When it comes to the holidays, many of us have a tendency to overindulge. Whether it’s on grandma’s pumpkin pie, stuffing ourselves with stuffing, or going a little too “big” on libations at holiday parties, the “most wonderful time of the year” can leave us feeling far less than wonderful when our bodies start rejecting the festivities. One HUGE way you can avoid overdoing it is simply not drinking alcohol or at least reducing your liquor intake. Instead, serve up “mocktails” a.k.a non-alcoholic cocktails at your next holiday party. Kids can drink them and your guests who don’t drink will appreciate the tasty non-alcoholic drink options!
With a few good recipes and plenty of seltzer, you can have mixologist worthy “mocktails” in just a few minutes. For these tasty recipes we use Vintage Seltzer. We love Vintage Seltzer because it’s made with natural flavors, has no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors, it contains little to no sodium, and and it’s calorie and sugar free! It also comes in several flavors including Original, Lemon-Lime, Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Lime, Pomegranate, Seedless Watermelon, Raspberry, Raspberry – Lime, and Wild Cherry, so you’ll have plenty of flavors to choose from to boost any drink! It’s also more fizzy and bubbly than sparkling water and better for creating cocktails and mocktails due to its high carbonation. So, instead of reaching for that sugary high sugar soda or alcoholic cocktail, opt for seltzer or a “mocktail” this holiday season. You’ll get the feeling and flavor of a cocktail without the headache/hangover the next day. Here are 5 mocktail recipes that are sure to please you and your guests!
Strawberry Basil “Mimosa”
2 baskets of trimmed and cleaned strawberries
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 cup sugar
1 liter Vintage Seltzer
Juice strawberries and add water to reach 1 cup if necessary. Pour into a small saucepan with lemon juice, basil, and sugar. Heat ingredients on medium heat until boiling. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain syrup through a sieve into a clean container and discard solids.
To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of syrup into an 8-ounce glass, top with Vintage seltzer, and stir. Taste and add more syrup, if desired.
Non-Alcoholic Sangria
2 cups boiling water
3 cups Vintage Seltzer
2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf tea in an infuser; decaf tea is fine)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 sliced medium orange
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced medium lime
1 medium apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Pour the boiling water over tea bags and cinnamon sticks and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and stir in sugar to dissolve.
In a large jar or pitcher, combine tea, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice, orange juice, orange, lemon, lime, and apple. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve in glasses over ice.
Sparkling Cran-Raspberry Sprizter
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
2 cups Vintage Seltzer
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus 4 wedges for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir well. Add frozen raspberries and lime wedges for garnish.
Blackberry Elderflower Spritzer with Mint
1 liter Vintage Seltzer, chilled
1/3 cup of chilled blackberries
1/2 cup chilled elderberry flower syrup
1 juiced lime
1/4 mint leaves
Mix the soda water and elderberry flower syrup with the lime. Stir in the blackberries and muddled mint leaves and serve immediately. Makes about 1 liter pitcher.
Lemongrass Mint Lime Spritzer
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
Vintage Seltzer (to top)
lime slices and mint to garnish
Trim the lemongrass and remove the outer leaves until you get to the pale interior. Chop into 2 inch pieces and bruise the pieces using a spoon or rolling pin. Add water, sugar and lemongrass to a small sauce pan, set stove to medium and bring to a boil. Add in the mint leaves and steep for 15 minutes. Next, strain the lemongrass and mint. Chill and store in a airtight jar. To make the spritzer, place some ice in a glass and add a tablespoon or two of syrup and top with Vintage seltzer, lime slices and mint leaves for garnish.
Ready to make your own tasty mocktails? Grab some Vintage Seltzer to get started! Vintage Seltzer is sold in 1 liter bottles and 12 packs of 12oz cans and retails for $3.99. It’s also fantastic for baking and cooking all your holiday treats and dishes. Head over to drinkvintage.com to get a $1 off coupon for any 12 pack of Vintage Seltzer. You can redeem it at your local grocery store. For a full list of stores, go here.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
