More people are looking for alcohol-free drink alternatives for health, a “dry month” challenge, or to be mindful of a loved one’s recovery journey.
That doesn’t mean they should miss out on flavor, drinking experience, or the fun of a good-old cocktail.
Explore the following drink recipes with zero alcohol to whip up before your next get together!
15 Great Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes
From mocktails to tea, see which recipes will help lower your alcohol intake yet satisfy your taste buds:
1. Margarita Mocktail
A margarita mocktail, also called a virgin margarita, offers a non-alcoholic version of this classic cocktail.
The orange juice captures the flavor notes of Triple Sec or Grand Marnier and gives this drink its classic tart and zesty taste.
The ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 cup limeade
- Two tablespoons of orange juice
- Sparkling water (as preferred)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Lime wedge for garnish
To make a glass, combine the juices and top it with sparkling water. Make a salt rim by swiping a lime slice along the rim and dipping in salt and, finally, garnish with the lime wedge.
2. Virgin Mojito
A virgin mojito uses the same ingredients as the classic version, minus the rum. It still makes a refreshing drink, perfect for parties, thanks to its zingy lime and fresh mint.
The ingredients (for one serving):
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ juiced limes
- Soda water
- Small bunch of mint leaves
To create the drink, muddle the mint leaves with mortar and pestle or a muddler in a shaker. Then, put crushed ice, the mint mix, lime juice, and sugar in a glass. Lastly, top it up with soda water.
3. Ginger Beer
Ginger beer offers a fermented alcohol-free drink with a strong ginger flavor and sweet taste. You can drink it by itself or as part of a cocktail like a Moscow Mule.
Although you can make this easily, you’ll need to wait two to three days to ferment this drink.
If you want to try this refreshing, non-alcoholic beer, here’s the recipe:
- ¼ cup grated ginger
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup simple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon yeast
- 2 ½ cups water
Mix all the ingredients in a plastic bottle and stir. Then, seal it tightly, and store it in a warm, dark place for one to two days.
Note that the bottle will expand and become tight. Check on it occasionally, and slowly release the pressure if it’s too tight.
Then, refrigerate the bottle to stop the fermentation. Finally, strain the pulp and spent yeast.
Note: This ginger beer might contain small amounts of alcohol due to fermentation.
4. Ginger Ale
Ginger ale tastes similar to ginger beer, except it has less ginger flavor and isn’t fermented. Ultimately, it’s a carbonated drink made with seltzer and ginger syrup.
If you want to create quick, refreshing drinks, here are the ingredients for an 8-serving homemade syrup:
- One large knob of ginger
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
Start by slicing the ginger into medallions and putting it in a pot with the sugar and water. Put it on medium heat, and turn it down to low when it bubbles. Let it simmer for 30 minutes. Once it’s done, pour the syrup through a sieve and store it in a bottle.
Meanwhile, making one serving includes the following ingredients:
- Two tablespoons of ginger ale syrup
- ½ cup seltzer
- One lime wedge
- Ice
Simply combine all the ingredients in a glass and stir well.
5. Shirley Temple
Named after the famous child actress, a Shirley Temple consists of a non-alcoholic base with grenadine syrup and topped with maraschino cherry.
This booze-free classic is usually sweet, but adding lemon-lime flavored soda will balance it out.
The ingredients (for one serving):
- ½ cup lemon-lime soda
- ½ cup orange juice
- One tablespoon grenadine syrup
- One maraschino cherry
Just combine the ingredients in a glass with ice and stir well.
6. Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine
Traditional mulled wine uses red wine, mulling spices, and fruits. But the alcohol-free version replaces the liquor with juice or non-alcoholic wine.
To make this at home, here’s the recipe for four servings:
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 2 cups water
- Eight cloves
- One cinnamon stick
- Three pieces of star anise
- One sliced orange
If you want to use non-alcoholic wine, take away the juices and water.
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring it to a low boil on medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat and steam it for 20 to 30 minutes or up to an hour.
Once it’s done, strain the mixture, pour it into a mug, and add your preferred garnish.
7. Non-Alcoholic Irish Cream
The alcohol-free Irish cream mimics the sweet, creamy flavor and rich texture of the popular holiday drink, minus the Irish whiskey. It’s also an awesome Bailey’s copycat recipe if you’re looking for one!
To make two servings, add:
- ¾ cup cream
- ¼ cup milk of your choice
- ⅛ cup brewed espresso (fresh or instant)
- Two tablespoons of syrup of your choice
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Ice
Take a cocktail shaker or mixing glass and pour all the ingredients. Then, shake it vigorously or stir the mixture until the glass is cold. You may add more ice for serving.
8. Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
An apéritif is an alcoholic, fizzy drink usually consumed before eating to stimulate your appetite and prepare you for your meal. Common apéritifs include a dry vermouth, champagne, or spirit-based alcoholic beverage.
If you want to cut down on your alcohol, you may buy a non-alcoholic apéritif, like a Ghia Apéritif. It’s a popular non-alcoholic apéritif brand featuring a bright, bitter flavor with a sweet and savory finish. This product doesn’t contain caffeine, added sugars, or artificial flavors.
If you want to make a homemade non-alcoholic apéritif, check out the Aperol spritz recipe below.
