For a long time, mocktail had a bit of a dirty reputation. They were too sweet, too expensive and worse — they were too boring. Thankfully, after a resurgence of people choosing to go alcohol-free in 2023, we’ve seen mocktails come back — and they’re back with a vengeance.
This renewed consumer appreciation for a good mocktail has seen many bars across the country open up their mocktail menu to drinks that are more than just soda with garnish and instead incorporate complex flavour profiles that are well rounded in flavour and mouth feel.
“The base of every good cocktail is generally non-alcoholic ingredients,” Clinton Weir, Creative Director of Pineapple Jam, says. That’s just one of the reasons this creative cocktail company has branched out into non-alcoholic cocktail mixers, with three products in their range including Ruby Rose and Vanilla, Roasted Spiced Pineapple, and Passionfruit and Vanilla. These mixes can become the base of a flavoursome mocktail when added to soda, shaken with juice, or mixed with multiple juices to “create an extra boom of sweet and sour in your drink”, Clinton says.
Yet you can create a mocktail with nothing more than the ingredients you already have in your kitchen cupboard. Clinton lists pineapple juice, cranberry juice and soda water as the three most common mocktail ingredients. Start your creative process with these and see where your journey takes you. Experiment — there are no rights or wrongs when it comes to mocktail creation.
If, at the end of a long week, you’re too exhausted to mix a mocktail masterpiece, thankfully there are many pre-made mocktails in
ready-to-drink cans and bottles. To minimise your footprint, look for drinks that are locally made and contain minimal artificial ingredients.
Beautify your beverage
A cocktail shaker, strainer, jigger and muddler are useful tools when creating a mocktail, but they’re not essential. And, of course, you will need something to serve your mocktail in. “The fancier the glassware, the more exciting life is going to be,” Clinton, an advocate for purchasing glassware from second-hand stores, says.
Garnish is also another great way to make your mocktail experience feel more magical. Clinton lists rose petals and coffee beans as two fantastic garnish options. “And baby marshmallows,” he says. “They’re incredible as if you’ve got a crème brûlée gun, they can add a sense of theatre.”
Ravishing Ruby Splash
By Clinton Weir
The Ravishing Ruby Rose mocktail mix is stirred with soda water and a hint of style to create a refreshing, healthy drink.
Glassware: Highball glass/large wine glass/short glass with less ice
Ingredients:
45mL Pineapple Jam’s Ravishing Ruby Rose mocktail mix
120mL soda water
Fresh pineapple or lemon
- Fill glass of choice with fresh cubed ice.
- Pour in mocktail mix and fill with soda. Stir with style to ensure the drink is happy and the liquid is mixed perfectly.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest and a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Spiced Pineapple Velvet Jacke
By Clinton Weir
The magic of a well-rounded ingredient combination leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, while the fresh memory of our delightfully original recipe lingers well after you have finally put the glass down. The balance of ingredients you just experienced will leave you light-hearted and smiling.
Glassware: Martini glass/champagne flute/small wine glass
Ingredients:
45mL Pineapple Jam’s Spiced & Roasted Pineapple cocktail mix
90mL Pineapple juice (100 per cent fresh or unsweetened)
Fresh pineapple or lemon
- Shake mocktail mix and pineapple juice in shaker with cubed ice.
- Single strain into glass of choice.
- Garnish with dehydrated pineapple wedges or fresh lemon zest.
Cranberry Sangria
By Lauren Clarke
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas in July or are simply looking for a bright-coloured beverage that can be easily made in bulk and shared amongst friends, this cranberry sangria has got you covered.
Glassware: Large jug/punch bowl
Ingredients:
500mL cranberry juice
250mL ginger beer
125mL apple juice
125mL lemonade
1 cinnamon stick
2 rosemary sprigs
1 lemon (thinly sliced)
- Place the cranberry juice, ginger beer, apple juice, half of the lemon slices and the cinnamon stick in a cocktail jug or punch bowl.
Stir to combine, then place in the fridge for one hour. - Add the lemonade, rosemary sprigs and remaining lemon slices. Add ice and stir.
Watermelon Nojito
By Lauren Clarke
Recapture that summer feeling with this alcohol-free version of the cocktail classic.
Glassware: Collins glass/wine glass
Ingredients:
¾ cup watermelon (cut into small pieces)
½ lime
6 mint leaves
½ tablespoon sugar
100mL sparkling water
- Blend watermelon in a blender until smooth.
Strain through a strainer to separate juice from seeds. - Take your glass and place the sugar, mint and the juice from your lime in it. Muddle until fragrant.
- Add watermelon juice and mix.
- Top with ice and sparkling water.
Naked Life
Naked Life is Australia’s most consumed non-alcoholic cocktail range, with 15 delicious cocktail options to try. From their Margarita to their Mojito, their Cosmo to their Canadian and Dry and many more, Naked Life uses distilled botanicals to create a range that allows people to celebrate the moments with nothing to hide: no alcohol, no sugar and very minimal calories.
Naked Life was the winner of the 2022 Non-alcoholic Producer of the Year at the Melbourne International Spirits Competition
Adapt Drinks
It has been a long day and all you want to do is unwind but your mind is still racing. This is the perfect time to have an Adapt Drinks Relax — a non-alcoholic sparkling drink with no sugar. Made with all-natural ingredients including adaptogenic herbs and L-theanine, Relax will give you a moment for your mind and mood.
