We all know mocktails can easily totally miss the mark, but these 8 recipes are delicious in their own right with zero compromises. Whatever alcohol-free bottle you’ve got stocked; we’ve got the perfect mocktail for you to put it in.
Simple to make, gloriously refreshing and with the special feeling a cocktail should always come with, check out the magical mocktails below!
Tropical Passion Nojito – for the rum lovers
This mocktail is the perfect tropical getaway. If you can find a white rum alternative that’s ideal, but darker alternatives will be fine too because it’s unlikely that the No-Lo will smother the delicate flavours. The passion fruit just lifts the flavour with extra sweetness and adds a lovely touch of tartness that really adds to the refreshment. A glass of summer!
Ingredients
50ml No-Lo Rum
20ml passion fruit juice/1-2 slices of passion fruit
15ml sugar syrup
1 fresh lime
6-8 fresh mint leaves
Soda water
Method
Muddle the mint, lime juice and passion fruit and add your rum alternative. If your passion fruit is particularly sweet, you may want to skip out the sugar syrup but we like it left in. Top up with soda, plenty of ice and garnish with passion fruit, mint, or lime – whatever you have left basically!
Orange Square – for the vodka lovers
This is essentially an orange Moscow Mule, made using one of the top-notch vodka alternatives out there. The warmth and zip of the ginger balances wonderfully with light and bright orange and lime, but it’s mellow enough for the No-Lo to cut through as the show stealer. It looks delicious and tastes even better. Enjoy!
Ingredients
50ml vodka alternative
15ml lime juice
100ml ginger beer
30ml fresh orange juice
Orange slice (garnish)
Mint leaves (optional garnish)
Method
Strain freshly squeezed orange and lime juice into your glass and add your ‘vodka’ and ginger beer. Feel free to add a full slice of orange in there too. Garnish with an orange slice (we just can’t get enough) and some mint makes for a nice flourish too. Nom!
Palo-no – for the tequila lovers
There is an increasing number of more than credible tequila alternatives coming out in recent times, making use of that same agave flavour. This vibrant mocktail is a perfect way to enjoy those distinctive flavours without the alcohol. With sharp grapefruit juice and lime, it’s bittersweet, sour and a little salty, just like a good Paloma should be!
Ingredients
50ml tequila alternative
50ml fresh grapefruit juice
Soda (to top up)
15ml fresh lime juice
10ml agave Syrup
grapefruit wedge (garnish)
salt (garnish)
Method
Add ice and all ingredients except for the soda to your shaker and shake shake shake. Strain into a highball glass and top up with more ice and soda. Voila!
Whisky Sour Mocktail – for the whisky lovers
This will work for your favourite whisky alternative, but also those No-Lo creations that don’t fit as neatly into one category. If it’s got smoky and woody notes, or subtle caramelly vanilla notes, or if you just feel it has characteristics like whisky, then this silky sour is a safe bet.
Ingredients
60ml whisky alternative
30ml lemon juice
10ml sugar syrup
15ml egg white / aquafaba (chickpea juice)
2 dashes of aromatic alcohol-free bitters (something like Æcorn)
Method
Shake everything without ice first, then add ice, shake hard again, and strain into your glass. You can skip the egg white/aquafaba and bitters if you like, but you’ll miss out on the easy-drinking texture and added layers. As is always the case with cocktails though, do what you want!
Basil Gimlet – for the gin lovers
This is a more aromatic option that will suit a herbaceous gin alternative down to the ground. There are a few different ways you can do this, but we prefer elderflower and lime cordial with some peach for sweetness instead of syrup. It’s a botanical bliss, with tangy citrus and fragrant herbs giving enough space for the No-Lo to shine through.
Ingredients
50ml gin alternative
10ml elderflower cordial
10ml lime juice
10ml lime cordial (if not, then more juice and syrup)
Around 5 basil leaves
1 slice of peach (garnish)
Method
Muddle the basil thoroughly and then simply shake everything before straining over ice. Garnish with a sweet slice of peach and basil leaf and you’re all set.
Top Tip: If you want to go the extra mile, then some mint tea syrup (1:1 mint tea: sugar syrup) adds an intriguing cooling earthiness to this.
Apple Pie Sangria Mocktail – for the wine lovers
Simpler than it first appears, this a really nicely balanced mocktail that elevates a white wine apple spritzer to new levels. A sip of your No-Lo wine with sweet apple and sour lemon, underlined with vanilla syrup and honey and cinnamon on the rim is absolute heaven.
Ingredients
40ml wine alternative (preferably white, like Chardonnay)
40ml apple juice
20ml lemon juice
Dash of vanilla syrup
Honey, cinnamon and sugar(for rim)
Apple slice (garnish)
Method
A simple syrup is always heating equal parts sugar and water, and we recommend vanilla pods to get the flavour here, but you could use vanilla essence. Shake your juices with the ‘wine’ and this syrup until it feels cold to the touch. Roll the rim of your glass in honey and then cinnamon sugar so it sticks evenly. Strain your creation over ice and garnish with an apple slice to top it off. Glorious.
Pink Fizz – perfect for the bubble lovers
If you’re looking for something simple and refreshing, this is it. It’s fun, bursting with citrusy tang and refreshing till the last drop with those beautiful bubbles. Pretty much any sparkling alcohol-free wine of good quality will suit this mocktail, so it’s super easy to pull together with whatever you’ve got in. Sometimes simple is best!
Ingredients
50ml sparkling wine alternative
15ml simple syrup
50ml grapefruit juice
Grapefruit slice (garnish)
Method
No complicating this one, just give everything a good stir and serve chilled!
Prohibition CBDaisy – perfect for CBD lovers
The Prohibition Daisy goes way back to an era when drinkers were forced to get creative. So, in that spirit, we’ve added a CBD spin so you can unwind because isn’t that what cocktails are for? It’s super fruity, invigoratingly fresh and CBD replicates the relaxation of a boozy cocktail without the hangover!
Ingredients
30ml orange juice (ideally fresh)
15ml lime juice (ideally fresh)
15ml lemon juice (ideally fresh)
30ml pineapple juice
30ml raspberry syrup (like Monin)
CBD Bitters (like OTO)
Method
The more freshly squeezed juices the better here. Shake everything with ice and strain into a glass with crushed ice. And remember to check your CBD amounts before adding!
We’ve kept it brand free so you can use whatever alternatives you might have in the cupboard, but if you need ideas for the best No-Lo drinks to buy then look no further! Check out our favourites here!
