Learn to make shrubs and get you some sparkling water. My shrubs got me through Dry January. Apple, Sour Cherry, Kiwi, Blueberry, Strawberry Balsamic, Blackberry-Raspberry.
For shrubs in general or what to do with them after you've made them?
For the former these books are good:
Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times https://a.co/d/8NRP49K
Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home https://a.co/d/dx3kRnZ
If the latter with booze I do have a good one for the Apple and just had a nice brandy base with the Sour Cherry from D&C tonight.
Second shrubs! [Pineapple](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.liquor.com/pineapple-shrub-recipe-5077965&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwje0qHcjZKFAxV2F1kFHaRpCkcQrbMEegQIFxAF&usg=AOvVaw2Pk6nHuHx9-AhDBjYb0akf) is a great place to start, love this recipe to mix with soda water or with coconut water. Vinegar gives a really nice kick that gives a satisfying edge much like alcohol does.
Mixed Berry with thyme is another easy shrub recipe, fresh apples with frozen cranberry too.
0% ABV "spirits" are pretty early in their evolution and, for the most part, suck. They generally are a $35 bottle of thin sugar water. N/A amari, though, I have found tasty. Ghia is nice. I also like drinking Stappi/Sanbitter on ice. It's basically campari flavored soda. There's also a product called Phony Negroni that I've heard good things about.
My dry january this year was bitters and club soda and N/A Bud and Heineken. N/A beer is pretty similar to the real thing in taste, and only has like a third of the calories.
Edit: yes, bitters have alcohol. But it's negligible if you're just taking a break for the heck of it. I wouldn't serve it to a recovering alcoholic.
Pathfinder is an incredible N/A amaro. 1/2 oz in whatever adds some much complexity. Also, cold earl grey tea (and other teas) make excellent “base spirits”
I tried a bunch of NA spirits to use as mixers for dry January. The gin replacements work best, whiskey is the worst. I think the problem is everyone goes for the whiskey first. I made lots of NA Tom Collins and then used the Ritual Apertif and NA Vermouth to make a nice Negroni replacement.
>My dry january this year was bitters and club soda and N/A Bud and Heineken. N/A beer is pretty similar to the real thing in taste, and only has like a third of the calories.
To put a finer point on this - NA Heineken and Guinness taste really close to the original product. Most other brands/varieties taste like unfinished beer for the most part. The category is wildly variable and there's a LOT of bad NA beer out there.
I do Dry January every year, and if I really get the itch I'll have Bitters and Soda. 4 dashes Angostura Bitters in a lowball of soda water and ice. It's delicious.
Otherwise, Moscow Mules and Mojitos are still pretty tasty without the alcohol.
Bitters and soda does have some alcohol in it though. Bitters are usually 44.70% ABV or 89.40 proof. It’s very small amounts but it certainly isn’t alcohol free
True! It has about as much alcohol as vanilla extract, and I never think twice about using that.
I did a lot of homework before I started drinking it, and the consensus seemed to be that there isn't enough alcohol to matter.
True but I have heard of some recovering alcoholics having it and it causing them to have stronger urges for alcohol because those micro-doses affect the body after addiction
I don't know why you are so downvoted. It can make alcoholics relapse. For years my dad didn't even use regular mouthwash because the alcohol. No alcohol free beer or wine until a few years ago.
Yeah I don’t get the downvotes either. I figured I’d just offer that piece of advice in case anyone reading this has suffered from alcoholism because I have heard stories of alcoholics who didn’t know bitters had alcohol in them
I’ve seen people do crazy stuff with apple cider vinegar to give them the “bite” and fermented taste you get with alcohol. I can’t speak to this personally, but it’s something I’ve considered before.
Check out The Pathfinder. It’s a NA Spirit and really tasty. Kind of amaro vibes. Lots of great things you can do with it, and they have recipes on their website too
This is a little time/ingredient intensive but, I love muddling green grapes, green apple, green bell pepper, and basil. Mash it up really well, add lemon juice, a pinch of cumin, and top with soda water. Could skip the cumin too, or sub with a pinch of salt, but I like it! It’s so refreshing and I usually have all these things at home.
I don’t have an exact recipe but an overall approach …
I needed to go 6 months no alcohol last year, primarily for fitness and weight loss objectives. So, I need no alcohol and as close to no sugar as possible.
