If you lived it up over the holidays, you may decide to abstain from alcohol for 2023’s first month and adhere to what is known as “Dry January”.
This choice may appear disheartening at first – especially at the end of a stressful workday – after all, who can imagine a cocktail hour without the cocktail? But there’s no reason to give up that relaxing hour with colleagues and friends and not enjoy what you’re drinking as well.
Your decision to go dry may be inspired by a desire to lose those extra holiday pounds or to detox, or you may just be reigning in your entertainment budget a bit. Even if you opt to forgo alcohol, you don’t have to give up your cocktail hour thanks to a delicious mocktail enjoyed among friends.
We’ve come up with six tasty recipes to start you off on the tastiest “Dry January” to date.
1. The Bellini Mocktail
Get your Champagne flutes ready for this 1930s Bellini knockoff.
Ingredients for two:
- 2 ounces of lemon juice
- 4 ounces of peach juice
- Sparkling apple juice
- A peach slice for garnish
Chill your champagne flutes. Pour in the lemon and peach juices and stir. Top off the juices with sparkling apple juice and garnish your mocktail with a peach slice. Enjoy.
2. The Grasshopper Mocktail
For fans of chocolate and mint, this cocktail won’t dash any hopes for a sweet 2023.
Ingredients for two:
- 1 cup of 1% or 2% milk
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 6 tbsp. of white chocolate powder
- 6 tbsp. of boiling water
- One-half teaspoon of almond extract
- One-half teaspoon of peppermint extract
- Green food coloring as desired
- Whipped cream
- Fresh mint leaves
- Chocolate shavings
- Ice
Prepare 3 tbsp of boiling water and hot chocolate mix in two cocktail glasses and stir until well blended. Add one-half of the half and half cream, milk, and extracts into each glass. Blend thoroughly. Add in food coloring as desired. Add ice to taste and finish with whipped cream, fresh mint leaves, and chocolate shavings.
3. A Watermelon Margarita Mocktail
Fizzy and tangy, this mocktail will give Margarita aficionados just what they long for.
Ingredients for two:
- 4 ounces of lime juice
- 2 ounces of lemon juice
- 2 ounces of orange juice
- 2 tsp. of maple syrup or agave nectar
- a pinch of olive brine
- 4 ounces of bubbly watermelon water*
- Ice
Prepare your cocktail glass with a salty rim by running a lime wedge along the edge and dipping the rim in salt. Fill a shaker halfway with ice and add in the ingredients except for the club soda, shaking for approximately 15 seconds. Pour your mocktail into the glass and add the amount of club soda as desired. Finish your cocktail with a lime slice garnish.
*The watermelon sparkling water can be substituted with club soda if preferred.
4. The Mojito Mocktail
Easy to mix, this mocktail uses most of the same ingredients as the original Mojito but leaves out the rum. Nonetheless, the fresh, bubbly minty flavor will not disappoint.
To mix a Mojito Cocktail for two:
Ingredients
- 24 fresh mint leaves, washed
- 4 fresh limes, squeezed
- 1 cup of club soda*
- 4 tbsp. simple sugar syrup
- Ice to taste
- A slice of fresh lime for garnish
- Ice
*The club soda can be substituted with ginger ale if preferred.
Place the lime juice, mint leaves, and syrup in a glass jar. Allow them to set briefly and then pour them into a glass. Add in the ice and then add in the club soda. Position the lime as garnish.
5. Pineapple Cobbler Mocktail
While the original might use dry vermouth and gin, this non-alcoholic version will delight all the same.
Ingredients for two:
- 2 ounces of strawberry juice
- 1 ounce of lime juice
- 6 ounces of pineapple juice
- Club soda
- Strawberries for garnish
- Ice
Blend the pineapple and lime juices in a shaker. Using a strainer, pour the juices into two highball cocktail glasses with ice. Top off the juices with the club soda and then add a half ounce of strawberry juice into each glass. Add a strawberry to the rim as garnish and serve.
6. A Warm Mocktail: Heated Apple Cider
For fans of vin brulé or warm drinks, try this alternative if you have some leftover apple cider after the holidays.
Ingredients for two:
- 10 ounces of apple cider
- 1 tbsp of pumpkin butter
- Star anise
- Cinnamon to taste
Heat the apple cider and blend in the pumpkin butter. Decorate your drink with star anise and a dash of cinnamon.
Final thoughts
Regardless of your Dry January fast, it’s always a good idea to have a mocktail available for party or dinner guests that abstain from alcohol consumption. These are great ideas to include these guests in your cocktail hour fun with a great-tasting beverage. Cheers!
