5 Delicious Mocktails to Try

Welcome to 2022!  Im starting the new year with a month of self-reflection, introspection, and a reapplication of discipline. As part of my discipline initiative, I’m cutting out all alcohol for the month. Yes, this will be my very first dry-on purpose-January, but not my first foray into the world nonalcoholic beverages. 😊

A couple of years ago, I did a feature with sober living blogger Emily G. I shared 3 festive mocktail recipes perfect for holiday gatherings. Not only did I have fund, but I got to thinking that usually the only options for those abstaining at most functions is water, soft drinks, juice, and coffee/tea. Nothing wrong with these choices, but they’re pretty boring and not spirited at all. There’s more than one way to get spirited, so why not have a more festive unleaded options for you guests as well?

So, what better time to dig deeper into the world of mocktails than now. People can chose to not imbibe alcohol for several reasons, be it health or lifestyle. Sometimes it’s more of a permanent choice (health/spiritual reasons, don’t enjoy its affects, etc.), while other times it’s more of a temporary decision (on medication, doing a cleanse, etc.) So without further ado, here are 5 mocktail recipes for you to try this month, or anytime you are taking a break from alcohol.

All recipes courtesy of Town and Country Magazine. I made changes to several (of course) to the recipes, so please refer to the originals via the link if interested.

Tropical Moscow Mule

This is my twist on the Mango Mule recipe:

Ingredients:

• English cucumber- 4 slices
• Mango nectar- 1.5 oz
• Fresh lime juice- 1.5 oz
• Honey syrup- 1 0z
• Tropical ginger beer

Directions:

1. Add cucumber, mango nectar, lime juice, and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker and muddle well.
2. Once cucumber is well muddled, add ice & give a good shake
3. Strain into desired glass, preferably a copper mug, and top off with tropical ginger beer.

This 100% tastes just like a Moscow mule! I absolutely love it and it was my favorite of the 5 mocktails I tried today.  Not to mention it’s really versatile, flavor wise. I can easily see myself enjoying these regularly in the future at parties, networking events, or just at home on my patio.

*Note: I used the Q brand of tropical ginger beer that I found at my local grocery store.

Virgin Cucumber Gimlet

I do love a gimlet, so I was beyond excited to try this one. I found it very light & simple to make. Something about cucumber that makes everything refreshing.

Ingredients:

• English Cucumber- 4 slices
• Sparkling spring water- 1.5 oz (I used this instead of club soda, I really, really dislike club soda)
• Fresh lime juice- 1 0z
• Simple syrup- 1 0z

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber
2. Once cucumber is nice and muddled, give mixture a good shake with ice
3. Strain into preferred glass

Rose Fizz

I’ve become quite found of egg whites in my beverages, so I knew I had to give this one a go. I made my own rose lemonade since I couldn’t locate the specific brand referenced in the recipe. It turned out delicious.

Ingredients:

• Egg white-1
• Powdered sugar- 1 tsp
• Fresh lemon juice- .5 oz
• Rose water- a few drops
• Lemonade to top
• Lavender bitters- I added these on a whim & it completely elevated the springiness of this drink, (but it’s totally optional)

Directions:

1. Dry shake egg white for 15 secs
2. Add in remaining ingredients & ice, shake vigorously for another 15-20 secs (until frothy)
3. Pour into serving glass, top off with lemonade, add few drops of lavender bitters
4. Enjoy!

Virgin Paloma

For all my tequila lovers out there, this is a SPOT ON replica of a Paloma. Taste & feel wise, this hits all the right buttons. I made a change to the original recipe by completely omitting the soda water topper because I wanted a less filling drink.

Ingredients:

• Grapefruit juice- 1 oz
• Fresh lime juice- 1.5 oz
• Honey syrup- 1 oz
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until combined
2. Strain into serving glass of your choice

Mango Cobbler

This is my take on the Pineapple Cobbler recipe. I forgot to get the pineapple juice, so I made a few changes on the spot. 😁 Of of the mocktail recipes presented in this article, I think this would would make a perfect spring or early summer punch.

Ingredients:

• Mango nectar- 3 0z
• Fresh strawberries- 3-4
• Fresh lime juice- .5 oz
• Sparkling spring water

Directions:

1. Muddle or juice the strawberries to get roughly 1 oz of juice, set aside
2. Combine mango nectar & lime juice in a cocktail shaker, shake well
3. Strain into glass
4. Add sparkling water
5. float strawberry juice on top

Note: if you muddled the strawberries like I did, feel free to add the inclusions to your drink!

Click here to subscribe to the Spirited Traveler’s email list. You’ll receive an awesome travel or cocktail related freebie +  stay in the loop for all future adventures.