The formula for an easy mocktail: a sparkling lemonade with real flavour, one fresh element and plenty of ice. Here are our 10 mocktail recipes, 2 to 15 minutes each, no syrup, no shaker.
- 0% alcohol
- 2 to 15 min
- 10 recipes
- Easy
Non-alcoholic Christmas punch
The ruby-red bowl for 12 at your holiday party. Frozen raspberries work as ice cubes: the punch stays cold without getting watered down.
Blackberry rosemary Christmas mocktail
One elegant, deep purple glass for a holiday dinner. Clap the rosemary between your palms: it smells of pine from the first sip.
Two-ingredient virgin mojito
1 can of lime and mint sparkling lemonade, 10 fresh mint leaves, crushed ice. Clap the mint, never crush it, or it turns bitter.
Sparkling raspberry lemonade
The pink lemonade kids and grown-ups fight over. Raspberries frozen into the ice cubes keep the glass fruity to the end.
Blender frozen lemonade
The slushy version for heat-wave afternoons. Freeze clementine sparkling lemonade into cubes instead of water: the flavour never gets diluted.
Mango lemonade
A tropical glass, sweet and tangy, mangonada style. The chili-lime rim wakes up the mango and makes it a grown-up drink.
Homemade sparkling lemonade
The base for everything else: 45 ml lemon juice, 30 ml simple syrup, 180 ml sparkling water. The bubbles always go in last.
Alcohol-free clementine spritz
All the style of an Italian aperitivo, without a drop of alcohol. Grapefruit juice stands in for the bitterness of the orange liqueur.
Alcohol-free Hugo Spritz
The green, fresh patio spritz: lime and mint sparkling lemonade, fresh mint, lime and lots of ice in a wine glass.
Alcohol-free shandy
The European patio classic, zero-proof. A non-alcoholic lager topped up with basil sparkling lemonade: more herbal, perfect next to the barbecue.
When to serve an easy mocktail
For a holiday dinner, a patio happy hour, a barbecue or a kids' party: the same idea everywhere, a real-fruit sparkling lemonade that brings the sweetness, the tartness and the bubbles in one pour.
Tips for easy mocktails that work
- Three rules: a base with flavour, one fresh element (clapped herb, muddled fruit or zest), cold with the bubbles last.
- For a crowd, keep the base in the fridge and add the sparkling part when guests arrive. Once opened and mixed, it loses its bubbles within an hour.
- Less sweet: stretch it with sparkling water, half and half, and add a squeeze of lime.
Which mocktail for which occasion
For a heat wave
The most refreshing pick: blender frozen lemonade, ready in 5 minutes for 2 to 4 people.
For a kids' party
Sparkling raspberry lemonade, ready in 3 minutes, pleases the little ones and the grown-ups.
For happy hour
The alcohol-free spritz or Hugo: 1 to 2 minutes, a wine glass and lots of ice.
Easy mocktails: your questions
How do you make an easy mocktail at home?
Start with a real-fruit sparkling lemonade, add mint, rosemary or muddled fruit, and serve over plenty of ice. Pour the sparkling part last to keep the bubbles.
What is a mocktail?
A cocktail without alcohol: it keeps the balance of a cocktail (sourness, sweetness, bubbles, aromatics, presentation) and leaves out the spirits. A good one is served in a proper glass with ice and a garnish.
What mocktails are best for a party?
Pitcher and punch-bowl ones: the Christmas punch for 12, a virgin mojito pitcher for 6 or an alcohol-free spritz. Make the base ahead in the fridge.
Can you make mocktails ahead of time?
Yes for everything that does not fizz: juices, fruit, herbs and rims, a few hours ahead in the fridge. The sparkling part goes in at the last minute.
