Five mocktails that will get you through Sober October

Elis Priceon 8 October 2020
various colourful cocktails

Thinking of going teetotal for the whole of October? It doesn't have to be as boring as you think...

Summer is gone and with it the long days sat in the park with a beer and group (of six) friends. As the nights draw in, what better way to mark the autumn than taking a break from the booze and detoxing before the Christmas season is upon us, not to mention helping a great cause, by ‘Getting Sober for October’ with Macmillan Cancer Support.

But booze-free doesn’t have to mean boring. Here to help you through are our top five list of the best mocktails:

1. Virgin Mojito

The classic cocktail - who doesn’t like a mojito? Probably one of the most straightforward mocktails to make; just mix soda water, mint, sugar, ice and lime juice. Pop around 20g of mint leaves into a jug, sprinkle over three tablespoons of caster sugar and 150ml of fresh lime juice (about eight limes squeezed). Stir with a wooden spoon, add some ice, then pour over about a litre of soda water. Yum.

virgin mojito recipe gif

2. Mint Iced Coffee

For those who like coffee but with a twist, this is definitely the one for you. Heat up a quarter of a cup of coffee granules with three cups of boiling water, stir and leave for about five minutes. Cool in a fridge or outside for about an hour then add mint syrup to your taste (a couple of teaspoons normally gives it a good tang). Stir in one or two tablespoons of demerara sugar, half a cup of whole milk, some ice and fresh mint and voila: one mint iced coffee ready to go. 

iced coffee gif

3. Dirty Martini 

Channel James Bond and make your mocktails ‘shaken not stirred’ with a Dirty Martini. Normally made with dry vermouth and gin or vodka, the most recognisable element is the accompanying cocktail stick and olive. Replace the vodka with either soda water or non-alcoholic gin or, if you want that vodka taste, use potato water (yes really), add in green olive juice (two parts soda water/non-alcoholic gin to olive juice), prop with an olive and a cocktail stick and you are 007-ready. This one may sound a bit peculiar but don’t knock it until you try it; a great combination of flavours which will add a touch of sophistication to your autumn evenings.

dirty martini

4. Fruity Mocktail

Want to quench your thirst and get your five a day in one go? Well the fruity mocktail is the perfect solution. Take a handful of green grapes, a bunch of blueberries and four tablespoons of grenadine and top up with about 300-400ml of orange juice and sparkling water: the taste of summer in a drink.

5. Negroni Mocktail

Another virgin alternative to a classic, the Negroni mocktail. Normally served with Campari and Sweet Vermouth, instead use half a grapefruit, a slice of orange, 125g caster sugar and spices such as cardamom pods and coriander seeds. Not only do the flavours combine to make a drink to die for, it is also the perfect drink to go with any comforting cheese-based dishes.

As you settle back into uni or college, the last thing you want is to be waking up hungover after a long night of drinking. Sober October erases any chance of that. It doesn’t mean staying in and sipping hot chocolate all month long – although with a few marshmallows the odd one certainly wouldn’t go amiss – but instead taking a break from the booze for a great cause, and getting a bit healthier into the bargain.

dog shaking a cocktail

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Elis Priceon 8 October 2020