Mocktails to Bring You Through Dry January

It was about this time last year that I set out on a weight loss journey resulting in a 40-pound weight loss that has me feeling healthier and happier. One of the big ways I cut out extra calories was by minimizing my alcohol intake. In fact, I posted a blog just about a year ago with some suggestions of how to make mocktails feel more fun and festive. A quick summary:

• Use fun glassware and accessories
• Use fancy garnishes (fruit, fresh herbs, artistic citrus peel)
• Intensify flavors with bitters and extracts
• Use flavored seltzers and ginger beer as a base
• Experiment, experiment, experiment!

I've posted mocktail recipes before (here and here), but this entry consolidates some of the easiest and adds a few more. I've tried to include mostly recipes that use a handful of basic ingredients, but there are a few special additions you may want to add to your mocktail pantry if you find a favorite recipe or want to get creative. Here's the basics you need to get started:

• Flavored seltzers (I like Polar brand, but Buble and Canada Dry also have a nice assortment of flavors)
• Basic: Plain, lime, cranberry-lime
• Nice but not necessary: black cherry, orange vanilla, toasted coconut, ginger mule, strawberry-watermelon
• Sodas (regular or diet)
• Basic: Ginger beer, ginger ale, lemon-lime (7-Up, Sprite, etc.)
• Nice but not necessary: cola, raspberry ginger ale, club soda
• Juices
• Basic: Apple juice (or cider), cranberry, white cranberry
• Nice but not necessary: white grape juice concentrate
• Garnishes
• Basic: limes, lemons, cranberries
• Nice but not necessary: Maraschino cherries, fresh ginger, fresh herbs (mint, rosemary, basil, thyme), strawberries, raspberries, apples, rock candy swizzle sticks, lime sherbet

• Flavorings
• Basic: orange bitters 
• Nice but not necessary: Cocoa bitters, cherry bitters, smoked chili bitters, vanilla extract, almond extract, grenadine

• Miscellaneous
• Basic: powdered sugar, ice cubes or crushed ice
• Nice but not necessary: honey, maple syrup, simple syrup (plain or infused), ice balls

• Equipment:
• Basic: cocktail shaker, paring knife, rocks/lowball (short) glasses, highball (tall) glasses, long spoon
• Nice but not necessary: Channel knife (like this one), martini/coupe glasses, champagne flutes, copper mugs, cocktail stones

Now, on to the recipes! Ingredients not included on the list of basics, above, are marked with an asterisk. I've also included some suggestions on variations on each recipe - but feel free to get creative with whatever ingredients you enjoy and have on hand!

Mockba Mule (takeoff of a Moscow Mule)

Ingredients: Ginger beer, powdered sugar (or simple syrup*), lime juice, seltzer (plain, lime, ginger mule*) or club soda*, lime wedge, fresh rosemary* (optional), fresh mint leaves* (optional), fresh ginger* (optional)

Equipment: Lowball glass, martini glass*, or copper mug*, chilled

How to: Fill glass or mug with ice, add 1/2 cup ginger beer, 1 tablespoon simple syrup or 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, 1 oz lime juice, and 2 oz seltzer or club soda and stir well.

Garnish: Lime wheel and/or rosemary, mint, or a thin slice of fresh ginger.

Pump it up: Add a splash of cranberry juice or use cranberry-lime seltzer and garnish with fresh cranberries.

Ginger-Lime Fizz

Ingredients: Ginger beer, lime juice, seltzer (plain, lime, or ginger mule*), lime wedge, fresh ginger* (optional)

Equipment: Lowball glass, chilled

How to: Fill glass or mug partway with ice, fill 3/4 with ginger beer, add a generous splash of seltzer and a tablespoon of lime juice, and stir well.

Garnish: Lime wedge or thin slice of fresh ginger.

Pump it up: Add a splash of cranberry juice or use cranberry-lime seltzer and garnish with fresh cranberries.

