Mocktails · Easy & Everyday
Eight easy mocktail recipes everyone should know: virgin mojito, grown-up Shirley Temple, paloma soda, virgin piña colada, and more, plus the cocktail version of each.
These are the mocktail recipes worth knowing by heart: eight easy non-alcoholic drinks that taste like real cocktails, not like sweet juice with a straw in it. Most need nothing more than fresh citrus, a herb, a simple syrup, and something fizzy. Each card also carries the classic cocktail it’s based on, so if someone at the table wants the spirited version, tap 🍸 Cocktails at the top.
The pattern you’ll notice in every recipe: more acid and aromatics than the cocktail version, something bitter or tannic (tonic, grapefruit, tea), and a pinch of salt. That’s how you rebuild the backbone alcohol usually provides.
The world’s favorite mocktail. With no rum to hide behind, it needs a bit more mint and lime than the cocktail, and the same bump in syrup to balance them.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
White rum, lime, mint, and soda.
Garnish: Mint sprig, lime wedge
Garnish: Mint sprig, lime wedge
How the swap works: Without rum there's nothing to hide behind, so it gets more mint, more lime, and a matching bump of syrup. A pinch of salt makes the lime taste rounder.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
The Shirley Temple was invented as a mocktail. This version goes back to the original ginger ale and uses real pomegranate grenadine plus a squeeze of lime, so it’s tart and spicy rather than candy-sweet.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Vodka, real grenadine, lemon-lime soda, and cherries.
Garnish: Two cocktail cherries, lime wheel
Garnish: Two cocktail cherries, lime wheel
How the swap works: Real pomegranate grenadine plus ginger ale (the original Shirley Temple mixer) and a squeeze of lime make it tart and spicy instead of candy-sweet.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
Mexico’s favorite highball, minus the tequila: fresh grapefruit, lime, a little agave, and a salt rim. Topping with tonic instead of soda gives it a second layer of bitterness, which is what makes it taste grown-up.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Tequila, fresh grapefruit, lime, and soda.
Garnish: Salt rim, grapefruit wedge
Garnish: Salt rim, grapefruit wedge
How the swap works: Grapefruit is already bitter; topping with tonic instead of soda adds a second layer of bitterness to stand in for the tequila's bite.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
Cool, green, and barely sweet. Muddled cucumber and mint, lime, and tonic. Line the glass with a cucumber ribbon (a vegetable peeler does it) and it looks like a spa-day treat.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Gin, cucumber, mint, and lime, lengthened with soda.
Garnish: Cucumber ribbon, mint sprig
Garnish: Cucumber ribbon, mint sprig
How the swap works: Tonic's bitter quinine and a little extra mint and cucumber replace gin's botanicals.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
Blended until thick and frosty, with pineapple, lime, and cream of coconut, which is sweetened and thick, not the same as coconut milk. A splash of coconut water keeps the volume without adding sugar.
Blend with about a cup of ice per drink; too little and it’s soupy, too much and it’s bland.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Rum, pineapple, and cream of coconut, blended frosty.
Garnish: Pineapple wedge, cocktail cherry
Garnish: Pineapple wedge, cocktail cherry
How the swap works: Coconut water keeps the volume and a clean coconut flavor without adding sugar, and lime stops it tasting like a milkshake.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
Muddled blueberries turn lemonade a soft violet, and a quarter ounce of lavender syrup makes it floral without tasting like soap. Keep the lavender light. It’s the drink you’ll make by the pitcher all summer.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Lemonade with muddled blueberries and a little lavender syrup.
Garnish: Blueberries, lemon wheel, lavender sprig
Garnish: Blueberries, lemon wheel, lavender sprig
How the swap works: A squeeze of extra lemon and a splash of soda keep it bright and less sweet without the vodka.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
This is the one that converts mocktail skeptics. Muddled strawberries and basil, lemon, a crack of black pepper, and a splash of soda over crushed ice. The pepper is the secret: it adds the gentle heat alcohol would, and makes strawberries taste more like themselves.
Double strain for a clean drink, or skip it if you like the fruit bits.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Muddled strawberries and basil, lemon, and gin over crushed ice.
Garnish: Strawberry fan, basil leaf, crack of black pepper
Garnish: Strawberry fan, basil leaf, crack of black pepper
How the swap works: Black pepper gives the gentle heat and complexity gin adds, and a splash of soda lengthens it without diluting the fruit.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
Half iced tea, half lemonade. The golfer’s order, with a splash of soda for lift. Black tea brings the tannin, so it has a dry, refreshing finish.
Cocktail recipeZero-proof recipe
Half iced tea, half lemonade, with a shot of vodka.
Garnish: Lemon wheel, mint sprig
Garnish: Lemon wheel, mint sprig
How the swap works: The tea already brings the tannin and body, so the twin just gets a splash of soda for a lively finish.
Enjoy responsibly, of legal drinking age only ·Zero-proof twin ·
With lemons, limes, a grapefruit, mint, basil, simple syrup, grenadine, tonic, club soda, ginger ale, and lemonade, you can make every drink on this page. For the method behind them, see how to make mocktails that taste like cocktails, and for seasonal ideas try our festive Christmas mocktails.
These eight make a solid rotation for any weeknight, brunch, or party.
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The virgin mojito is the most-ordered mocktail worldwide, followed by the Shirley Temple and the virgin piña colada. All three are on this page.
Rebuild what alcohol does: add bitterness (tonic, grapefruit, tea), keep the acid high with fresh citrus, add texture (muddled fruit, a shake, a foam), and use aromatic herbs or spice. A pinch of salt helps too.
The full zero-proof method →The Grown-Up Shirley Temple (grenadine, lime, ginger ale), the Sparkling Arnold Palmer (tea, lemonade, soda), and a Paloma Soda without the agave are all three ingredients plus ice.
Yes. The Paloma Soda, Cucumber Mint Cooler, Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, and Sparkling Arnold Palmer all batch well. Tap Pitcher · 8 on their cards, and add any soda only when serving.
Pitcher drinks →They're alcohol-free, but many contain as much sugar as soda. To lighten them, cut the syrup by a quarter, use club soda instead of sweet sodas, and lean on fresh herbs and citrus for flavor.
Holiday MocktailsMocktails
Five Halloween mocktails with real flavor: a kiwi witch's brew, vampire punch with lychee eyeballs, a candy corn sunrise, and more. Kid-friendly, with a spiked version for the grown-ups.
Holiday MocktailsMocktails
Six festive Christmas mocktails with real flavor: a cranberry rosemary spritzer, pomegranate nojito, candy cane white hot chocolate, sparkling punch, and more. Kid-friendly, with spiked twins.
TechniquesBar Basics
How to turn any cocktail into a mocktail that still tastes like a proper drink: the five things alcohol does, what to swap in for each (tea, verjus, shrubs, tonic, salt), and four worked examples.
