Skip to main content

5 festive mocktails for a sober New Year’s Eve

Going sober this New Year's Eve doesn't have to be boring with these delicious drinks

It’s an odd thing to think of something like sobriety as “trendy” because for some, it’s so much more than that. For some, sobriety is survival. For others, those for whom addiction is not an ever-present monster, the sober movement that’s been getting bigger and louder in recent years is simply a healthier, safer, occasional alternative to drinking alcohol. Where celebratory or even regular drunkenness was once the accepted norm, we’re starting to see a shift. Sober celebrities like Matthew Perry, Dax Shepard, and Chrissy Teigen have started to stir things up by speaking out against the dangers of regular intoxication and potential addiction. It even became normal for stressed-out moms to have their drunken day in the sun, parading their daily bottles of chardonnay loudly and proudly with everything from T-shirts to kitschy home decor. Now, even those things are becoming more taboo.

Through the increased popularity of mocktails and sober bars popping up in big cities, sobriety is becoming more mainstream, and we’re here for it. Even if addiction isn’t your burden, moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

Whether you’ve chosen sobriety for the day, the month, or a lifetime, these are some of the most delicious mocktails you can mix up on the night of the big ball drop. Going alcohol-free doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with that boring old bottle of sparkling apple cider. New Year’s Eve drinks can have all the fun, festive flavor sans the booze. These are a few of our favorite nonalcoholic drinks to help you ring in the new year in sober style.

Fruity Pomegranate Mocktail

Glasses of Fruity Pomegranate Mocktails
My Chefs Apron

(From My Chefs Apron)

This beautifully fresh and fruity nonalcoholic drink is perfect for a celebration. Its gorgeous color and silky texture will look gorgeous on your table.

Blueberry Ginger Lime New Year’s Mocktail

Blueberry Ginger Lime New Year's Mocktail
Orchids + Sweet Tea/Facebook

(From Orchids + Sweet Tea)

These fruity, fizzy mocktails pack a punch of flavor and sweetness. Serve a big batch of these and we promise: No one will be missing the alcohol.

Virgin Cosmopolitan

Two glasses of virgin cosmopolitan martinis surrounded by holly sprigs
The Mindful Mocktail

(From The Mindful Mocktail)

Even with all of the delicious alcohol-free flavor options available now, sometimes you just want a classic — and it doesn’t get much more classic than a cosmo. This virgin version will have you sipping the night away, but without the hangover.

Salted Caramel White Russian Mocktail

Salted Caramel White Russian Mocktail
Tesco

(From Tesco Real Food

With a little caffeine kick to help you make it to midnight, this delicious mocktail is a sweet, creamy treat that drinks almost like a dessert.

Virgin Muddled Kiwi Mojito

Virgin Muddled Kiwi Mojito
La Fuji Mama

(From La Fuji Mama)

The fresh kiwi in this mocktail makes for such a pretty presentation. We love the fruity, fresh color and zip of lime with mint. Pro tip: Even the kiddos will absolutely love this one. If you’ve got little ones, make a big batch so they can enjoy a special New Year’s Eve drink, too.

Editors' Recommendations

Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
These are the 5 most expensive bottles of cognac to hit the market
Cognac can empty the pockets of the richest collectors. Here are the most expensive bottles of all time
Three exquisite bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII L'Odyssee D'un Roi cognac

Photo Credit: Luxurious Magazine

High-end French goods can fetch astronomical prices, whether it's a vintage bottle of Champagne, a dusty old crate of Bordeaux, or its most famous brandy export. Yep, the most expensive cognac offerings of all time cost about as much as a brand-new sports car.

Read more
5 delicious (and easy!) recipes for rotisserie chicken leftovers
No one ever has to know how easy these delicious meals are to make
Classic Roast Chicken sits next to kitchen utensils on a wooden table.

We all love them. Nearly every store has its own version, from Walmart to Costco, and all those smaller grocery chains sprinkled throughout town. They really are just the absolute star of the hurried cook's kitchen, the rotisserie chicken. And we couldn't love them more. Grocery store rotisserie chickens, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways. For who among us hasn't unloaded the groceries from the car, only to stand in the kitchen, picking at one of these deliciously roasted chickens, ignoring the clutter of the other bags that need attention?

We stand, entranced, devouring the juicy tenderness of the meat, the salty sinfulness of the skin. And can't we admit that not one of us hasn't been lured by their sultry siren call, coming from the deli section? That savory-sweet smell tangoing its way down the aisles, tempting us with promises of an easy dinner and a satisfied palate. No roasting pan to clean, no oven to preheat, these ready-to-please busty beauties can be yours for around seven bucks. Talk about tempting.

Read more
10 basic food safety rules every new chef should know
Learning the basics of food safety is like investing in the canvas for your culinary masterpiece
Rinsing chicken in sink

If you love to cook, chances are you love the creativity, the romanticism, the poetry of it all — dicing and pouring, stirring and dancing your way through the kitchen as delicious smells waft through the air, encircling you in flirtatious notes of the meal to come. You sip your wine, swaying along with a little Sinatra as your kitchen becomes an art studio, you holding all the creativity in the slice of your blade, the crush of your spices.

Thinking about food safety sort of jolts you out of the delicious drama of it all, but nevertheless, it's a crucial part of the artistry. The nuts and bolts of the canvas upon which to create your masterpiece. Mundane, yes. But hugely important.

Read more