9. Alcohol-Free Aperol Spritz
The non-alcoholic Aperol spritz features the same citrusy and slightly bitter taste and bubbly sensation as the original, minus the booze.
The best way to make it taste like the original is to use non-alcoholic spirits and sparkling wine. The ingredients include the following:
- Italian Spritz
- Sparkling non-alcoholic wine
- Seltzer
- Orange slice
You only need to mix these ingredients in a glass in your preferred quantities.
If you don’t want to use alcohol-free spirits, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Pulp-free orange juice
- Pulp-free grapefruit juice
- Cherry juice
- Mineral water, club soda, or other non-alcoholic spirits
- Orange slice or thyme for garnish
Simply combine all the ingredients. The fruit juices will mimic the flavors of the original Aperol spritz.
10. Alcohol-Free Mulled Apple Juice
A hot cup of non-alcoholic mulled apple juice (non-alcoholic cider) offers flavors of citrus and spice, perfect for the holidays or cold nights.
The recipe includes the following ingredients:
- Apple juice
- One cinnamon stick
- Three cloves
- Cardamom (optional)
- Nutmeg (optional)
- Sugar, honey, or maple syrup, to taste
Once you have all the ingredients, simmer the apple juice with your available spices for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, sweeten it according to your taste. Feel free to add a cinnamon stick as garnish.
11. Alcohol-Free Moscow Mule
The virgin Moscow Mule uses two of its classic three ingredients, leaving out the vodka. Even without the liquor, this refreshing mocktail still tastes like the original.
To make one serving, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of ginger beer
- Five tablespoons of fresh lime juice
- Two tablespoons of syrup
- ⅓ cup sparkling water
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Lime wedge or fresh mint for garnish
Start by mixing all the ingredients into a mug. Then, add ice and garnish with the wedge or fresh mint.
12. Homemade Cordial
Cordial liqueurs usually use a brandy base with herbs and spices, but if you want an alcohol-free version, you can use sparkling, tonic, or soda water instead.
You can use any fresh fruit you prefer, but here’s a recipe to make a homemade strawberry cordial:
- 1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved
- Eight cardamom pods, bruised
- 2.5 oz. sugar
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- Sparkling or tonic water
First, put four cups of water, the strawberries, and cardamom pods in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until the berries soften. Mash the berries gently with a spoon to release their juices. Set it aside and let it cool. Then, strain it and get as much juice out as possible.
Next, put seven cups of the juice and the sugar into a pan and heat it slowly while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then, add the lemon juice and let it cool. To serve it, dilute the mixture with sparkling or tonic water.
13. Bitters and Soda
As its name suggests, Bitters and Soda uses cocktail bitters and club soda. Bitters are neutral alcohol infused with spices, herbs, fruits, and other botanicals.
You only need a few dashes of bitters in the mocktail, making its alcohol levels significantly low.
To make one, you’ll need:
- Your preferred club soda
- A small dash of cocktail bitter like Angostura, Peychaud’s, or non-alcoholic bitters
- Lemon wedge (optional)
Combine this two-ingredient drink and top it with a lemon wedge.
14. Fruit Punch
Fruit punches are the go-to drinks for parties. You can use any fruit juice or fresh fruit, allowing you to customize the recipe easily. Plus, you can find the ingredients easily and make them in big batches.
If you want to impress your guests, here’s a lime sherbet punch recipe that provides 18 servings:
- 8 cups of lime sherbet
- Two two-liter bottles of ginger ale
- 6 cups of pineapple juice
- ½ cup of maraschino cherries, drained
- One lemon, sliced
- One lime, sliced
Combine the sherbet, ale, and pineapple juice in a punch bowl, and stir well. Then top it with maraschino cherries and slices of lime and lemon.
15. Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented drink made of tea, sugar, yeast, and bacteria. Since it’s fermented tea, it contains below 0.5% ABV, a tiny amount of alcohol.
You can buy kombucha at grocery stores, Amazon, and direct-to-customer kombucha brands. You can also make them at home if you have the ingredients and the patience to wait for them to ferment for seven to 30 days.
Do Non-Alcoholic Cocktails Reduce Alcohol Intake?
Studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Japan suggest that beverages with low to no alcohol helped reduce alcohol consumption.
Can People Recovering from Alcohol Use Disorder Drink Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic Wine?
People with alcohol addiction should proceed with caution and under a clinician’s supervision when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks.
One study cautioned people with alcohol use disorder or high-risk drinking to avoid NoLo (no- and low-alcohol drinks), as their results showed increased cravings after consuming these drinks.
The study also revealed that consumption increased if the label showed lower alcohol concentration.
Keep in mind that there’s no safe amount of alcohol you can consume, according to the World Health Organization. As a result, know your limits and listen to your body if you need to cut back or stop drinking intentionally.
Should You Drink NonAlcoholic Drinks?
The answer depends on your drinking habits. If you consume liquor occasionally and have good control over your intake, these should be fine and are actually a good way of drinking less.
However, you should probably avoid drinking mocktails or alcohol-adjacent drinks if you’re dealing with or recovering from alcohol use disorder, as they can trigger cravings for alcohol.
You Don’t Have to Face Alcohol Cravings Alone…
If you’re facing alcohol cravings and would like to talk to a professional, don’t hesitate to get help by booking an appointment with a healthcare professional via Curednation.
