7 magnificient mocktail blogs
Delicious mocktails for a happier morning after.
Image source: Rimma Bondarenko
Hosting a party needn’t give you a hangover, especially if you have some marvellous mocktail recipes up your sparkly sleeve.
Not everyone can – or wants to – drink alcohol at a celebration. But non-drinkers are usually handed an uninspiring glass of diet cola or juice to sup on, while everyone else is whooping it up with the prosecco and Pinot Grigio.
That’s where mocktails come into their own. Put your cocktail shaker to good use and offer your favourite teetotalers, pregnant pals, and designated drivers a party they’ll remember. Read on for some marvellous mocktails, courtesy of some of the best in UK blogging.
Recipes from a Pantry
“This is the sort of mocktail that takes you back to somewhere in the tropics”, writes Bintu Hardy of Recipes from a Pantry, with “white sands that stretch as far as the eye can see and warm turquoise blue water”. She is talking about her ginger beer hibiscus mocktail (pictured above) – a deliciously summery drink that reminds Bintu of her native Sierra Leone.
Bintu’s blog is bursting traditional and African fusion recipes that will have your taste buds dancing in delight.
Her other mocktails include a rosemary and cucumber infused ginger beer, which Bintu describes as a “non-recipe recipe” because it’s so easy to do. And for a true taste of Sierra Leone, try out the scrumptious guava and coconut mocktail. Perfect for long summer evenings.
Rachna’s Kitchen
Did you know the word ‘punch’ comes from the Sanskrit meaning ‘five’, because the drink was originally made with five ingredients? Rachna describes her non-alcoholic fruit punch as “a thirst quenching monsoon drink”. With its rainbow layers of brightly coloured fruits we can see why.
Indian-born Rachna describes herself as “a self-taught cook with my many epic kitchen fails”, but her mocktails are winners.
Try her sparkling rhubarb rose shrub, pictured above. This beautiful, delicate mocktail combines rhubarb, rose essence and sparkling water for a fizzy delight!
Your Food Fantasy
Meenu’s Blue Lagoon mocktail is refreshing and eye catching.
Image source: Strakhov Sergei
Whenever Meenu Gupta throws a party she serves a mocktail because “not only is it great to drink, but also makes your ‘non-alcohol’ consuming guests equally welcome.” Her alcohol-free Blue Lagoon is a sweet/sour, refreshing drink that will get everyone talking.
If blue’s not your colour, food enthusiast and blogger Meenu has a fabulous recipe for non-alcoholic strawberry margaritas. These pink beauties blend strawberries, lemons and ice for the perfect summer mocktail.
Fuss Free Flavours
“Just because you do not want to drink does not mean you want a boring drink,” writes Helen Best-Shaw of Fuss Free Flavours. And Helen’s mocktails are far from boring.
Check out the chic, exotic Asian mango coconut mocktail pictured above. Made with coriander and chilli, it delivers a burst of booze-free fun to get the party started.
Helen’s blog is bursting with simple, affordable recipes with a strong “effort to glory ratio – dishes that are impressive, but when you know a few tricks, are very easy to prepare.” Like her cucumber and watermelon refresher – the perfect mocktail to serve at a summer BBQ.
Tinned Tomatoes
Fancy a dairy-free smoothie addition to your teetotal celebrations? Plums, apples, carrots and sparkling grape juice come together in the low-calorie, high-taste mocktail pictured above. And it’s not only delicious, writes Jacqueline Meldrum on her Tinned Tomatoes blog: “you are sure to enjoy it and benefit from adding extra portions of fruit and veg into your day”.
Scottish veggie Jacqueline started her blog over a decade ago when she realised most of her family recipes began with the eponymous tin of tomatoes.
Blogging reminds her to push the boundaries, and a great example of her culinary creativity is the pineapple and ginger sparkler – a fresh, fruity mocktail with a spicy punch.
In The Playroom
Non-drinker Anna Marikar of In The Playroom has a mocktail to suit any occasion. Lychee cooler anyone? Anna’s blend of lychee and lime juice with fizzy apple and blackcurrant is just the thing to offer guests on a balmy Sunday afternoon.
Prefer something a little more zingy? A pitcher of her cucumber and apple cooler could be just the thing.
And here’s a recipe to save for later in the year: a cherry mulled mocktail that won’t give you that mulled wine migraine next morning.
Attachment Mummy
Leta’s heavenly Turkish Delight mocktail.
Image source: Romrodphoto
Need to come up with a whole bevy of beverages for your non-alcoholic drinks party? Leta AKA Attachment Mummy, has not one, not two, but five mocktail recipes that would be perfect for a girls’ night in.
And if you’re looking for one sensational mocktail, her Turkish Delight mocktail (pictured above) is a serious show stopper. “This Middle Eastern-inspired, fragrant delight will indulge the senses of sight, smell and taste,” Leta promises.
How to make a mocktail
Featured products: Flamingo Bay cocktail shaker - £14.95; Flamingo cocktail stirrers - £2.95 (12 pack); Flamingo Bay cocktail muddler - £2.95. All from the Flamingo Bay range at Rex London.
Now you’ve got the recipes, you just need all the equipment to make mocktails like a pro. A cocktail shaker is a great investment for parties, but otherwise a large, clean jar with lid will do the trick.
A muddler helps to squeeze all the flavours out of fruits and herbs, and some pretty cocktail stirrers make your delicious drinks look a treat! If you’re serving younger guests, why not add some decorative paper straws to cause a real stir.
Do you have any favourite mocktail recipes you’d like to share? We’d love to hear about them. Tag your photos and recipes with #RexLondon so we can see them. Chin Chin!
