12 Ingredients To Elevate Mocktails At Home

Every year, January comes around and — after a month of indulging in all of the drunken holiday festivities — you feel inspired to make real changes in your life. For many of us, that includes drinking less alcohol. However, the truth is, that's not the only time most of us have considered limiting our alcohol intake. In fact, one could bet that you've sworn off the stuff on multiple occasions, particularly in the mornings or even days spent hungover in bed. That is, until the next weekend comes around and, almost habitually, you're reaching for a drink someone poured for you without even asking. However intentional or unintentional the circumstances, there's no escaping the fact that alcoholic beverages are the norm. 

That being said, it's no wonder that, as Dry January — the time of the year when it's the most acceptable to cut out alcohol — rolls into "wet February," some may find themselves drinking just as much alcohol as they did before, if not more. Turns out, a hard cut-off doesn't work in everyone's best interest. But, that's why you have mocktails. What's a mocktail? It's a mock cocktail — and the best ones taste, act, and feel just like a real drink would, without the alcohol. With one in hand, you'll avoid all of the awkward conversations about why you might not be drinking. Plus, you'll get the social comfort of simply holding something. They just need the right ingredients.

Adaptogenic drinks are even less likely to appear on the non-alcoholic beverage list than probiotic soda is — but that won't be for long. As drinking alcohol becomes less and less trendy over time, more and more alternatives are appearing. In fact, if you walk into your local health-food store, Whole Foods Market, or even Target, you'll be able to find something colorful and canned, containing anything from ashwagandha to herbs and botanicals that are known to alter your mood. That's right, with one of these stocked inside of your fridge, you can make a mocktail that has all the same powers as you're usual pre-date drink, giving you all the confidence and contentment you thrive off of in social situations.

Some brands to look out for next time you're at the store include Kin Eurphorics and Ghia, but there are many, many others. Kin Euphorics, for example, offers cans of pre-made non-alcoholic beverages that are mixed with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics like L-theanine — the amino acid found in matcha that eases anxiety — 5-HTP, gaba, reishi mushrooms, and L-Tryptophan. But, they also offer beverages that are made to be mixed, so you can make your own adaptogenic-infused mocktail inside your very own home. The same can be said for Ghia, which makes a non-alcoholic apéritif that includes a potent amount of natural herb extracts that are sure to bring out your best self.

CBD and adaptogens have come to be relatively normalized. Kava, while comparatively less known, is no different. But, what is kava? Made from the ground roots of the kava plant and water, kava has been used as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands for hundreds of years. In recent years establishments known as kava bars have been popping up across the U.S., serving the drinks as an alternative to traditional alcoholic beverages. People often describe feeling a sense of calm and relaxation after drinking it. The only thing is that kava has a murky, brown color and muddy texture. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste much better than it looks.

Earthy in taste and aroma, kava isn't everyone's cup of tea — but that isn't to say you can't make a mocktail out of it. You can purchase kava whole and make it the traditional way, or you can get it in a liquid or tincture form. These both should eliminate the issue of texture, however, they still may come with an earthy flavor. That's something you can work with, though. For instance, sweet, tropical, and citrus flavors can help balance the flavor. Margaritas are fair game, as well as mint mojitos, as they both deliver fresh, bright, and sweet flavors that can subdue the funky flavor of the kava. While used safely for hundreds of years, it may not be for everyone. If you have liver issues it is recommended that you speak with a doctor before drinking kava.

You may have heard of Arizona's Espiritu — the restaurant bar that will light any cocktail you want on fire. It's flashy for sure, and not always necessary, but there's something about lighting stuff on fire that makes people excited to drink. However, without the alcohol, fire is assumed to be one of the elements that you miss out on when drinking mocktails. But, as it turns out, all you need is a bit of lemon extract. Not to be confused with lemon juice, lemon extract is made from the flavorful oils that are extracted from the fruit by soaking the peels in alcohol. It's bold and pure, but not at all as sour as you might expect. So, keep that in mind if you're planning on using it to light up your mocktail.

