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19 Nov 2025
The holidays bring people together—for meals, parties, gift exchanges, and cozy nights in. While cocktails, wine, and champagne often show up at these events, not everyone chooses to drink alcohol for all kinds of reasons—health goals, pregnancy, medication interactions, recovery, and personal preference or religious beliefs. Being a thoughtful host means creating a space where all guests can relax and feel included—including the guests that choose to abstain from alcoholic beverages. Let’s create some alcohol-free mocktails that are warm, cozy, and festive this holiday season!
Maple Vanilla Chai Mocktail
Ingredients:
– 2 cups brewed chai tea
– ½ cup unsweetened almond or oat milk
– 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
– ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
– Cinnamon stick for garnish
Directions: Warm chai and milk together on the stove. Stir in maple and vanilla. Pour into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Pomegranate Mulled Mocktail
Ingredients:
– 3 cups pomegranate juice
– 1 cup tart cherry juice or cranberry juice
– 1 sliced orange
– 2 cinnamon sticks
– 4 cloves
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Strain and serve warm in heat safe glasses or mugs.
Spiced Cranberry Apple Warmer
Ingredients:
– 4 cups apple cider
– 1 cup cranberry juice
– 2 cinnamon sticks
– 4-5 cloves
– 2-3 orange slices
– Optional: splash of ginger ale for fizz when serving
Directions: Combine cider, cranberry juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices in a pot. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Strain if desired. Serve warm in mugs and top with a cinnamon stick or orange slice.
Cozy Citrus Ginger Toddy
Ingredients:
– 2 cups hot water
– ½ cup orange juice
– 2 tablespoons lemon juice
– 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
– 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
Directions: Add water and ginger toa small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove ginger, then stir in orange juice, lemon juice, and sweetener. Pour into mugs and garnish with a citrus slice.
Hot Chocolate Showstopper
Ingredients:
– 2 cups of whole milk or unsweetened oat or almond milk
– ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream
– 1/3 cup high quality dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (60-70%)
– 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar
– ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
– Pinch of sea salt
Optional garnishes:
– Whipped cream
– Shaved dark chocolate
– Crushed peppermint or cocoa nibs
– Toasted marshmallows
– Cinnamon stick
Directions:
– In a saucepan over low medium heat, warm the milk and cream until steaming but not boiling.
– Whisk in cocoa powder and sweetener until smooth.
– Add chopped chocolate and sea salt. Stir continuously until fully melted and velvety.
– Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
– Pour into mugs and top with your favorite garnishes.
