At the end of a day in the garden or soaking in some sun, I love kicking my feet up and enjoying a refreshing drink. Sometimes, I just don’t want to add any alcohol. These simple mocktails are all favourites of mine, filled with complex flavour and herbal goodness!
Have you flipped to the mocktails or non-alcoholic section of a menu lately? You might be surprised how many amazing options there are.
Years ago, you might have only been able to find Shirley Temples. But now, you’ll find a list of elevated, well-thought-out, and well-balanced flavours. These mocktails can taste just as complex as their alcoholic counterparts.
Making mocktails at home can be a great way to explore new flavours without committing to buying many obscure liqueurs you might never drink again.
I lean into herbal mocktails, as I love the strong flavours from my garden. And how easy it is to pick from my garden and make a drink without shopping for more ingredients.
If you want some unique but simple mocktail ideas, keep reading for inspiration!
Non-Alcoholic Drink Lingo
Non-alcoholic drinks are on the rise! The demand is expected to grow by 25% between 2022 and 2026, coming primarily from younger generations, as Gen-Z drinks an average of 20% less than millennials.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I love cocktails. But sometimes, it’s nice to just enjoy the refreshing taste of a mocktail.
Mocktails have been around for a long time, and they try to replicate an existing alcoholic cocktail. They act as a substitute for those who want a non-alcoholic option but still want the drink’s flavour.
Zero proof is another term that’s rising in popularity, but it technically differs slightly from a mocktail. In terms of zero proof, it is its own unique drink and relies on non-alcoholic spirits to create stand-alone flavours.
Below, I’ll have both some simple mocktail and zero-proof recipes for you to try out!
Simple Mocktails Inspired by the Garden
My garden is full of herbs and flowers that serve double duty—they’re edible as well as beautiful. I make many of my drinks using fresh ingredients from my garden, but you can also source ingredients locally.
Lavender Lemonade
You either LOVE the floral taste of lavender or can’t stand it. I personally fall into the lover’s side and make many edible drinks and foods featuring lavender.
Lavender lemonade is quite simple to make. It consists of lavender syrup, lemon juice, and soda. If you want to enhance its botanical flavour, you can add a zero-proof gin.
For this recipe, you will want to use English lavender. Although many kinds of lavender are available, English lavender is the most common type used for culinary purposes.
Triple Berry Fizz
When it’s berry season, I guzzle up as many handfuls of sweet and plump berries that I can. What I love about this triple berry fizz recipe is that you can use whatever berries you have on hand and are in season. The recipe originally uses blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, but add whichever you like!
The original recipe also suggests adding rum. You can easily omit this by adding soda in its place or sparkling water for something less sweet. Also, feel free to experiment with zero-proof rum.
I would also suggest muddling the mint and the berries first to get maximum flavour! This drink is such a great non-alcoholic spritzer.
Non-Alcoholic Sangria
Sangria is one of the best drinks to have on hand at a BBQ, on the beach, or at any summer gathering. It’s simple to make a large batch and ensure everyone can enjoy some fruity goodness.
Traditional sangria uses brandy and wine combined with an array of fresh fruit pieces. You can adjust my sangria recipe by omitting the wine and brandy.
In place of the wine, there are many non-alcoholic wines you can use but grape juice (white or red) also tastes just as great in my opinion.
In place of the brandy, I recommend adding in a juice such as orange or peach.
Ginger and Mint Lemonade
I first made this ginger and mint lemonade recipe after I made my own ginger ale, but I wanted to elevate it a little more.
You might not think that ginger and mint would go together, but it has a spicy yet smooth and sweet taste that you just must try.
Ginger is great for the stomach, and even when combined with sugar to make syrup, it has a soothing quality. This unique mocktail idea is sure to impress and satisfy anyone who tries it.
Homemade Root Beer
While traditional root beer isn’t originally alcoholic, many alcoholic versions of the beloved North American drink have emerged.
Sure, you can buy a pack of soda from the grocery store, but making your own root beer greatly elevates the taste. It’s less syrup and more taste!
The flavour is often hard for people to explain, as it’s made from a variety of different roots. Head to your local bulk store or apothecary to get the ingredients such as sarsaparilla, sassafras, licorice root, and burdock root. It’s SO worth it, I swear!
Sweet Violet Soda
This is a very special zero-proof recipe, as it’s one you won’t be able to find at any bar or store. Made using sweet violet, you’ll likely have to forage for yourself.
Violets are tiny purple flowers that dot many lawns in fields, especially in the spring. Some think of them as weeds, but I think of them as a cute edible wildflower.
While you can make this as simply a violet soda, I recommend adding to the flavour with a zero-proof gin or infused/flavoured vodka.
Pickled Shishito Pepper Bloody Mary
Pivoting from the sweet drinks, this take on the Bloody Mary is one packed full of flavour. I have tons of fun coming up with new toppers for my Bloody Marys (or Ceasars for my fellow Canadians), and they usually come from whatever is currently growing in my garden.
But shishito peppers have always been one of my favourite toppers. They’re mildly spicy and tangy and, once pickled, have that vinegary taste many of us adore.
You can see how I pickled my shishito peppers here, as well as my Bloody Mary recipe. Just omit the vodka, and you’ll still have a delicious tomato taste.
Moonlight Mojito
If you grow mint, you know how prolific this plant is. In fact, it grows so quickly and so much that it’s recommended that you only plant it in pots so it doesn’t take over your whole garden.
To use up my large supply of mint, I make lots of mojitos. They’re so refreshing in the summer and can be made in so many different ways with fruity additions.
For my moonlight mojito, I add fresh ginger and lemon. The recipe is in this post. Just omit the dark rum and replace it with soda water or a zero-proof option for a simple but refreshing mocktail.
Butterfly Pea Flower Soda
Butterfly pea flower is one of the coolest ways to make a fancy drink without adding any alcohol. All compliments of Mother Nature!
You can buy dried butterfly pea flowers and add them to boiling water to make tea. The water will quickly turn bright, vibrant blue.
What’s even cooler about it, is that you can change the colour to a bold purple by adding a hint of lemon juice. Many people make lemonade out of butterfly pea flowers for this reason.
I also frequently combine it with hibiscus tea, which turns it red instead. This is all because the pH changes based on the additions.
Butterfly pea flowers have a very subtle taste on their own, so they’re mostly used for visual appeal. You can then add this colouring to your clear soda or tonic water of choice, as well as add some garnishes or muddling of herbs and berries. It would also go great with ginger syrup or lavender syrup.
Hibiscus Iced Tea
Of all the herbal mocktail ideas on this list, I drink hibiscus iced tea the most. It’s extremely refreshing and packed full of electrolytes, antioxidants, and minerals.
It might not be a classic mocktail per say, leaning more into just a flavoured tea. But I find it’s really simple to elevate it.
As I mentioned above, you can combine it with a butterfly pea flower to achieve a neat blue and red layered effect. I also like to add edible flowers as a garnish or put them in ice cubes for a beautiful touch.
You can further add more flavour with a herbal simple syrup or by muddling some fruit.
Let me know if you try any of these simple mocktail ideas in the comments below! I would love to hear how the recipes turn out and if you can make any variations.
More Delicious Recipes From the Garden
