Crafting Alcohol-Free Alternatives: A Joyful Guide to Mocktails

So let’s get into some great recipes you can create for your enjoyment! But don’t forget to have fun and explore ways you can make each recipe your own.

This is one of the simplest mocktails I make. It’s easy to bring to parties, fast to make, and refreshing. You can pick whatever fruit you want, but blackberries and raspberries are a GREAT combination.

1. Muddle your fruit of choice into the bottom of your glass. 
2. Add sparkling water. 
3. Serve over ice if you want. Garnish with a lime. 

It’s that simple! I like to add a non-alcoholic hop water to offer a little more bite to the drink. One of my favorites is Athletic Brewing’s Mango hop water. In this spritzer it blends flavors well with the berries.

If you are someone who loves dirty martinis you have some choices when it comes to mixing up your drink without alcohol. I suggest you try a few different versions until you find one that is right for you. These can be hard to substitute due to the amount of alcohol in the classic recipes. 

I use a combination of Seedlip, Ritual Gin Alternative, and Durango Olive Oil Companies Dirty Martini Olive Juice. 

Sometimes I will add vinegar to increase the mouth feel and intensify the experience of drinking it. The version below is a little sweeter than I like alone even without any sugar in the mixers. 

1. Add ice to the shaker.
2. Add Seedlip.
3. Add Gin alternative.
4. Add Dirty Olive mix.
5. Shake well and pour into glasses through a strainer.
6. Garnish with olives.

There are so many different olives to choose from to put a fun spin on it!

Shrubs are based on old ways of preserving fruits and vegetables in vinegar. Then, using the syrup from that as an addition to your drink. There are so many combinations and options for you to choose from that these drinks are great all year long switching out the base for the flavors of the season. 

For this version, I used cranberry and rosemary along with a sweet rose vinegar. The sweet rose gives the palette a sweeter, but not sugary, vinegar to balance out the tartness of the cranberries. This concoction is a favorite each time I make it!

1. Boil the vinegar and cranberries. You can make this in a small batch or a large one and save some for another time. Stir often so it doesn’t burn. You want to cook it down into a thicker syrup. 
2. Add some honey or other sweetener if you would like!
3. Add the rosemary – a sprig is nice because you can pull it out later. However, rosemary in a jar works as well. It offers some texture to offset the smoothness of the cranberries after they have cooked down. 
4. Once the mixture is to your desired thickness, pour it into the bottom of the glass. 
5. Add ice.
6. Add sparkling water.
7. Garnish with lime.

I like to serve this Mocktail with a spoon or straw and not stir it before giving it to my guest. It stays separate and looks pretty cool with tendrils of color rising up in the bubbles. However, it tastes best when you mix it together well, so don’t forget that step after taking some cool photos!

Chocolate has so many benefits! So we are not going to get rid of it. It’s all about moderation! Why not include it in a special adult drink without the booze?  In this version, I also included a whey protein powder to give an extra boost for stamina and recovery as we work hard enjoying ourselves during our late night activities. 

I use drip coffee; however, you are welcome to substitute espresso or just go with chocolate and skip the coffee all together!

1. Make the coffee of your choice.
2. Add protein powder to the shaker. (I will often blend the protein powder before adding to make sure it blends all the way. The one I use is creamy and delicious with 30 grams of protein per serving.)
3. Add a little coconut milk if you want – I like the full fat version
4. Add coffee
5. Add Ice – if you want a cold drink. You can also make a hot version!
6. Shake! Burns some more calories!
7. Pour into martini glass and top with chocolate shavings.

You can make this as creamy as you would like. Sometimes a little thinner is better, though there are some days where I like the fluffy thick version.

A hot drink on a cold night is such a delicious delight. Especially one that is fragrant and hits all our senses. With this version you’ll get all the good feelings and none of the bad ones. 

Start with a spiced tea. I like to use decaf chai! You can also use something with caffeine, especially if you are planning to go the long haul with your drinking friends and want to make sure you aren’t missing any of the dancing and late night fun.

1. Boil water and steep the tea
2. Add Seedlip as a whiskey replacement (or another non-alcoholic spirit alternative)
3. Garnish with lemon

Fall in North America brings out the pumpkins and cooler weather. So, you can either tuck this one away next fall or use it to warm up year-round. Personally, as the air gets crisper I turn to creamier drinks to stay warm. Blending the spices of pumpkin pie with coffee and milk is such a comfort food. 

If you are working to eat clean and healthy you’ll appreciate the homemade option! It isn’t full of all the additives, sweeteners, and other miscellaneous things you don’t want to ingest. 

For this version, we use:

1. Pumpkin Puree.
2. Full fat coconut milk.
3. Nutmeg and cinnamon. 
4. Drip coffee (but I’d go with espresso if you can). 

I also added a little bit of honey and we played around with adding a bit of brown sugar. You can add whatever sweetener you want or skip all together.

It may even be helpful to mix in a larger container and then pour into your favorite coffee mug. 

I will say it is hard to get enough of the pumpkin flavor in the cup. You will want to play around with your version until you find the perfect mix for you. It took us a couple of rounds adding more pumpkin before everyone was happy with it!

The simple way to make this drink is just mix everything above together until you get the desired creaminess and top with a little more spice. ENJOY!

Let’s bring joy to your gatherings and satisfy your taste buds! Prioritize a healthy and vibrant lifestyle without compromising on your connections and joy!

Thank you for taking the first step in your journey to crafting alcohol-free alternatives.

And now you have recipes you can enjoy at any time!

And as always, if you are struggling to engage fully in your life and would like to see how psychology might be able to help you contact me today!