Recipes · Alcohol-free
Easy mocktail recipes: 15 grown-up drinks to make at home
A good mocktail is not a sad fruit juice in a big glass. It is a proper drink: cold, sharp, a little bitter or a little spicy, made with care. Here are fifteen easy ones, with measures, most of them low in sugar, none of them needing a cocktail course.
Photo is illustrative, not from a past month. Credits.
Quick answer. Easy mocktails need three things: something sour (fresh lime or lemon), something with character (ginger, bitter tonic, herbs, cold tea) and something sparkling, over plenty of ice. Good starters: lime, mint and soda; ginger and lime fizz; grapefruit and rosemary tonic; cold hibiscus tea with orange. Keep sugar down by using fresh citrus, herbs and bitter mixers instead of syrups and juice.
The best trick in an alcohol-free month is boring and true: have something good to drink. A drink in a proper glass, with ice and a bit of ceremony, keeps the part of the evening ritual you liked and drops the part you didn't.
All measures are for one tall glass (about 300ml) unless I say otherwise. One "shot" is 30ml. Taste and adjust: limes vary a lot.
The formula behind every good mocktail
- Sour: fresh lime or lemon, or a splash of vinegar-based shrub.
- Character: ginger, bitter tonic, fresh herbs, cold strong tea, chilli, a pinch of salt.
- Sparkle: soda water, tonic or a dry ginger beer.
- Cold: a full glass of ice. Warm mocktails taste sweet and flat.
Sweetness comes last, and a little goes a long way. Juice and syrups can make an alcohol-free drink as sugary as a can of cola, which matters if weight is one of your reasons (see Dry January weight loss).
Fresh and sour
- Lime, mint and soda. Press 8 mint leaves gently in the glass with the juice of 1 lime. Fill with ice, top with soda water. Stir. Add a teaspoon of honey only if you must.
- Cucumber and lime cooler. 5 thin cucumber slices, juice of half a lime, a pinch of salt, ice, soda water. Very clean, very cold.
- Lemon and thyme spritz. Juice of half a lemon, 2 sprigs of thyme rubbed between your hands, ice, sparkling water, a strip of lemon peel.
- Watermelon and basil (best in summer; in winter use frozen watermelon cubes). Blend 150g watermelon, strain, add lime juice, 3 torn basil leaves, ice and soda.
Bitter and grown-up
- Grapefruit and rosemary tonic. 60ml fresh pink grapefruit juice, a rosemary sprig, ice, top with tonic. The best "I don't miss gin" drink I know.
- Cold brew tonic. 60ml cold brew coffee over ice, top with tonic, a strip of orange peel. Strange on paper, brilliant in the glass. Mind the caffeine after 4 pm.
- The "Negroni-ish". 60ml cold hibiscus tea, 30ml fresh orange juice, a dash of non-alcoholic bitters or a strip of grapefruit peel, ice, short glass. Note that many cocktail bitters are alcohol-based; use a 0.0% version if your month is strict.
Spicy and warming
- Ginger and lime fizz. 3 slices of fresh ginger pressed in the glass with the juice of 1 lime, ice, soda water. Add a thin slice of chilli if you're brave.
- Spiced apple. 100ml cloudy apple juice, 100ml soda, juice of half a lemon, a cinnamon stick, ice. Half the sugar of straight juice.
- Hot ginger, lemon and honey (for January nights). Steep 5 slices of ginger and a slice of lemon in hot water for 5 minutes, add a little honey. Ideal for the moment you used to pour a whisky.
Rowan is our AI assistant. Please keep health details for the video call.
Tea-based, low-sugar
- Hibiscus and orange iced tea. Brew 2 hibiscus tea bags in 300ml hot water, cool, pour over ice with orange slices. Deep red, sharp, wine-coloured.
- Green tea and elderflower. Cold green tea over ice, a teaspoon of elderflower cordial, soda, lemon.
- Smoky lapsang "old fashioned". 80ml cold lapsang souchong tea, a teaspoon of maple syrup, a strip of orange peel, one big ice cube, short glass.
