Here’s the Secret to the Perfect Mocktail

In the ever-evolving world of cocktail mixology, innovation knows no bounds and this has led to an abundance of superb concoctions waiting to be sipped. Mocktails on the other hand haven’t progressed quite as quickly and often miss that crucial ingredient that brings everything together. Don’t despair yet though, as recently we’ve come across something that will make even the strongest mocktails cynics excited… introducing, Seasn.

Seasn Light and Seasn Dark are the latest creations of Ben Branson, the visionary behind the world's first non-alcoholic spirit, Seedlip. These non-alcoholic bitters are each tailored to complement a spectrum of beverages, from the airy effervescence of a G&T to the robust depths of a whiskey soda.

What do the bitters taste like?

Seasn Light bursts with notes of fresh-cut grass, lime, and grapefruit, and on the palate a bitterness from the Andrographis paniculata plant, and hints of sea salt and kombu.

Seasn Dark ventures into spicier realms, with notes of kola nut, cherrywood, and a symphony of spices, including cinnamon, cayenne and star anise. It gains its bitterness from the paniculata plant as well as black pepper, mushroom and dark chocolate!

How much of the bitters should I use?

Three dashes per serving should do the trick, meaning each bottle unlocks the potential for 50 meticulously crafted beverages, whether they be used in cocktails, mocktails, tonic water or sparkling water.

So, whether you're savouring a sunset-infused Margarita or indulging in the timeless elegance of an Old Fashioned, try Seasn - a revolutionary new addition to your mocktail arsenal in our opinion!

ABV 0%
Size 150ml
Find here £17.99

The Grapefruit and Ginger Fizz Mocktail

This refreshing beauty embraces the winter warmth of cinnamon and ginger, whilst looking forward to the sunnier times ahead with bright grapefruit and lime. The key here is the balance between sweet syrup, cosy spice, and citric tang. The grapefruit juice you use is up to you of course (pink/red juices are dryer and sweeter, whereas white is more bitter and acidic), but we would encourage freshly squeezed for a vibrant feel. Cinnamons syrup is one of our favourites, and don’t be put off thinking you need to go out and buy it – it’s so easy to make, as you can see in our Simple Homemade Cocktail Syrup Guide here. You could also experiment with a No-Lo dark or spiced rum alternative in this too - now that would be interesting. You can find a link to our best alternatives under this recipe!

Ingredients (for 1)
90ml grapefruit juice (ideally fresh)
25ml cinnamon syrup
15ml lime juice
Ginger beer to top up
Cinnamon stick (garnish)

Method
1.      Shake grapefruit juice, cinnamons syrup and lime juice with ice until it feels cold to the touch.
2.      Strain into a glass over ice (Highball is perfect). Consider double straining if you squeezed your own grapefruit and lime juice.
3.      Top up the glass with ginger beer (it should be the same amount or more than the grapefruit juice).
4.      Garnish to make it look pretty – cinnamon works, or a grapefruit wedge if you have any left.
5.      Enjoy!

We’ve got more recipes with our Delicious Winter Mocktails, or if you want to explore the blossoming world of No-Lo alternatives, check out these!

8 Delicious Winter Mocktails

It’s no secret that some mocktails can be a little underwhelming, but these 8 winter recipes are not about compromise – they’re bold, delicious, and completely comforting on a cold winter’s night.

Forget any hangover or sluggish feeling, because these seasonal mocktails get you in the festive spirit and leave you rejuvenated. They’re pretty simple to make, wonderfully refreshing and crucially, they leave you with that special feeling a cocktail should always come with.

We keep up to date with the latest and greatest in the world of No-Low drinks, and whilst there are recipes below that don’t use alternatives, some do, so if you haven’t found your No-Lo go-to just yet, check here and here!

Hot Spiced Apple and Ginger Ale

Get that hob on for this soul-soothing mix of zest, warmth, sweet apple, and winter spices. The juice to cider ratio is down to personal preference and the sweetness of your cider, but using both does round the mix off nicely.

Ingredients (for a jug)
250ml apple juice
150ml no-lo apple cider
1 large cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 star anise
400ml ginger ale
Apple wedges rolled in sugar (optional garnish)

Method
As with any hot cocktail, it’s about heating gradually and stirring constantly. Slowly add everything except the ginger ale, and heat until just before a simmer. Turn the heat down just a smidge for 5 minutes, and then off all together. Let everything infuse and add your ginger ale, before serving up.

Cranberry Mojito

A festive makeover for a cocktail classic, the sweetness comes from a beautifully seasonal cranberry syrup (1:1:1 ratio of water, sugar, and cranberries, heated and strained). It’s as fresh as a winter walk and as vibrant as a crackling fire. Using a sugar cane based no-lo really makes this mix, but most no-lo gins would also work, and even just sticking with soda water is refreshing, but you may want to include orange juice then!

Ingredients
60ml white rum alternative (like Lyre’s White Cane Spirit)
25ml cranberry syrup
Soda water to top up
Juice of 1 lime
Small handful of muddled mint
Mint leaves and fresh cranberries (optional garnish)

Method
Muddle the mint with the lime juice and pour over cranberry syrup and your white rum alternative. Strain, and top up with soda water before making it pretty with a sprig of mint and a few fresh berries.

Cranberry and Pomegranate Punch

This punch walks the tightrope between tart and sweet perfectly, brimming with fruity goodness.  For extra sweetness, whip yourself up a cranberry syrup (recipe above). The sparkling water gives it a lovely, light fizz, and if you’ve got a no-lo vodka you like, add that in. So reinvigorating.

