Embrace your sobriety this holiday season by trying some of these festive and delicious mocktails! You’ve done the hard work of self-actualization in rehab, and have been keeping up the habits proven to help you stay in recovery. Now the holidays are approaching, which can be a real mixed bag of emotions for many people, with travel and family gatherings increasing stress. The holidays are also a time of loss for some, the impact of losing a loved one reinforced by their absence at social functions.
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The holidays can disrupt our regular schedules, reduce the availability of support, and prevent us from acknowledging we may be in the initial stages of relapse. It’s an important part of relapse prevention to have contingency plans in place for when you experience strong, negative emotions, and having mocktails is a great way to plan to participate but stay sober during holiday gatherings.
What is a Mocktail?
Many people think of Shirley Temple when they hear the word mocktail, a drink named after the famous child star of the 1930s. Consisting of ginger ale, lime juice, and a splash of grenadine it’s been served on children’s menus at innumerable restaurants for over fifty years. But mocktails are no longer for kids, they’re one of the biggest rising trends in the bar and restaurant industry. With the release of non-alcoholic, plant-based liquor substitutes like Seedlip the mocktail scene has exploded with delicious, no-booze drinks. People abstain from alcohol for many reasons, including fitness goals, pregnancy, health, and also sobriety. And they want to feel included and refreshed in the same way people having a drink with friends do, with a lovingly crafted cocktail.
Why Mocktails are a Fun Gathering Option
Offering mocktails at your holiday social event allows people who are choosing to abstain from alcohol to feel seen and celebrated, rather than having to sip on old, familiar stand-bys such as soda or juice. It also helps people with peer pressure, having a fancy, festive, and fun-looking drink in your hand will signal you’re having a fantastic time, no need to add alcohol to the mix. The zero-proof trend is also growing with each generation, about 42% of millennials have alcoholic drinks compared to 21% of gen z, and businesses are taking notice by offering a comprehensive mocktail menu.
13 Mocktail Recipes That Will Impress This Holiday Season
We’ve selected some beautiful, delicious, and sophisticated mocktail recipes to keep you feeling festive this holiday season.
Marmalade Mousse
A wonderful alternative to champagne on New Year’s Eve, make your party sparkle with this zero-proof recipe.
- 1-ounce Seedlip Grove 42
- ¼ ounce marmalade cordial (make this ahead of time by mixing 8 cups of boiling water into 1 ¼ cups marmalade jam, strain through a sieve, keep chilled)
- Pour ingredients into a champagne flute and top with chilled, zero-proof sparkling wine
- Garnish with orange zest and serve
Cottonworks
This drink marries traditional holiday flavors, clementine, cranberry, and orange. Purchase zero-proof cranberry cordial pre-made to skip preparing ingredients beforehand.
- 1.5 ounces Seedlip Grove 42
- 0.5 ounces cranberry cordial
- Pour ingredients over ice into a highball glass, top with premium tonic water, and a floral garnish.
Laxtons’ Gage
A simple cocktail full of flavor, greengages are plums commonly used in deserts.
- 1.5 ounces Seedlip Garden 108
- 1 tsp greengage preserve
- 0.5 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Shake ingredients together in a cocktail shaker, and strain into a wine glass over ice. Top with premium club soda and garnish with a sprig of thyme
Voyage Punch
A beautiful crystal punch bowl is a common sight at holiday parties, use this no-booze punch recipe to bring that festive feeling to your gathering.
- 17 ounces Seedlip Spice 94
- 6 ½ ounces lemon-mint cordial
- 20 ounces cold-brewed jasmine tea (toss 5 teabags into 2.5 cups of cold water, allow to steep overnight in the fridge)
- Pour into punchbowl over ice, and garnish with pink grapefruit wedges, mint, and lemon zest.
Hanky Panky
Prepare this mocktail ahead of time and bring it with you to any gathering, each bottle serves 7.
- 12 ounces Seedlip Spice 94
- 12 ounces Æcorn Aromatic Non-Alcoholic Aperitif
- 12 ounces Æcorn Bitter
- Combine ingredients a day or two before the event and keep in the fridge. Serve in a wine glass over ice and garnish with orange zest.
Seedflip
It’s hard to resist the siren song of eggnog during the holiday season, this delicious alternative is both alcohol and dairy free!
- 2 ounces Seedlip Spice 94
- 2 ounces of oat or other non-dairy milk
- ¾ ounce coconut cream
- ¼ ounce date syrup
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A drop of vanilla
- Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until frothy. Serve cold or warm in a wine glass, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Baby Bellini
An absolute crowd favorite this version of the Bellini requires no special or hard-to-find ingredients.
- 2 ounces of peach nectar, juice, or puree
- 4 to 5 ounces of sparkling cider, soda, or ginger-ale
- Combine chilled ingredients in a wine glass and garnish with a peach slice.
Hot Not Toddy
Baby, it’s cold outside and sometimes you just want a festive drink to warm you. This no-alcohol hot toddy recipe is an excellent choice for those abstaining.
- 7 ounces of hot tea of your choice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a heat safe mug combine ingredients, then pour hot tea into the glass. Stir well, and garnish with a lemon wedge or zest. Enjoy!
MiNOsa
A delicious zero-proof take on a Christmas day favorite, the Mimosa.
- 2 ounces Seedlip Grove 42
- 1-ounce clementine juice
- Pour ingredients into a champagne flute and top with premium chilled soda. Garnish with a flower of your choice.
Sweet Adeline
This fabulous tea drink is simple to make on a blustery, cold winter day.
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon simple syrup
- 1 black tea blend teabag, preferably with orange and spices
- ½ to ¾ cup of hot water to taste
- Add the juice, teabag, and simple syrup to heat a safe mug. Pour hot water in and let the teabag steep for two minutes. Remove the bag, stir, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
El Submarino
This decadent, Argentinian hot chocolate recipe is sure to be a smash hit for the entire family, this recipe serves 4.
- 4 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 4 ounces crushed dark chocolate
- Heat the milk in a saucepan, stirring in vanilla and milk until it’s just about to boil. Remove from heat. Distribute chocolate evenly into mugs, then pour the hot milk mixture over. Stir, and enjoy!
Butterbeer
Harry Potter fans will love this delicious winter mocktail.
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon butterscotch sauce
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- Vanilla cream soda
- Combine everything except the cream soda into a bowl and mix well, until slightly thick. Chill in the freezer, only taking it out when making the drink. Pour chilled cream soda into a glass, and add the butterbeer batter. Make the drink as thick as you like!
Christmas Mimosa
This beautiful holiday beverage couldn’t be any easier to make.
- 2 cups premium soda water
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- Pour the soda and juice mixture into champagne flutes, garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve to delighted friends and family.
