When you switch to a sober lifestyle, you might feel that you’re missing out on the social element of drinking. Fortunately, restaurants and bars are adding non-alcoholic beverages called mocktails to their menus that are interesting, flavorful, and give a refreshing taste with no alcohol in the ingredients.
If you want to level up your next gathering or event, try these mocktail recipes for a non-alcoholic drink everyone will love!
Non-Alcoholic Mojitos Remixed
When learning how to get sober, planning events and attending social gatherings can seem like a challenge. An excellent and easily accessible ordering option is a non-alcoholic mojito. This delicious beverage is also very simple to make at home. Enjoy the refreshing taste of a regular mojito, without compromising your recovery.
Check out these remixed versions of the mojito classics.
Mountain Mojito Mocktail
Ingredients:
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Agave
0.5 oz Blood Orange Purée
4 fresh Mint Leaves
Splash of Soda Water
Instructions:
Mix the mint leaves with the lime juice and agave. Then add the blood orange puree and ice. Top it off with soda water and garnish with fresh mint.
Raspberry Lemonade Virgin Mojito
Ingredients:
- 15 Mint Leaves
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- 2 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- 8 oz Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade
- Garnish: Raspberries, Mint, Lime Wedge
Instructions:
Put the mint leaves at the bottom of a tall glass and muddle the mint. Add the simple syrup and lime juice, then place ice cubes in the glass. Top it off with a sparkling raspberry lemonade of your choice. Garnish with raspberries, a sprig of mint, and a bit of lime.
Coffee Inspired Mocktails
Creating an environment where you can get sober help, also means figuring out ways to replace old habits with new substitutes. Instead of putting whiskey in a glass, consider coffee as an alternative for recipes you enjoy.
These mocktails are inspired by coffee and infused with wonderful ingredients that can be made right in your kitchen. Try these recipes with different brews of coffee or pick up some cold brew from a local cafe.
Cold Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 oz Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Orange Bitters (non-alcoholic only)
Ice
Orange/Cherry garnish
Important Note: Bitters are great for flavor and digestion. Although only a few drops, most bitters contain up to 45% alcohol so try non-alcoholic bitters.
Instructions:
Turn this beloved classic into a mocktail masterpiece by using cold brew. Simply mix all the ingredients together and add a fruit garnish.
Cold Brew Sour
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate
- Juice of ½ a Lemon
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- Ice
- Lemon Wedge Garnish
Instructions:
This is an adapted version for a sour that is refreshingly tart. Simply stir the ingredients together in a glass and garnish with a lemon wedge. For the best flavor profile, use a well-rounded coffee, rather than a light blend.
Summer Fruit Infused Mocktails
Summer days bring about more options for fruity non-alcoholic drinks. From iced tea blends to more involved fruit syrups, these recipes are bound to be a favorite among friends when the weather gets hot.
Substitute ingredients that are in-season where you can enjoy fresh flavors for summer sober events!
Lemongrass Jasmine Iced Tea
Ingredients:
Muddle 4 to 5 Pieces of Cut Lemongrass
0.5 oz Vanilla-Infused Simple Syrup
.5 oz Lemon
4 oz Jasmine Tea
2 oz Lychee Juice
Instructions:
Shake ingredients with ice and double strain it into a glass. Add cubed ice and top with crushed ice for the full look. Garnish with lemongrass.
Strawberry Fields
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Hibiscus Syrup
- 1 oz Strawberry Syrup
- Soda to top it off
- 3 Ice Cubes
Instructions:
Make syrup from scratch by combining 1 part sugar and 1 part hot water or use a premade sugar syrup. Combine hibiscus and strawberry syrup (or replace it with flavors that are available). Add three ice cubes and shake quickly. Top it off with soda and garnish with a halved strawberry.
Rosemary Blueberry Smash
Ingredients:
- 8 Blueberries
- 1 Rosemary Stripped Sprig
- 1 oz Honey Syrup
- 1 oz of Strained Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4 oz of Sparkling Mineral Water
- Ice
Instructions:
Muddle blueberries, rosemary leaves, and honey syrup in the bottom of a shaker. Add lemon juice and shake with ice for 10 seconds. Strain through a mesh strainer into a tall glass of ice. Top with sparkling water and stir.
