May 13, 2025 in Lifestyle

Mocktails for Dry July

Whether you are participating in the official Dry July fundraiser to support people with cancer or simply are taking a month off drinking, having a break from the booze doesn’t have to be boring! Mocktails are the ideal way to enjoy a delicious drink without feeling like you are missing out on all the fun.

Unlike a soft drink, mocktails are mixed drinks made from non-alcoholic beverages in a traditional cocktail style. A mocktail will usually have a combination of different ingredients as well as a fun garnish, which mimics the appearance of a cocktail. The limits of mocktails just depend upon your imagination! Read on to learn more about how to make your perfect mocktail and get inspired by our various berry-inspired recipes.

Crafting your perfect mocktail

If you’re making a mocktail, here are our easy tips to ensure that you create the perfect drink!

Choose an exciting glass

The vessel that you choose to house your mocktail can make a big difference in the overall presentation and enjoyment of your drink. If you are making a non-alcoholic version of a classic cocktail, for example an espresso martini, use the same glass. A mason jar is a great glass for any summer mocktails or a virgin mojito. A stemless wine glass is another ideal vessel for your mocktail.

Don’t skimp on ice

Much like in a traditional cocktail, ice is a key ingredient for any good mocktail (unless you are making something warm like a mocktail mulled wine). Ice makes shaking and stirring your mocktail a lot easier, it also enhances the taste by cooling down the ingredients and producing that smooth and thick texture. You can go for the traditional cubes of ice, or mix things up a little with an ice ball, a giant ice cube or crushed ice.

Shaken or stirred?

With mocktails, there are a few different methods you can use to make your drink. Usually, the rule for shaking or stirring your cocktail depends on whether you are combining non-alcoholic and alcoholic ingredients together. Cocktails need to be shaken if they include anything with citrus, dairy, egg whites or any other opaque ingredient.

However, it’s up to you if you’d like to shake your mocktail. We recommend shaking over stirring if you are using fruit juices in your drink as it will produce a better texture and ensure everything is well-combined. Grab your cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice, then add your ingredients. Before you get shaking, ensure that it’s locked into place and grab it with two hands.

For cocktails, you should stir if you are entirely using spirits. With mocktails, it’s best to stir carbonated ingredients such as sodas and tonic water. It’s also better to stir if you are making a jug of mocktail as it is highly more efficient than shaking. Use a long spoon to stir and keep combining until it reaches the colour and consistency that you desire.

Muddle fresh ingredients

As you aren’t using any alcohol, the quality of non-alcoholic ingredients you choose to make your mocktail with matter. It’s best to use the freshest ingredients possible, especially if using fruits like berries or herbs such as mint. To release the flavour and scent profiles of your ingredients, you can use a bartending technique called ‘muddling’. This is the method of lightly mashing the fruit and herbs until the aromas are released. Use a muddler tool or substitute it with the handle end of a wooden spoon or Mortar and Pestle. Careful not to muddle in a fragile glass as you may break or damage it.

Play with flavour combinations

One of the joys of mocktail making is experimenting with different tastes and flavour combinations. The first step is to decide whether your mocktail will be sweet, sour or spicy. Next, choose a base note like fresh raspberries then build on this flavour with additional ingredients. For example, to make a sweet raspberry mocktail, add sweet pairings such as vanilla and lemonade. However, if you’d like a more sour cocktail, combine your raspberries with fresh lime, mint or grapefruit. You can make your raspberry mocktail spicy with ginger beer and jalapeno slices. Don’t be afraid to have fun and mix and match different flavours.

Get creative with your garnishes

The best way to elevate your mocktail game is to create some exciting garnishes. To add a salt or sugar rim to your mocktail glass, run a lime or lemon wedge around the rim of the glass then gently dab it on the plate with either sugar or salt until it is coated. You can also choose to drizzle the inside of your glass with honey or chocolate sauce.

To make your garnishes, fruit and herbs work best. Slice the end of a strawberry just below the stem to create a strawberry fan or pop some blueberries in between mint leaves on a small skewer. You can also use edible flowers and non-edible items like a tiny umbrella, a decorative stirring stick or anything else your heart desires! Be careful choosing anything too small as you may run the risk of accidentally swallowing something or choking.

