Life
Everyone wants to have a good time on New Year's Eve, but sometimes that wild night of staying up late and tossing back cocktails can lead to a pretty rough start to the new year. Maybe you're pregnant, practicing sober living, or don't feel like dealing with a hangover on January 1 — no matter what your reasoning is for skipping the alcohol, you can still get excited about delicious and fun mocktail recipes for New Year's Eve.
Mocktails are a great way to feel festive, sans alcohol. Sipping on a tasty drink just seems to set the mood for a night of good times. Mocktails feel more special and exciting than your every day glasses of flavored water or soda, which are sometimes the only non-alcoholic alternatives at New Year's Eve bashes. Dressed up with delicate herbal garnishes and fizzy spritzes of sparkling water and tonic, mocktails can be just as exciting to try as a trendy cocktail (with the added benefit of skipping the throbbing headache the following morning). As a matter of fact, the recipes in this round-up have my cocktail-loving self seriously rethinking my signature drink for New Year's Eve.
If you're in the mood to try something different this year, consider making one or more of these nine mocktail recipes for New Year's Eve, because champagne shouldn't have all the fun.
1Mulled Lemonade
Raise a glass and toast the New Year with a sweet and spicy mulled lemonade from A Spicy Perspective.
2Ginger Beer Mojito
Don't let the name fool you — there isn't a drop of alcohol in Gimme Some Oven's ginger beer mojito. All you need is lime juice, ice, mint, and ginger beer to create this copycat mojito creation.
3Pomegranate, Lime & Ginger Mocktail
As tasty as it is beautiful, Offbeat + Inspired's pomegranate, lime, and ginger mocktail has a little bit of everything to love about drinks that are tart and tangy.
4Caramel Apple Cider
A decadent sugary treat, Deliciously Yum's caramel apple cider will pair great with your celebration.
5Virgin Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellini
If it's an elegant mocktail you want, Taste and Tell offers the pomegranate and cranberry bellini. A sweet, tart, and bubbly version of a bellini that feels as fancy as the real deal.
6Agua de Jamaica
When it comes to a mocktail staple, Gimme Some Oven has you covered with this recipe for agua de jamaica. Drink this alone, as a hibiscus tea, or add syrups, mixers, and garish to amp up the sass factor.
7Cider, Thyme and Tonic Mocktail
Try Offbeat + Inspired's cider, thyme, and tonic mocktail for something special and refined. The little hit of citrus from the lemons gives this mocktail a sophisticated finish.
8Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Champagne isn't the only beverage that bubbles. This sparkling cranberry punch from Taste and Tell uses sparkling water to give this punch that festive feel.
9Mango Bellini
It doesn't get much more festive than a bellini. But even without this champagne, this mango bellini from What's Cooking, Love, will make you want to raise your glass and offer a toast.
Images: Courtesy of Offbeat + Inspired; A Spicy Perspective; Gimme Some Oven; Offbeat + Inspired; Deliciously Yum; Taste and Tell; Gimme Some Oven; Offbeat + Inspired; Taste and Tell; What's Cooking Love
