20 Easy Mocktail Recipes

"How to make a mocktail? It's easy to mix something together: but often with no alcohol it ends up testing like fruit juice. Instead, here are a few tricks for adding complexity to the flavor of your free-form mocktails: Use bubbly mixers. Soda water, tonic water, and even ginger ale or ginger beer and great for adding lift to your mocktails with carbonated bubbles. When in doubt: add bubbles!"

"Consider a "mock" alcohol to add complexity. Here's a cool mocktail trick: a teaspoon or two of caper juice or pickle juice can taste like alcohol! It sounds weird, but it actually works. Our Virgin Margarita recipe below has a hint of pickle juice, which gives a finish that tastes oddly like tequila. Try fancy simple syrups. Layering flavors helps mocktail recipes taste interesting instead of one-note. Try a homemade syrup like Mint Simple Syrup, Ginger Simple Syrup, Rosemary Simple Syrup or Lavender Simple Syrup."

"Consider non-alcoholic bitters. A few dashes of bitters add herbal complexity to cocktails. There are some non-alcoholic brands that you can experiment with for mocktails, too! See also: this Bitters and Soda almost mocktail! Load up on fancy garnishes and clear ice. It's all about presentation! The fun thing about our cocktail recipes is not just that they taste good: they look beautiful, too!"

Use carbonated mixers like soda water, tonic water, ginger ale, or ginger beer to add lift and effervescence to mocktails. Add a small savory element such as a teaspoon or two of caper or pickle juice to simulate an alcoholic finish. Layer flavored simple syrups—mint, ginger, rosemary, or lavender—for depth and complexity. Add a few dashes of nonalcoholic bitters to introduce herbal notes. Prioritize presentation with clear ice and attractive garnishes such as cocktail cherries, citrus wedges, and fresh herbs. Small, intentional additions and layered flavors prevent mocktails from tasting like plain fruit juice.

Read at A Couple Cooks