How to Make a Mocktail

Spindrift sparkling water is made with real fruit and tastes light, bright, and totally delicious on its own. But, if you’re like us, you love to get creative with your favorites. Over the years, we’ve found that you can make just about any drink a little better by adding Spindrift to the mix.

We love the recent interest in mindful drinking, mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, and low-ABV drinks like Spindrift Spiked. It allows us to get creative with ingredients and let taste lead - something we’re all about. For years, we’ve explored all the best ways to make a delicious mocktail so we wanted to share our findings with you.

What is a Mocktail?

A mocktail is a fancy word for a non-alcoholic drink - often a specific rendition of a famous cocktail recipe made without any alcohol. When a mocktail version is made of a known cocktail like a pina colada or daiquiri, you might hear them referred to as a “virgin piña colada” or “virgin daiquiri.” But with the recent increase in conversations about mindful drinking, “dry January” or “damp January,” and more - mocktails have become so much than just a virgin cocktail these days! Our favorite mocktails are delicious, attractive, and worthy of fancy glasses. Something you want to share with everyone at your event or around the table.

3 Tips for Making the Perfect Mocktail

When you’re equipped with the right ingredients and steps for making a delicious mocktail, it’s a win-win for whoever is in the crowd.

Here are 3 tips to take a mocktail from so-so to seriously good:

Use fresh, real ingredients

The best drinks are made with real ingredients because nothing tastes better. Want a mocktail that tastes like melons, berries, or stone fruits? Muddle these fruits first. Add fruit like fresh watermelon, berries like raspberries or strawberries or fresh rosemary or mint leaves to the bottom of your glass or pitcher and muddle. This will set the flavor direction for your drink. Then add in freshly-squeezed citrus like grapefruit, lemon, lime, or orange juice. The citrus will brighten any fruit and add a tart pop of flavor.

Pro Tips:

Using especially seeded fruit like berries? Macerate these before through a fine mesh sieve so you don’t have seeds in your final mocktail.
Set aside some fruit slices or herb sprigs for garnishing (see our bonus tip below)
If you don’t have fresh berries, frozen berries work great and double as ice!
If you don’t have a muddler, simply use the handle of a wooden spoon.

2. Use flavored sparkling water

Bubbles elevate any drink. Choose flavored sparkling water as the base of your mocktail to give it a delicious flavor boost and add delightful carbonation to your beverage. Spindrift has a wide array of flavors to choose from, like sparkling Lime, Blood Orange Tangerine, and Raspberry Lime. While Spindrift is basically a mocktail in itself (since every flavor is made with real squeezed fruit), adding it to a glass filled with other real fruits makes a truly special mocktail.

3. Make your own simple mocktail syrup

Like it a little sweet? You can use just about any sweetener to help bring out the real fruit flavors. Try simple syrup, sugar, honey, or agave. But if you’re looking to make something a little special, you can make your own simple syrup. In a small saucepan, simmer a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar on the stovetop until the sugar has melted, leaving a sweet syrup behind.

If you want to elevate your simple syrup, you can make flavored simple syrup like raspberry, blueberry, mint, or more. To do this, simply add sliced fruit, fresh herbs, and/or whole spices to the pan, along with the water and sugar, and stir as it simmers.

Once the sugar has dissolved, let the mixture cool, and stir occasionally. Then strain the syrup into a bottle or jar. Add a splash to your favorite mocktails and store the rest. Your simple syrup will last up to 1 month in the fridge

Bonus Tip: Add some garnish

Garnish is an easy way to elevate the look and feel of any mocktail. Depending on the flavors in your mocktail, some fun garnish options may include herbs, citrus wheels or peels, fresh berries, or a sugar or salted rim.

How Do You Make a Mocktail?

Mocktails are quick and fun to make – and are really easy to customize using your own flavor preferences. But here’s a good base recipe if you’re looking for something to start with.

Ingredients:

Ice
1 can of Spindrift sparkling water (you choose the flavor!)
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. fresh squeezed citrus juice (lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange)
Garnish with fresh or frozen fruit, slices of citrus or sprig of herbs

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, add the simple syrup, citrus juice, and ice
Shake for about 0:30 until cold and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice
Fill to the top of your glass flavored sparkling water. (We love Spindrift Lime or Lemon)
Add garnish, if using

When it comes to making and serving mocktails, the options are endless. And if some of your guests are looking for a low-ABV version, remember: any good mocktail can easily be made into a good cocktail (just add your favorite spirit).

Try one of our recipes or create your own from scratch using the tips above. Be sure to share your Spindrift mocktail creations with us! We always love seeing what you’re up to and how you’re using our products.

And if you’re looking for a low-ABV version of the Spindrift experience, check out Spindrift Spiked, our clean twist on hard seltzer. It’s Spindrift, Spiked with 4% ABV from fermented cane sugar.