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Enjoying festive foods and drinks during the holidays is a marvelous way to bring loved ones together. There’s nothing more comforting than gathering and relishing the seasonal flavors. Whether you host elegant parties where folks dress to the nines or prefer to cozy up in the living room while wearing pajamas, you certainly need a flavorsome beverage to savor.
Alcohol-based drinks are undoubtedly fun to prepare, but not everyone partakes in them for one reason or another. Maybe you just don’t prefer the taste of alcohol (or maybe you do, but the thought of having a hangover is enough for you to veer toward a booze-free experience). In contrast, you might simply enjoy serving family-friendly beverages to your guests.
Whichever the case, the ideas on this list are all fantastic options for you to try out this season. Choose from virgin renditions of famous cocktails like Moscow mules and cosmopolitans or sip on effervescent spritzers. Prepare to take notes because you won’t want to miss out on these delightful mocktails.
CRANBERRY-ROSEMARY SPRITZER
This drink is a perfect choice for those who want a non-alcoholic spritzer because the result is a flavorful and bubbly concoction that contains zero wine. This mocktail is made with ginger beer, which provides spicy undertones that perfectly complement the cranberry juice. Along with a splash of rosemary-infused simple syrup, this iced beverage encompasses the flavors of the holidays.
Appearance-wise, this drink also does an impressive job of looking festive. After all, its color is not so far-off from a classic Christmas red. A first glance at the charming rosemary, cranberry, and crab apple drink will have you dying for a sip. Tasting Table staff created this cranberry- rosemary spritzer recipe for Crate and Barrel, which
is where you’ll find the exact rocks glass to bring this refreshment to life. The recipe yields one mocktail but adjusting the amounts to make a small batch is more than achievable.
HOLIDAY CHEER MOCKTAIL
This holiday cheer mocktail is an excellent addition to your upcoming party menu. You serve this beverage warm, which is perfect for the winter months when all you want to do is cozy up by the fire. The mixture consists of three juices: apple, pineapple, and cranberry. Fresh lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and ground nutmeg offer soothing flavors to complement the fruit. This drink is alluring as
is, but heating it on the stove will also leave your kitchen with a tantalizing aroma with hints of citrus and spice.
If you’re making this thirst quencher for a crowd, prepare it in advance and keep it warm in an insulated beverage dispenser. This mixture is impeccable for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Even New Year’s parties. However, that doesn’t mean it’s off-limits for ordinary weekdays. Gather your ingredients for this holiday cheer mocktail, and you’ll be able to enjoy this warm treat in no time.
THE ROY ROGERS
The Roy Rogers is a popular mocktail named after the Hollywood western film star and singer of the same name. And, as you can guess, Rogers preferred alcohol- free pick-me-ups like this one. A typical version of this iced beverage includes Coca-Cola, grenadine syrup, and maraschino cherries. Nevertheless, altering it to fit your taste by using different kinds of soda is exquisite as well.
This beverage is ideal for holiday gatherings because the ingredient list is simple and it’s incredibly effortless to throw together when you’re in a time crunch. In fact, it doesn’t even take five minutes to create. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a dressed-up Coca-Cola?
Aside from its simple yet tasty nature, the cherry on top (quite literally) provides a gorgeous pop of color. Adding a mint or herb sprig instantly transforms the garnish into a fun symbol for Christmas holly. No matter how you serve it, this non-alcoholic delight will make a lasting impression.
SPARKLING CRANBERRY SPRITZER
This sparkling cranberry spritzer recipe offers hints of mango and lime, giving it a refreshing and mildly tropical feel. This recipe is adapted from a version by Ocean Spray, so sparkling water and Ocean Spray cranberry raspberry energy juice drink make up the base. However, if you have a different cranberry drink (energy or not) on hand, swapping it in is no problem.
This recipe produces one mocktail, but since you just need to mix all the ingredients together, it is a convenient option to make in larger volumes if needed. Since its components are not necessarily centered on a specific season, it is highly versatile and can work for any holiday. The fizziness of the sparkling water and the zing from the energy drink make for a lively combination. Moreover, when you serve it in tall clear glass, the presentation is just as vibrant as the taste.
RED & ORANGE SPICY NESPRESSO MOCKTAIL
This multicolored beverage does a fantastic job of spicing up the holidays. Nespresso initially wrote the recipe for this red and orange spicy mocktail, which Tasting Table staff later adapted. The zesty drink takes advantage of a Nespresso Perú Secreto Grand Cru coffee capsule. Aside from that, only three other ingredients are needed: crushed ice, spicy pepper syrup, and mango juice.
The sweet and tropical essence of the mango juice is the perfect stepping stone for the spicy flavor to shine through without overwhelming the palate. Not to mention, the coffee scent is simply irresistible. The heavenly concoction has noticeable layers in its appearance, ultimately making it a total standout.
Since you construct the drink with such detail, it is ideally prepared individually rather than trying to make a single large batch. Luckily, you only need five minutes of your time to create it. Try pairing this refreshment alongside holiday starters or even desserts for a sweet and spicy experience.
APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SPRITZ
You will absolutely adore Lidia Bastianich’s apple cider cranberry spritz because it’s the perfect holiday mocktail. What screams autumn and winter more than the marriage of apple cider and sugared cranberries? However, it doesn’t stop there; the festive thirst quencher also contains sparkling water, so it is pleasantly bubbly. As an extra unique detail, macerated cranberries are frozen into the ice cubes you add to the drink — you don’t see that every day.
Bastianich shared the recipe on her website and Instagram account, leading many fans to try it out and commend her for the creation. The recipe yields just about one and a half liters worth of iced refreshment, so there is plenty to go around if you feel like sharing. Bastianich has served it at Thanksgiving and also simply paired it with ordinary meals throughout the holiday season. There’s no doubt about it, this is a mocktail that apple cider fans mustn’t pass up.
BLACKBERRY AND LAVENDER SPRITZER
If you’ve been keeping an eye open for a flavorful mocktail with a stunning presentation, look no further; this blackberry and lavender spritzer is meant for you. Yes, some might consider it more of a summer drink, but the truth is this recipe is so versatile that people can enjoy it any time of year. You can thank Catherine Pappas of Living The Gourmet for developing the formula.
The mixture’s base consists of club soda, blackberry syrup, and lemon juice. The lavender water is where it gets marvelous, though. In fact, the lavender water is what makes it such a fitting beverage for this time of year. Lavender is known to have calming properties, so enjoying this refreshment alongside a large plate of holiday food is perfectly appropriate.
This recipe takes some planning ahead because you’ll be making the lavender water from scratch. As long as you allow enough time to prepare it and let it cool, you’re in for a treat.
MOSCOW MULE MOCKTAIL
This alcohol-free take on the classic Moscow mule offers refreshing yet comforting flavors, which is great news for folks who love the traditional components of the drink, minus the vodka. With ginger beer, club soda, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice, there is so much worth indulging in already. Of course, just as with the standard cocktail, the fresh mint leaves sit atop the iced mocktail for a lovely presentation.
Although this drink is not exclusively served on holidays, it’s a phenomenal option to make for any holiday party you host. Dressing it up with extra garnishes is an easy way to make it more festive. Adding edible flowers, rosemary, or even pomegranate seeds as an embellishment in conjunction with the mint is more than enough. Also, since the components make this so easy to assemble, whipping up multiple servings is a breeze. You’ll quickly realize that taking only one sip of this scrumptious concoction is virtually impossible.