Ginger Peach Soda
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons of Minced Fresh Ginger
- 2 Ripe Peaches, Halved, Pitted, and Thinly Sliced
- 2 Liters of Chilled Seltzer
- 16 Fresh Mint Leaves for Garnish
Instructions:
To make from scratch, use a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and bring one cup of water, sugar, and ginger to a gentle simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar. Remove the syrup from heat and cover to steep for 30 minutes. After it is steeped, pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Press minced ginger against the sieve with the back of a spoon to extract the flavor. Discard ginger and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
For each glass, lightly press peaches with the back of a spoon to release the juice. Pour 2 tablespoons of chilled syrup over the peaches. Store the remaining syrup. Add ice to glasses and top with seltzer. Stir and serve with a garnish of mint leaves.
Pineapple Mango Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ Cups of Freshly Squeezed and Strained Lemon Juice
- 3 ½ Cups of Cold Water
- ¾ Cup and 2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
- 46 oz of Chilled Pineapple Juice
- 32 oz Chilled Bottle of 100% Mango Nectar
- Optional: Frozen Chunks of Pineapple or Mango
- Ice
Instructions:
In a one-gallon pitcher, whisk together lemon juice, water, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in pineapple juice and mango nectar. If desired add pineapple and mango chunks with ice. Serve cold.
These summer mocktail recipes are great for sober events out in the sun. The ratios can easily be modified to fit large or small groups to ensure everyone gets a sweet taste of summer.
Non-Alcoholic Winter Drinks
Winter drinks offer a cozy feeling that you may not be able to achieve with other mocktail recipes during the year. By accessing the sober help you need when the weather takes a turn for the worse, you can find safe spaces you can share with those around you.
Why not share space with a mocktail that invites a homey feeling and a great alternative for a sober lifestyle?
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Cozy Tea Toddy
Ingredients
8 Cups Boiling Water
8 Bags Tulsi (Holy Basil) Tea, or 1/3 Cup Loose Dried Tulsi
4 Thin Slices of Fresh Ginger Root
12 Cardamom Pods
2 Cinnamon Sticks
3 Whole Star Anise Pods
1 Lemon Thinly Sliced
Instructions:
Pour boiling water over the tea bags in a slow cooker (or a pot on the stove). Add ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and lemon slices. Allow it to steep for 30 minutes. Then remove the spices with a mesh skimmer or strainer and set the heat to low or a warm setting. Add honey and it is ready to be served!
Winter Shandy
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Spice 94
- 1 oz Spiced Apricot Ceylon Shrub (see instructions below)
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Barspoon Sugar Syrup
- 3 oz Erdinger Nonalcoholic beer (or one of your choice)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice and stir to combine. Garnish with grapefruit zest and grated nutmeg.
*Directions for the Spiced Apricot Ceylon Shrub:
Place 5 green cardamom pods in a pan on the stove and dry fry until toasted. Then transfer the cardamom pods to a large saucepan and add 1.25 cups of Ceylon tea, 1 cup of dried apricots, 3 cups superfine sugar, 1.5 tsp black pepper, and 0.5 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Remove the mixture from the heat and leave it to cool. Then strain and bottle the shrub.
Winter “Sangria”
Ingredients:
- 1 qt. Pomegranate-Juice Blend (Look For 100% Juice)
- 2 Cups Elderberry Juice
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Lemon Thinly Sliced
- 1 Lime Thinly Sliced
- 1 Ripe Pear, Peeled, Seeded and Diced
- 1 Granny Smith Apple Seeded and Diced
- 1 Cup Red Grapes Cut in Half
- 4 Cups Sparkling Water
Instructions:
In a large pitcher, mix the juices together and then add cinnamon sticks and fruits. Cover and steep for a few hours, preferably overnight. Serve in glasses and distribute the fruit in each. Add sparkling water for fizz effect.
Non-Alcoholic Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
- Bloody Mary mix
- Fresh rosemary
- Celery
- Tabasco
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Blue cheese olives
Instructions:
Prepare a glass with a salty rim. In a shaker, mix the Bloody Mary mix with a splash of Tabasco, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of garlic powder and black pepper. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with a piece of celery, rosemary, and blue cheese olives.
Boozeless Recipes For All Occasions
Whatever your drink of choice was before recovery, there are always ways to learn how to get sober and find substitutions for the drinks you enjoyed before. With a clearer mind, you can enjoy the company of others and experience life in a more meaningful way with those around you.
