Mocktails 101

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Beachside Community Acupuncture PLLC may receive a small commission for purchases made through certain links at no additional cost to you. (In other words, you support us in a small way when you buy the products that we highly recommend and would use ourselves!) Click here to view our full disclosure policy.

Dry January has gained momentum as a way to reset in the new year, but decreasing alcohol consumption is a good idea during any month. Modern research is disproving the long-held theory that having one alcoholic drink per day benefits health, and choosing mock cocktails ("mocktails") to unwind after a long day or to socialize with friends can save someone from immediate effects of alcohol, like headaches, hangovers, and general inflammation.

Experimenting with mocktails is as easy as buying ingredients to mix and match.

• Mixers: club soda, ginger ale, tonic water...
• Juices: cranberry, pineapple, orange...
• Fresh fruit: berries, lemons, limes...
• Sweeteners: sugar, honey, stevia...
• Fresh herbs: mint, basil, rosemary...

While not required, there are a few kitchen gadgets that are also nice to have.

• Muddler for releasing the aroma of herbs like mint and smashing fruits like berries
• Shaker for mixing mocktails together, especially with the attention of chilling them with ice
• Citrus press for fresh juice

Finally, fancy glasses can elevate any drink! Mocktails can seem more sophisticated when they're in a martini glass or more fun when they're in a tiki glass. Garnishes like drink umbrellas and crazy straws can also make non-alcoholic mixed drinks more special.

Non-alcoholic beer and wine options are becoming more widely available and can sometimes taste very similar to their "regular" counterparts. Just like cocktails, though, mocktails can feel more like a treat with their elegance, and their recipes can range from simple to complex.

The most basic mocktail can be made from two ingredients - for instance a fruit juice splashed into a mixer like club soda - but adding more can produce richer flavors. 

• Sweet: Most mocktails have a sweet element, such as fruit juices, sweeteners, or fresh fruit. 
• Bitter: Arguably the taste least consumed by Americans, bitter aids digestion and clears Heat in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It can also add complexity to a drink, which means non-alcoholic bitters can be a good choice for many mocktails.
• Acidic: In cooking, acids clarify flavors and balance possibly overpowering tastes (like sweet), and they can enhance mocktails in a similar way. Citrus fruit and juices are an easy way to add a touch of acid to a drink.

Keeping this in mind, a formula of a mixer, something sweet, and something acidic and/or bitter can go far when creating mocktails. Trying others' recipes is usually a good starting point for learning how to properly balance flavors, but trial and error over time is the best way to figure out personal preferences.

Foregoing alcohol for a non-alcoholic alternative is a healthy choice on its own, but there are ways to make mocktails even more beneficial.

• Herbs: Fresh herbs can be muddled into mocktails or added as garnishes, but they can also be steeped in water to use as the liquid part of simple syrup.
• Nutritious sweeteners: Simple syrup is often made with sugar and water, but honey makes a good substitute. To add sweetness without causing a blood sugar spike, choose monk fruit and stevia instead.
• "Real" juices: Reading the ingredient label on a bottle of juice should be easy; ideally there would only be one or two ingredients listed! Unfortunately many common brands contain more than that, including chemicals like artificial flavors and preservatives. It's worth paying a little more for pure, organic juices.
• "Real" soda: Sodas have ingredient labels too! Choose ones with clean ingredients as much as possible.
• Fresh fruit: Fruit can be squeezed to make fresh, single-ingredient juices, but it can also be muddled into a drink or added as a garnish.
• Vegetables: It may take a bit more creativity, but vegetables can be added to mocktails in the same ways as fruit.

Giving up alcohol can be a permanent choice, especially for people with a family history of addiction, chronic illness, or other inflammatory conditions. For those who still want to consume alcohol, moderation is key. Some countries recommend only two drinks per week, and the United States still says no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Regardless of the guidelines followed, balancing alcohol with water and nutritious foods is important as alcohol consumption can dehydrate the body and deplete it of vitamins and minerals. 

Alcohol has been around for a very long time, and someone following a healthy diet and lifestyle plan shouldn't feel guilty about having a drink on special occasions. For more regular "treats," though, mocktails are the way to go!