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Mocktail Magic for the Holiday Season: 5 Festive Recipes

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The holiday season can be a challenging time for anyone trying to lose or maintain weight. Between indulgent meals and decadent drinks, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a constant battle with your goals. Enter the holiday mocktail. 
 
Mocktails, or non-alcoholic cocktails, offer a refreshing way to embrace the season without the added calories and sugar of many alcoholic beverages.  By choosing ingredients like fresh fruit, herbs, and sparkling water, you can enjoy flavorful drinks while staying aligned with your wellness goals. Zero-calorie sweeteners can often be substituted when mocktail recipes call for sugar or simple syrup. With a mocktail in hand, no one will feel left out of a toast!

 

5 Holiday Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion 
Mocktails can help you feel festive while staying on track with your health goals. Below are five holiday mocktail recipes that are easy to make and full of seasonal flavors—without all the calories of traditional holiday drinks.
 
1. The Honey Blood Orange
A seasonal favorite, bright blood orange juice brings the party in every glass.
 
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 8 oz. blood orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 oz. lime-flavored sparkling water 
  • blood orange slices (for garnish)
Instructions
Squeeze 8 oz. of blood orange juice into a cocktail shaker. Add the honey and vanilla extract to the room temperature juice—honey will not dissolve in cold juice! Shake. Add ice and shake again. 
 
Pour over ice and add a splash of lime sparkling water and a slice of blood orange for garnish. 

 

2. Vanilla Pear Sparkle
For something a little unexpected, infuse pear juice with vanilla and serve in glasses rimmed with cinnamon.
 
Ingredients (4 servings)
  • 3 cups pear juice
  • 2 vanilla bean pods, partially sliced open with beans left inside
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 8 oz. cup sparkling water
  • Lime wedge (for glasses)
  • Cinnamon sugar (or sweetener) (for glasses)
  • Fresh thyme or rosemary (for garnish)
Instructions
Mix the pear juice, maple syrup, and vanilla bean pods in a pitcher. Stir to mix the flavors and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours). Prep the glasses by wetting the rim with lime juice and dipping in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
 
For each serving, pour 4 oz. of sparkling water over ice and top with 4 oz. of the vanilla-infused pear juice. Garnish with sprigs of thyme or rosemary or, if you’re feeling fancy, keep the vanilla bean pod in the drink. 

 

3. Spiced Pomegranate Fizz
Skip the sleep-inducing mulled wine and instead enjoy the same warming spices with energizing pomegranate juice.
 
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 8 ounces of pomegranate juice
  • 4 oz orange juice
  • 1 orange, sliced  
  • 2 oz sparkling water
  • 2 Star anise
  • 5 Whole cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ cup cinnamon sugar (or sweetener) mixture
Instructions
Make the spiced juice by mixing the pomegranate juice, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise, 5 whole cloves, and 3 orange slices in a stovetop pan. Boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture and cool. 
 
Prep the glasses by wetting the rim with an orange slice and dipping it into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Shake pomegranate/orange juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour the chilled juice over ice. Top with 1 oz. sparking water and garnish with an orange slice and star anise.

 

4. Espresso Faux-tini 
Get a caffeine boost from this alcohol-free version of the popular coffee-based cocktail.
 
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 4 oz brewed espresso
  • 2 oz milk of your choice
  • 2 oz simple syrup
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Salt
  • Cocoa powder (for glasses)
  • Coffee beans (optional garnish)
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 1 minute. Prep the martini glasses with a rim of cocoa powder. Add espresso mixture and top with coffee beans, if desired. 

 

5. Cranberry Rosemary Digestif 
Apple cider vinegar pairs with tangy cranberries and spices for a drink to help you digest those heavy holiday meals.
 
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 4 tbsp maple simple syrup (see below)
  • ½ cup cranberry juice 
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
  • Ginger-flavored kombucha or diet ginger ale (to top) 
  • Frozen cranberries (for garnish)
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
For the maple simple syrup:
  • 1 cup maple syrup 
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (with stems)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Make the maple simple syrup by combining all ingredients in a stovetop pot. Boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat cool covered for 20 minutes, then strain.
 
For each serving, add 2 tbsp of maple simple syrup, ¼ cup cranberry juice, and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar in a glass over ice. Top with ginger-flavored kombucha (or ginger ale) and garnish with frozen cranberries and fresh rosemary.

 

Tips to Make the Most of Your Holiday Mocktails
Whether you make one of the above recipes or experiment with your own, here are some can’t-go-wrong tips for elevating your holiday mocktail.
  • Many mocktails use botanicals and spices to give a depth of flavor. For holiday mocktails, look for zero-proof spirits or drinks infused with seasonal spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger, or nutmeg.
  • Maximize the fruit flavors for your mocktails by using in-season fruits like blood oranges, pomegranates, and cranberries. Their ripeness means you’ll have to add less sweetener to the drink. 
  • The base of many cocktails, simple syrups can also be made with sugar alternatives. Different types of sweeteners have slightly different cooking methods, so do your research before turning on the stove.
  • A little fizz can go a long way. Add a bubbly element to your mocktail with sparkling water, flavored seltzers, or even kombucha!

 

CON-2254-001 11/24
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CONTRAVE can cause serious side effects including:
Suicidal thoughts or actions: One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE is bupropion. Bupropion has caused some people to have suicidal thoughts or actions or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking medicines used to treat depression. Bupropion may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment. If you already have depression or other mental illnesses, taking bupropion may cause it to get worse, especially within the first few months of treatment.
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