Whether you’re sober curious, already living a sober lifestyle, or just looking for health-forward alcohol-free drinks to add to your rotation, this recipe roundup is for you.
There are many potential benefits to reducing or eliminating your alcohol intake, including reducing the risk of some cancers. While restaurants and grocery stores are offering more alcohol-free drink options, many of these options are full of simple syrup and other high calorie additives.
If you’re looking for a healthier option, here are several mocktails we tested in our editorial offices that are low in added sugars and packed with natural flavor.
How we define low calorie
We define a low calorie meal as a meal with 500 calories or less per serving. If you’re looking for a low calorie snack, look for a snack with 250 calories or less per serving.
View our recipe collection for low calorie recipes to support your health goals.
When looking for recipes to try, we opted for recipes that called for simple ingredients available in most stores. We also looked for recipes that did not call for added sugar (except our Shirley so that we could focus on healthier options.
Many more traditional alcohol-free versions of classic cocktails call for simple syrups or flavored sodas. For this roundup, we decided to skip those recipes.
This spritzer was the top choice among our in-office testers. It was light, refreshing, and aesthetically pleasing. This one’s a good option if you’re looking for a festive mocktail you can feel excited about drinking.
Spa water is simple to make and refreshing. We tried two recipes, but the combinations are endless.
Tip from our kitchen
When making spa water, consider making a full pitcher instead of single glasses. We also recommend straining out the leaves before serving.
Basil lime spa water
Our managing editor, Kenny, shared that he would drink this at home instead of ordering it at a full-service bar or restaurant. It was easy to make, and the muddled basil created a fresh, inviting aroma. Everyone who stopped by commented on how great our popup bar smelled.
Consider making a big pitcher of this before having company over. Your guests will be well hydrated, and your space will smell fresh and welcoming.
Cucumber and mint spa water
Taking a sip of this water really did make me feel like I was at a spa. The mint helped me feel calm, and the cucumber was refreshing. You can also add a squeeze of lemon or lime if you want to add a splash of extra flavor.
When making this drink, reserve some cucumber for garnish. Slice the cucumber into disks, and then add a slit so that you can slip the cucumber over the rim of your glass. You can also slice thin ribbons of cucumber to float in your glass.
One of my favorite drinks is an alcohol-free mimosa. It’s easy to drink and flavorful. This drink often appears on Waffle Sundays at my house.
To make this drink, simply mix sparkling water with orange juice. You can play around with the ratios depending on your preference. I usually do about 2/3 sparkling water and 1/3 orange juice. I like to use fresh orange juice to add extra flavor. When choosing an orange juice, look for one that is 100% juice.
Other juice options
Sparkling water is a great base for a range of sparkling juice drinks. The combinations are endless.
At my house, we regularly make a drink my son invented. He named it Pineapple Sparkle. To make it, mix 1 part fresh pineapple juice with 2 parts sparkling water. As with the alcohol-free mimosas, look for 100% pineapple juice to avoid extra sugars or other additives.
Some other juices that pair well with sparkling water include:
- grapefruit juice for an alcohol-free paloma
- peach juice to make an alcohol-free Bellini
- cranberry juice for an alcohol-free spin on a cranberry vodka
A note on juice add-ins
Juices often get a bad reputation, but they can be a good option when looking for ways to add flavor to alcohol-free drinks. When selecting a juice, read the labels. Pick a juice that has no added sugars and contains real fruit juice. If selecting a juice made from concentrate, look for a concentrate made from 100% fruit.
Orange juice is a great way to add flavor to a mocktail, but it’s also a really strong flavor. When testing out recipes, we found that a little orange juice goes a long way and can often mask other flavors.
A Shirley Temple is a classic mocktail, but the combination of lemon-lime soda and grenadine can add a lot of extra sugar and calories.
We lightened up this classic using lime-flavored sparkling water instead of the soda and then a tablespoon of grenadine.
Keep in mind that grenadine is relatively high in calories (
We had high hopes for this drink but felt underwhelmed with the results. While tasty, we felt that it under-delivered. We expected the blueberries to shine, but the flavor was subtle, even with increased muddling. The drink also failed to turn the pink hue we expected.
Consider adding a splash of blueberry juice to this drink if you want a more intense blueberry flavor.
If you’re hosting a group where some people drink alcohol and others don’t, consider making a few pitchers of any of these mocktails and setting out optional bottles of vodka, gin, tequila, or even sparkling wine. Guests can then have the option to add alcohol or to drink the alcohol-free version.
These days, there seems to be no shortage of mocktails, but many are high calorie and contain a lot of added sugars and other additives. When looking for a more health-forward option, pay attention to the ingredients. To reduce calories and added sugars, look for mocktails that use natural ingredients for flavor, like fresh fruit and herbs, instead of simple syrups.
