29 Mocktail Recipes Worthy of a Second Round

This lineup of alcohol-free drinks—okay, fine, mocktail recipes—offers a colorful, creative route to festive zero-proof beverages. The boring old standards such as cranberry and apple juice, iced tea (although, to be fair, agua de jamaica is worth ordering a pound of dried hibiscus for), and even bitters and soda are out; these next-level nonalcoholic drink recipes are in.

Now, let’s deal with nomenclature for a moment. Bartender Julia Momosé votes to get rid of the word “mocktail,” arguing in her 2017 manifesto that “spiritfree” is a name “more befitting the care and the skill that goes into creating the beverage.” Since then, there have been many hot takes and think pieces on the topic, as well as awkward stabs at trying to come up with something new. (Writer Camper English has been cataloging them.) Then, earlier this year, cocktail book author John deBary said to call off the whole “mocktail” cancellation and get over ourselves. So that’s what we’re going to do—but, we agree that “virgin” is, as deBary so eloquently put it, “weird,” so maybe you’ve seen recipes for virgin piña coladas (or margaritas or mojitos or sangrias) trending elsewhere, but you won’t find any here. And that’s that on that.

On to the drinks themselves, because our best mocktail recipes are delicious, thoroughly adult, and a serious upgrade from what you’re used to thinking of as a nonalcoholic alternative.