DIY Mocktails without store bought syrups

By- Samyati Mohanty

Are you looking for mocktail recipes? It turns out that you don't need alcohol to produce a delicious cocktail! In reality, you can make mixed cocktails that taste just as good as a trademark cocktail but include no alcohol. Also, store-brought syrups have become so general and one can barely experiment with those pre-made things. So, here we tried to list out a few mocktail recipes made out of home-made syrups where one can easily and inexpensively experiment  with. Here are all of our tips for making fantastic mocktails, including both free-form beverages and virgin drinks  based on famous cocktails. You just need to keep a few tips in mind when creating your drinks so that they don't taste like fruit juice! Here's what you need to know.

What exactly is a mocktail?

A mocktail  is a non-alcoholic cocktail, which is essentially a mixed drink without the liquor! Mocktails are ideal for pregnant women or those who avoid alcohol. With a little knowledge, you can make cocktails that taste just like the real thing.

Are you looking for mocktail recipes? Scroll down to see our favourite mocktail recipes: virgin drinks inspired by classics. Continue reading to find out how to make a free-form mocktail utilising a few methods we learned via testing.

Instructions for making a mocktail

What is a mocktail? It's simple to mix anything together, but without alcohol, it often tastes like fruit juice. Instead, here are a few tips for enhancing the flavour of your free-form mocktails:

• Utilize bubbly mixers. Mocktails benefit greatly from the addition of effervescent bubbles from soda water, tonic water, and even ginger ale or ginger beer. When in doubt, add some bubbles!
• Consider a "fake" alcohol to add complexity. A teaspoon or two of caper or pickle juice can be used to make a boozy-tasting mocktail!. It sounds strange, but it works. The pickle juice in our Virgin Margarita recipe below gives it a weirdly tequila-like aftertaste.
• Try out some sophisticated simple syrups. Layering flavours makes mocktail recipes taste more interesting rather than one-note. Try Mint Simple Syrup, Ginger Simple Syrup, Rosemary Simple Syrup, or Lavender Simple Syrup.
• Think of non-alcoholic bitters. A few dashes of bitters give cocktails a herbal depth. There are also non-alcoholic brands you may try for mocktails as well! Also, check out this nearly mocktail with Bitters and Soda!
• Fill your glass with elegant garnishes and crystal ice. It all comes down to presentation! The best part about our cocktail recipes is that they look as delicious as they taste! Try clear ice, artisan style crystal clear ice that makes your drink look like it came from a high-end establishment. Load up on cocktail cherries, citrus wedges, or fresh herbs, depending on the drink.

1. Making a Virgin Margarita

Here's how to make a margarita mocktail out of everyone's favourite cocktail! The margarita is a traditional alcoholic drink that is one of the International Bartender Association's recognised cocktails. This means that the margarita has a "official" definition: tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. But how do you replicate that flavor...without any alcohol? What about a zero-proof margarita? 

To prepare a virgin margarita, follow these steps:

• Always use lime juice.
• Lemon juice: Using lemon in addition to lime adds subtlety to the citrus.
• Bubbles add a glitter to tonic water!
• A drizzle of maple syrup or simple syrup softens the tartness.
• Pickle juice: Yes, pickle juice adds to the "funk" of the tequila!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 14 teaspoon maple or simple syrup
• 18 tsp pickle juice (optional but highly recommended!)
• 90ml tonic water
• As a garnish: The lime wheel

Instructions

• Run a lime slice along the rim of a glass with a notch. In a bowl of flaky sea salt, dip the rim of the glass (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
• Stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, and pickle juice in a serving glass (adds just the right funky flavour to mimic tequila). Pour in the tonic water and ice. Serve garnished with a lime wheel.

2. Making a virgin pia colada

A virgin pia colada is just a fancy way of saying pineapple smoothie...

But giving it a mocktail name makes it much more entertaining! It's chilly and tropical, with a hint of delicious coconut and just enough sweetness. We used maple syrup as a sweetener, and you can add a dash more if required. We included lime juice in our cocktail recipe as well, but we kept it simple for the non-alcoholic pia colada version.

The following are the components for a virgin pia colada:

• Pineapple, frozen
• Coconut cream
• The maple syrup
• In a blender, combine these ingredients and you'll have a tasty signature cocktail in no time. Except there's one additional item you'll need...drink umbrellas!

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen pineapple chunks
• about 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Umbrellas for serving drinks

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients. Adjust the sweetness to your liking.
• Pour into a glass and top with a drink umbrella (optional!).

3. Daiquiri with fresh strawberries!

The Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri is everyone's favourite mocktail! Who ordered to feel sophisticated and grown up as a teen This recipe creates a delightfully fruity rendition of the classic drink without the use of rum. There are a few tricks to avoid taste like a strawberry smoothie, which, while tasty, is not the goal. This berry-forward, sweet tart, and fruity handmade mocktail with a hint of intrigue on the aftertaste. Here's how you do it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries, frozen
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup tonic water or lemon lime soda (Sprite) plus additional for serving
• 3/4 to 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup of ice

Instructions

• In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and process until a smooth, thick puree develops, adding just enough water and pausing and scraping as needed. (Because every blender is different, start at the bottom of the water and work your way up.)
• Serve with a little drop of lemon lime soda in each glass if preferred (this can make a more drinkable texture, depending on how much liquid you use). If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries and lime wheels.

Fruits and vegetables are always seen to be excellent and essential for a healthy lifestyle. But who'd have guessed that drinking them could be even more enjoyable and delicious? Restaurants are coming up with a variety of fruit or veggie-based cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic drinks known as 'Mocktails,' in order to keep up with beverage trends. It's a byproduct of the country's continuing mocktail revolution, in which people are opting out of drinking alcohol. So it would be wonderful  if we could try out creating these mocktails in our home with the above listed recipes, isn’t it? Try these out and let us know.