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The 17 best mocktail recipes to make in 2024

Want the sweet taste of a cocktail without the alcohol? Then mix up these mocktails

Shirley Temple mocktail
nonzyimran / Pixabay

Are you looking to take a little break from alcohol but still want the sweet taste of a cocktail on a warm summer day (no judgment)? Then mix up some mocktails so you can still indulge in some creative cocktail recipes — but without the liquor.

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Sure, a mocktail won’t give you the buzz that a cocktail would, but these non-alcoholic drink recipes also won’t make you feel as bad if you have too many of them (both in terms of a hangover and on the scale, if you’re watching your weight). Below, you’ll find different mocktail recipes that range in flavor from sweet and a little spicy to fresh, like a spring garden. Bottoms up!

Berry Burlesque

Berry Burlesque Cocktail
Aria Bardot Brasserie

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce black currant puree
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup
  • 4-6 mint leaves
  • Q Ginger Beer

Method:

  1. Shake all ingredients except Q Ginger Beer and strain over fresh ice.
  2. Top with Q Ginger Beer.

Cardi Tea

Cardi Tea Cocktail Sen Sakana
Sen Sakana

(Created by Zachary Gross, Sen Sakana, New York City)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounce steeped green tea
  • 1/2 ounce agave syrup
  • 1/2 ounce bergamot orange
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white

Method:

  1. Dry shake all ingredients, then shake with ice.
  2. Double strain into a coupe.
  3. Garnish with a seasoned lemon slice.

Kama’s Arrow

Kamas Arrow Cocktail Death and Co
Death and Co.

(Created by Tyson Buhler, Death & Co, Denver)

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Shake ingredients together with ice, then strain into a glass.
  2. Garnish with crushed pistachio.

Halcyon Days

Halcyon Days Cocktail
Joanna Carpenter

(Created by Joanna Carpenter, Town Stages, New York City)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces homemade pineapple shrub
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
  • Pinch of ground allspice
  • Pinch of honey
  • Q Ginger Ale to top

Method:

  1. Muddle 2 teaspoons of fresh diced ginger with a pinch of allspice and honey.
  2. Spoon into the bottom of a chalice or tulip glass.
  3. Add 1 1/2 ounces of pineapple shrub.
  4. Top with pebbled ice and Q Ginger Ale.
  5. Add enough pebbled ice to make a dome.
  6. Drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of allspice, and garnish with a pineapple leaf.

On the Hudson

On the Hudson Cocktail Boqueria
Boqueria

(Created by Kieran Chavez, Boqueria, New York City)

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces Seedlip Spice
  • 2 ounces Fuji apple juice
  • 1/3 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce black pepper syrup
  • Pinch of Maldon sea salt

Method:

  1. In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients.
  2. Shake for at least 15 seconds to incorporate.
  3. Strain into a glass.
  4. Top w/a heavy splash of tonic (around 1 ounce).
  5. Fill the glass with ice.
  6. Garnish with 2 apple slices laid flat across the top of the cocktail.
  7. Top with a turn of freshly cracked pepper.

Cucumber Quencher

Cucumber Quencher Hotel Hugo
Hotel Hugo

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces club soda
  • 3/4 ounce agave thyme syrup
  • 1/4 ounce cucumber juice
  • 1/4 ounce lemon Juice
  • 6-8 mint sprigs
  • Oval cucumber slice for garnish
  • Thyme sprig for garnish

Method: 

  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker.
  2. Shake well, then double strain into a highball and top it off with club soda.
  3. Garnish with an oval cucumber slice and a thyme sprig.

Classic Bubbly

Classic Bubbly Cocktail
Effie Gurmeza

(Created by Marnie Rae, National Mocktail Week)

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • 4 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
  • 5 drops lemon extract
  • 5 drops orange extract
  • 2 pomegranates worth of pips

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, add all ingredients but the pomegranate seeds.
  2. Bring to a light simmer over medium-low heat.
  3. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes.
  4. Let it cool.
  5. Blend well in a blender to incorporate all ingredients.
  6. Add soda/sparkling water to taste.
  7. Garnish with pom seeds.

Verbena Virgin Mary

Lemon Verbena Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces United Sodas lemon verbena
  • 3 ounces tomato juice
  • Several shakes of hot sauce
  • Pepper and celery stick for garnish

Method:

  1. Mix the soda, tomato juice, and hot sauce in a Collins glass and stir with a bar spoon.
  2. Replace the celery stick with a dill pickle if you’d like.