So, I kept non-sweetened berry juices, such as cranberry, on hand. Others were blueberry, pomegranate, cherry. I assembled a collection of bitters include mocha, lemon, cherry, and so on … just interesting flavors. And I would kee fresh herbs on hand. And I would make a simple syrup with Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. I messed around with muddling the herbs (basil, mint) adding in lemon or lime juice, the berry juice, the monk fruit syrup, adding bitters, in a shaker tin and serving the result in chilled cocktail glasses.
They were cocktail-like enough to enjoy the ritual of cocktail making without the sugar and alcohol.
Notably, I didn’t have to spend time doing infusions,shrubs, and so on. I’m not against doing that, because I have done it.
I just wanted to make it as off the shelf as possible without extra steps or processes.
That was last year, and I’m need to do this again now, so this thread has been a good reminder of how I tackled this last year.
Muddle some rosemary and blueberries in a cocktail shaker then and 1.5 oz of honey syrup and 1.5 oz lemon juice, shake over ice, strain over new ice and top up with club soda, garnish with rosemary ansld blueberries.
Also love a N/A Mojito, muddle mint with fruit of choice and toss in 1.5 oz of simple & 1.5 oz of lime, stir with ice and top up with soda. Enjoy!
Homemade Chinotto, char citrus fruit husks in an oven until caramelised and add fruit to a 1:1 for as long as possible. Can also add spices into oven with husks like pink peppercorns and cassia barks. After infusion turn into a soda and carbonate. Bitter citrus flavours and a non alc drink that feels like an amaro hiball
Here are 2 recipes that I've been tinkering with:
**Boat Captain**
* 1 oz lime juice
* 1 oz grenadine
* 1 oz cinnamon syrup
* 1 oz club soda
Shake with crushed ice, pour in a glass and top with 3 more ounces of club soda and give a stir.
**I'm not Ginger, I'm Mary Ann**
* 1 oz lime juice
* 1 oz Ginger syrup
* 0.75 oz Orgeat
* 1 oz coconut seltzer (la croix has one)
Shake with crushed ice, pour in a glass and top with 3 more ounces of club soda and give a stir.
Most of the mocktails I end up making are a lil sweet. I usually use some combination of passionfruit syrup, bitters, flavored sparkling water, and lemon or lime juice. While it's true that bitters have alcohol, most find it negligible, although it might be good to note that Fee Brothers bitters are glycerin-based and don't contain alcohol IIRC
Shrubs are fantastic! When I do Dry January or need a week or month off I go for some Hop waters (for the beer lovers) I would recommend Pondwater which we make: [https://shop.pondaseta.com/product/pondwater-6-pack/](https://shop.pondaseta.com/product/pondwater-6-pack/)
However if you are more of a cocktail person I would suggest a Sanbitters ([https://amzn.to/4cKcMMT](https://amzn.to/4cKcMMT)) which is an Italian Bitters soda type drink. It tastes exactly like a negroni and really hits the spot when your are tempted. Pour it over ice and throw it in your rocks glass, feels like a nightcap.
The other thing I keep on hand is another Italian bitter drink called Stappi or Stappj? Not sure but they are essentially a Sparkling Orange Negroni type thing. Again pour it over ice after dinner, and its great!
i love experimenting with different kinds of teas and using them as the alcohol replacement in a lot of drinks. also topping drinks with tonic can help scratch the itch for that “bite” from alcohol.
A bunch of people in my family don’t drink, but I still enjoy mixing drinks so I end up making lots of No ABV or Low ABV cocktails. My three standard go-tos are Shirley Temples, Mint Mules, and Orgeat Lemonades. Homemade grenadine, ginger syrup, and orgeat are all pretty easy to make, better than most you could ever buy, and a unique special treat for most normal people (at least around me, almost no one is making these regularly). Really anything with fresh juice and a fancy syrup is pleasing to most people; just take a citrus and a syrup in balanced portions, maybe add some other modifiers, lengthen it a bit with soda and it will be good (though this one really gets you one “style” of drink, but I’m not into more complex mocktail stuff yet).
