Mindful Mixology

Alcohol-free beverages don’t have to be boring. They can be so flavorful you may rethink your idea of the afternoon cocktail—you may not even catch that the alcohol is a no-show.

Whether it’s due to the rise of the mindfulness movements like Dry January and Sober September, not to mention alcohol-free happy hours, consumers are demanding more thoughtful beverages year-round.

So go ahead, take the plunge and have a mocktail party this summer. Here are some recipes that offer a cooling change for alcohol-free summer sipping.

 

 

Tiki Cooler

Ice cubes

6-ounce can pineapple juice

6 ounces coconut milk

3 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons almond-flavored syrup

1 cup club soda, or as needed

4 pinches ground nutmeg

4 lime wheels

4 sprigs fresh mint

1. Place a few ice cubes in a pitcher. Add pineapple juice, coconut milk, lime juice and almond-flavored syrup. Stir until chilled.
2. Strain mixture and pour it into four glasses. Top each glass with club soda.
3. Dust each mocktail with nutmeg. Garnish with a lime wheel and a sprig of mint.

 

Strawberry Refresher

4 cups strawberries, sliced

1 cup white sugar

8 cups cold water, divided

5 cups ice for serving, or as needed

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

8 fresh mint sprigs

1. Mix strawberries, sugar and one cup cold water in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
2. Pour chilled strawberry mixture into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Pour through a wire mesh strainer set over a large bowl; discard pulp and seeds. Stir remaining 7 cups cold water into strawberry juice until it is well combined.
3. Fill eight glasses with ice. Pour strawberry mixture over ice. Garnish each serving with lime wedges and mint leaves.

 

Ginger Champagne

2 2-liter bottles ginger ale or cranberry ginger  ale, chilled, divided

46-ounce can pineapple juice, chilled

64-ounce bottle white grape juice, chilled

1. To make ice ring, fill a ring-shaped cake pan halfway with ginger ale. Freeze until partially frozen.
2. At this stage, you can place edible flowers or pieces of fruit around the ring. Fill pan to top with ginger ale and freeze until solid. Place in punch bowl just before serving.
3. In a large punch bowl, combine one bottle ginger ale, pineapple juice and white grape juice, add ice ring to punch bowl, and let guests serve themselves.

 

Virgin Margarita

¼ cup lime juice

⅛ cup orange juice

⅛ cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, cooked on the stovetop until the sugar dissolves)

1 tablespoon agave syrup, optional

Ice cubes

Salt, for rimming the glass, preferably kosher or sea salt

Lime wedges, for garnish

Club soda or lemon-lime soda, to top off the drink

1. Begin by rimming the glass. Take a lime wedge and rub it around the rim of the glass. Dip the rim into a plate of salt to coat it. Add ice.
2. Fill a shaker or mixing glass with ice cubes. Add the lime juice, orange juice, simple syrup and agave syrup to the shaker. Shake well to combine the ingredients.
3. Strain the mixture into the salt-rimmed glass filled with ice cubes. Top off the drink with club soda or lemon-lime soda to add a bit of fizz. Give the drink a gentle stir to mix everything. Garnish the glass with a lime wedge.

 

Alcohol-Free Mint Julep

¼ cup water

¼ cup white sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

2 cups crushed ice

½ cup prepared lemonade

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

1. Combine water, sugar and one tablespoon of chopped mint in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool for about an hour, then strain out mint leaves.
2. Fill two cold cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice. Pour half of the lemonade into each glass, and top with a splash of cooled sugar syrup.
3. Garnish each with a mint sprig, and add a straw for sipping.

 

Island Iced Tea

3 black tea bags

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 medium red apple, thinly sliced

2 cups apple cider

Mint sprigs, for garnish

1. In a small pot over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour boiling water into a large heatproof pitcher or jar.
2. Add tea bags and maple syrup, and stir to combine. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.
3. Remove and discard tea bags. Let tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold for 4 hours or up to 12.
4. When ready to serve, add apple slices and cider to pitcher, and stir to combine. Pour into individual tea glasses, making sure at least one apple slice gets into each glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.