Mock Champagne

Ingredients: Ginger ale, white grape juice concentrate*, raspberries* (optional), strawberries* (optional)

Equipment: Champagne flute*, coupe*, or highball glass

How to: Fill flute or glass 3/4 full with ginger ale, then gently stir in a spoonful of white grape juice concentrate. 

Garnish: No garnish, or a fresh raspberry or strawberry or two.

Pump it up: Add orange juice for a mock mimosa or cranberry juice for a mock poinsettia. Or garnish with apple or pear wedges or a rock candy swizzle stick. 

French 74 (takeoff of a French 75)

Ingredients: Plain seltzer or club soda*, lemon juice, orange bitters, powdered sugar, rock candy swizzle stick* (optional)

Equipment: Cocktail shaker, champagne flute* or highball glass

How to: Fill shaker partway with ice and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 dashes of orange bitters, and a teaspoon of powdered sugar and shake until well chilled. Pour into flute and top with seltzer or club soda.

Garnish: No garnish, or a rock candy swizzle stick (omit sugar if using swizzle stick). 

Pump it up: Try using ginger ale or flavored seltzer instead of plain seltzer, or garnish with fresh rosemary, basil, or mint. 

Cos-faux-politan

Ingredients: Cranberry juice, powdered sugar or simple syrup*, plain or lime seltzer, lime juice, lime wedge, cranberries

Equipment: Cocktail shaker, highball or martini* glass, chilled

How to: Fill shaker partway with ice and fill 3/4 full with cranberry juice, then add 1 teaspoon powdered sugar or a splash of simple syrup and a teaspoon of lime juice. Shake until well chilled and pour into a glass with ice and top with seltzer. 

Garnish: Cranberries and/or a wedge of lime. 

Pump it up: Use cranberry-infused simple syrup made by chopping up some fresh cranberries and boiling them with equal parts water and sugar for 30 minutes. Or moisten some fresh cranberries, roll in granulated sugar, and freeze for garnish. 

Cranberry Shrub

Ingredients: Cranberry juice; plain, lime, or cranberry-lime seltzer; lime wedge; lime sherbet*

Equipment: Cocktail shaker, champagne flute*, highball glass, or martini glass*

How to: Fill shaker partway with ice and fill 3/4 full with cranberry juice, then shake until well chilled and pour into a glass, then top with seltzer. 

Garnish: Small scoop of lime sherbet and a wedge of lime. 

Pump it up: Substitute raspberry ginger ale for the seltzer and use rainbow sherbet instead of lime, and garnish with fresh mint leaves. 

Nojito (takeoff of a mojito)

Ingredients: Fresh mint leaves*, lime wedges, 7-Up or Sprite

Equipment: Highball glass, long spoon

How to: In glass, muddle two lime wedges and a handful of mint leaves, then fill with ice and top with 7-Up or Sprite. 

Garnish: Mint leaves and/or a wedge of lime. 

Pump it up: Experiment with different herbs (basil, rosemary) and flavored seltzers (orange vanilla, toasted almond, black cherry), or add a dash of flavored bitters (cherry, walnut, smoked chili). 

Herbed/Garnished Seltzer

Ingredients: Plain or flavored seltzer, fresh herbs* (mint, rosemary, basil, thyme), lime or lemon wedges, flavored bitters

Equipment: Highball or lowball glass, chilled

How to: Fill glass with ice and pour seltzer over. Add a few dashes of bitters.

Garnish: Herb leaves and/or a wedge of lemon or lime. 

Pump it up: Experiment with various flavors and flavor combinations. Try adding a few slices of jalapeno and smoked chili bitters to plain seltzer; combine black cherry seltzer with cherry bitters and a maraschino cherry; try toasted coconut or orange vanilla seltzer with cocoa and orange bitters and a flamed twist of orange peel. 

Cherry Lime Rickey

Ingredients: Lime juice, cherry bitters* (or cherry juice* or grenadine*), plain seltzer or club soda*, lime wedges, maraschino cherries*

Equipment: Highball glass, chilled

How to: Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 4 dashes cherry bitters (or 1 tablespoon cherry juice or 2 teaspoons grenadine) to chilled glass and stir to combine. Add ice and pour seltzer over. 

