Not A Drinker? That’s Not A Problem For These 8 Delicious Fall Mocktails

The pandemic had a severe effect on the drinking habits of many. According to data from YPulse daily drinking jumped […]

Oct 21, 2022
Drinker

The pandemic had a severe effect on the drinking habits of many. According to data from YPulse daily drinking jumped from 4 percent in May 2019 to 13 percent in May 2020. However, in October 2021, daily drinking habits were back down, this time to 3 percent. Sober curiosity has grown in the minds of many but that doesn’t mean that there should be no glasses being raised at holiday gatherings. For the non-drinkers or under 21 guests at your party, I found a variety of tasty mocktails to celebrate with this holiday season.

The Mocktail Drinker That Has Real Fun

Champagne Punch

What you’ll need:

  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle Champagne or prosecco
  • 1 cup dry gin
  • 1/3 cup simple syrup
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

How to:

  1. Stir ingredients together in a punch bowl or pitcher. Garnish with frozen fruit.
  2. Drink up!

Hot Spiced Tea

For all of you tea drinkers looking to add some pizzazz to your mug.

What you’ll need:

  • 6 regular-size cinnamon-spice or chai tea bags
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons whole cloves or mulling spices
  • 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
  • 1 cup pineapple juice (not from concentrate)
  • 1 cup refrigerated orange juice (such as Simply Orange)
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

How to:

  1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil over high in a large pot. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Cover pot; let tea steep according to package directions. Remove and discard tea bags.
  2. Stir sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and 8 cups additional water into tea in pot. Bring mixture to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove spices using a small handheld fine mesh strainer, and discard.
  3. Stir pineapple juice, orange juice, and lemon juice into tea mixture in pot. Remove from heat. Serve immediately or chilled. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Lemon Mint Sparklers

What you’ll need:

  • 1 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice (about 10 lemons)
  • 1 1/2 cups Lemon-Mint Syrup
  • 3 1/2 cups chilled club soda
  • 2 cups ice cubes

How to:

  1. Stir together all ingredients in a large pitcher. Serve immediately.

Sparkling Cherry Limeade

What you’ll need:

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
  • Margarita salt (optional)
  • 1 (12-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
  • 3 1/2 cups cold water
  • 1/2 cup liquid from jarred red maraschino cherries
  • 2 cups sparkling water
  • Garnishes: lime slices, maraschino cherries

How to:

  1. Rub rims of 8 chilled glasses with lime wedges, and dip rims in salt to coat, if desired.
  2. Stir together limeade concentrate and 3 1/2 cups cold water; add liquid from maraschino cherries.
  3. Fill prepared glasses with ice. Pour limeade mixture into glasses, filling each two-thirds full; add sparkling water to fill.
  4. Note: tested with San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water.

Cranberry Mojito

More like a no-jito for this mocktail drinker!

What you’ll need:

  • 3 mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Cranberry Reduction
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • Ice cubes
  • 3 tablespoons rum
  • Lemon-lime soft drink
  • Garnish: fresh mint sprig and lime slices

How to:

  1. Muddle mint leaves, Cranberry Reduction, and fresh lime juice against sides of a cocktail shaker; add ice cubes and rum. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled (about 30 seconds). Strain into a 10-oz. glass filled with ice cubes. Top with lemon-lime soft drink. Garnish, if desired.

Mulled-Cider (big batch)

What you’ll need:

  • 1 (½-gal.) bottle unfiltered apple cider
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large navel oranges, unpeeled, ends removed, and oranges sliced into rounds
  • 1 medium Honeycrisp apple, unpeeled and chopped
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • Optional garnishes: fresh cranberries, thin orange slices, cinnamon sticks, thin apple slices, whole star anise

How to:

  1. Stir together cider, brown sugar, orange rounds, chopped apples, star anise, and cinnamon sticks in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until fruits soften and mixture becomes aromatic, about 30 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl or drink dispenser; discard solids. Ladle cider into 8 heatproof mugs; garnish as desired.

Pineapple-Basil Tea

What you’ll need:

  • 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups water
  • 8 regular-size black tea bags
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 6 cups cold water

How to:

  1. Bring chopped fresh pineapple, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes. Cool slightly; process in a blender. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a 1-gal. container. Bring 3 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add tea bags; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags, and stir tea into pineapple mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil and 6 cups cold water. Serve over ice.

All recipes courtesy of Southern Living.