mocktails

ginger beer lemonade \ apple and mango spritzer \ mango calpico soda

ingredients

ginger beer lemonade

  • juice of one lemon 

  • Fever-Tree premium ginger beer đź‘Ś

apple and mango spritzer

  • Perrier carbonated water

  • Black River apple+mango juice / mango purĂ©e

apple ginger mocktail

  • fresh apple juice (approximately three small granny smith apples per glass) 

  • ginger juice (just throw a little 2 inch piece of ginger in for each serving)

  • 2 ounces Crème de Gingembre (for cocktail) OR club soda (for mocktail)

Guu Izakaya's mango calpico soda

  • 2 ounce mango puree

  • 1 ounce (maybe) calpico

  • club soda

steps

  • club soda / tonic water / ginger ale / sparkling juice / ginger beer

  • fresh fruits / herb / syrups

  • garnish: add flavoured salts or sugar to rim / top with citrus slices

Here's how to turn any cocktail into a deee-licious mocktail! 

Tip 1: MAKE IT SPARKLE

The first key element to a good mocktail is something sparkling. This will help to "fancify" your drink and make it different from just a glass of juice. Recipes with a base of club soda, tonic water, ginger ale, sparkling juice, or ginger beer make great mocktails. Think of it as a fancy soda! Of course, there are some exceptions—like Bloody Marys. You don't have to add sparkles to every mocktail, but if it's a sweet or fruity flavor, I would definitely consider the option! 

Tip 2: GO FLAVOR CRAZY

Don't be afraid to be bold with flavor. Since you want the drink to be special, try something different. There are three ways I like to do this. 

  • Homemade syrups. I've made syrups here lots of times. It's super simple. Combine 1 part sweetener (choose from sugar, brown sugar, honey, agave, Truvia, etc.), 1 part water, and some fresh fruit, herbs, or spices to add flavor. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture is completely liquid. Strain out any herbs or spices and use it to flavor anything you like (mocktails, lemonade, coffee, tea, etc!). Making your own syrups is so easy and tasty!

  • Infusing fresh fruit and herbs. I love a drink full of fresh mint, basil, and fruit. It's both a beautiful garnish and a great way to add flavor. If you really want the flavors to come out, you need to either muddle your ingredients or let them infuse in the liquid for an hour or so before serving.

  • Garnish with flavor! Add flavored salts or sugars to your rim. Use citrus slices or other fresh ingredients to add flavor and fragrance to your drink.

A few of my favorite fresh flavors to experiment with are basil, cilantro, ginger, lavender, citrus, and rosemary. If you get creative, there is a way to mix literally ANY flavor into a mocktail. 

Tip 3: KNOW WHICH DRINKS TRANSLATE 

Some cocktails translate perfectly to mocktails, so much so that you can't even tell a difference! Moscow Mules and Bloody Marys are two of the easiest and sneakiest mocktails because they taste almost exactly the same with or without the vodka. I think versions of a mojito and sparkling lemonade are among the best mocktails because the combination of sweet, citrus, and soda water is so light and fresh! So what doesn't work so well? Mixed drinks with only two ingredients don't really work, because a rum and coke without the rum is just coke. Duh—right? Drinks made with syrupy mixes (like margaritas and daiquiris) aren't my favorite mocktails because they can turn out to be gross sweet instead of yummy sweet. Just too much sugar without the balancing factor of liquor. 

Recipe from/inspired by: A Beautiful Mess
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