15 Amazing Non-Alcoholic Cocktails If You Don’t Drink

Trying to keep up with our everyday lives is hard enough. But now that everyone is working from home, trying to balance their work and home lives, it’s becoming even harder to stay sane throughout the day. But with just a couple of ingredients, you can turn your workday into a staycation in just minutes without worrying about getting tipsy during Zoom calls.

Most people think that mocktails are boring or unnecessary, but when done right, you can barely tell the difference! And apart from easing those slow hours during a workday, these recipes are a great thing to have at hand for parties as well. Whether it’s because some people can’t drink, or simply don’t want to, they will definitely be grateful for these tasty drinks. You can also check out baranddrink.com for more cocktail recipes that you can make in your house.

Mango Mule

Moscow Mule is a favorite of many. The zestiness of the lime and the taste of refreshing ginger combined is a go-to on hot summer nights. But even if you don’t drink alcohol, or if you’re the designated driver, there’s a perfect replacement that hits just the right spots.

What You’ll Need

Honey syrup

Mango puree

Lime juice

Ginger beer

Cucumber slices to taste

Ice to taste

First, muddle the cucumber slices and honey in the bottom of your cocktail shaker or cup. Add the mango puree and your lime juice. If you don’t have a shaker, add the ginger beer and ice, and stir it up thoroughly. Although, if you have a shaker, that’s the best, because you can shake it vigorously. Spicing it up with homemade mango puree and freshly squeezed lime juice gives an entirely different experience.

Shirley Ginger

If you love the taste of ginger but prefer something other than the taste of mango, a great alternative to the Mango Mule is the Shirley Ginger. This is more sour and refreshing than the aforementioned gingery counterpart, which could make it even better for hot nights and boring days.

What You’ll Need

Ginger beer (the best for this recipe is Brooklyn Crafted Lemon Lime Ginger Beer)

Club soda

Lime juice

Grenadine

You can easily make this mocktail without the use of a shaker, as all you need to do is add all ingredients in a cup and serve it with ice. It looks very elegant when garnished with lime and maraschino cherries, the latter giving it an intense sweetness that perfectly counteracts the sour taste of the lime.

Hot Apple Cider

There’s nothing better than hot apple cider when trying to cope with cold lonely nights. This cozy warm drink is also the best to accompany a late-night deep conversation with a close friend. Furthermore, it is insanely easy to make and will become a favorite of any guest you offer it to.

What You’ll Need

Apple cider

Pumpkin butter

Heat the apple cider and stir in the pumpkin butter for that velvety finish. You can garnish it with star anise and cinnamon for the best look and cozy taste. If you want to take this recipe to the next level, you can master making your own homemade apple cider.

Virgin Margarita

This is a classic with or without the added alcohol. So much so that they’ve mastered the mocktail recipe so you can’t even taste the difference! Because of this, it is also a go-to for those early months of pregnancy when you’re not quite ready to share the news with everyone.

What You’ll Need

Lime juice

Lemon Juice

Tonic water

Maple syrup

Pickle juice

This is a very versatile mocktail that you can play around with, giving it your own signature. The pairing of lemon and lime adds the perfect balance of sour and bitter and is best when freshly squeezed. If you have some in your kitchen, you can also add shavings from the peel to give it an extra oomph.

The maple syrup can be replaced by simple sugar syrup, but the taste of the maple syrup is perfect to counteract the sourness of the lemon and lime. You might also be wondering about the pickle juice. This was added in to give the mocktail that tequila funk, and as absurd as it may seem, it actually rounds out the mocktail perfectly, so give it a go!

Virgin Fruity Margarita

If you’re more of a sweet tooth, and would rather drink something other than the classic margarita, you can try this fruity recipe for poolside parties.

