Are you going alcohol-free this year? To toast special occasions with something that’s more fun than a glass of water, here’s how to prepare a well-balanced mocktail with ingredients you already have on hand, to avoid waste and save money. Cheers!
The basic rule for creating a successful alcohol-free mocktail
To create an interesting harmony of flavours, try to play with ingredients that will bring sweet, acidic and bitter flavours to your drink. Naturally you can decide which of these flavour categories you would like to emphasize. Don’t hesitate to taste and adjust the ingredients as you would when making a vinaigrette, for example.
Bottled bitters
To easily add a touch of bitterness to cocktails, simply add a bit of tonic water (with quinine, which provides the bitter note) or even use bottled bitters, such as Angostura. Two or three drops will be enough to add some complexity!
Have any fruit?
Lemon and lime juice lend themselves well to a multitude of alcohol-free drinks due to their acidity and low levels of sugar. However you might want to skip the concentrates, which have a completely different flavour. Oranges (and their peel) can also be used for punches, sangrias and other alcohol-free cocktails.
Have any left over strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, peaches, mangoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.? All these fruits, whether cut up or crushed, will add flavour and colour to your mocktails, as well as a bit of simple syrup and sparkling water.
Otherwise, fruit juices, such as grapefruit, orange or tropical mixes, or even berry-based juices, can work well for mimosas made with a base of dealcoholized sparkling white wine.
Have any fresh herbs or spices?
Fresh herbs and spices will take any mocktail up a level. It’s a cute way to use up fresh herbs before they wilt. Try combining, for example, strawberry and basil; lemon, cucumber and mint; lime and ginger; kiwi and mint; blueberry and rosemary; pineapple, mint and dill; thyme and orange; apple and cinnamon; grapefruit, aniseed and cardamom; nutmeg and banana. Be creative! Trial and error are all part of the fun!
For a ton of mocktail recipe ideas made from a base of fruit, herbs and spices, read this article.
Simple syrup is a must
How can you sweeten your homemade drinks without that telltale deposit of sugar accumulating at the bottom of the glass? Use simple syrup! Its neutral taste will adapt to practically any recipe containing carbonated water, from herbaceous blends to fruity concoctions.
Plus there’s nothing easier (or cheaper) than making your own simple syrup! In a pot, add one cup of water and one cup of sugar. Mix and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let cool and store in the refrigerator (the syrup will easily keep for a few weeks). To give it a bit more character, you can also infuse it with your choice of herbs and spices for approximately fifteen minutes once the syrup has finished boiling, or even add in a few drops of vanilla extract.
Otherwise, consider adding in some honey or maple syrup, which will add another dimension to your mocktails.
Syrups for aromatic cocktails: A practical luxury
In addition to the classic grenadine syrup, you can find syrups for making fancy cocktails at grocery stores. One brand is Monsieur Cocktail, made from real juice and 100 percent natural ingredients. Add some sparkling water, sliced fruit and a sprig of fresh herbs and you’re ready to celebrate in style!
Club soda or mineral water?
For a touch of bubbles, many mocktail recipes call for one part carbonated water, such as club soda or mineral water. Made of water and carbon dioxide gas as well as a minute amount of sodium and/or potassium, club soda lends itself just as well to alcohol-free gin-tonics (on the more bitter end) as it does to mojitos (on the sweeter side), while mineral water, due to its high levels of natural mineral salts, works less well for fruity and/or sweet drinks. On the other hand, it can be used for herbaceous mocktails that are slightly salty, such as when complementing a mix of cucumber purée, lemon juice, simple syrup and basil.
Other fizzy beverages
Lemon-lime soda will blend well with fruit juices, while this ginger ale pairs perfectly with apple or cranberry juices. Other flavours, on the other hand, might be harder to mix if they have a very pronounced or artificial flavour.
Alcohol-free gin is so versatile
There are, of course, many mocktail recipes made from a base of red, white, rosé or sparkling wine that is alcohol-free. But what about spirits? For some time now, alcohol-free gin has been riding an unprecedented wave of popularity, and for good reason! Thanks to its herbaceous and fruity flavour profile, it can easily replace conventional gin in a range of mocktails (including a virgin Caesar!). Try one produced by Atypique, with its notes of juniper berry, elderflower and citrus, to make a virgin Tom Collins served in an ice-filled glass.
- 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) alcohol-free gin
- 1 oz. (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. (15 ml) simple syrup
- 3 oz (90 ml) club soda
- 1 halved lemon slice
Just mix together and serve!
Alcohol-free amaretto: So enchanting!
Another interesting discovery amongst alcohol-free spirits is amaretto, which allows you to prepare quite a few classics of mixology, such as an amaretto sour, served in an old-fashioned glass or wine glass with a sugared rim.
- 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) Atypique alcohol-free amaretto sour
- 1/2 oz. (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
- A lemon or lime wheel
In a shaker or Mason jar with a lid filled with ice, pour all the ingredients except the lemon or lime wheel and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain the contents using a sieve or strainer into a glass and decorate with the sliced citrus.
Mixology tip: Add an egg white before mixing the ingredients to create a creamy foam that will persist right up until the last sip.
Alcohol-free aperitifs: So thirst-quenching
Spritzes are popular in both summer and winter, and Aperol-type liqueurs are now available in alcohol-free versions. They really shine in the following recipe, which would definitely be a crowd-pleaser at any gathering.
Serve in a wine glass half-filled with ice.