Healthy Mocktail Recipes So Good You Won't Even Miss the Alcohol

Mocktail Recipes You Can DIY

After a few weeks or months of indulgence, it's nice to have the option of enjoying a non-alcoholic drink as a way to hit the reset button without forgoing the fun. Plus, there are some serious benefits to giving up alcohol and sipping on the best mocktail recipes (or these canned, alcohol-free drinks) instead.

"Overdoing it on alcohol can negatively affect your sleep, exercise habits, and diet," says Ashley Koff, R.D.N. "So it's not a bad idea to occasionally take a break to get back on track toward your health goals. You may even gain clearer skin and more energy, as well as lose a few pounds."

This batch of best mocktail recipes will keep you happy — especially the ones made with new, booze-free distillates on the market. A few of the mocktails below contain Seedlip (non-alcoholic spirits) and Kin Euphorics (an herby, adaptogen-packed beverage), which add complexity to your drink, says Lorelei Bandrovschi, of Listen Bar in New York City, which is totally alcohol-free.

Try these best mocktail recipes straight — or, of course, you can always add the alcohol back in, when you're ready.

Gavilán

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Hector Ramirez, beverage supervisor at the Cape, a Thompson Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Shake 1 ounce guajillo chile syrup, 2 ounces fresh pink grapefruit juice, and 1 ounce fresh lime juice in an icefilled shaker; strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with pink grapefruit soda.

Guajillo Syrup: Toast 1 dried guajillo chile in a dry skillet. Place in a saucepan, cover with 1/3 cup water, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, remove chile, and add 2/3 cup sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool.

The Doctor Will See You Now

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Joel Mesa, Bulla Gastrobar in Coral Gables, Florida.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces beet juice, 1 ounce carrot juice, 1/2 ounce ginger syrup, and 1 ounce lemon juice. Shake, and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top off with a splash of tonic water, and garnish with cucumber.

Spike it: Swap ginger syrup for ginger liqueur, and add 11/2 ounces gin.

It's Easy Being Green

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Spencer Elliott, Bounce Sporting Club in New York City.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 1 ounce kale juice, 3/4 ounce ginger juice, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, and 1/3 ounce agave syrup whisked with 1/3 ounce hot water. Shake, and pour into a glass filled with ice cubes. Top off with club soda, and garnish with a lemon slice dipped in cayenne pepper.

Spike it: Add 1 ounce tequila or mescal.

Purple Plush

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Steve Minor, MO Bar + Lounge at Mandarin Oriental in Miami.

Puree a can of lychees in their own syrup. Strain, and set aside. Brew hibiscus tea (1/4 cup dried hibiscus leaves in 1 cup hot water) for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup tea to lychee puree. In a martini shaker filled with ice, combine 3 ounces lychee–hibiscus tea mixture and 1 ounce water. Shake for 10 seconds, and strain into a champagne flute. Top off with club soda.

Spike it: Add 1 1/2 ounces each Grey Goose La Poire Vodka and St-Germain.

Lime Soda With Aleppo Pepper

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Miro Uskokovic, pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York City.

Bring 2 ounces mango puree, 2 tablespoons sugar, zest of 1/2 lime, and 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes) to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Stir in 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, then transfer to a tall glass filled with crushed ice. Top with 4 ounces cold club soda. Stir and garnish with lime and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper.

Jalapeño-Coconut Margarita

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Miro Uskokovic, pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York City.

Zest 1 lime and mix with 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt. Cut lime into wedges. Run 1 around the rim of a margarita glass, then coat with the lime salt. Fill glass with ice. Squeeze juice from lime wedges into a shaker filled with ice. Add 2 ounces jalapeño-kiwi-cucumber Health-Ade Kombucha and 1 ounce coconut water and shake well. Strain into glass. Garnish with slices of jalapeño and cucumber.

Thyme-Ade

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Michael Heim, The Kitchen Boulder in Boulder, Colorado.

Muddle 1 sprig thyme with 1 1/2 ounces lime juice and 1 ounce simple syrup in a shaker. Strain into a glass filled with ice, to off with club soda, and garnish with thyme sprigs.

Spike it: Add 1 1/2 ounces gin or aged rum.

Rose Jaipur of Punch

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Clare Ward, Sambar in Culver City, California.

In a glass, mix 1 ounce rose syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1 ounce pomegranate juice, and 1 ounce grapefruit juice. Add ice, fill with 4 ounces seltzer, and dust with a pinch of ground cardamom. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Spike it: Replace 2 ounces of the seltzer with gin.

Dollar Slice

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Aaron Polsky, head bartender at Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles, created for Listen Bar.

Rim a glass with a lime wedge, and dip in pizza salt (see below). Fill with ice; set aside. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine 4 ounces tomato juice, 2 ounces Seedlip Spice 94, 1 teaspoon Tabasco sriracha, 1/4 ounce lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt until well combined and chilled. Strain into glass. Garnish with a pickled pepper, like a peperoncino or a jalapeño, and an oregano sprig.

Pizza salt: In a spice or coffee grinder, blend 1 cup dried shiitake mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons pizza-seasoning salt and 1 tablespoon smoked sea salt, preferably hickory, until a powder forms.

Actual Sunshine

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Eamon Rockey, director of beverage studies at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City, created for Listen Bar.

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, stir together 2 ounces turmeric kombucha, 2 ounces mango puree, 1 ounce Seedlip Grove 42, 1/4 ounce champagne vinegar, and 1/4 ounce honey until well combined and chilled. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with 3/4 ounce Kin Euphorics. Garnish with a thin slice of mango if desired.

Gardenia

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Israel Mejia, restaurant manager at Auburn in Los Angeles.

In a blender, combine 1/4 cup honey (preferably buckwheat honey), 2 tablespoons hot water, and 1 tablespoon white miso. Blend until miso dissolves. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and pour in 1 1/2 ounces Seedlip Garden 108, 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice, 1 ounce miso honey, and 3/4 ounce lemon juice. Shake for 4 seconds until chilled, and pour over crushed ice in a glass. Garnish with pineapple leaves and a few thyme sprigs. (

Cherry, Ginger & Coconut Cream Ale

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Melissa and Frayser Micou at Pomona in Richmond, Virginia.

Fill a collins glass with ice, then add 3 ounces ginger beer and 4 ounces tart cherry juice. Carefully spoon 1/4 cup Vanilla-Coconut Cream on top.

Vanilla-Coconut Cream: In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup water. Warm over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature (you should have 1/4 cup vanilla syrup). In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla syrup and 3/4 cup cold coconut cream. Whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens and gets frothy, about 2 minutes. Use immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups, or enough for 6 drinks.

Padova Spritz

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Tobin Shea at Redbird in Los Angeles.

Fill a wineglass with 2 or 3 ice cubes. Add 1 ounce chinotto soda, 1 ounce red verjus, and 1 oz. soda water. Garnish with an orange peel twist and a green pitted olive.

Nectar of the Gods

Mocktail Recipe Mixologist: Minetta Gould at Lady Jane in Denver.

In a collins glass, combine 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice, 1/2 ounce sweet pickle brine, and 1/2 ounce simple syrup if desired. Stir to combine. Add ice, and top with 5 to 6 ounces soda water. Gently stir. Garnish with 1 grapefruit slice or 1 pickle slice.