What You’ll Need

Fruit of your choice cut into chunks, or premade puree (the best for this summer recipe is watermelon)

Lime juice

Agave

Sparkling water

In a blender, make your fruit puree so that it makes 4 cups in total. Add the freshly squeezed lime juice and agave, blend it again, and you’re done! Serve it with either sparkling water or tonic if you crave that bitter taste. Garnish with the fruit you added into it, and or lime wedges (or rounds)

Berry Burlesque

For those sophisticated girls’ night out, or if you’re feeling like the queen – or king – you are, this is the perfect sweet mocktail to try. And even if you don’t drink this every night, it’s an amazing recipe to have at hand to show off at house parties.

What You’ll Need

Lime juice

Honey/honey syrup

Black currant puree

Mint leaves

Ginger beer

If you want to be extra fancy, you can make your own amazing black currant puree that can be used in other recipes as well! To really make the most out of all ingredients, it’s best to shake them all together using a shaker with ice (except the ginger beer). Strain it into a cup, and top it all with the ginger beer. If you’re not opposed to the fruit chunks left in the puree, there’s no need to strain at all!

Rose Fizz

This neat-looking mocktail turns any boring afternoon into a scene from Sex and the City. So put your feet up, get your typewriter, and start acting like the main character of your life.

What You’ll Need

1 egg white

Powdered sugar

Lemon Juice

Rose lemonade

First, make your rose lemonade, or pick a bottle up from the store if they have any. If you can’t seem to find any, you can replace it with any fruity lemonade of your choosing. You will need a shaker for this recipe and some patience. Add everything except the lemonade into the shaker, and shake without ice (“dry shake”) for 1-2 minutes. Then add ice (“hard shake”), and shake again vigorously until it has almost a foamy texture. Top it with rose lemonade, or your chosen replacement, and garnish with edible flowers. You can also garnish the edges of your cup with sugar.

Rosemary Blueberry Smash

Another amazing-looking mocktail, done right, this tasty drink will have a light pink hue to it. It’s perfect for those dinner parties or poolside get-togethers to show off your bartending skills and recipe knowledge.

What You’ll Need

A few blueberries to taste

1 rosemary sprig

Honey/honey syrup

Lemon juice

Sparkling water

Ice

Start by gently muddling the blueberries, rosemary leaves, and honey syrup in the bottom of your shaker. Add lemon juice, and shake with ice for 10 seconds. Strain it into a tall glass filled with ice, and top with sparkling water. If you don’t have a shaker, you can also add it straight into a cup, but don’t forget to take the rosemary out before serving. And if you don’t mind the blueberry pieces left in the “puree”, you can leave out the straining altogether.

Blueberry Mojito

If you love the taste of blueberry, this recipe and the one mentioned above will definitely be your favorite. The mint leaves in the Mojito will be the best friend of the blueberry and lime juice, adding the perfect freshness to your sweet mocktail.

What You’ll Need

Mint leaves to taste

A handful of fresh blueberries

Lime juice

Simple syrup

Splash of club soda

First, gently muddle the blueberries and 1-2 mint leaves. Just enough to break the fruit. Add all your ingredients to your shaker and shake it with ice. Serve it with ice, garnished with a couple of blueberries and mint leaves.

Pineapple Ginger Beer

Although for some it might seem like a weird combo, pineapple and ginger actually complement each other nicely. With these few ingredients lying around the house, you can make the perfect mocktail for any guest.

What You’ll Need

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Pineapple juice

Ginger syrup

First, you must make your ginger syrup, because homemade is the best after all. Fine strain roughly chopped ginger root through a juicer twice, until you get 1 liter of fresh ginger juice. Add 675g superfine sugar, or simple syrup, and stir vigorously to combine. After you have your syrup, combine all ingredients and shake very quickly with ice. Add it to your cup with a few ice cubes, and garnish with ginger and or a lemon wedge.

Photo by Ash Edmonds on Unsplash

With these simple recipes, you can turn any boring afternoon or slow dinner party into an amazing time. And of course, adding a little alcohol, you can turn any of these recipes into cocktails if you feel like it’s time to let off some steam.