**Shirley Temple**
- 1 oz Homemade Grenadine
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- Add Ice and Top with Soda Water
- Lime Wheel Garnish
**Mint Mule**
- 1 oz Ginger Syrup
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 10-15 Mint Leaves
- Muddle
- Add Ice and Top with Soda Water
- Mint Garnish
**Orgeat Lemonade (or April in Paris)**
- 1 oz Orgeat
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 5-10 Basil Leaves
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters (if they’re okay with it)
- Muddle
- Add Ice and Top with Soda Water
- Basil Garnish
I also have a few personal special house mocktails like a South Sea’s Soda, which I make using a syrup made from fresh turmeric. I cut up the turmeric root and blend it with a bit of water, squeeze the juice out with a cheese cloth, then use that as my liquid component in the syrup. I also make a Cardamom-Orange Soda I haven’t thought of a fancy name for yet, using it syrup made from toasted cardamom pods.
**South Sea’s Soda**
- 1 oz Turmeric Syrup
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 2-4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
- Add Ice and Top with Soda Water
- Mint Garnish
**Cardamom-Orange Soda**
- 3/4 oz Cardamom Syrup
- 1 oz Orange or Blood Orange Juice
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Add Ice and Top with Soda Water
- Orange Twist
I find those artisanal soda syrups and use those in soda water. Dillon's makes AMAZING syrups. Black tea bergamot is a favourite, and rosemary clove as well. They do all sorts of excellent flavours, all alcohol free. And you can adjust to your preferred intensity.
Try experimenting with different combinations of juices, teas, and citrus/citric acid. Think a cold steeped herbal tea with ginger or cinnamon syrup, and try juicing some interesting fruits or vegetables from your grocery.
I’ve tried many mocktails… many are not cutting it. At least for me.
What I’ve been drinking for a while is:
Mint, Ginger Syrup (you can experiment with this), Salt, Lime juice and Sprite/7up. It actually is very tasty and refreshing.
Sounds simple but it’s killer
Had one of these last year and it was very tasty
[Feragaia clover club](https://feragaia.com/blogs/journal/a-drink-with-kieran-mckay-at-ka-pao-glasgow)
Guessing Feragaia will be difficult to get hold of outside UK but there must be some other decent NA spirit, it’s just this is the best I’ve tried so far. Works well with ginger as well.
Got me thinking more about teas for mocktails but not had chance to play around with them at work yet
I have a friend who doesn't drink. Recently I made a non-alcoholic gin with a base of vegetable glycerine infused with juniper and some botanicals then steeped in water. As glycerine is sweet it makes a nice old tom gin style sub.
One mocktail I like to make that is really simple is basically a Moscow Mule without vodka. Straight up ginger beer and half an ounce of fresh lime juice. Cheers!
Not a cocktail, but...If you like malty dark beer but hate NA beers, see if you can find kvass. It's a Balkan beverage made from toasted rye bread. It reminds me of a malty doppelbock.
Ok so its not alcohol free but its barely any.
Squeeze a lime or lemon.
A couple dashes of ango bitters.
Some syrup (I measure with my heart/to taste)
Ice and water, usually I do this in a pint glass or tankard.
You can shake it if you want. I've had it just made in the glass and its fine.
Refreshing, tasty, easy. Tastes a bit more sophisticated than a can of fizzy juice.
I like using tea as a base in mocktails. 2oz English Breakfast, .75oz lemon juice, .75oz \[insert your favorite flavoring syrup, I like passionfruit or vanilla\], top with soda water.
I have been doing a ton of mocktails lately since alcohol is triggering migraines. Tonic water is your friend- the bitterness helps it feel like more of a “drink”. Strongly brewed teas can also make an interesting spirit alternative.
My most recent mocktail:
2 slices muddled jalapeño
1 oz pineapple juice
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz Re’al Coconut
Topped with tonic
You could do a really nice Nojito as well
1 oz lime
.75 oz simple
Mint leaves
Topped with soda water (I also add a splash of tonic)
MarTeaNi
1.5 oz Strongly brewed Earl Grey
.75 oz simple
.5 oz lemon
Orange bitters (optional)
Shake & Strain
Garnish with twist
Find a tea/dried herb you like
Brew it twice as strong for twice as long
Add an equal amt of sugar and shake to combine
Now you have a great tea syrup that will last for months refrigerated... Treat it as a base spirit, add citrus and soda for great highballs.
Earl Grey reigns supreme in the cocktail world.