Ingredients (for a jug)
350ml pomegranate juice
70ml cranberry syrup
300ml cranberry juice
400ml sparkling water
2tbsp grenadine
10 mint leaves
4 lime wedges
100ml no-lo vodka (optional)
fresh cranberries and lime (garnish)

Method
For stronger mint taste, muddle at the bottom of the jug first. With generous helpings of ice, stir everything, except the sparkling water, together in a punch bowl or jug. Top your mix up with that, before scattering some cranberries and lime wedges to finish.

Non-Alcoholic Eggnog

It doesn’t get much more wintery than eggnog, and the great thing about is that so many spirits work in it. Some people use brandy, others bourbon, rum, Cognac... it goes on, and the same therefore goes for no-lows! It’s silky smooth, decadent, and gorgeously rich, especially once you’ve added your chosen spirit - think dark, rich fruits, and warming spices.

Ingredients (for 4)
120ml no-low spirit (like Lyre’s American Malt, Crossip ‘Dandy Smoke, or Fluére Spiced Cane)
whipped cream (optional garnish)
grated nutmeg (optional garnish)
Eggnog:
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
120ml double cream
100ml whole milk
100ml condensed milk
50g caster sugar

Method
For the eggnog, whisk your eggs with vanilla essence and caster sugar until it goes creamy. Slowly whisk in the milk, in 25ml intervals, and repeat with condensed milk. Repeat with the cream. Cover and refrigerate for over 2 hours. If you find that the mixture is too thick after cooling, add milk and blend. When ready, pour into your glasses or mugs and slowly stir in your spirit. Finish with grated nutmeg, perhaps cinnamon, and whipped cream if you want to go all out. What a treat.

Minty White Russian

This winter-filled peppermint White Russian works so well, bringing that indulgent coffee cream up front, and the refreshing herbaceous minty taste behind. The coffee hits you with that energy boost we all need now and again, but there’s a lot in here so a little relaxing CBD balances the effect out nicely, creating more of the drinking experience you get from alcohol.

Ingredients
30ml chilled coffee
30ml non-alcoholic coffee liqueur (like Lyre’s Coffee Originale)
50ml heavy cream
30ml milk
15ml peppermint syrup
dash of CBD bitters (optional) (like OTO)

Method
Peppermint syrup is super easy to make. You can use essence, or leaves, but the easiest way is to mix peppermint tea with sugar syrup (water and sugar) in a 1:1 to split on the hob. Then shake everything with ice until it’s chilled, and strain over fresh ice.  

Apple Pie Sangria Mocktail

Sangria ain’t just for summer, not with a few adaptations anyway. Simpler than it first appears, this a really nicely balanced mocktail that builds and builds on a white wine spritzer. Sweet apple and sour lemon play off your No-Lo wine, all underlined with vanilla syrup as well as honey and cinnamon on the rim is so tasty.

Ingredients (for jug)
40ml wine alternative (preferably white, like Chardonnay)
40ml apple juice
20ml lemon juice
handful of cranberries
dash of vanilla syrup
honey and cinnamon sugar (for rim)
apple slice (garnish)

Method
A simple syrup is always heating equal parts sugar and water, and simply adding vanilla pods here is enough to make your vanilla syrup with great natural flavour (you could use vanilla essence if you really want). Shake ice, the juices, the No-Lo wine, and this syrup until thoroughly cold and mixed. Roll the rim of your glass in honey and then cinnamon sugar so it’s evenly distributed all the way round. Strain carefully, especially with fresh juice, and pour, finishing with an apple slice.

Thyme Clementine

This is one normally mixed with vodka and by all means, you can use a No Lo vodka but it’s just as enjoyable without. Sweet and herby, you’re getting antimicrobial benefits from the fresh thyme and buckets of vitamin C from the clementines. It feels festive, light and refreshing, and makes you feel great too! Win win.

Ingredients
1tbsp of chopped fresh tyme
80ml boiling water
3 juiced clementines
thyme sprigs and clementine-peel (garnish) 

Method
Pour boiling water of thyme and let it steep for 20 minutes. Then strain and refrigerate. In the meantime, get juicing those clementines and straining into a glorious juice. Don’t forget the seeds! Lastly, combine the two by pouring int chilled glasses.

Tom Collins Mocktail

With their diverse botanicals, gins are some of the best and most popular non-alcoholic spirits. A lot of cocktails and mocktails drown them out, but something as simple and clean as the Tom Collins lets them shine. Lemon juice adds the zip, a simple dash of syrup sweetens proceedings, and the star of the show is your No-Lo gin.

Ingredients
60ml gin alternative (like Sea Arch or New London Light)
20ml simple syrup
25ml lemon juice (ideally fresh)
top up with soda water
lemon slice (optional garnish)

Method
Shakers at the ready. Throw everything in except the soda then pour the mixture over a tall glass with ice. Top up with soda water to your hearts content and voila.

If you need ideas for specific, No-Lo drinks then check the links in the introduction! Also, non-alcoholic creations are absolutely flourishing right now, so a lot of them are very much their own thing and not looking to duplicate any boozy version – so if the profile sounds and tastes right, experiment with it in mocktails!

STRYKK: NOT R*M Espresso Martini

We love a good Espresso Martini (I mean let’s face it, who doesn’t?!) and now we’ve found the perfect way to enjoy it on days when we want a day off the booze - and it still taste great! Introducing STRYKK: NOT R*M; a superbly balanced spiced rum alternative that blends sugar cane and raisin notes with vanilla and oak wood tone to create a very delicious serve!

Ingredients

50ml STRYKK NOT R*M
50ml Cold Brew concentrate
15ml Sugar syrup
Coffee beans to garnish

Method

Combine all the ingredients together in a shaker with ice. Shake well before straining into a martini glass.

 Find STRYKK here: £14 if you use STRYKK code ‘THREE14’ at checkout (normally £18.99)