An ancient 'superfood' sent from heaven
This mocktail combines non-alcoholic apple cider, pomegranate juice, fresh lemon or lime, and soda water. It looks great with fresh pomegranate seeds thrown in and a sprig of rosemary to decorate.
Crush a handful of raspberries with a couple of teaspoons of sugar, some lime juice, and your herb of choice. Mint, basil, or sage will work a treat. Add soda water to finish.
This is the ideal summer cocktail when watermelon is in season! Chop the watermelon into pieces and freeze so they become fruity ice cubes. Combine mint and lime juice in a glass, add your watermelon cubes, and pour sparkling grape juice over it all.
Vibrant and flavorful blood oranges are the star of the show here. Squeeze the juice of the oranges and simply add honey, vanilla essence, and soda water. Save some slices to add to the glass as a garnish.
The Shirley Temple, named after the famous child star, has been around for almost a century. One of the first and most famous non-alcoholic cocktails, it simply combines ginger ale and grenadine with a maraschino cherry on top. Ironically, the real Shirley Temple once revealed that she didn't like the sweet drink and had nothing to do with its creation!
This simple remake of the classic tequila-spiked margarita requires two tablespoons of fresh lime juice, one tablespoon of lemon juice, a dash of maple syrup, and some tonic water. If you want to recreate the real margarita flavor, some say a few drops of pickle juice will give it that tequila funk!
This fruity fizz also utilizes non-alcoholic gin. Combine cranberries with sugar in a pan until they turn syrupy, and puree with a hand blender. Add a tablespoon of the mix to a glass and then add a measure of non-alcoholic gin. Top with soda water and ice.
A sidecar is a classic cocktail made from cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. To make a non-alcoholic version, start by brewing some lapsang souchong tea. Once it's cooled, combine with lemon juice, marmalade, and a teaspoon of honey.
This is a sophisticated and delicious alcohol-free option to offer party guests. Combine pear juice with vanilla, sugar, and fresh ginger in a pan to create a syrup. Once it has cooled, mix it with apple cider vinegar, rosewater, and sparkling water in a large serving bowl. Add some edible dried petals and sprigs of fresh herbs for the ultimate presentation.
Tea is also used to recreate the classic New York sour. Brew some assam tea leaves and allow to cool with a little vanilla extract mixed in. Combine the tea with lemon juice, maple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with pomegranate juice to achieve the beautiful gradient.
If you can get your hands on some alcohol-free gin, which is widely available in many stores now, you can experiment with some cocktail recipes that taste just like the real thing. The sage sour, for example, combines alcohol-free gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, sage leaves, and egg white. Shake it all up with ice and you've got a rather sophisticated drink to sip on.
Shake up mint leaves, pineapple juice, lime juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into glasses and add extra pineapple juice and tonic water to finish.
This floral spritzer is based around an easy-to-make lemon and lavender syrup. Simply add lemon zest and fresh lavender sprigs to a pan with sugar and water, and cook down into a syrup. Once it's cooled, all you need to do is add a spoonful or two of syrup to a glass and add sparkling water. The syrup can also be used to make hard cocktails, so it's a great multi-purpose ingredient for a mixed group.
Scoop the insides out of three passion fruits and add to a cocktail shaker with lemon juice, egg white, sugar syrup, and, optionally, an alcohol-free spirit. Strain into a glass and top with sparkling grape juice to finish.
This indulgent after-dinner drink can easily be made non-alcoholic. Mix double cream with some espresso, evaporated milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice to serve.
Combine fresh lemon juice with white wine vinegar, marmalade, and alcohol-free gin (or water) in a cocktail shaker with ice. If you want to go all out, dip the rim of your chosen glasses into sugar mixed with lemon zest before serving.
This herbaceous and fruity soda works at any time of year. Make a syrup by heating ruby red grapefruit juice and zest in a pan with honey, rosemary sprigs, and lemon juice. You can store it in an airtight container and add a couple of tablespoons to chilled soda water whenever you want an elevated non-alcoholic drink.
This winter warmer is a great alternative to alcoholic beverages like mulled wine. Add non-alcoholic apple cider and pomegranate juice to a pot along with the usual warming spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Fresh rosemary also works great in this one. Heat until fragrant and strain before serving.
For this one, muddle fresh blackberries with mint and lime juice. Add ginger ale to complete.
The classic negroni has a distinctive, sophisticated flavor. You can recreate this in a non-alcoholic form by making a spiced citrus syrup at home. Boil grapefruit, orange, sugar, and water in a pan with cardamon pods and coriander seeds. You can add a dash of red food coloring to boost the color. Strain the syrup and add sparkling grape juice and cold water to finish.
This is the perfect drink for a summer garden party. Add both juices and slices of fresh lemon and lime to a large jug. Mix in peach nectar, cloudy lemonade, fresh mint, and sparkling water to complete this refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
Juice a pink grapefruit and combine with fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, non-alcoholic gin, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Serve over ice and add a twist of grapefruit skin to garnish.
There's no need to ferment anything for this quick and easy non-alcoholic ginger beer. Blend a chunk of fresh ginger and a whole chopped lemon in a bowl, and then strain the liquid. Add light brown sugar and blitz it again. Add sparkling water or lemonade to the zingy ginger puree to make a spicy but refreshing summer drink.
Prepare some hibiscus tea and set aside to cool. Make a honey syrup by heating honey and water in a pan. Combine your cooled tea and syrup with soda water, lime, and ice to complete this floral cocktail.
For this easy drink, blend pineapple juice, lime juice, and fresh mint with ice. Pour the mix into glasses and top with ginger ale to finish.
See also: How 'Dry January' affects your body
Elderflower syrup or cordial is a very handy ingredient to keep in your kitchen as it can be used in a range of delicious cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. For an easy alcohol-free drink, mix the elderflower with some cloudy lemonade and some fresh lemons and limes.
The Arnold Palmer is another classic mocktail named after a celebrity, this time a champion golfer. Charismatic Arnold Palmer was known to enjoy a refreshing drink that was half iced tea and half lemonade to revive himself on the golf course. It became a standard drink order in restaurants and bars across the US.
x
Delicious mocktails: Enjoy the best non-alcoholic drinks
Get on board with mocktail mania!
FOOD Mocktails
From Sober October and Dry January to the sober curious movement, cutting down on alcohol intake is clearly a growing trend of the health-conscious times we're living in. Those who are sober or simply can't tolerate alcohol are now being joined by crowds of mindful people in their choice not to drink. While some of us find it hard to imagine a life without booze, it's becoming more and more acceptable to say "no" without being hassled or corralled. What's more, going without the hard stuff doesn't mean you can't enjoy a drink at the end of the day or at a party. There are countless alcohol-free cocktails (or mocktails) that are delicious, refreshing, and easy to make.
Whether you're cutting down on alcohol or simply looking for something to serve the designated drivers at your next party, you'll find plenty of inspiration here. Click through the gallery for a selection of the most sophisticated and scrumptious mocktails around.