What is a mocktail?

Have you ever wondered, what is a mocktail? Don't worry! Find out the answer to this question and everything else you need to know about mocktails in this article.

Creating cocktails and specialty drinks is a creative art for many in which they play with different flavors and colors. But, what if you do not drink alcohol?

A mocktail is the same thing as a cocktail, but without the alcohol. Basically, an elevated mixed drink or non alcoholic champagne. It's a great option for those who do not drink alcohol, whatever their reason may be.

 

Is a mocktail just juice?

It depends on who is making them! Some mocktails could just be juice and a bit of seltzer or soda water, but most mocktails have a bit more than just that. Just because they do not have alcohol does not mean they have to be boring.

For example, I like to use simple syrup in my mocktails. I even have a Simple Syrup Recipe (Easy!) post to make the easiest syrup for your delicious mocktails. It is always fun to add a little syrup to your drink, whether for looks or taste.

Different syrups work with different mocktail recipes. I like using my Raspberry Simple Syrup for my Fresh Raspberry Mocktail. There are a bunch of different syrup recipes out there, each made for different flavors, like the blue curacao syrup in my Blue Lagoon Mocktail (The BEST!)

What is in a mocktail?

Creating a mocktail can be a science. You have to find the right ratios of ingredients, such as finding how much lime juice you can put in a fun drink without it being too overbearing (like in my Succulent Baby Shower + Cucumber Lime Mocktail or ginger beer mocktail recipes).

Luckily, there a ton of drink recipes and ingredients you can experiment with to create the best mocktail, good virgin drinks or sparkling non-alcoholic drinks. And if you are watching your sugar intake, we talk more about that in our non-alcoholic drinks for diabetics post.

Some ingredients you will find in a non-alcoholic beverage include ginger ale, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, coconut milk, tomato juice, and many others. And of course, you can't forget toppings like maraschino cherries, mint leaves, or fresh rosemary, which I use in my Grapefruit Mocktail with Rosemary and Honey recipe.

There are also mocktails that use soda, like my Non-Alcoholic White Russian Mocktail. I like this drink because it is like a dessert. It also uses coffee flavored syrup, which is a fun flavor to work with.

What is a virgin drink?

Virgin drinks are non-alcoholic mixed drinks. It could be a delicious mocktail, a non-alcoholic version of your favorite drink, or anything in between. Virgin drinks are also known as virgin cocktails, mocktails, or boneless cocktails. Here are some of my favorite popular virgin drinks.

If someone is the designated driver, a virgin drink may be a fun option for them to still have a delicious drink while also being safe. Virgin drinks are also fun at baby showers (here are our favorite mocktails for pregnancy), since the expecting mother cannot drink. For example, a Non-Alcoholic Mimosa Mocktail would be a fun recipe to try for a baby shower!

What are some types of mocktails?

There are tons of mocktail options and more are invented every day! Here are a few famous mocktails you can choose (and some are even recipes I have come up with):

• Virgin mojitos
• Non-Alcoholic Mimosa Mocktail
• Roy Rogers
• Piña Colada Mocktail (non-alcoholic)
• Virgin Margarita Mocktail
• Shirley Temple
• Virgin Strawberry Margarita (with a twist!)
• Non-Alcoholic Bloody Mary Mocktail

I think the holidays are a great time to experiment with mocktails because there are so many yummy flavors specific to holidays. For Halloween, I love my Smoking Halloween Mocktails, and for Valentine's Day, I have my Valentines Mocktails 20+ Recipes post full of yummy drink recipes.

When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have a ton of mocktails to try. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, so I go all out. Here are some of the mocktails you NEED to try:

• Thanksgiving Mocktails with Pomegranate
• Candy Cane Christmas Mocktails
• Cranberry Mocktail and Holiday Dinner Party
• Gingerbread Martini Mocktail

Why should I order a mocktail?

One of the main purposes of ordering a mocktail is to get a drink without any alcohol content. Bars offer popular cocktails and other alcoholic beverages, but what do people do when they do not want alcohol? If you want to learn more about mocktails, you should check out my How to Make the PERFECT Mocktail Every Time: With Dozens of Recipes post.

You could always order soft drinks, tonic water, an Arnold Palmer, water, or an iced tea, but those options can get old quickly. Mocktails, like a Non-Alcoholic Vodka and Dirty Martini Mocktail, are a great way to have a non-alcoholic mixed drink at the bar.

Mocktails are also fun to have at birthday parties or on a hot summer day. I like to bring out my best mocktails for parties and get togethers. My 10+ Mother's Day Mocktails, 4th of July Drinks & Mocktails, and 20+ DELICIOUS Summer Mocktails posts are great references to check for summer.

Are mocktails more expensive?

You would think that mocktails would be less expensive than cocktails since there is no alcohol in them, but that is not actually true. Mocktails have been getting more expensive recently as they have become more popular.

Bars are starting to take mocktails more seriously, buying ingredients specifically for mocktails, which is adding to the cost of a mocktail. The good thing about this is that mocktails will become even tastier since bartenders are purposefully mixing ingredients to create a delicious mocktail.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A mocktail is a non-alcoholic beverage option. It is a fun way to play with flavors and offers non-alcoholic options for those who choose not to drink or cannot drink. I hope you try out some of the mocktail recipes I have and let me know what you think of them!