5 Tips for Making Mocktails at Home

The ultimate guide for making a balanced, delicious drink without the booze.

Often times when you want a non-alcoholic drink someone brings you a club soda or lemonade off the kids' menu. Not that I don't love lemonade, but we deserve more. If you're looking to elevate your drink to something that rivals a real cocktail, this is the ultimate guide to making the best mocktails at home, while also keeping it quick and easy. Because we're busy and don't have time to mix twelve different ingredients together every night.

Learn how to create your own mocktail recipe using five tips below, including a simple formula to craft the best alcohol-free cocktails at home.

Tip #1: Use Fresh Ingredients (when possible)

The best secret to a delicious mocktail recipe is to use the freshest ingredients possible, just like you would with a cocktail. And before I lose you... I get it. You're friggin' busy and don't have time to hand-squeeze a gallon of fresh orange juice or puree watermelons every night. Try and focus on fresh citrus, herbs and berries that are easy to throw together. The rest can go in the pantry or be saved for a special occasion.

Citrus to keep on hand:

• Lemon

• Lime

• Orange

• Grapefruit

Fresh fruit & herbs:

• Berries - whatever is seasonal and you can hide from your kids so those little gremlins don't eat them all

• Rosemary

• Mint

Once in awhile when I want to treat myself or impress a stranger I'll pull out the big guns like tea-infused syrups, juiced cucumbers and melons, and total bullsh*t like that. But normally I just buy pantry-stable mixers and juices so that I have easy-to-grab ingredients whenever I need them.

Mocktail mixers:

• Orange juice

• Cranberry juice

• Your personal favorite juice - pear, cherry or whatever and you'll find a way to use it!

• Soda - I love experimenting with the huge variety of flavored sodas out there

• Diet tonic

• Pineapple juice

• Ginger beer (make sure to check the label as some contain alcohol)

• Bitters (these also often have alcohol so read your labels)

Tip #2: Try a Non-Alcoholic Spirit

I really resisted non-alcoholic spirits when I started drinking less. At first I was outraged at the price - it's basically just as expensive (or more) as real alcohol. I thought to myself, "So you're telling me I still have to spend the same amount of money without the buzz?!" But my sober-curious journey couldn't avoid it, and dammit there are some good ones out there that have made my drinks more delicious & complex, and they've helped me stay on track drinking less.

These are also great if you already have a go-to drink you don't want to ditch, and you can just swap out the alcohol for a N/A spirit. For example, if you usually enjoy a margarita, a non-alcoholic tequila can emulate the flavor profile you are looking for (these are my top picks).

After a couple weeks I realized that I'd happily pay $30 for a bottle of non-alcoholic spirit because what I lost in a few bucks I gained back tenfold in happiness, mind clarity and health benefits.

Tip #3: You need a good sweetener

In a mocktail, citrus and sweeteners are the base of your drink. To strike the right balance of a real cocktail, you'll want to experiment with these flavor profiles:

• Agave: Agave is my go-to sweetener because it mixes easily, tastes great, and requires little effort on my part. It's also a low-glycemic option.

• Simple syrup: The most basic of sweeteners, mix equal parts sugar and water on your stove top at a low-medium heat until combined. You can make this on your stovetop in a couple minutes and store in your fridge for a couple weeks. You'll know it's gone bad when you see little specks of mold (ew) form on the top like I did.

• Honey/Honey syrup: Straight-up honey is really tricky to use in your drinks because it doesn't mix well and it gets really clumpy when it touches ice. The thickness means you'll have to shake it until your arms fall off, which I'm not about. So if you want the flavor of honey, I suggest honey syrup which you make the same way as simple syrup but with honey instead of sugar.

• Maple Syrup: This can be great for winter cocktails or if you're using a N/A bourbon. It pairs well with flavors like vanilla, cinnamon and cranberry.

• Monkfruit Sweetener: My go-to, zero-sugar sweetener with much less of a chemical taste than stevia or splenda. You can make it by mixing 1/2 C monkfruit powder with 1C boiling water, stir and store in the fridge for up to a week. It can crystallize a bit if it gets too cold so give it a good shake before using.

Tip #4: Give Some Thought to Presentation

Everyone loves a beautiful cocktail, but it's got its time and place. On your average Wednesday night I can barely find time to make dinner and survive the bedtime routine, let alone craft an Instagram-worthy mocktail. So don't stress - try the simple mocktail formula in Tip#5 or pour yourself a non-alcoholic beer to get through the evening in one piece. But no matter how busy I am, I do almost always use a nice wine glass or tumbler to recreate the ritual of pouring myself something delicious at 5pm.

• Use the right glassware. I don't spend a bunch of time making a beautiful mocktail just to drink it out of a water glass. Put that sh*t in a cocktail glass girl, you deserve it. Make a fancy garnish. I love this heart-shaped one from Moody Mixologist. Or add a sprig of fresh herb toothpicked together with a slice of citrus.

• Punches on ice also look beautiful in big wine glasses with lots of garnishes.

• Give your ice a wow-factor. Try a fun ice mold for different shapes, add food dye to make different colors, or try freezing flower petals or berries into your molds for a touch to impress the pants off your guests (or just yourself).

Tip #5: The EASY Mocktail Recipe Formula

Start with this basic, "1-1-2-3" formula: 1 part citrus, 1 part sweetener, 2 parts nonalcoholic spirit, 3 parts mixer. Then tweak it to your liking. I like my drinks a little less sweet, so I usually add more citrus and less sweetener. If you like a really juicy beverage, increase the juice and sweetener a tad and see what you think.

Mocktail Recipe Formula:

• 1 oz citrus

• 1 oz sweetener

• 2 oz nonalcoholic spirit

• 3 oz mixers

• Optional: fresh herbs and berries

Directions:

• In a cocktail shaker, combine the citrus and sweetener. If using fresh fruit or herbs, muddle here.

• Fill the shaker with ice.

• Add the non-alcoholic spirit and any other juice you might be using. Hold off on any carbonated sodas or ingredients until the end.

• Give it a good shake - 15 seconds should do.

• Pour straight into a glass, or strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.

• Top with soda and enjoy!

A delicious mocktail has been the perfect way for me to enjoy many nights free of booze, and I hope it helps anyone else out there too. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts. Cheers!