You don’t have to be a bartender to make a good drink. In fact, you don’t need alcohol at all to make a good drink.
A good drink should not only taste good but make you feel good too. With all the negative effects we know about drinking alcohol (read more here), mocktails over cocktails are the better choice.
Feel good
There’s something to be said for ingredients that hydrate your skin, nourish your body, boost your immune system, and give you strength, rather than leave you feeling weak, hungover, and dehydrated.
The key to making a feel-good, non-alcoholic cocktail is to use natural ingredients—foods that boost and rejuvenate, rather than deplete. With the right combination you’ll have a winner on your hands.
Get inspired
Here are some great ingredients to inspire you to create your own amazing concoction:
- Naturally sparkling mineral waters (natural minerals to strengthen the body)
- Coconut water (helps replenish electrolytes lost during exercise)
- Coconut milk (contains lauric acid to help protect body from viruses)
- Green tea and Matcha (includes antioxidants to help detoxify from pollution)
- Kombucha (contains probiotics to help replenish healthy bacteria in the digestive tract)
- Fresh lemon or lime juice (helps alkalize the body)
- Pure pomegranate juice (contains polyphenols to help reduce inflammation)
- Pieces of whole fruit or vegetables (plenty of vitamins, fiber and fresh goodness)
- Fresh herbs like mint (helps promote digestion), and basil (contains anti-bacterial essential oils)
- Spices like cinnamon (can help balance blood sugar), nutmeg (can help sooth indigestion) and cloves (can help ward off bad breath)
- Citrus peels and zest (can help reduce cholesterol)
Choose a few of these ingredients and blend them up, or you can try one of the recipes below:
Honey Mint Mojito
This refreshing, sophisticated mocktail makes for a lovely afternoon pick-me-up.
INGREDIENTS:
Simple Syrup
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- ¾ cup pure liquid honey
- 30 mint leaves chopped
Mojito base:
- 3 x 25-ounce bottles of sparkling water
- 25 mint leaves chopped
- 1 – 2 limes cut into wedges
- ice cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
TO MAKE THE SIMPLE SYRUP
- Heat the ingredients for the Simple Syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat quickly and let the syrup cool until room temperature. Strain and discard mint leaves. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
TO MAKE THE MOJITOS:
- Add the simple syrup to a large pitcher
- Add 2½ 25-ounce bottles of sparkling water and mix
- Line up however many glasses you are serving and add enough ice and chopped mint leaves so the glasses are filled and fill the rest with the Mojito mixture
- Garnish with lime wedge
Casual Coquito
This Puerto Rican drink is rich, creamy and delicious—especially on a hot day!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cup coconut ice cream (vanilla)
- 2½ cup chilled coconut milk from a carton
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ – 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish
- Cinnamon sticks for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a blender, blend coconut ice cream, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and nutmeg until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with sprinkled nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.