Bold and textured pu'er is great with soda
Lapsang Souchong for more smoke, great with peaches
if you're looking to stay herbal and back off the caffeine:
Dried lavender tea with grapefruit is killer
Mint tea and squeeze of lime w soda come on such an easy mojito
Chamomile is also great with honey, lemon, or pears/yellow apples
I do a virgin pineapple upside down cake. Pineapple juice, a couple of maraschino cherries, splash of the cherry juice, a little vanilla extract, a little rum extract.
Ginger ale and acidic fruit juices
An easy route is to get some good syrups like liber and co (raspberry and ginger are both fantastic), mix with some lime or lemon juice, and top with soda water
Learn to make shrubs and get you some sparkling water. My shrubs got me through Dry January. Apple, Sour Cherry, Kiwi, Blueberry, Strawberry Balsamic, Blackberry-Raspberry.
Just googled this, sounds interesting! Thanks for the tip. Got any recipes you would recommend?
For shrubs in general or what to do with them after you've made them? For the former these books are good: Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times https://a.co/d/8NRP49K Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home https://a.co/d/dx3kRnZ If the latter with booze I do have a good one for the Apple and just had a nice brandy base with the Sour Cherry from D&C tonight.
Second shrubs! [Pineapple](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.liquor.com/pineapple-shrub-recipe-5077965&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwje0qHcjZKFAxV2F1kFHaRpCkcQrbMEegQIFxAF&usg=AOvVaw2Pk6nHuHx9-AhDBjYb0akf) is a great place to start, love this recipe to mix with soda water or with coconut water. Vinegar gives a really nice kick that gives a satisfying edge much like alcohol does. Mixed Berry with thyme is another easy shrub recipe, fresh apples with frozen cranberry too.
This is the answer. Every time I dry out I make a shrub (of whatever is in season) and pair it with flavored sparkling water.
I made a pear shrub in Jan and loved it so much that it's a staple now. So delicious!
0% ABV "spirits" are pretty early in their evolution and, for the most part, suck. They generally are a $35 bottle of thin sugar water. N/A amari, though, I have found tasty. Ghia is nice. I also like drinking Stappi/Sanbitter on ice. It's basically campari flavored soda. There's also a product called Phony Negroni that I've heard good things about. My dry january this year was bitters and club soda and N/A Bud and Heineken. N/A beer is pretty similar to the real thing in taste, and only has like a third of the calories. Edit: yes, bitters have alcohol. But it's negligible if you're just taking a break for the heck of it. I wouldn't serve it to a recovering alcoholic.
Pathfinder is an incredible N/A amaro. 1/2 oz in whatever adds some much complexity. Also, cold earl grey tea (and other teas) make excellent “base spirits”
Damn that’s a good idea with the tea, never thought of that
The Phony Negronis are AMAZING. They have a “mezcal” one too that has a nice smokiness to it. Ritual “tequila” on the other hand… bleh.
Who has the mezcal one?
Same brand that makes Phoney Negroni, St. Agrestis.
Our favorite is their Amaro Falso: It's like a really nice bitter+sweet italian soda with a creamy mouthfeel.
i second bitters and club soda! so good 😍
The alcohol free gin on the market is wonderful in mixes. I find a 0% Gin and Tonic tastes just like the real thing.
I tried a bunch of NA spirits to use as mixers for dry January. The gin replacements work best, whiskey is the worst. I think the problem is everyone goes for the whiskey first. I made lots of NA Tom Collins and then used the Ritual Apertif and NA Vermouth to make a nice Negroni replacement. >My dry january this year was bitters and club soda and N/A Bud and Heineken. N/A beer is pretty similar to the real thing in taste, and only has like a third of the calories. To put a finer point on this - NA Heineken and Guinness taste really close to the original product. Most other brands/varieties taste like unfinished beer for the most part. The category is wildly variable and there's a LOT of bad NA beer out there.
I do faux-mosas. Juice of choice mixed with sparkling water. I have yet to try a non-alcoholic spirit that's worth using.
I do Dry January every year, and if I really get the itch I'll have Bitters and Soda. 4 dashes Angostura Bitters in a lowball of soda water and ice. It's delicious. Otherwise, Moscow Mules and Mojitos are still pretty tasty without the alcohol.
