Mocktails Are Nothing to Mock: 5 Delicious Recipes for the Holidays

Beth Rush

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The holiday season is right around the corner, so you’ll probably be invited to, or host, several parties for your loved ones. Instead of turning to alcoholic cocktails, try making a drink everyone can enjoy – no matter their circumstances.

If you’ve never had a mocktail, they taste similar to regular cocktails — they just don’t have any alcohol in them. The best mocktail recipes will have you forgetting there’s no alcohol in the drink, and there are plenty of simple holiday mocktails you can prepare for any get-together this season.

5 Easy Mocktail Recipes

Easy mocktail recipes are great for anyone who doesn’t fancy themselves a bartender but still wants to make festive drinks for a get-together or a solitary movie night at home. These are some of the best mocktail recipes for the holidays, as each has a festive flair that can impress anyone you make them for. Try the various flavours of the season in these creative drinks.

1. Orange Cranberry Mimosa

This mocktail might be a great option to ease you into the world of non-alcoholic beverages. Since you can make it alcoholic if you want to, it might be a good transition recipe. You’ll need quite a few materials for this drink, but many of them are just to make it look nice, so you can skip them if you want.

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Orange juice
• Sparkling apple cider
• Sweetened cranberry juice
• Fresh cranberries
• Cinnamon and cinnamon sticks
• Orange slices

You can put sugar on the glasses’ rims to add extra flavour to this yummy drink. Then, you should mix the liquids. Once thoroughly mixed, you can garnish the individual beverages with fresh fruit and cinnamon sticks. A small pinch of cinnamon on top adds to the drink.

Cinnamon is an excellent addition to this mocktail, as it can help with high cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity. This drink is terrific for people with Type 2 diabetes, but it’s also perfect for anyone who likes festive cheer or wants a healthier mimosa.

2. Sage Tea

This tea isn’t truly a mocktail, but it’s a great addition to your drink repertoire at any party you host. Sage is a remarkable herb that can help soothe upset stomachs by helping to quell digestive pain — it might even ease depressive symptoms, which many people feel this time of year. It could be an excellent option to serve people with upset stomachs due to eating or drinking too much. Plus, it’s delicious and easy to make in large batches.

To get started, you’ll need a handful of sage leaves. Steep them in boiling water for about five or so minutes, then remove them from the water. At this point, you can stir in lemon juice and honey. This drink will also soothe sore throats, so it could be perfect for the end of the night or given to someone who might feel sick at any point during the season.

3. Grinch Mocktail

This drink has one of the best easy mocktail recipes, as you can make it within five minutes and create large batches easily. The green punch would work great for a party with children who would love to try a festive drink alongside their parents and guardians. Serve it with ice cubes, or without.

To make a massive batch of this Grinch-themed mocktail, you’ll need pineapple juice, Sprite, lemonade concentrate and green Kool-Aid. You may also need some water if you want to dilute the Kool-Aid. All you need to do is mix the liquids and you’ll have a punch ready to serve to everyone.

The Grinch is a story that features a villain who undertakes the hero’s journey to become a good guy. It’s a feel-good movie perfect for kids and adults who want to feel the season’s warmth. Crafting this punch for a showing of the movie can be a fun way to ring in the holiday.

4. Candy Cane Mocktail

This mocktail is perfect for the holiday season because of its sharp peppermint flavour. It is also a good option for a hot cocoa bar. The two flavours work well together, so your guests will appreciate having a choice.

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Cream soda
• Simple syrup
• Half and half
• Peppermint oil
• Crushed candy canes

The first step of preparing this delicious mocktail is to coat the rims of the glasses in simple syrup. Then, roll them in the crushed candy canes so they stick to the edge. Then, you’ll want to mix the half and half and cream soda together. 

Afterward, you can drop the peppermint oil into the pitcher and stir it up. Peppermint oil features various benefits but too much of it could give you heartburn, so be sure to keep an eye on how much you’re using in this recipe. Once you’re done, all you need to do is pour the mixture into glasses.

5. Christmas Punch

Every big get-together needs some variation of the Christmas punch. Because there isn’t any alcohol in this recipe, it’s an excellent option for groups with a variety of people of different ages or backgrounds. It gives everyone something to drink that they’ll enjoy, but it does feature a lot of ingredients.

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Cranberry Juice
• Ginger Ale
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Oranges
• Plums
• Sugar

The granulated sugar is for the rims of glasses, so you don’t need to worry about incorporating it into the actual recipe. This mocktail calls for a cranberry juice base, so mix it with the cinnamon. Once thoroughly mixed, you can add the ginger ale for carbonation and flavour. You might want to add sliced fruit to the punch and on the rim of the glasses. Rosemary can be used to decorate both too. You’ll end up with a Christmas punch everyone will love.

Why Opt for Simple Holiday Mocktails?

Simple holiday mocktails are better than complicated ones. By following simpler recipes, you’ll be able to make larger batches, which makes them great for holiday gatherings. The best mocktail recipes don’t need many ingredients – just a few quality components and lovely garnishes that make the drink burst with flavor.

To truly enjoy every season of life, you should step away from alcohol now and then. Mocktails are typically low in calories and taste just as great as alcoholic cocktails. They’re a great option for everyone, especially those who have committed to sobriety or don’t like the taste of alcohol.

Mocktails also have several health benefits over their alcoholic counterparts. Since alcohol can negatively impact many of your organs – like your heart and liver – a mocktail is a great way to enjoy a festive, fun drink without reaping any of the negative side effects of alcohol. In some cases, they might be tastier and you might get sugar from natural sources like fruit instead of added sugars in many alcoholic drinks.

Since gatherings are so common during the holiday season, it might be challenging to avoid all alcohol. Some people might turn to alcohol as a way to cope at parties. You can turn to more constructive ways to manage your social anxiety at holiday parties, like learning breathing techniques and dealing with the underlying thoughts that might cause worry. You can still have a good time without any alcohol in your system.

Make the Best Mocktail Recipes This Holiday

Holidays are the best time to lean into easy mocktail recipes. Whether you’re attending a gathering or party or hosting one for yourself, mentioning the idea of simple holiday mocktails is a great way to ensure everyone feels included and has a great time without alcohol. When you serve mocktails, you look out for everyone around you. It’s just a bonus that they taste fantastic.

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Featured image courtesy of Louis Hansel on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.