Making the choice to be alcohol-free - whether it’s sobering up or taking a night off - used to affect your social life. It meant sitting with friends sipping water or soda to have something in your hand while you were out with friends.
Thankfully, times have changed.
Demand for non-alcoholic beverages has increased and bars, restaurants, and other venues have taken note. Zero-proof drinks have cropped up on menus across the country. And guess what? They’re pretty tasty!
The realization that non-alcoholic beverages can be tasty and creative has inspired home bartenders to try their hand. If you’re keen to serve some delicious beverages of your own, we’ve put together a list of kombucha mocktail recipes to bring your favorite brew to new heights.
For more than a year our social lives shrunk. Limited to Zoom catch-ups and talking about life with our dog, we had to shift from our routines and learn new ways to unwind. While the pandemic saw a rise in alcohol sales, the low-alcohol trend was on the rise too.
Alcohol giant Bacardi published a 2020 Cocktail Trends Report labeling no/low alcohol drinks as its top trend. They also noted that Google searches for the term “mocktail” were up 42% in 2019.
Social lives are returning to a “new normal” and friends can emerge from beyond the screen to visit in real life. Having a good chat with others over a nice drink is a great way to bounce back, and you can sip creative drinks without worrying about feeling it the next morning.
But with such a wide variety of mocktails out there, where do you begin? Might we suggest: with kombucha!
Kombucha mocktail recipes are as diverse as the flavors of the brew itself. You can even take your favorite recipes and try them with different flavors of kombucha to add a bit of variety to your repertoire.
You’ll quickly become the favored local mixologist with these kombucha mocktail recipes!
When you need something refreshing to sip in a hurry, but you want it to be a little fancy while you do it, try this kombucha mocktail recipe.
Ingredients:
Crush a few mint leaves in the bottom of your glass to release the flavor. Add crushed ice and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Pour chilled kombucha over your ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.
All those tropical Zoom backgrounds have you thinking about sipping something tasty on the beach? Try this kombucha mocktail recipe that will give you those warm island vibes.
Ingredients:
Simply fill a glass ½ way with Island Mango kombucha and top off with coconut water. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and garnish with a few fruit slices.
Wind down with this refreshing and easy-to-make kombucha mocktail recipe with the freshness of mint and berries.
Ingredients:
Muddle frozen (or fresh) blackberries at the bottom of a glass, add ice until almost full. Pour in kombucha, squeeze in lime juice, and drizzle with honey. Gently stir and garnish with mint and berries.
A refreshing drink that will satisfy those who ask for something “not too sweet”. The classic taste of apple and cranberry with a dash of bitters and fresh rosemary.
Ingredients:
Place a large ice cube in a glass and fill 1/3 with cranberry juice. Top with bubbly Crisp Apple kombucha, add a few dashes of bitters and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
*Note that this kombucha mocktail recipe calls for bitters which typically have 35-45% alcohol. Used in a small quantity as a dash or two, this drink won’t intoxicate you - but you should communicate that with any guests who opt to be absolutely alcohol-free.
This drink lets you channel summer all year long. A refreshing blend of lavender, chamomile, Jasmine green tea kombucha with the freshness of colorful fruits creates a drink with a variety of flavors and a wonderful aroma.
Ingredients:
Layer all ingredients in a glass or combine in a punch bowl. Add kombucha until the fruit is covered. Sip and enjoy!
This one is for the blended drink lovers. Try a pina colada smoothie mocktail with a kombucha twist.
Ingredients:
Combine all ingredients (except cinnamon) in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into a chilled glass and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Thought you’d have to give up the Boozy Brunch tradition when you went alcohol-free? A mimosa kombucha mocktail recipe fits the bill! And with Uplift, you can even skip the coffee.
Ingredients
Place orange wedges and strawberries in champagne glasses (or other glasses of choice). Add half a cup of orange juice and top with Uplift or your favorite kombucha flavor.
Okay, so this one isn’t a recipe. At least, not one that you have to assemble yourself! Kombucha brewed with Northwest Hops satisfies the beer cravings without the alcohol. Try keeping some bottles of the Founder’s Series: Northwest Hops on hand for your guests who aren’t cocktail drinkers. It’s a limited release, so get yours while you still can!
No matter your reason for opting for low/no-alcohol beverages, you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Mocktails have become a cultural phenomenon and there are endless possibilities for your drinking pleasure. Gather some friends and your favorite Brew Dr. flavors and get creative!
Of course, if you or one of your guests wants to indulge in a drink with spirits, you can easily add a shot to any of these recipes for a little kick. We have a feeling that once you try these mocktails, though, you’ll realize you’re not missing out on anything!
