7 of Our Favorite Holiday Mocktails [with Recipes!]

Hosts and bartenders can delight guests who don’t drink alcohol by whipping up one of these delicious holiday mocktails.

By bonneville on December 15, 2022
Cranberry cocktail in glasses
Photo: Adobe Stock

Enjoying the holidays with a tasty beverage is a staple of many social gatherings. Instead of limiting non-alcoholic options to just water or soda, hosts and bartenders can delight their guests by whipping up a non-alcoholic cocktail, or mocktail. Our favorite holiday mocktails are featured here with recipes below. There are so many ways to get creative this season! 

Cinnamon Cranberry

Cranberry cocktail in glasses

Cranberries are featured in almost any good holiday spread since they harvest just before the first frost. They are also a superfood, being high in vitamins C, A, and K. A blend of cranberries, orange, and cinnamon in this holiday mocktail makes it a delightful nod to the festivities. 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen) 
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 2 oranges, cut into wedges
  • 3 cups sparkling water

Optional

  • Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Instructions: 

  1. Mix the cranberries, honey, water, cumin seeds, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the honey melts. 
  2. Transfer to a heat-resistant bowl and add the cranberry juice and orange wedges. Chill for a few hours. 
  3. After chilling, squeeze the orange wedges and discard the skin. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any remaining solids. 

To serve, fill the glasses with ice and add the mixture about ⅓ of the size, then top with sparkling water and stir. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and rosemary and serve immediately. 

Holiday Mocktails from A Crazy Family.

White Russian

white russian cocktail in glasses with straws on wooden board

The White Russian was first created in 1949 in Belgium and has become a classic in bars ever since. It gets its name not from originating in Russia, but rather from using Vodka. This mocktail recipe leaves the Vodka behind in favor of dry vanilla soda. 

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup cream
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup Dry sparkling vanilla soda
  • 1-2 oz coffee (or coffee-flavored syrup)

Optional

  • Cranberries
  • Peppermint oil
  • Rosemary sprigs

Instructions

Mix the ingredients together straight into the glass and mix with a stirring spoon. 

Holiday Mocktail Recipe from This Vivacious Life

Holiday Mocktails with Mulled Wine

2 cups with mulled wine
Photo: Adobe Stock

Warm mulled wine is a comforting drink full of holiday spices and packed with fruit flavoring. This recipe can be used with unsweetened cranberry and pomegranate juice to mimic the bitter flavor of wine. Or, you might want to find a non-alcoholic wine to serve as your base. 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cranberry juice + 2 cups pomegranate juice (or alcohol-free wine, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) 
  • 2 cups water*
  • 8 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 pieces of star anise
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • Brown sugar to taste

Optional: 

  • Blackberries for garnish

Instructions

This recipe can be made on the stove or using a slow cooker. : 

  1. For the stove: Add the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a low boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
  2. With a slow cooker: Cook on low for 1.5 hours. 

Strain before serving or remove the orange wedges and cinnamon, and add garnish to the glass. Serve in mugs or heat-resistant glassware. 

Holiday Mocktail Recipe from the Mindful Mocktail

Apple Cider Punch

Hot cider with spicy seasonings and citrus fruits
Photo: Adobe Stock

More than just an apple cider, this punch adds more flavoring with citrus and spices to give it a complex profile. Adding fresh apple slices cuts some of the sweetness while still delighting the palette. 

Ingredients

  • 6 cups apple cider
  • 750 ml sparkling grape juice
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Sliced apples

Optional:

  • Cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon for garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Use a ladle to pour the mix into individual serving glasses, and top with a dash of ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick on top. 

Holiday Mocktail Recipe from the Savvy Mama Lifestyle

Blood Orange Spritzer

Blood orange holiday mocktail with rosemary sprig

This is an easy, delicious mocktail that is fun to make and share. Blood oranges give a distinct flavor from mandarin or tangerine, but feel free to try this dish with another citrus if you want to shake things up! 

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz. lime sparkling water

Optional

  • Blood orange slices for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add the honey, blood orange juice, honey, and vanilla to a cocktail shaker or mason jar with a lid. Add ice and shake. 
  2. Pour the drink evenly into two glasses and top with the lime sparkling water.

Holiday Mocktail Recipe from Marisa Moore

Rosemary Grapefruit

Grapefruit and Rosemary cocktail.

At this point in your reading, you may have noticed rosemary is featured in many of these holiday mocktails. The fresh herb adds a special spruce to any drink, making it feel extra festive for the holidays. This mocktail features not only fresh rosemary for garnish but an easy-to-make rosemary syrup to really let the pine-like flavor stand out. 

Ingredients

For the rosemary simple syrup:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs

For the mocktail:

  • 1 cup rosemary syrup 
  • 1 ½  cups fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 3-4 cups club soda

Optional (for garnish): 

  • Fresh rosemary sprigs
  • Grapefruit slices

Instructions

To make the syrup: 

  1. Pour water and sugar into a small pot and heat over medium-high. Bring it to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 
  2. Remove from heat and add the rosemary sprigs. 
  3. Cover the pot and let it steep for 30 minutes or until it reaches room temperature. 

To make the mocktail, combine the syrup (you may end up with extra to save for another recipe), grapefruit juice, and club soda. Mix them together with a stirring spoon and pour them into individual cups on ice. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs or grapefruit slices if desired. 

Holiday Mocktails from Like Mother Like Daughter

Eggnog Martini

Autumn martini cinnamon cocktail
Photo: Adobe Stock

No doubt, eggnog will be served at most holiday gatherings. This tradition has been passed down since Medieval Europe, as people from the upper classes had access to milk, eggs, and sherry, and used the drink to toast to good health and wealth. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ⅔ cup honey
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Add the milk, egg yolks, honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla into a blender and puree until smooth. 
  2. Pour the mix into a small pot at medium to low heat and add the cloves. 
  3. Stir constantly to prevent the yolks from curdling as the eggnog thickens. Avoid boiling the mixture, cooking for about 10 minutes. 
  4. Pour the mix through a strainer and discard the cloves.
  5. Chill the eggnog in the fridge until cooled.
  6. When ready to drink, rim the martini glass with ground cinnamon and pour the homemade eggnog in. 

Recipe from Mocktail

Related Articles

Around the site