Here are all the best mocktail recipes to try! These non alcoholic cocktails make virgin drinks just as delicious as the real thing.

Mocktail recipes

Looking for mocktail recipes? Turns out, you don’t need alcohol to make a tasty drink! A mocktail is a non alcoholic cocktail: a mixed drink without the liquor (either eliminated entirely or with a non-alcoholic spirit). Mocktails are the perfect choice for people who are pregnant or avoiding alcohol.

There are a few different ways to make a mocktail. You can follow a mocktail recipe to make virgin drinks based on classics, from the Margarita to the Mojito! Or, you can make a free-form mocktail without a recipe. You’ll just need to keep a few tricks in mind when building your drinks so they don’t come out tasting like bubbly fruit juice. Ready to get started?

And now, our top mocktail recipes

How to make a mocktail without a recipe

How to make a mocktail? It’s easy to mix something together: but often with no alcohol it ends up testing like fruit juice. Instead, here are a few tricks for adding complexity to the flavor of your free-form mocktails:

  • Use bubbly mixers. Soda water, tonic water, and even ginger ale or ginger beer and great for adding lift to your mocktails with carbonated bubbles. When in doubt: add bubbles!
  • Consider a “mock” alcohol to add complexity. Here’s a cool mocktail trick: a teaspoon or two of caper juice or pickle juice can taste like alcohol! It sounds weird, but it actually works. Our Virgin Margarita recipe below has a hint of pickle juice, which gives a finish that tastes oddly like tequila.
  • Try fancy simple syrups. Layering flavors helps mocktail recipes taste interesting instead of one-note. Try a homemade syrup like Mint Simple Syrup, Ginger Simple Syrup, Rosemary Simple Syrup or Lavender Simple Syrup.
  • Consider non-alcoholic bitters. A few dashes of bitters add herbal complexity to cocktails. There are some non-alcoholic brands that you can experiment with for mocktails, too! See also: this Bitters and Soda almost mocktail!
  • Load up on fancy garnishes and clear ice. It’s all about presentation! The fun thing about our cocktail recipes is not just that they taste good: they look beautiful, too! Try clear ice, artisan style crystal clear ice that makes your drink look like it came from a fancy bar. Depending on the drink, load up on cocktail cherries, citrus wedges, or fresh herbs.

Mocktails are low calorie drinks

Mocktails are very low calorie, since the alcohol is what contributes the most calories to cocktails. They’re great if you’re looking for a fitting low-cal replacement for your favorite cocktail. Or, looking for low calorie alcoholic drinks? Try our Top 10 Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks!

See also: Best Non Alcoholic Beers

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Mocktail recipe

15 Great Mocktail Recipes


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

This virgin margarita recipe tastes as good as the real thing! This non-alcoholic mocktail is irresistibly tasty with a secret ingredient.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon maple syrup or simple syrup
  • ⅛ teaspoon pickle juice (optional but recommended!)
  • 3 ounces tonic water
  • For the garnish: Lime wheel, clear ice

Instructions

  1. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
  2. In the serving glass, stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, and pickle juice (adds just the right funky flavor to mimic tequila). Add the tonic water and ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: Mocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Mocktail, Mocktails, Mocktail recipe

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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6 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to give these a try! I love getting mocktails while at bars or restaurants but haven’t experimented much at home.

  2. Thank you for the ideas, any party I cater and use your ideas it is always a hit.