Cocktails without alcohol don’t have to be boring! Read on to discover our best mocktail recipes for every occasion and season, plus everything you need to know about keeping your home bar full stocked.
When you’re having friends or family over for drinks, it’s nice to be able to make anything they ask for. This means preparation is key! Whether you’re making cocktails, mocktails, or any mixed drink, there are a few bartender tools that will ensure you’re the host or hostess with the mostess:
Cocktail shaker: Add ice to your favourite mixed drink and shake, shake, shake for the ultimate chilled beverage.
Jigger: Use to measure your ingredients to ensure you get the perfect ratios.
Strainer: Typically made from mesh, these are great for removing unwanted residue from ingredients such as herbs or citrus fruits.
Stir spoons: These special spoons are used for drinks that are stirred rather than shaken.
Peeler and juicer: As many mocktails include lemons or oranges, these two tools are handy to have. Quickly collect vibrant juices from citrus fruits using the juicer, and create the perfect garnish using the peeler.
Glasses: You’ll need different glasses for different mocktails so try to make sure you’ve got at least two of some of the more popular ones, e.g. martini, bourbon, margarita glasses, and red and white wine glasses.
Once you’ve got your bar tools set up, it’s time to think about the mixers and ingredients you want to have on hand. Here are some suggestions for a fool-proof line-up of mocktail add-ins:
• Tonic water
• Cola, lemonade and ginger beer
• Sparkling water
• Popular fresh juices such as orange, cranberry and apple, and more exotic ones such as mango, pineapple, and passionfruit
• Ice
• Fruit syrups or cordials
• Simple syrup (1:1 equal parts sugar and water)
• Fresh herbs e.g. rosemary, basil, mint
• Fresh berries e.g. blackberries, blueberries, strawberries (depending on the season)
• Dried herbs and spices e.g. cinnamon, cayenne pepper
• Citrus fruits e.g. lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit
Here are three suggestions to turn a regular mixed drink into a special mocktail:
1. Beautiful ice cubes: Fill the cavities in an ice cube tray with berries, fresh herbs, or edible flowers, then pour over water as usual and freeze. Homemade simple syrup: Use this recipe on Cookidoo® to make your own simple syrup!
2. Homemade simple syrup: Use this recipe on Cookidoo® to make your own simple syrup!
3. Infused sparkling water: Simply add sparkling water and ingredients of your choice (berries, herbs, vegetables etc.) to a large pitcher, cover and place in the fridge to infuse for at least an hour. Experiment with different flavour combinations to find out what works best!
