10 Mocktails for a Delicious Dry January

Because of the hold that cocktails, beer, and wine have on our brains when we want to relax with a drink, we tend to lose sight of what we’re really craving, which is something that refreshes, revitalizes, and tastes great. As you’ll see, you don’t need booze to check those three boxes. Here’s a list 10 mocktails for anytime and especially if you’re trying to limit your alcohol intake for the New Year:

Lime Rickey - The bit of sodium in club soda lifts the other elements in this simple, delightful refresher. With tart, effervescent tasting notes this is a refreshing mocktail if you like a Gin Rickey!

Ingredients

• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces club soda

Recipe: Place the syrup and lime juice in a highball glass and stir to combine. Add ice and top with the club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Sangria – White or red grape juice works well as the foundation for this fruity mélange. With fruity, sour, and sweep tasting notes, this is a flavorful non-alcoholic sangria option!

Ingredients

• 10 ounces grape juice
• 6 ounces apple juice
• 4 ounces orange juice
• 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 cup blackberries
• 4 ounces club soda

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients, except for the club soda, in a large container, stir to combine, and cover the container. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Pour the mixture into a punch bowl, add the club soda, and gently stir to combine. Serve ocer ice in wineglasses and garnish with lemon wheels.

Little Red Shoes – Pomegranate juice looks sweet, but it has a deep sourness that is irresistible once you get a taste for it. With tart, sweet, and bright tasting notes, this drink is an uplifting Ward 8 variation.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces pomegranate juice
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• 2/3 ounce simple syrup

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill it two-thirds of the way with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain over ice into a rocks glass, garnish with the pomegranate seeds, and enjoy!

Deep Sky – A drink that shows the wisdom of always having some frozen passion fruit chunks on hand—once you do, a delicious, deeply-flavored drink is always right around the corner. With tart tasting notes, this refreshing twist on a hurricane will take you to the tropics wherever you are.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces passion fruit puree
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients in a blender, ass 5 ounces crushed ice, and puree until smooth. Pour the drink into a highball glass and enjoy! 

Vacation from My Mind – Iced strawberry tea is a secret weapon when it comes to making mocktails, as it provides considerable berry flavor without also adding the sweetness that can throw a drink out of balance. With berry tasting notes, this bright and refreshing drink is similar to a Bramble.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce iced strawberry tea
• 2 ounces blueberry juice
• 1 ounce raspberry syrup
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill it two-thirds of the way with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain over crushed ice into a rocks glass, garnish with blueberries, and enjoy.

The Violet Hour – The cardamom and elderflower syrup allow lychee’s floral finish to come through crystal clear. With spicy and fruity tasting notes, this tropical drink is akin to a Ginger Peach Fizz.

Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce lychee nectar
• 1/2 ounce peach nectar
• 1/2 ounce mango puree
• 1/4 ounce Monin elderflower syrup
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 ounce ginger juice
• pinch of ground cardamom
• 2 dashes of El Guapo Holiday Pie bitters

Recipe: Place all ingredients in cocktail shaker, fill two-thirds of the way with ice, and shake until chilled. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with fresh mint, and enjoy!

Moment to Moment – To make the most of the chocolatey flavor here, look for coffee beans from South or Central America that feature a medium-dark roast. With rich chocolate tasting notes, this creamy drink is a decadent non-alcoholic Espresso Martini.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces freshly brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 ounces heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Chocolate Ganache

Recipe: While the espresso is still hot, stir the honey into it. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. Place the sweetened espresso, heavy cream, and ganache in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Double strain into the cocktail glass, garnish with chocolate-covered espress beans, and enjoy!

Corcovado – El Guapo’s Chicory Pecan bitters will transport you to a quiet balcony in New Orleans on a bright, cool morning. With earthy, nutty, and woodsy tasting notes, this Coffee Old Fashioned variation is a perfect sipper.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces room temperature espresso
• 2 dashes of El Guapo Chicory Pecan bitters
• 1/2 ounce rich simple syrup

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill two-thirds of the way with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain over large ice cube into a rocks glass, garnish with an orange twist, and enjoy!

Privateer – When a drink has as few ingredients as this one, you can be certain it’s a winner. With tropical sweet tasting notes, this drink is not to be mistaken for the Privateer cocktail but is similar to a Cuba Libre.

Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 6 ounces cola
• 1 ounce coconut syrup

Recipe: Add ice to a rocks glass, add all ingredients, and stir until chilled. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Quiet Storm – Tart and tangy, the Rhubarb syrup serves as a perfect foil for numerous sweet elements in this one. With sweet, sour, and spicy tasting notes, this twist on a Jungle Bird will take you away to a beach as a storm begins to roll in.

Ingredients

• 3/4 ounce pineapple juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce rhubarb syrup
• 1/2 ounce honey & ginger syrup
• 1/2 ounce grenadine
• 2 ounces cola

Recipe: Place all of the ingredients, except for the cola, in a cocktail shaker, filled two-third of the way with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain over ice into a highball glass, top with the cold, and enjoy!

These delicious recipes prove that booze is no longer the only name in the refreshment game—the time has come to rethink how and what you drink!

 

All drinks taken from Mocktails: A Collection of Low-Proof, No-Proof Cocktails. Pick up a copy for more recipes and instructions on making special syrups and tips on making great mocktails!