The holiday season is upon us. Soon, we’ll be celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with family, friends, maybe even colleagues. Christmas tables are usually full of turkey, roast, potato frivolities, chocolate desserts and what not. But, more often than not, that holiday dinner is also accompanied by a glass of wine, a cocktail or maybe a coupe of champagne. Great, unless you’re driving, of course. So what are the alcohol-free alternatives?
Every year, we’re confronted with the same reality. Many hosts tend to forget to plan a non- alcoholic alternative for those who aren’t drinking. And because you don’t want to be sipping on a mineral water all evening, you usually end up with a coke or apple juice in your hand, which were initially meant for the kids. Not very festive, indeed. So what if we told you this year could be different? That instead of bland soft drinks or fruit juices, you could celebrate Christmas (or New Year’s Eve, for that matter) with a refined yet alcohol-free cocktail in your hand?
Because yes, it’s possible to enjoy a mocktail that tastes as good as the original, boozy variant. Maybe even better. These last years, alcohol-free cocktails aka mocktails have been on the rise and if you’re really lazy, you could even choose to buy some pre-mixed. If, however, you’re willing to mix up your own drinks (or to ask your host to do so) we’ve gathered three alcohol-free cocktail recipes that will see you through the holiday season without you feeling left-out or bored. On the contrary, they’re full of taste, and they let you drive home safely.
1. Espresso Martini Mocktail
Ingredients (for 2 cocktails)
- 250 ml espresso (some prefer cold brew instead of espresso)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 120 ml syrup (simple, hazelnut, vanilla…)
- A pinch of salt
- Ice
- Cocoa powder, sugar or anything else to taste to rim the glass
Instructions
Rim your martini glasses with a little syrup and then dip them in cocoa powder, sugar or anything else.
Put the ice, espresso, vanilla extract, heavy cream, syrup and salt in a cocktail shaker and shake it until you obtain a slightly foamy substance.
Pour your mocktails in the martini glasses and enjoy an alcohol-free version of one of the most popular cocktails of the moment.
2. Negroni Mocktail
Ingredients (for 2 cocktails)
- 80 ml non-alcoholic gin
- 80 ml grape juice
- 80 ml alcohol-free Campari alternative
- Twist of orange
- Extra aromatic bitters to taste
Instructions
For this recipe, you don’t even need a cocktail shaker. Just put all the ingredients into a glass, stir and you’re done. Finish with a little twist of orange for presentation purposes.
3. Alcohol-free Hot Toddy
Ingredients (for 2 cocktails)
- 400 ml hot tea (you choose which kind of tea)
- Honey to taste
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 2 slices of lemon
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, making sure all spices and the honey are well- dissolved.
Serve while your Hot Toddy is still warm. As this beverage used to be a recipe against the cold, you could very well also drink it in the mornings or at any other occasion when you want a little boost against the winter weather.
