some very good chocolate cherry cocktail bitters that were included but this is optional. The sweetness level is very customizable with the base ingredients."
"Blueberry simple syrup (you can make it yourself or buy it pretty easily) just a little or add more if you want more sweet, carbonated water 8 oz
Juice of 1/2 lime
Mint, or basil."
"I use sparkling grape juice, lemon juice, and juniper/cardamom/anise-infused syrup for a great drink."
"Milk & Honey House Ginger Beer":
1 oz lemon
1 oz pineapple
1 bar spoon maple syrup
~4 oz ginger beer
2 dashes of Angostura bitters."
"Hibiscus Iced Tea Sparkler":
4 cups boiling water
8 bags of hibiscus tea
1/2 cup honey
Ice
2 cups sparkling water
1/4 cup mint leaves
Strawberries for garnish.
"New Mother":
32 ounces of apple juice
32 ounces of cranberry juice
32 ounces of orange juice
Crushed ice
Orange slices for garnish.
"Snickerdoodle Cookie Mocktail":
Use half and half, but you could use heavy whipping cream, whole or 2% milk, non-dairy coconut milk, or soy milk. The flavor might change a bit, but it will still be delicious!
Seasonings – vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar
Garnishes – graham crackers, sprinkles, cinnamon sticks, Snickerdoodle cookies, etc.
"Mock Orange Julius":
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp SPLENDA granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 handfuls of ice.
As far as I know, real Orange Julius does not have alcohol. But this is still undoubtedly delicious.
"Nespresso Napoli Bitter":
Ice cubes
1 x 100ml (3 oz) Sanbitter*
10ml vanilla syrup
2 capsules Nespresso Napoli.
*Sanbitter: An Italian soda that is drunk before a meal (aperitif). As the name suggests, it is bitter but non-alcoholic. To describe the taste, it is bitter (although not medicinal bitter) with a sweet note at the end.
"French 75":
2 cups ice
3 ounces fresh lemon juice
4 dashes of lemon or orange bitters
2 (6-8oz) bottles of premium tonic water (such as Fever Tree or Q Tonic)
2 rock candy swizzle sticks.
"Mexican Horchata":
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cinnamon sticks
1-12 oz. can evaporate milk
1-12 oz can of condensed milk
8 cups of warm water divided
Sugar to taste
Ground cinnamon to garnish optional
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla optional.
As far as I know real Mexican Horchata is not alcoholic, but this is no doubt yummy.
"Pineapple, apricot, and lime punch":
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup apricot juice
1 cup ginger beer
1 cup soda water
1/4 cup lime juice
Crushed ice
To serve: 2 limes, thinly sliced.
"Peach Melba punch":
4 yellow peaches
1 cup pineapple juice
250g raspberries
4 cups ice cubes
1.25 liters lemonade, chilled.
You can’t mix cups and liters in the same recipe. There are rules, people!
"Kiwi Spritzer":
1 kiwifruit peeled and chopped
½ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
Kiwifruit slices for garnish
Crushed ice
Club soda.
(Downvoted for being insensitive to my peeps from New Zealand.) EDIT: That is a joke. I did not downvote anything in this thread. I realize that kiwis are little green fruits in fuzzy brown packages.
"Blue Hawaii":
1 cup blue Gatorade (any blue-colored flavor)
1 cup limeade
1 cup pineapple juice
2 maraschino cherries (optional- garnish)
2 pineapple slices (optional- garnish).
"Kombucha had taken a nice spot around town with some nice bar-like places with alcohol-free kombucha."
I’m so happy there are delicious alcohol alternatives in your area now.
"Hibiscus tea and ginger or jalapeno simple syrup topped off with a ginger beer!"
"I recently went to a bar and asked the bartender to make me a mocktail - he first made me a Sprite mixed with OJ. It ended up being too sweet for my taste so after I finished it, I asked him to use soda water instead and it was perfect!"
Thank you for sharing your experience. That sounds good!
"Zero alcohol Samuel Adams."
OK, I apologize for teasing the ones on here that are actual recipes. These “This is my favorite NA beer” posts are just indescribable.
"Recently I made a "Rhubarb rickey" that was really nice -
3/4 oz lime
1/2 oz rhubarb syrup
Float with club soda. I added hibiscus lavender bitters by crude bitters to this and it added a lot of depth!"
"Watermelon lime mocktail":
Frozen watermelon
Fresh lime juice
Water
Tajin seasoning.
If the watermelon was carved to look like an old timey sailing ship and THEN frozen, we could call it “The Shackleton.” (This is my favorite one so far.)
"Appletini":
Apple juice
Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice tastes best,
Granny Smith apple syrup – this gives it a beautiful green color and adds a little tartness to the taste and ice cubes.
"Strawberry Coconut Cooler":
1 cup strawberry, sliced
½ cup cucumber, sliced
Ice
1 cup coconut water.
"Strawberry Prickly Pear Agua Fresca":
5 prickly pears
3 cups frozen strawberries
¼ cup lime juice
4 cups cold water, divided
½ cup organic cane sugar.
*carefully divides the water into oxygen and hydrogen molecules*
"Sprite Zero with Cran-Apple."
Again, I found it so I get to name it. Ok… hmmm… wait… “The Nuclear Rainbow.”
