Mocktails

I can’t believe I am saying this, but we are heading full charge into the silly season – where the heck did this year disappear to?? And while it is a bit scary to think we are a few days away from November (!!), it is super exciting to think of all the fun things we have to look forward to over the coming weeks. Halloween parties, spring racing festivals, lotsandlotsa Christmas parties, followed by the big day itself and then New Year celebrations. Phew!

I have been pregnant or breastfeeding at precisely this time of year for three of the last four years. And while the silly season is about so much more than having a tipple or two with friends, knowing you can’t have drink when you otherwise would LOVE to get amongst it has been, for me, if I am totally honest, a little bit depressing! The first year I brought to our New Years celebrations a bottle of that de-alcoholised ‘champagne’ you can buy from the grocery store (eek). Writing this right now, my face is actually in cringe pose, as I am wondering how I honestly thought that would be a good idea and am also remembering how AWFUL it tasted.

So from then on, I decided to embrace my non-drinking status and create some gorgeous and fresh mocktails to make the silly season a bit more festive and fun.

The four listed below are my favourites but there are lots more you can make, depending on your flavour preferences and also what you have at hand. My taste is always a bit drier than sweet when it comes to drinks, so I have made a point of highlighting ways to sweeten up your drink if you would prefer.

Alright – here we go! Would love to hear what you think, and please be sure to tag all your non-drinking, pregnant, breastfeeding or designated driving friends!

Enjoy! Tam x x x

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Cucumber, strawberry and mint mineral water

Okay, I am starting with this one, as it really is the mockiest of all the mocktails I have listed here. It is little more than sparkling mineral water, flavoured with fresh cucumber, strawberries and mint. This mocktail is so refreshing served ice ice cold, and is perfect for hot Australian summers as well as pregnant mums who might want to limit their sugar intake. I love how festive it looks with the bright red of the strawberries and the green of the cucumber and lime – we will definitely be having carafes of this on our Christmas table this year.

Ingredients
For one serve 

300ml sparkling mineral water
3-4 fine slices of lebenese cucumber
1 strawberry, finely sliced
small handful of mint leaves, shredded finely
crushed ice, to serve

How to

Pour the sparkling mineral water into your serving glass and add the strawberries, cucumber and mint. Add lots of crushed ice to make sure it is served ice cold. That’s it. Enjoy!

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Cranberry, mixed berries, lime and mint

This has to one of my favourite mocktails. The sweetness of the cranberry juice and mixed berries is perfectly balanced with the tartness of the lime and the freshness of the mint. The bright red and green colours also make it a natural selection for Christmas celebrations. Super, super quick to throw together and low in sugar as well, you can get stuck into these without fear of packing on the Christmas kgs.

Ingredients
For one serve

200 ml low sugar cranberry juice
100 ml sparkling mineral water*
1/4 cup mixed frozen berries
2-3 thin slices of lime
small handful of mint leaves, shredded finely
crushed ice, to serve

How to
Add the cranberry juice and mineral water to a glass and stir slowly to combine.
Pop the berries, lime (give a little squeeze first) and mint in on top and give a gentle stir. Add crushed ice to serve ice cold. You’re done. Cheers!

* I am not much of a sweet tooth when it comes to my mocktails, so I do tend to opt for sparkling mineral water rather than sweeter mixers. If you prefer a sweeter mocktail, you can tweak this recipe by reducing the sparkling mineral water to 50ml and adding 50ml of Appletiser (apple flavour).

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Elderflower, lime and blueberry

If you have never tried elderflower cordial, you are in for a treat with this mocktail. Elderflower cordial is the star ingredient, and with its subtle sweetness, it goes perfectly with the blueberries, lime and mint. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries with this recipe. If you choose to use frozen, soak them in a small bowl of cold water before you pop them in your mocktail. This ensures they are washed before you consume them (and you never know if they were washed before they were frozen) and also ensures that any small floaty bits come away from the blueberries before they invade the prettiness of your mocktail.

Ingredients
For one serve

This is the brand I use

30 ml elderflower cordial*
220ml sparkling mineral water
10 blueberries (approximately)
3-4 thin slices of fresh lime
small handful of mint leaves, shredded finely
crushed ice, to serve

How to

Pour the elderflower cordial and the sparkling mineral water into your serving glass and stir gently to combine. Gently pop the blueberries in, followed by the lime and finely shredded mint. Add the crushed ice and that’s that! Salute!

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Virgin Pimms

This last mocktail combines zesty citrus fruit with fresh apple and strawberry. Mixed with dry ginger ale, lemonade and sparkling mineral water it is both refreshing and delicious.

The good thing about this recipe is that you can really use whatever fruit you have on hand. I would ensure you have something citrus in there, as that gives the mocktail its characteristic flavour and look, but other than that use whichever fruits you have at hand.

Ingredients
One serve

100ml dry ginger ale
100ml lemonade
100ml sparkling mineral water
1 strawberry sliced
2 slices of a orange, skin on, quartered
2 slices of lemon, skin on, quartered
2 slice of lime, skin on, quartered
2 slice of red apple, skin on, quartered
crushed ice, to serve

How to

Pour the ginger ale, lemonade and the sparkling mineral water into your serving glass and stir gently to combine. Add chopped fruit and crushed ice. All finished. Bottoms up!

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