8 Flavorful Holiday Mocktails That Skip the Alcohol
The holidays are the perfect time to eat, drink and be merry. But all that boozing gets expensive. Save yourself some money — and maybe a headache in the morning — with these eight mocktail recipes that skip the pricey liquor but keep all the festive flavors of the season.
1. Pink “Champagne” Mocktail
You can’t toast the New Year without bubbles. Fill your flute with this beverage when it comes time to clink glasses at midnight. Or, sip on one while you help prepare Thanksgiving dinner. The mix of juices — cranberry, pineapple and orange — create a pink appearance, and the ginger ale brings on the fizz. This recipe makes 20 servings. To make the drink, combine two quarts of ginger ale, one 46-oz. bottle of cranberry juice, one 46-oz. can of pineapple juice and one 12-oz. can of frozen orange juice concentrate in a large punch bowl. Stir in ice and serve! Looking for another money-saving life hack? These companies give you food and other products for free.
2. Orange Cranberry Mimosa
Showcasing two fruity stars of the holiday season, this orange and cranberry drink will have you reminiscing about those big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. This drink even sneaks in another seasonal favorite — sparkling apple cider. To make the drink, first sugar the rim of a glass by wetting it with an orange slice and dipping it into sugar. Add one ounce of freshly squeezed orange juice, two ounces of sweetened cranberry juice, two ounces of sparkling apple cider. Be sure to add a festive garnish to your glass, like whole cranberries, a rosemary sprig or a cinnamon stick — or all three.
3. Spiced Virgin Apple Martini
That’s spiced, not spiked. This drink is a step up from your typical sparkling cider spritzer. It incorporates seasonal spices from cinnamon sticks and candied ginger into a simple syrup for added tastiness. You’ll also need to grab frozen apple juice concentrate, sparkling cider, a lemon, an apple, sugar and gingersnap cookies to make this concoction that serves 6. To make the syrup, combine a half cup of sugar, a half cup of water, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, four cinnamon sticks, halved, and a piece of candied ginger into a sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mix comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes, remove the pan from the heat then let it cool to room temp. Grind six gingersnaps and a tablespoon of sugar into a processor to make crumbs. Dip the rim of a martini glass in the syrup, and coat it with cookie crumbs. Add the syrup and a 25.4-oz. bottle of chilled sparkling applce cider into a pitcher. Serve in the cookie crumb glasses. Need some extra cash this season to fund the holidays? Try one of these 50 ways to make extra money this month.
4. Sparkling Turmeric Tonic
As the chilly weather ushers in the cold and flu season, try this mocktail to help combat those winter germs. Both turmeric and ginger — two of the main ingredients in this drink — are known for their antioxidant properties. The addition of club soda makes it nice and bubbly, and honey sweetens this spicy beverage. To make the drink, first make a ginger syrup. Bring three cups of filtered water to boil. Peel, rinse and roughly chop a two-inch knob of fresh ginger and a five-inch piece of fresh tumeric and add them to the water with a quarter cup of honey. Stir to dissolve the honey and set it aside to cool to room temp. Once cooled, stir in a half cup of lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight and then strain the drink, discarding the solids. (This recipe yields about 32 ounces.) Pour the drink over ice until the serving drink is about three-quarters full. Top with soda water, garnish with cracked black pepper and enjoy!
5. Nonalcoholic Coquito Smoothie
Even if you’ve gotten your fill of eggnog for the season, you’re going to want to try this Puerto Rican take on it. This particular coquito recipe is not only nonalcoholic, it’s also dairy-free and egg-free. To make the drink, first, get out your blender. Put in two halved frozen bananas, 1 1/4 cup of chilled coconut milk from a carton, two tablespoons of maple syrup and 3/4 of a teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Pulse the blender a few times and then blend on high until it’s completely smooth. Serve with additional nutmeg. Another money hack? Stop spending too much money on these dumb things.
6. Candy Cane Christmas Mocktail
Sipping this mocktail is like eating a candy cane — only better. You’ll need cream soda, half and half, peppermint oil and simple syrup to make this sweet holiday drink. Decorate the rim of a martini glass with crushed candy canes to complete this mocktail. This recipe yields four servings. To make the drink, first prepare your martini glasses — lightly coat each rim with simple syrup, then dip them in crushed candy canes. In a small pitcher, stir together one cup of half and half, 12 ounces of cream soda, four teaspoons of simple syrup and two to four drops of peppermint oil. Pour mixed drink into the martini glasses and enjoy.
7. White Hot Chocolate
This isn’t your average hot cocoa. If you’re missing the added warmth alcohol gives, why not go for a heated beverage? Make this drink with milk, vanilla extract and white chocolate pieces, and top it off with whipped cream or marshmallows. To make the drink, combine four cups of your milk of choice, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, some optional nutmeg and eight ounces of white chocolate, chopped. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the hot chocolate comes to a simmer. Remove it from heat and serve immediately. Add whipped cream or marshmallows as a garnish. Want more money-saving tricks like this? Here are eight more you should try.
8. Virgin Mary
Having old friends in town for the holidays is the perfect excuse to host brunch — and serve this nonalcoholic version of a bloody mary. Sans vodka, this drink is still super flavorful with tomato juice, lemon juice, celery salt, fresh ground pepper and a couple dashes of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. To make the drink, pour three ounces of tomato juice and a half an ounce of lemon juice into a highball glass with ice and stir. Add in one dash of Worcestershire sauce, one teaspoon celery salt, freshly ground black pepper, and two dashes hot sauce to taste. Garnish with anything you like on your bloody mary — celery, pickles, lemons, limes, olives, tomatoes, etc. Enjoy!