Be inspired by our mocktail recipes

Berries are the perfect starting point for any delicious mocktail! We’ve broken down what ingredients pair well with each berry and provided you with some additional delicious recipes to get you mocktail making started. You can replace the alcohol in these recipes with a non-alcoholic substitute.

Blackberries

Juicy, plump and full of flavour, blackberries transcend any season and are great in a mocktail. Their dark colour looks stunning in mocktails with hints of green (think mint leaves, apple slices and sprigs of rosemary) and when mixed with lighter ingredients (soda water or kombucha), your blackberry mocktail will be a gorgeous purple or red colour.

Blackberries pair well:

Mint
Cloves
Vanilla
Rosemary
Ginger
Apple
Citrus
Strawberries
Raspberries
Peaches
Ginger ale or beer
Sparkling & soda water

A popular recipe is the non-alcoholic blackberry mojito-inspired mocktail, which involves combining 1 ½ cups of Driscoll’s blackberries, ¼ cup of lime juice, 2 ½ cups of sparkling water, 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and a handful of mint leaves. Muddle your blackberries in the glass, then add the remaining ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass filled with ice and decorate with a mint spring for garish.

Blueberries

Vibrant in colour and tart in taste, blueberries are the key to a delicious mocktail! You can elevate the blue and purples tones in your blueberry mocktail with hints of yellow (a lemon slice or a slither of pineapple for a garnish) and add a salt or sugar rim to further boost flavour and give that professional cocktail appearance.

Blueberries pair well with:

Cinnamon
Honey
Allspice
Nutmeg
Rosemary
Thyme
Vanilla
Lavender
Fig
Citrus
Kiwifruit
Nectarines
Plums
Pineapples
Pears
Soda water
Sprite (or other lemonade-based soft drink)

Try a common favourite, the blueberry peach mojito. You can replace the rum for ginger beer to make it a mocktail! Place blueberries, mint, peach preserves and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add ice and blueberry syrup. Shake vigorously to blend. Strain into double old fashioned glass. Top with sparkling water and ginger beer. Garnish with additional sprinkle of blueberries and quartered lime on top. Add additional mint sprigs if you like.

Raspberries

Raspberries are bursting with sweet flavours that are delightful in any mocktail recipe. Their striking colour is perfectly paired with green and yellow garnishes (ideally a lemon or lime wheel). You can layer the colours within your mocktail glass by adding darker colour ingredients first (such as muddled raspberries) then topping with a lighter coloured drink (like lemonade) – just don’t stir or you may run the risk of ruining the effect.

Raspberries pair well with:

Mint
Chocolate
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Ginger
Citrus
Nectarines
Peaches
Plums
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Sparkling & soda water
Ginger beer

We recommend giving the raspberry bellini mocktail a try! Simply add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar syrup (made from boiling caster sugar and water), and a handful of Driscoll’s raspberries into a cocktail shaker. Top with ice then shake until combined. Pour 6 tablespoons of lemonade soft drink into glasses and strain the cocktail shaker mixture into each glass. Garnish with more fresh raspberries.

Strawberries

The flavour of summer, a strawberry mocktail is the perfect addition to any hot day or cooler night. The joyful pink colour of strawberries looks stunning when paired with orange, green, and white tones in a mocktail. Add a slice of peach, fresh basil leaves or a white flower to your mocktail and enjoy the visual delight.

Strawberries pair well with:

Almond
Mint
Vanilla
Basil
Chocolate
Apple
Citrus
Grapefruit
Peach
Pineapple
Passion fruit
Papaya
Raspberries
Lemonade
Sparking & soda water
Ginger beer

You can’t go wrong with a strawberry, basil & soda mocktail! Create your strawberry sugar syrup by boiling a 1/3 cup of Driscoll’s strawberries, 1/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan then drain and cool. Add a handful of strawberries and 3 basil leaves, and place into a glass. Muddle until strawberry is pureed and basil is gently crushed. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and fill to the top with soda water and crushed ice. Garnish with additional fresh strawberries and basil.

Seasonal
availability