Now that it’s officially warm enough to enjoy a beverage on your patio, it’s the perfect time to enjoy refreshing summer mocktails (or cocktails) with fruity and fun flavors. 

It’s the time of year when everyone orders fancy cocktails, with vibrant colors and unique flavors. If you’re not into alcohol or want to keep your alcohol intake down this summer to stay healthy, you can still enjoy these drinks – only in the form of delicious summer mocktails! 

We all know there are several benefits of living a sober lifestyle, and it’s easier to commit to when you know how to make delicious alcohol-free drinks.

Get the cocktail experience minus the alcohol – better yet, get this experience at home to enjoy on your private patio. Whether you’re looking to make nice drinks for yourself or are entertaining guests, here’s how you can recreate the best summer mocktails (or cocktails, on the occasion that you decide to add a little booze to the recipe) at home. 

We’d recommend mastering your craft at making a few killer summer mocktails to treat yourself to on a regular basis this summer. Simply add a little booze if anyone requests the non-virgin version.

So, how do you create the best-tasting summer mocktails?

1. Find Your Favorite Recipes Online for Summer Mocktails

You can’t make the best summer mocktails if you don’t know what drinks to create! Gather a few recipe ideas online and this shows you what you’ll need. You will find plenty of articles with unique mocktail recipes, and here are a few great ideas you’ll likely come across online: 

• Watermelon Mint Mocktail (with fresh mint)
• Raspberry Mojito Mocktail (with raspberry ice cubes)
• Virgin Pina Colada (with real coconut cream and Jarritos pineapple soda or pineapple juice)
• Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri (blended or on the rocks)
• Virgin caesar (or virgin bloody mary)

The list goes on – pick a handful of mocktails, maybe five at the most, and then you can move on to the next step. 

2. Get All the Ingredients

Having the mocktail ingredients in your kitchen means you can make them at a moment’s notice. You will probably need different fruit juices, perhaps some fun flavored sodas, maybe some sugar syrups, etc. Pick up some real fruit, too, to use as garnish. You won’t need any alcohol if you’re planning to always make the virgin version. It’s a brilliant idea to choose mocktails with long shelf-life ingredients so you can keep the separate ingredients in the fridge or kitchen cabinets throughout the summer and call upon them whenever you fancy a nice refreshing drink! 

3. Ensure You Have a Constant Supply of High-Quality Ice

Mocktails aren’t worth making if you don’t have good quality ice. Ice makers are the easiest and most convenient way of having a constant supply of ice for summer mocktails and other fun drinks. Be sure to pick a well-known brand of ice maker, like Frigidaire, as they’re usually easier to use and if you ever see a Frigidaire ice maker not working, the fixes are quick and replacement parts are easy to find. You can choose whatever ice maker you want – or you can use ice trays in your freezer; it’s entirely up to you. The critical point is having the ice as it’ll be an ingredient in every mocktail either as cubes or crushed. Without it, the drinks lack the pazazz and refreshing zing you’ll want and need.

4. Look into Low Sugar Options

If the reason you’re monitoring your alcohol intake is for health reasons, you likely are also monitoring your sugar intake. It’s perfectly fine to enjoy a sugary mocktail every now and then, but if you plan on drinking them often, you should find some recipes for summer mocktails that are low sugar or zero sugar.

You could also try to get creative and create your own summer mocktail recipe using low-sugar beverages you already know you love. For example, perhaps you already love one of the fun zero sugar versions of soda Dr. Pepper offers, such as their delightful ‘Strawberries and Cream’ zero sugar version of the soda. Maybe you’ll try adding some sugar-free vanilla syrup mixed with a drop of strawberry syrup and some ice cubes with chopped up frozen strawberries in them. For a more fun mocktail-drinking experience, pick up some plastic straws from your local dollar store.

5. Buy a Cocktail-Making Kit

You’ll find cool cocktail-making kits all over the internet – but it’s wise to pick one up now as they’re super popular throughout the summer and soon the prices will go up. There’s nothing overly fancy involved in these cocktail-making kits; you get a metal shaker, a small strainer, and maybe some mixing spoons. If you want to make truly delicious summer mocktails, they need to be shaken and strained to produce the best flavors. You can’t add all the ingredients to a glass and stir it; it won’t taste as good! Cocktail-making kits are cheap and you’ll be super glad you bought one. 

Some cute cocktail-making kits can double as home decor, when the shaker is gold and shaped like a pineapple, for example.

After following the above 5 steps, you’ll have what it takes to master your summer mocktails. You’ll have all the right ingredients for a shortlist of mocktails, plus the right equipment to make the drinks. Now, you’re perfectly positioned to spend the entire summer sipping on delightful mocktails whenever your thirst needs quenching.