Whether you’re sober curious or just looking for a different spin on beverages for your next gathering, try these mocktail recipe recommendations from UPMC Magee chefs. These mocktails keep the party festive, fun, and healthy.

Virgin Grapefruit Margarita

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grapefruit juice (if you’re not a grapefruit lover, orange juice works as well)
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup sweet and sour
  • 4 cups club soda or sparkling water
  • 1 cup simple syrup
  • Orange and lime slices for garnish

Directions

  1. Combine grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, sweet and sour, and club soda in pitcher. Taste and slowly add simple syrup until you reach a level of sweetness that fits your liking.
  2. Pour over ice and garnish with orange and lime slices.

Lavender Lemonade Spritzer

This one has a special place in my heart.  When my wife was pregnant with our first son, fresh lavender was like magic for her.  Lavender can be a little tricky to find year-round but we’re steeping it, so dried lavender will work too!--Chef Jon Polley

Ingredients

  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup Meyer lemon or regular juice, about 6 to 8 lemons
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 6 sprigs of fresh lavender (or 3 teaspoons of lavender)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Club soda or sparkling water

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add sugar and then lower to a simmer for about 5 minutes.  Make sure to stir regularly so that the sugar dissolves completely.
  2. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice, lime juice, and lavender. Let it cool until it comes to room temperature. Strain out the lavender.
  3. Put lemonade in the fridge until completely cool.
  4. Pour over ice, add your desired amount of club soda, stir, and garnish with lemon wedges and a pinch of the lavender.

Dark and Stormy

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces of ginger beer
  • 1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice
  • 2 to 3 ounces of pineapple juice

Directions

  1. Pour ingredients over crushed ice and enjoy.

Meyer Lemon Sangria

Ingredients

  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Meyer lemons, juiced
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 40 ounces of white or red grape juice

Directions

  1. Add sliced fruit and juice to a glass pitcher.
  2. Add ice and chill until time to serve.

Faux Mojito

Ingredients

  • Crushed ice
  • 8 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
  • 3 ounces lime juice
  • 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup
  • 2 ounces of club soda

Directions

  1. Fill a pint glass one-third full with ice, then add mint leaves. Add the lime juice and sugar syrup. Lightly mash the leaves together with the liquid using a muddle stick or wooden pestle, careful not to tear the leaves.
  2. Fill the glass with more ice, then add club soda.
  3. Garnish with more mint and enjoy!