Garnish: Lime wedge and maraschino cherries. 

Pump it up: Try using black cherry, lime, cranberry-lime, or raspberry seltzer. 

Here are a few more that include some specialty ingredients not listed above, as well as some more involved preparations.

Virgin Margarita

Ingredients: Lime juice, lemon juice, tonic water, simple syrup (or maple syrup), pickle juice (or olive brine), coarse salt, lime wedge

Equipment: Cocktail shaker, highball or lowball glass, chilled

How to: Run lime wedge around edge of glass and dip in salt, then place in freezer. Fill a shaker with ice and add 1 ounce lime juice, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon simple or maple syrup, and splash of pickle juice or olive brine, and shake until well chilled. Add ice to chilled glass and pour over. Top with tonic water.

Garnish: Lime wheel. 

Virgin Mary (takeoff on a Bloody Mary)

Ingredients: Tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, olive brine, Tabasco, celery salt, black pepper, Old Bay seasoning (optional), kosher salt, celery stalk, green olive (optional), lemon wedge (optional), cocktail onion (optional)

Equipment: Cocktail shaker, highball or lowball glass, chilled

How to: Chill 1/2 cup tomato juice. Moisten rim of glass with a little lemon juice and dip in a combination of Old Bay seasoning (or celery salt) and kosher salt and place in freezer. In a cocktail shaker (without ice), combine chilled tomato juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1/4 teaspoon olive brine, dash Tabasco, pinch celery salt, and dash black pepper and shake well to combine. Strain into prepared glass. 

Garnish: Celery stalk and a skewer of desired garnishes (olive, lemon wedge, onion).  

Soda Plus

Ingredients: Any kind of regular or diet soda (root beer, cola, 7-Up/Sprite, orange soda, etc.), mint leaves, grenadine, lime juice, lime wedges, maraschino cherries

Equipment: Lowball or highball glass, chilled

How to: Fill glass halfway with ice. Rub rim of glass with a mint leaf. Add 8 oz soda, 1/2 ounce grenadine, and 1 tablespoon lime juice to glass and stir to combine. 

Garnish: Mint leaf, lime wedge, and maraschino cherry. 

Blueberry Basil Limeade

Ingredients: Fresh basil, sugar, lime juice, fresh blueberries, sparkling or still water

Equipment: Highball glass

How to: Make basil-infused simple syrup by boiling equal parts water and sugar with a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, allowing to steep for 30 minutes. Strain into a container and add a splash of lime juice, then cool and store in refrigerator for at least 4 hours until ready to use. Fill glass with ice and a few blueberries, then add 1 part syrup and 4 parts sparkling or still water. 

Garnish: Basil leaves.

Sparkling Ginger Lemonade

Ingredients: Sugar, fresh ginger, lemon juice, club soda or plain or lemon seltzer, lemon wedges

Equipment: Highball glass or Mason jar

How to: Make ginger-infused simple syrup by boiling equal parts water and sugar with a large handful of thinly sliced fresh ginger and allowing to steep for 30 minutes. Strain into a container and add a splash of lemon juice, then cool and store in refrigerator for at least 4 hours until ready to use. Fill glass with ice and add 1 part syrup and 4 parts club soda. 

Garnish: Lemon wedge, ginger slice (optional)

White Grape Punch

Ingredients: Fresh or frozen cranberries, mint leaves, white grape juice, lime or cranberry-lime seltzer, lime juice

Equipment: Highball glass, ice cube tray

How to: Add 2 mint leaves and a few cranberries to each cube of an ice cube tray. Fill with enough water to cover and freeze. In a large pitcher, combine 2 cups white grape juice, 3 cups seltzer, and 1/4 cup lime juice and chill.  

Garnish: Prepared ice cubes and additional mint leaves