5 Soulful Vegan Mocktail Recipes for Happy Hours at Home
There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a chilled drink on a hot day. But if you’re a teetotaller, or cutting back on the booze, or the designated driver, more often than not, you have to settle for fruit juice with a dash of seltzer. Not anymore! We’ve curated 5 awesome vegan mocktail recipes that’ll add a bit of soul to your alcohol-free happy hours at home. These lip-smackingly delicious concoctions may not have alcohol but they’re sure to raise your spirits.
5 Soulful Vegan Mocktails
1. Ginger and Cranberry Kombucha
This sweet-nd-spicy kombucha blends the festive sweetness of cranberries with the fiery pizzaz of ginger ale. It’s perfect for those who like sugar, spice, and everything nice, without a hangover the next morning.
Ingredients
For the Kombucha
1000ml filtered water
5tbsp sugar
2 cranberry flavoured tea bags
180ml raw unpasteurized kombucha
1 scoby
For Ginger and Cranberry Kombucha
Ice
75ml homemade kombucha
75ml cranberry juice
Ginger ale
Rosemary (to serve)
Instructions
- Bring 500ml of water to a boil. Add sugar and stir over medium-high heat till it dissolves. Take the water off the heat and add the tea bags. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and then add 500ml of cold water. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture reaches room temperature.
- Remove the tea bags and pour the water into a glass jar. Then place the scoby in and add kombucha. Cover the jar with a muslin cloth tightly and store in a warm place (away from direct sunlight) for 7 days.
- Remove the scoby and take 75 ml of prepared kombucha in a glass. Add cranberry juice and ginger ale, and stir till well blended.
- Fill a serving glass with ice. Add cranberry and ginger kombucha, top off with a sprig of rosemary and serve!
- Note: SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is an ingredient used in the fermentation of kombucha. For d-i-y scoby, pour raw, unpasteurized kombucha in a jar with a little bit of sugar and leave it for a month in a warm place (away from direct sunlight).
2. Virgin Bloody Mary
There’s something magical about in-season tomatoes. So why use it only in salads? This Virgin Bloody Mary combines refreshingly zesty lemon, savoury Worcestershire, and spicy tabasco with tart, tangy tomato juice for a livewire mocktail that’s sure to knock your socks off, even without the booze.
Ingredients
120ml tomato juice
20ml Worcestershire sauce
20ml lemon juice
3 dashes of hot sauce
1tsp horseradish
1 pinch celery salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
To serve
1 lemon wedge
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
Instructions
- Take 1 tbsp salt and chili powder on a plate. Mix well and keep aside.
- In a glass, add all the ingredients and mix well.
- Line a serving glass with a lemon wedge and dip it in the salt and chili mix. Fill the glass with ice cubes, pour the prepared drink in, garnish with a lemon wedge and serve!
3. Virgin Strawberry Margarita
These refreshingly sweet virgin margaritas with strawberries are perfect for summertime.
With just 3 ingredients and some ice, this summer-in-a-glass mocktail is easy to whip up and packed with vitamin C.
Ingredients
150g strawberries
125ml orange juice
30ml lime juice
8 - 10 Ice cubes
Instructions
- Blitz all ingredients together in a blender, till well combined. Fill a serving glass with ice cubes. Pour the margarita in and serve!
4. Watermelon Shirley Temple
Nothing to beat the heat like watermelon. And so, we’ve given the classic Shirley temple a summery twist with a dash of watermelon juice. Refreshingly light, sweet, and zingy, this mocktail is sure to be a hit among kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
150g watermelon, cubed and deseeded
4tbsp lime juice
400ml Selzer (carbonated water)
8 sprigs of mint
Maraschino cherries (to serve)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients (except for cherries) to a blender and blend till well combined. Pour the prepared mocktail into a serving glass, top off with a maraschino cherry and serve!
5. Strawberry and Rhubarb Mocktail
Who needs champagne when you have this sparkling, fruity summer mojito? Give your summers the vibe of holiday season with this rosy red, sweet, thirst-quenching mocktail.
Ingredients
30g of sliced strawberries
230ml strawberry flavoured sparkling water
4 tbsp of rhubarb syrup
Ice
Instructions
- In a glass take sliced strawberries. Muddle them gently to press out some of the juices.
- Add strawberry sparkling water and rhubarb syrup. Stir to combine.
- Fill a serving glass with ice. Pour in strawberry and rhubarb mocktail, top off with slices of fresh strawberry and serve!