Sun’s beating down on your skin and you remember that tray of ice cubes sitting in the freezer. Maybe it’s before noon or maybe you just don’t feel like alcohol—so instead of mixing a cocktail, you mix a mocktail.

What’s a mocktail?

Coined in the 1930s, “mocktail” is a play-on-words combining “mock” (imitation) and “cocktail.” It’s a nonalcoholic drink consisting of fruit juices, soft drinks, and—yes—sometimes tea!

We’ve stirred up 3 mocktails to share with our NTT community. These are totally free of alcohol, but not of flavor. Cheers!

Grapefruit Kombucha Agua Fresca

We told you kombucha is a trend that won’t end ! Try this tangy-sweet and lightly herbaceous concoction.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup grapefruit juice

1 cup unflavored kombucha

1 tsp. maple syrup + more to taste

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Optional: pure sparkling water

Instructions

In a pitcher or 2-cup measure, combine the grapefruit juice, kombucha, and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Fill two glasses with ice and pour the drink over top. If your kombucha isn’t naturally effervescent, top each glass off with a little sparkling water. Rub each sprig of rosemary between your hands to help release the oils on the leaves. Pop a sprig in each glass. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Renee Byrd, will frolic for food

Marrakesh Mocktail

Maybe you can’t travel to Morocco, but you sure can enjoy its flavors!

Serves 4

Ingredients

15 oz. peppermint green tea brewed from 6-8 grams of tea. Steep a bit longer than you would for a cup of tea to ensure robust flavor (about 10 minutes).

5 oz. apple juice

2 ½ oz. fresh lemon juice

2 ½ oz. simple syrup

9 dashes pineapple and star anise bitters

Soda water, as desired

4 Collins glasses, if available

Instructions

Add all the ingredients, except the soda water, into an ice-filled pitcher. Add garnish and stir until all the ingredients are mixed. Top with ice and soda water. Pour into four Collins glasses (or something similar) to serve.

Recipe courtesy of Best Health

Tropical Mocktail

Aloha! This is Hawaiian vibes packed into a drink—and it’ll have you Googling images of white sands and palm trees.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 can pineapple-flavored sparkling water

2 oranges

¼ cup of raspberries

8 large strawberries, chopped 

Instructions

Take your cocktail shaker and drop in the raspberries and strawberries. Muddle these until they’re really fine (a couple of minutes). 

Next, juice the two oranges into the cocktail shaker and add the pineapple-flavored sparkling water. Take a long spoon and gently stir the ingredients together. (Don’t shake unless you want carbonated water sprayed into your face!)

Strain the mixture in the cocktail shaker into two glasses over ice.

Courtesy of Jess Explains

Are you imbibing summertime mocktails? Share your favorite recipe below! ☟ ☟ ☟ ☟