This year I’ve really been trying to experiment more with fun drinks that don’t contain alcohol. I don’t ever anticipate going completely dry, but I like having the option of something tasty without a buzz or something to switch to after an initial adult beverage. I’ve tried simple drinks like sparkling water with cucumber and lime to more elaborate multiple juice based drinks to health-factor options like the sleep-well-mocktail.
The taste of cocktails can make them enticing, but sometimes, I want that fancy feeling without a hangover the next day. And hangovers can be caused by alcohol, obviously, but drinks with a lot of sugar can also make you feel a little gnarly the next day. This is where low-sugar mocktails come in. They maintain all the delicious flavor, but since they’re alcohol-free they can be enjoyed by kids, designated drivers, and anyone who feels like they want to opt out of an alcoholic drink.
I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite low-sugar mocktail recipes I know you’ll love! This way you can sip anytime you’re in the mood for a delicious and fun mocktail.
7 Low Sugar Mocktails
Ginger Thyme Sparkling Lemonade
Sparkling lemonade with the added twist of ginger and thyme make this mocktail a warm weather favorite. Sweetened with honey instead of sugar, this mocktail recipe from Eating Well is so pretty on a picnic table.
- Time to Prepare: 20 minutes.
- Ingredients: Honey, fresh thyme, fresh ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sparkling water (or you can use still if you prefer)
- Best For: Summer gatherings.
- Recipe Notes: Can make ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. It pairs well with gin, so it’s a great recipe to make as a mocktail in a pitcher, and you can allow guests that might like a splash of booze add it to their glass.
- Serving Tips: Serve ice cold.
Sparkling Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail
Cranberry is a classic flavor in holiday drinks and cocktails. The Real Food Dieticians have created a mocktail recipe that’s low in sugar, full of gut-healthy probiotics and antioxidants, and loaded with festive flavors like ginger and rosemary. This Sparkling Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail has a fizzy feel when you sip it, making it enjoyable for anyone looking for an alcohol-free holiday beverage — including kids!
- Time to Prepare: 10 minutes.
- Ingredients: Kombucha (preferably cranberry flavored), cranberry juice, fresh ginger, fresh rosemary, and ice.
- Best For: Holiday parties and festive gatherings.
- Recipe Notes: If you don’t like — or can’t find — kombucha, you can substitute ginger beer, sugar-free ginger soda, or water kefir.
- Serving Tips: Serve in a highball glass with ice, and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, some whole cranberries, or a slice of ginger.
Sparkling Apple Cider Mocktail
Rebecca over at Nourish Nutrition has jazzed up the classic glass of apple cider by adding the fresh flavor of citrus fruits as well as some savory rosemary. By pre-slicing the citrus fruits, and leaving a bottle of apple cider on a DIY bar table beside alcohol drinks or mocktails at your party, you can provide your guests a fun and customizable healthy mocktail recipe.
- Time to Prepare: 5 minutes.
- Ingredients: Sparkling apple cider, oranges, limes, grapefruit, and a sprig of rosemary.
- Best For: Adding to a DIY healthy mocktail table at cool season get-togethers.
- Recipe Notes: You don’t have to use all three citrus fruits, you can stick with one — she recommends lime.
- Serving Tips: Pre-slice your citrus fruits, and set out a simple recipe instruction card so guests can make their own sparkling apple cider mocktail.
Sugar-Free Grapefruit and Ginger Mocktail
This beautiful orange mocktail from Elaine over at Flavour and Savour has the perfect combination of tart and sweet flavors. Ginger is a known anti-inflammatory and adding a bit into your diet is a great idea when you’re learning how to balance blood sugar levels. The best part is, you only need 3 ingredients to make a sugar-free grapefruit and ginger mocktail!
- Time to Prepare: 1 minute.
- Ingredients: Pink grapefruit juice, organic ginger juice, and ginger ale (try to find one that has natural sweeteners instead of one that’s full of sugar).
- Best For: The fresh grapefruit flavor and bright orange color makes this a perfect alcohol-free healthy mocktail for spring.
- Recipe Notes: Organic ginger juice can be substituted by making your own ginger simple syrups at home.
Lemon Mocktail
Citrus fruits often feature in alcohol-free mocktails because they help replace the vibrant flavor found in alcohol drinks. Lemon juice is the citrus fruit that features in this lemon mocktail from The Mindful Mocktail. As the name would suggest, The Mindful Mocktail is loaded with healthy mocktail recipes including this lemon mocktail. Nat recommends using a bit of honey to sweeten your lemon mocktail if you don’t get enough sweetness from the coconut water.
- Time to Prepare: 5 minutes.
- Ingredients: Sparkling water, lemons juiced and cut into wedges, coconut water, honey, and mint leaves.
- Best For: Spring and summer celebrations.
- Recipe Notes: If you can find sparkling coconut water you can double the amount of coconut water to replace the sparkling water in the recipe.
- Serving Tips: Serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint leaves or lemon wedges on the side of the glass.
Non-Alcoholic Mojito Mocktail
Mojitos are a classic summer cocktail that you might find yourself missing if you’re steering clear of alcohol drinks. Thankfully, Ilona at Ilona’s Passion has come up with a great mojito mocktail that uses fresh mint, lime, and cane sugar to replicate the classic mojito flavor.
- Time to Prepare: 5 minutes.
- Ingredients: Sparkling water, limes cut into wedges, mint leaves, and cane sugar.
- Best For: Summer celebrations and baby showers.
- Recipe Notes: If you don’t have cane sugar, use a sweetener of your choice.
Apple Ginger Mocktail
The sweet flavor of apple pairs perfectly with the bite of ginger and cinnamon spice in this virgin cocktail by The Mindful Mocktail. Perfect for sweater weather, this apple ginger mocktail even looks like fall with its pretty orange coloring.
- Time to Prepare: 5 minutes.
- Ingredients: Apple cider, apple cider vinegar, fresh lime juice, fresh mint leaves, cinnamon powder and ginger ale.
- Best For: The perfect drink to toast to autumn.
- Recipe Notes: It calls for a shaker, but if you don’t have one a mason jar with a tight lid works well.
- Serving Tips: Cinnamon sticks, citrus slices, and mint leaves make the perfect garnish for this mocktail.
Mocktails are a healthy, easy, and flavorful way of celebrating events where you want a no-alcohol option. They’re great for hosting a baby shower, when you want to avoid dehydration and hangovers, and when your kids want to be a part of the fun.