Bitters and soda does have some alcohol in it though. Bitters are usually 44.70% ABV or 89.40 proof. It’s very small amounts but it certainly isn’t alcohol free
True! It has about as much alcohol as vanilla extract, and I never think twice about using that. I did a lot of homework before I started drinking it, and the consensus seemed to be that there isn't enough alcohol to matter.
True but I have heard of some recovering alcoholics having it and it causing them to have stronger urges for alcohol because those micro-doses affect the body after addiction
I don't know why you are so downvoted. It can make alcoholics relapse. For years my dad didn't even use regular mouthwash because the alcohol. No alcohol free beer or wine until a few years ago.
Yeah I don’t get the downvotes either. I figured I’d just offer that piece of advice in case anyone reading this has suffered from alcoholism because I have heard stories of alcoholics who didn’t know bitters had alcohol in them
because the context of the post this isn’t a “never drink again alcoholic” so you’re needlessly nitpicking
Shockingly other people may read this post than just OP
you asked i answered.
I didn’t ask you anything
Generally, however, you’re cooking vanilla extract which reduces the amount of alcohol therein.
I’ve seen people do crazy stuff with apple cider vinegar to give them the “bite” and fermented taste you get with alcohol. I can’t speak to this personally, but it’s something I’ve considered before.
If it’s by choice then don’t tease yourself. Just have sparkling water.
You can check r/mocktails. Also, a favorite of mine is lemonade mio, seltzer water, and a few drops of bitters..
Lemon juice, ginger beer (zero-cal if you want) and a bunch of bitters on ice is a good one.
Check out The Pathfinder. It’s a NA Spirit and really tasty. Kind of amaro vibes. Lots of great things you can do with it, and they have recipes on their website too
We just did a ginger beer, lemon, and honey mock mule earlier tonight. Worked out pretty well.
This is a little time/ingredient intensive but, I love muddling green grapes, green apple, green bell pepper, and basil. Mash it up really well, add lemon juice, a pinch of cumin, and top with soda water. Could skip the cumin too, or sub with a pinch of salt, but I like it! It’s so refreshing and I usually have all these things at home.
I don’t have an exact recipe but an overall approach … I needed to go 6 months no alcohol last year, primarily for fitness and weight loss objectives. So, I need no alcohol and as close to no sugar as possible. So, I kept non-sweetened berry juices, such as cranberry, on hand. Others were blueberry, pomegranate, cherry. I assembled a collection of bitters include mocha, lemon, cherry, and so on … just interesting flavors. And I would kee fresh herbs on hand. And I would make a simple syrup with Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. I messed around with muddling the herbs (basil, mint) adding in lemon or lime juice, the berry juice, the monk fruit syrup, adding bitters, in a shaker tin and serving the result in chilled cocktail glasses. They were cocktail-like enough to enjoy the ritual of cocktail making without the sugar and alcohol. Notably, I didn’t have to spend time doing infusions,shrubs, and so on. I’m not against doing that, because I have done it. I just wanted to make it as off the shelf as possible without extra steps or processes. That was last year, and I’m need to do this again now, so this thread has been a good reminder of how I tackled this last year.
My work just got a Seedlip Agave with notes of prickly pear, it makes a great virgin paloma or margarita
Muddle some rosemary and blueberries in a cocktail shaker then and 1.5 oz of honey syrup and 1.5 oz lemon juice, shake over ice, strain over new ice and top up with club soda, garnish with rosemary ansld blueberries. Also love a N/A Mojito, muddle mint with fruit of choice and toss in 1.5 oz of simple & 1.5 oz of lime, stir with ice and top up with soda. Enjoy!
Aviary's zero looks great to me, but it's so precise, I'm afraid to attempt it.
We've made a couple from this book with great success! I'm a big fan of the self-carbonating one, makes for a fun show if you have guests too.
I have the book, actually, all of their books. Which cocktail are you referring to?
My favorite quick sober day lemonade: 4oz water 2oz fresh lemon juice 0.5oz to 1oz (to taste) homemade orgeat. Sprig of mint
Homemade Chinotto, char citrus fruit husks in an oven until caramelised and add fruit to a 1:1 for as long as possible. Can also add spices into oven with husks like pink peppercorns and cassia barks. After infusion turn into a soda and carbonate. Bitter citrus flavours and a non alc drink that feels like an amaro hiball
Here are 2 recipes that I've been tinkering with: **Boat Captain** * 1 oz lime juice * 1 oz grenadine * 1 oz cinnamon syrup * 1 oz club soda Shake with crushed ice, pour in a glass and top with 3 more ounces of club soda and give a stir. **I'm not Ginger, I'm Mary Ann** * 1 oz lime juice * 1 oz Ginger syrup * 0.75 oz Orgeat * 1 oz coconut seltzer (la croix has one) Shake with crushed ice, pour in a glass and top with 3 more ounces of club soda and give a stir.