Matcha Margarita

Tenzo Margarita Mocktail
Amanda Boyd

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces tonic water
  • 2 ounces lime juice
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 ounce orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tenzo matcha
  • Kosher salt
  • Lime for garnish

Method:

  1. Pour ice into a cocktail shaker and add 6 oz tonic water to the cocktail shaker.
  2. Add in all the juice, 1 tablespoon of agave syrup, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Tenzo matcha into the cocktail shaker.
  3. Shake well until everything has been combined. 
  4. Squeeze a lime wedge over the rim of the cocktail glass to prepare the salted rim.
  5. Next, place the rim of the cocktail glass on a plate of kosher salt.
  6. Pour the margarita mixture into the salted cocktail glass, garnish with a lime, and enjoy.

Agrodolce

Ghia Agrodolce Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces Ghia
  • 1/2 ounce date syrup
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 3 dashes of orange bitters
  • 1 small sprig of thyme
  • Orange zest

Method:

  1. Pour Ghia into a shaker.
  2. Add date syrup, 3 thyme sprigs, and orange bitters.
  3. Shake and strain into a lowball glass with a large ice cube.
  4. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme and a dusting of orange zest for a kick of citrus.

Chill Warm Nighttime Tonic

Chill Nighttime Tonic Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup Health-Ade Plus Chill
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
  • 2 dashes cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sweetener of your choice (optional but recommended)

Method:

  1. In a small pot, add all the ingredients except the kombucha.
  2. Bring the heat to low, stirring, letting the flavors merge, you’ll begin to smell the aromatics from the lavender and vanilla.
  3. At this point, froth the warm liquid and slowly add the kombucha.
  4. Froth one more time and pour into your favorite mug.

Mock Mint Julep

Mock Mint Julep
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Pour ingredients over crushed ice and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

Flower Power

Flower Power Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces Ghia
  • 2 ounces elderflower tonic
  • Grapefruit or lemon zest for garnish

Method:

  1. Pour Ghia and mix with elderflower tonic.
  2. Serve in lowball glass on the rocks.
  3. Garnish with the zest of fresh grapefruit and lemon.

Sweet Tea to Die For

Sweet Tea To Die For Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of either a peach or nectarine
  • 4 ounces sweet tea (Pure Leaf Sweet Tea works great)
  • 4 ounces DRY Blood Orange Botanical Bubbly
  • Extra fruit and a lemon wedge for garnish

Method:

  1. In a shaker, add two slices of either peach or nectarine, add crushed ice, and muddle.
  2. Fill the shaker half-way with sweet tea and shake until mixed.
  3. Dump into a tall glass and add more ice if needed.
  4. Top with chilled DRY Blood Orange Botanical Bubbly.
  5. Garnish with a lemon wedge and fruit slices.

Ginger and Lemon Mint Reset Mocktail

Belly Reset Kombucha Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle of Health-Ade Plus Belly Reset
  • 1 whole juiced lemon
  • 8 lemon slices (4 for muddling, 4 for garnish)
  • 4 slices of fresh ginger (1/2 inch thick)
  • 3 sprigs of fresh mint

Method:

  1. Slice your lemons and juice your 1 lemon.
  2. Slice your ginger and remove the skin.
  3. Add your 4 lemon slices, ginger, and mint in your glass and muddle for about 2 minutes until the leaves are squished and the lemons are broken apart.
  4. Pour kombucha into your muddled mixture.
  5. Stir to combine and pour into a coupe glass.

Matcha Peach Daiquiri

Tenzo Matcha Peach Daiquiri Mocktail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen peaches
  • 1-2 tablespoons agave (depending on how much sweetness is desired)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tenzo matcha
  • 5 ice cubes

Method:

  1. In a blender, combine frozen peaches, agave (or simple syrup), lime juice, water, and ice cubes.
  2. Blend on high until a thick, frozen mixture has formed.
  3. If the mixture is too thin, add in a few extra ice cubes and blend again. 
  4. Pour the peach mixture into a cocktail glass. 
  5. Prepare a matcha shot by whisking ½ tsp Tenzo matcha in a little bit of water. 
  6. Pour the matcha shot over the peach mixture.
  7. Using a straw or spoon, stir until the matcha has blended into the cup.

Cranberry Rosemary Sparkler

Cranberry cocktail with fresh cranberries and roseemary on black slate board. Fir tree branch and pine cones in background
chas53 / iStock

Ingredients:

For the rosemary simple syrup:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary

For the mocktail:

  • 2 ounces rosemary simple syrup
  • 4 ounces cranberry juice (low-sugar preferred)
  • Splash of fresh lime juice (optional)
  • Club soda or sparkling water
  • Crushed ice
  • Fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig for garnish

Method:

For the rosemary simple syrup:

  1. In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, and rosemary sprigs.
  2. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Remove from heat and let steep for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
  4. Strain out rosemary and store syrup in the refrigerator for up to a month.

For the mocktail:

  1. Fill a glass with crushed ice.
  2. Add rosemary simple syrup, cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime juice (if using).
  3. Stir gently to combine.
  4. Gently pour in club soda or sparkling water, leaving some room at the top to avoid overflow.
  5. Add a few fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.
Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
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