Many of us have been drinking our way through the quarantine to deal with the stress, or sheer boredom, of being sheltered at home over the past couple of months.
Drinking is one activity we have not had to give up; in fact, many have cranked their drinking up a few notches. Retail alcohol sales increased over 50% beginning in mid-March. Virtual Happy Hours have become a thing, and day drinking seems to have reached a new level of acceptance.
It may be time to give your body, or at least your liver, a little more love. Maybe you want to lose a few pounds in anticipation of trading those yoga pants for your work attire, or maybe you just want to reign it in before daily drinking becomes a habit.
Indulging in mocktails can satisfy your desire to relax with a drink without leaving you feeling bloated or fuzzy-headed. They have all the luxurious benefits of cocktails without any of the downside, and believe it or not, are starting to become fashionable. Try these refreshing mocktails or invent some of your own.
Strawberry Mock-jito
- 3-4 fresh strawberries
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp maple or agave syrup
- seltzer water
Muddle the strawberries and mint in the bottom of a tall glass. Add crushed ice and remaining ingredients. Garnish with strawberry, mint and a slice of lime.
Mockarita
- 4 ounces of margarita mix
- 1 Tbsp grapefruit juice
- 1 Tbsp alcohol-free triple sec
- Squeeze of lime
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and shake well. Pour into a margarita glass and garnish with a lime slice.
Ginger Sour
- 2 maraschino cherries
- 4 ounces ginger beer
- 1 ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce alcohol-free triple sec
Muddle cherries in the bottom of a highball glass. Add ice cubes and remaining ingredients and stir. Garnish with a slice of orange or pickled ginger
Dry Martini
- 2 ounces Seedlip Garden 108 distilled nonalcoholic spirit
- 2 Tbsp olive juice
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Seedlip distilled nonalcoholic spirits are available for purchase online. Alternatively, you can use potato water reserved from boiling a skinned potato. Combine the spirit or potato water with the olive and lemon juices in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with olives or a slice of lemon.
Pomegranate Mimosa
- 3 ounces alcohol-free champagne
- 1 ounce pomegranate juice
Combine champagne and juice in a champagne flute and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Sangria Pitcher
- 1 bottle alcohol-removed red wine
- ½ apple, sliced or cubed
- ½ orange, sliced
- ½ lemon, sliced
- ½ lime, sliced
Add the fruit slices to a pitcher and muddle slightly. Add wine and stir. Refrigerate or let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.