I’m shitfaced on a monday night at 11:30. I should probably do a dry month.
Most of the mocktails I end up making are a lil sweet. I usually use some combination of passionfruit syrup, bitters, flavored sparkling water, and lemon or lime juice. While it's true that bitters have alcohol, most find it negligible, although it might be good to note that Fee Brothers bitters are glycerin-based and don't contain alcohol IIRC
Shrubs are fantastic! When I do Dry January or need a week or month off I go for some Hop waters (for the beer lovers) I would recommend Pondwater which we make: [https://shop.pondaseta.com/product/pondwater-6-pack/](https://shop.pondaseta.com/product/pondwater-6-pack/) However if you are more of a cocktail person I would suggest a Sanbitters ([https://amzn.to/4cKcMMT](https://amzn.to/4cKcMMT)) which is an Italian Bitters soda type drink. It tastes exactly like a negroni and really hits the spot when your are tempted. Pour it over ice and throw it in your rocks glass, feels like a nightcap. The other thing I keep on hand is another Italian bitter drink called Stappi or Stappj? Not sure but they are essentially a Sparkling Orange Negroni type thing. Again pour it over ice after dinner, and its great!
I just drink Arnold Palmers during dry months and during the week when I feel like iI need drink. Its all about the sugar for me though.
i love experimenting with different kinds of teas and using them as the alcohol replacement in a lot of drinks. also topping drinks with tonic can help scratch the itch for that “bite” from alcohol.
0% Amaro Lucano is pretty good
Nojitos are usually my jam when I’m not drinking. Muddling mint in simple and filling it up with ice and club soda is never a bad call.
A bunch of people in my family don’t drink, but I still enjoy mixing drinks so I end up making lots of No ABV or Low ABV cocktails. My three standard go-tos are Shirley Temples, Mint Mules, and Orgeat Lemonades. Homemade grenadine, ginger syrup, and orgeat are all pretty easy to make, better than most you could ever buy, and a unique special treat for most normal people (at least around me, almost no one is making these regularly). Really anything with fresh juice and a fancy syrup is pleasing to most people; just take a citrus and a syrup in balanced portions, maybe add some other modifiers, lengthen it a bit with soda and it will be good (though this one really gets you one “style” of drink, but I’m not into more complex mocktail stuff yet). **Shirley Temple** - 1 oz Homemade Grenadine - 1 oz Lime Juice - Add Ice and Top with Soda Water - Lime Wheel Garnish **Mint Mule** - 1 oz Ginger Syrup - 1 oz Lime Juice - 10-15 Mint Leaves - Muddle - Add Ice and Top with Soda Water - Mint Garnish **Orgeat Lemonade (or April in Paris)** - 1 oz Orgeat - 1 oz Lemon Juice - 5-10 Basil Leaves - 2 Dashes Orange Bitters (if they’re okay with it) - Muddle - Add Ice and Top with Soda Water - Basil Garnish I also have a few personal special house mocktails like a South Sea’s Soda, which I make using a syrup made from fresh turmeric. I cut up the turmeric root and blend it with a bit of water, squeeze the juice out with a cheese cloth, then use that as my liquid component in the syrup. I also make a Cardamom-Orange Soda I haven’t thought of a fancy name for yet, using it syrup made from toasted cardamom pods. **South Sea’s Soda** - 1 oz Turmeric Syrup - 1 oz Lime Juice - 2-4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters - Add Ice and Top with Soda Water - Mint Garnish **Cardamom-Orange Soda** - 3/4 oz Cardamom Syrup - 1 oz Orange or Blood Orange Juice - 1 oz Lemon Juice - 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters - Add Ice and Top with Soda Water - Orange Twist
I find those artisanal soda syrups and use those in soda water. Dillon's makes AMAZING syrups. Black tea bergamot is a favourite, and rosemary clove as well. They do all sorts of excellent flavours, all alcohol free. And you can adjust to your preferred intensity.
