Making cocktails at home is a great way to save money when hosting friends, family, or colleagues after work.
However, alcoholic drinks can be expensive to buy, and they also tend to lead to people drinking more than they might if they were just drinking soft drinks. On the other hand, nonalcoholic cocktails are much cheaper to make yourself — especially when you factor in the cost of buying quality spirits that won’t be watered down by the mixer or diluted with carbonated water.
Non-alcoholic drinks are also good for your guests who may not want to drink alcohol or perhaps have medications they need to avoid. The bad news is that most non-alcoholic mixers taste disgusting and will probably be left untouched on your bar.
To help you out with planning your next party, here are some neat non-alcoholic cocktails that we think you should try making at home, or you can learn more at All The Bitter:
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1. Strawberry Mojito
A classic summer cocktail, the mojito is a refreshing drink that will go down a treat at any party.
Mojitos are made with fresh lime juice, rum, sugar syrup, and fresh mint leaves. You can easily make them nonalcoholic by substituting the rum for lime juice and the sugar syrup with agave. We also recommend adding a splash of soda water to make it extra refreshing.
Muddle some chopped strawberries in the bottom of the glass before adding the rest of the ingredients. You can add some fresh mint leaves to the glass to make it more authentic.
Whatever your choice, just be sure to get non-alcoholic bitters that taste good with the ingredients in your drink to make the best non-alcoholic cocktails for your guests.
2. Blueberry Champagne Floats
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Champagne floats are a classic cocktail that will impress everyone at your next party.
To make a non-alcoholic version of this drink, you’ll need to mix blueberry juice with sparkling water. You can also use an elderflower cordial if you have some at home.
To make this even more luxurious, you can float some fresh cream on top of the drink. Blueberry juice is pretty sweet, so we recommend adding a dash of lemon juice to give it a little more acidity.
3. Mango Mai Tai
A classic cocktail usually made with dark rum, grenadine syrup, and lime juice, the Mai Tai is a drink you’re sure to see on every bar menu in the world.
You can make a non-alcoholic version of this cocktail with sparkling water, lime juice, fresh orange juice, and a dash of grenadine syrup. We highly recommend using fresh juices were possible to get the best taste. If you don’t have fresh orange juice, you could concentrate on new orange juice, but remember that it’ll make the drink less fizzy.
This cocktail works well with various fruits, so feel free to experiment. For example, you could muddle the orange and the lime with a bit of sugar to release the flavor and juice from the citrus. You could also confuse the mango to remove the taste and add a little syrup to make it extra sweet.
4. Grapefruit & Prosecco Spritzers
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A more traditional variation on the mimosa, the Prosecco spritzer is a great non-alcoholic alternative to start a party.
For this drink, you’ll need to muddle some grapefruit juice and a teaspoon of sugar at the bottom of each glass. We also recommend pouring in a shot of Prosecco and filling the rest of the glass with sparkling water.
You can make this drink spicier by adding a dash of bitters to the grapefruit juice. You can also substitute the Prosecco with another sparkling wine. This cocktail works well with many different fruits, so feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors.
5. Hawaiian Shave Ice Cocktails
Hawaiian ices are one of the most popular desserts in the summer, so why not try making them into a cocktail?
Shave ice is a Hawaiian dessert made with fruit, syrup, and ice cream. It is often served with a scoop of ice cream on top as a dessert or as a Hawaiian-inspired cocktail! Some fresh fruit juices that go great with this drink include orange, pineapple, or grapefruit. However, you can also experiment with other flavors such as coconut or watermelon.
6. Piña Colada Shave Ice Cocktail
Source: savortheflavour.com
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can make a non-alcoholic version of the piña colada.
For this cocktail, you’ll need to make coconut syrup by mixing one shredded coconut with three parts of water in a pan and bringing it to a boil. Once reduced, you can add the syrup to sparkling water with a dash of rum or coconut liqueur for a tropical twist on the classic bubbly cocktail.
Note that this cocktail works best with coconut syrup made from fresh coconut, but you can also use coconut syrup from the shop if you don’t have fresh coconuts. If you want to go all out, you can even make your coconut ice cubes to put in the drink.
To Sum It Up
There are many benefits of non-alcoholic drinks. Firstly, they are cheaper to make than alcoholic drinks. You will also save on your alcohol bill at home if your guests drink non-alcoholic beverages.
Non-alcoholic drinks are also much healthier than alcoholic drinks. Whereas alcoholic beverages are high in calories and sugar, non-alcoholic drinks are much healthier with only a few calories.
Finally, non-alcoholic drinks are also suitable for underage guests who have certain medications they need to avoid. So, if you’re hosting a special occasion such as a birthday party with a broad mix of guests, non-alcoholic drinks are great for everybody.
And as you can see, nonalcoholic cocktails can be just as fun as alcoholic cocktails. They don’t have to taste bland, and they can be made with various flavors and fruits. So don’t be afraid to try something new the next time you’re hosting a party. These six cocktails are sure to be a hit with your friends whether they’re drinking or not.