For a party: two pitchers
- Big-batch cucumber and mint (serves 8). 1 sliced cucumber, a big handful of mint, juice of 6 limes in a jug; top with 1.5 litres of chilled soda just before guests arrive.
- Winter sparkler (serves 8). 500ml cold hibiscus or rooibos tea, juice of 4 oranges and 2 lemons, a few cloves; add 1 litre of sparkling water and ice at the last minute. Serve in wine glasses.
Hosting? Put the alcohol-free pitcher first on the table, not hidden behind the wine. People who aren't drinking shouldn't have to ask. More ideas in sober birthday ideas.
What to keep in the cupboard
- Limes and lemons (more than you think)
- Fresh ginger and mint
- Soda water and a good tonic (try a light one)
- Hibiscus, rooibos and lapsang tea bags
- A bottle of 0.0% bitters or a shrub if you like bitter drinks
- Plenty of ice, and one glass you love
Shop-bought options have come a long way too: alcohol-free beers, sparkling wines and spirits. If your month is strict, check labels for 0.0% rather than 0.5% (the rules guide explains). For a bigger list sorted by occasion, read what to drink instead of alcohol.
Is a mocktail a good idea for everyone?
Mostly, yes. But a few people find that drinks which look and taste like the real thing keep the old habit warm. If a mocktail makes you want a cocktail, switch to something completely different, like hot ginger or iced tea. And if you are giving up alcohol for medical reasons, avoid alcohol-free drinks that contain traces of alcohol and check with your doctor.
Where The Quiet Month fits
Evenings in The Quiet Month have their own small rituals: a cold, sharp drink before dinner, a long table, a walk afterwards. There is no alcohol for anyone, so nobody has to explain their glass.
The Quiet Month is a calm month away for up to four guests, each in their own private flat a short walk from me: slow mornings, a short, always optional meditation, daily movement, shared low-carb meals and long evening talks, with no alcohol, no smoking and no drugs for anyone, me included. The first month starts on 1 January 2027, then on the 1st of every month. Honestly: I'm self-taught, not a doctor or counsellor, and The Quiet Month is not medical and not therapy. Every guest is 21 or over and brings a doctor's fit-to-join letter. I don't publish where I am; after a free video call, if we both want to go ahead, you learn the country and city before you sign anything, and nothing is paid before that call and a signed agreement. The programme fee is US$10,000 for the month; your flat and flights are extra. See the January 2027 month and what the fee includes.
Email me first at info@thequietmonth.com, start step 1 of the application (about five minutes, free, no commitment), or book a free 20-minute call.
The Quiet Month team
Questions people ask
What is the easiest mocktail to make at home?
Lime, mint and soda: press a few mint leaves with the juice of a lime, fill the glass with ice and top with soda water. It takes a minute.
How do I make a mocktail taste like a real drink?
Add something bitter or spicy (tonic, grapefruit, ginger, strong cold tea), something sour (fresh citrus), lots of ice and a good glass. Sweetness should come last.
Are mocktails healthy?
It depends on the recipe. Juice- and syrup-heavy mocktails can be as sugary as a soft drink. Fresh citrus, herbs, tea and soda keep sugar low.
What mocktail can I make for a party?
A cucumber, mint and lime pitcher topped with soda, or a winter sparkler of cold hibiscus tea, orange and sparkling water. Add the bubbles just before serving.
Do cocktail bitters contain alcohol?
Many classic bitters are alcohol-based, used in drops. If your month is strictly alcohol-free, choose a bitters labelled 0.0% or use citrus peel instead.
Sources
- NHS: Calories in alcohol (pint of 5% beer up to 222 kcal; 175ml of 12% wine up to 158 kcal; 7 kcal per gram; read 3 Nov 2026)
- NHS: Sugar, the facts (free sugars include those in fruit juice and syrups)
- Find A Helpline: free helplines in many countries
Prices and facts were checked on 3 November 2026. Prices change; always check the source before you book anything.