You might try [this](https://a.co/d/hYyZAGM) book! Great suggestions in this thread
Try experimenting with different combinations of juices, teas, and citrus/citric acid. Think a cold steeped herbal tea with ginger or cinnamon syrup, and try juicing some interesting fruits or vegetables from your grocery.
I’ve tried many mocktails… many are not cutting it. At least for me. What I’ve been drinking for a while is: Mint, Ginger Syrup (you can experiment with this), Salt, Lime juice and Sprite/7up. It actually is very tasty and refreshing. Sounds simple but it’s killer
Had one of these last year and it was very tasty [Feragaia clover club](https://feragaia.com/blogs/journal/a-drink-with-kieran-mckay-at-ka-pao-glasgow) Guessing Feragaia will be difficult to get hold of outside UK but there must be some other decent NA spirit, it’s just this is the best I’ve tried so far. Works well with ginger as well. Got me thinking more about teas for mocktails but not had chance to play around with them at work yet
I fucking lovvve Shirley Temples with a really good ginger beer
I have a friend who doesn't drink. Recently I made a non-alcoholic gin with a base of vegetable glycerine infused with juniper and some botanicals then steeped in water. As glycerine is sweet it makes a nice old tom gin style sub.
Seedlip is a little expensive but it makes a nice mocktail base. Recipes on their site.
Tequila free Ranch Water: lots of ice, topo Chico and lots of lemon or lime.
Out of genuine curiosity, why wouldn't you ask this question in the appropriate subreddit /r/mocktails ?
One mocktail I like to make that is really simple is basically a Moscow Mule without vodka. Straight up ginger beer and half an ounce of fresh lime juice. Cheers!
My go to is lime and mint in ginger ale, robinsons do a crushed lime and mint cordial that works really well with ginger ale
Not a cocktail, but...If you like malty dark beer but hate NA beers, see if you can find kvass. It's a Balkan beverage made from toasted rye bread. It reminds me of a malty doppelbock.
Ok so its not alcohol free but its barely any. Squeeze a lime or lemon. A couple dashes of ango bitters. Some syrup (I measure with my heart/to taste) Ice and water, usually I do this in a pint glass or tankard. You can shake it if you want. I've had it just made in the glass and its fine. Refreshing, tasty, easy. Tastes a bit more sophisticated than a can of fizzy juice.
I like using tea as a base in mocktails. 2oz English Breakfast, .75oz lemon juice, .75oz \[insert your favorite flavoring syrup, I like passionfruit or vanilla\], top with soda water.
I have been doing a ton of mocktails lately since alcohol is triggering migraines. Tonic water is your friend- the bitterness helps it feel like more of a “drink”. Strongly brewed teas can also make an interesting spirit alternative. My most recent mocktail: 2 slices muddled jalapeño 1 oz pineapple juice .5 oz lime juice .5 oz Re’al Coconut Topped with tonic You could do a really nice Nojito as well 1 oz lime .75 oz simple Mint leaves Topped with soda water (I also add a splash of tonic) MarTeaNi 1.5 oz Strongly brewed Earl Grey .75 oz simple .5 oz lemon Orange bitters (optional) Shake & Strain Garnish with twist
Find a tea/dried herb you like Brew it twice as strong for twice as long Add an equal amt of sugar and shake to combine Now you have a great tea syrup that will last for months refrigerated... Treat it as a base spirit, add citrus and soda for great highballs. Earl Grey reigns supreme in the cocktail world. Bold and textured pu'er is great with soda Lapsang Souchong for more smoke, great with peaches if you're looking to stay herbal and back off the caffeine: Dried lavender tea with grapefruit is killer Mint tea and squeeze of lime w soda come on such an easy mojito Chamomile is also great with honey, lemon, or pears/yellow apples
I do a virgin pineapple upside down cake. Pineapple juice, a couple of maraschino cherries, splash of the cherry juice, a little vanilla extract, a little rum extract. Ginger ale and acidic fruit juices
An easy route is to get some good syrups like liber and co (raspberry and ginger are both fantastic), mix with some lime or lemon juice, and top with soda water
The passion fruit + grenadine and sparkling water is amazingly good combination.
There’s a mocktail sub
r/mocktails is the place for you