Mocktails are a refreshing alternative to your classic cocktail—just minus the alcohol—and can be enjoyed all year round! But the ingredients you add to make your mocktail should not be overlooked. To make a mocktail that is not just soda or juice (or a combination of the two), there are a few key elements to you’ll want to be sure to still include. These 4 tips will help you create a mocktail that feels special enough to celebrate with.
28 Easy Mocktail Ideas for Celebrating without Alcohol
4 Key Tips for Turning Any Cocktail into a Mocktail
A good cocktail has a spectrum of flavors, a nice balance of sweet and sour, and often has components that provide bitterness (if you typically love aClassic NegroniorOld Fashioned) and texture (bring on the blended drinks!). Here’s how to create any of these cocktail elements (or a combination of them) when you’re making the perfect mocktail.
Pictured Recipe:Mojito Mocktail
1. Mix in some sweet & sour
Andrea Mathis, M.A., R.D.N., L.D.
Pictured Recipe:Cucumber Margarita Mocktail
2. Blend in some bitters
Many cocktails use bitters to add a signature taste to like in aClassic Negroni,ManhattanorOld Fashioned. (Side note, it is said that bitters stimulate your appetite before a meal, hence why they’re called apéritifs, or an alcoholic drink taken before a meal as a appetizer, according to thedictionary).
Even though bitters technically do contain alcohol, the amount you use is so little that it’s considered more of an extract (like vanilla or orange extract). So, consider adding a dash or two of bitters or as a fully non-alcoholic alternative, you could brew an over-steeped tea (the tannins in tea get bitter the longer it steeps) to recreate that bitter element.
3. Add in texture
Or you can blend fruit in a blender to add creaminess. Bonus: you’ll benefit from the filling fiber of the blended fruit, which will help slow down your sipping. Try a minty melonade, which blends honeydew, lime juice and mint in a blender, or a summer berry citrus spritzer, which blends berries, orange juice, lime juice, and honey together.
Or for fun mocktail spin, blend up a non-alcoholic take on classic blender drinks, like we do in ourVirgin Banana Pina Coladaand theseVirgin Layered Strawberry Mango Margaritas. Especially during hot summer months, it’s super fun to make a frozen mocktail to help you cool down.
Pictured Recipe:Watermelon Mint Mocktail
4. Re-create that classic alcohol feel, sans alcohol
5. Enjoy!
Whether it’s sweet, bitter or full of bubbles, it’s easy to take the elements of your favorite cocktail and turn it into a mocktail.These mocktailswill make sipping with your friends and family feel special, no matter which recipe you whip up.
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