Playing with fire isn't funny business, so, if you're going to be using lemon extract to light your mocktail on fire you should take precautions. The best and safest way to do it is to soak any garnishes you're using in the lemon extract itself. Simply fill a bowl with the lemon extract and drop in your citrus peel or sugar cubes so that they're completely doused in it. Then, garnish, light, and your mocktail will be a-flame. The bold, deep flavor the lemon extract lends will pair especially well with other sweet-bitter-citrus-forward drinks, such as non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz or other wine-based cocktails.

Going along with piquancy, another term that's used to describe the flavor of alcohol is length. Length refers to the amount of space alcohol takes up in a drink, and it correlates with the flavor intensity. Considering that mocktails don't contain any alcohol, you have to find ways to make up for it. Otherwise, when you shake it up and pour it over ice, and that ice melts, your drink is going to end up tasting more like water than anything. A nice, cold sparkling soda, kombucha, or non-alcoholic beer are all great options — or, you can hop onto the fancy ice cube trend.

You've seen them — the videos of freezers full of extravagant ice cubes. Some are made with fruit, coffee, herbs, veggies, and even flowers, and others are made in different shapes and sizes. When making ice for your mocktail, the easiest way to maintain the balance and length in your recipe is to simply take the juice used in it and make ice out of it. You don't have to get too crazy, but, for example, if you were making non-alcoholic mimosas, you could make ice cubes out of orange juice. Sticking with the brunch drinks, you could also use tomato juice to make ice cubes for your bloody maries. That way, when they melt, they won't dilute your already watery mocktail.

Along with fermented beverages, tea is a common ingredient that is utilized in mocktails to recreate the flavors of certain spirits. Herbal teas tend to mimic the many botanicals that are present in gin, and chamomile tea is one ingredient you can use to mimic vodka. Chamomile also happens to be the tea of choice when mocktails of drinks that would otherwise use tequila — and you can even reach for lapsang souchong tea leaves if you want to give your mocktail a mezcal or scotch-like smoke.

When recreating drinks that would typically use a dark spirit such as whisky, heavier, darker teas like traditional black teas, and oolongs work best. But, how exactly do you mix them into your mocktail? You have two options — you can use your chosen tea to make an iced tea and simply pour and shake it like any other cocktail ingredient, or, you can crush the leaves up with any fruit or herbs you're using in your mocktail to release their aromas, then shake and strain. Either way, you'll get the flavor you're looking for while simultaneously reducing the amount of water in your mocktail which will, therefore, further create a flavor more comparable to alcoholic cocktails.

Bitters are commonly used in cocktails because the concentrated flavors add complexity to drinks. Sold in small bottles, and in flavors that range from chocolate to orange, you really only need a few drops of them to achieve the desired effect. That's why, despite containing ABV levels between 35% to 45%, you don't need to be of legal drinking age to purchase them, because bitters don't make any noticeable contribution to the alcohol percentage of your drink. So, technically, you're free to use them in your mocktails, too. With just a drop or two, it will give your non-alcoholic drinks a noticeably deeper and more complex flavor. However, if you're a stickler about cutting out all of the alcohol from your drinks, you can buy or make your own non-alcoholic bitters at home.

Two of the advantages of making bitters at home is that you can customize the flavors, and make them non-alcoholic. All you need is your choice of ​​aromatic herbs, spices, fruits, and botanicals, and some apple cider vinegar. Simmered and infused in the apple cider vinegar, all that's left to do is wait. After about two weeks in the fridge, your bitters will be ready to be strained, bottled, and dripped into all of your mocktail recipes. From lavender and lemon to chocolate and orange, and from cinnamon and clove to coffee and pecan, the flavors only develop more over time, and your mocktails will benefit — whether they're made at home or bought at the store.