People have good reason to drink this year, but not everybody does. This makes a good mocktail essential to the holidays in 2025. And while it’s true that many cocktail recipes can make an easy switch just by leaving out the alcohol, sometimes what you get is a syrupy fruit slush that’s a straight shot from sugar rush to diabetes in three sips.
To keep those mocktails interesting and flavorful, here are some ideas that will up your game for your sober and sober-curious guests.
Candy Cane Martini
· 1 C half and half
· 12 oz cream soda
· 4 tsp. simple syrup
· 2-4 drops peppermint oil or extract
· candy canes
· 4 tsp. simple syrup
To prepare the martini rims, lightly coat the rim of your martini cup in simple syrup on a plate
On another plate, place the crushed candy canes then rim the glasses by dipping the glasses that have been coated in simple syrup into the candy canes
To make the drink, simply stir together 1 C half and half, 12 oz. cream soda, 4 tsp. simple syrup and 2-4 drops of peppermint oil in a small pitcher
Pour mixed drink into the candy can rimmed martini glasses
Frozen Apple Margarita
Swap the tequila in a margarita for sparkling apple juice to punch up that flavor.
Salt, to serve
1 lime, halved
2 cups (500ml) Ashton Valley Fresh Sparkling Apple Juice
1 cup (250ml) tequila (optional, see tip)
2 tsp finely grated lime rind
2 tbsp lime juice
4 cups ice cubes
4 slices green apple
Lime zest, to serve
Place salt on a plate. Run the cut side of the lime around the rims of serving glasses. Dip in the salt to coat.
Place sparkling apple juice, lime rind, lime juice and ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour evenly among the glasses.
Decorate with apple slices and lime zest.
Cranberry Blitz
6 mint leaves
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 oz cranberry juice
1 oz apple cider or apple juice
½ oz lime juice
Top with sparkling water or ginger beer
A splash of apple cider vinegar
A pinch of icing sugar
Clap your mint leaves in your hands and add to your shaker with the maple syrup. Press down gently a couple of times with your muddler. You just want to bruise the mint slightly.
Add the lime, cranberry and apple juice with some ice and shake well.
Stain into a glass filled with ice and add your choice of cranberries, mint and/or lime to garnish. If you love the 'snow' effect, dust with icing sugar if you wish!
Orange Fizz
2 cups freshly-squeezed blood orange juice (That's about 3-4 large blood oranges)
1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 grapefruit, freshly-squeezed
1 lemon, freshly-squeezed
½ cup Agave
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
frizz drink, to top (You can use ginger beer, seltzer water, etc.)
In a pitcher, put together the blood orange juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Agave, and cinnamon, stirring everything together until combined.
For each drink, fill an 8-ounce glass halfway with crushed ice. Add ½ cup of the mocktail mixture and garnish with sliced fruit and a rosemary sprig. Top with ginger beer or some kind of frizzy drink until the glass is filled.
Citrus and Honey
1 cup filtered water
¾ cup raw honey + 2 Tbsps
4 sage leaves
1 cup juice of a mandarin or tangerine
1 tablespoon juice of a lemon
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add water and let it begin to boil. Once boiling, add the sage leaves and honey boil for 2-3 minutes before turning off heat and letting everything steep (while covered), about 5 minutes.
In a bowl, add together the fresh mandarins or tangerines and lemon juice, mulling (crushing) everything until fruit are fully broke down, stirring until combined. Set aside. NOTE: You can add additional honey, if desired.
Once fully steeped, remove sage leaves and pour mixture into a medium pitcher (or medium bowl that can be easily poured) and set aside to cool completely.
Add crushed ice to a glass, fill ½ of the glass with the Honey-Sage Syrup, then ⅓ of it with the cooled citrus mixture and add sliced mandarin or tangerine and sage leaves inside the glasses as garnish, if desired. Repeat for every serving.
Hibiscus Dream
2 cups filtered water
2-3 hibiscus tea bags
½ cup raw honey
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
1 lemon, freshly-squeezed
lemon soda, for topping
crushed ice
rosemary sprigs, optional
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove the water from heat and add the tea bags and let them steep for 5-6 minutes. Once fully steeped, remove tea bags and let cool completely. Stir in the honey.
In a bowl, add the hibiscus tea and lemon juice, stirring together until combined. Add in a handful of blackberries (about ½ cup) and mull everything together until blackberries are fully broken down.
Add crushed ice to glass(es), Add the hibiscus mocktail mixture (along with mulled blackberries) until ½ filled followed by lemon soda, fresh blackberries, and strawberries. For additional garnish, add fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired. Repeat for every serving.
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