Designing a DIY Dry January mocktail is a great opportunity to unleash your inner mixologist and create a unique drink bursting with your favorite flavors. Mocktails are the perfect way to relax and unwind after a busy day and replicate the feeling of enjoying a luxurious cocktail. 

Do mocktails have alcohol? No–the idea is a drink with the same attention to detail and depth of taste as a cocktail, but without the booze!

The Basis of a Great Mocktail

The simplest mocktails have only a handful of ingredients, including:

• A base: Something like sparkling spring water, mineral water, fruit juice, kombucha, or another non-alcoholic drink is a great base.
• Added taste: Conventional mocktails use simple syrup or high-carb fruit purees, but we'd highly recommend Skinny Mixes syrups as a sugar-free, calorie-free alternative.
• Garnishes: Ice, a wedge of lime, a few mint leaves, or a slice of citrus fruit add interest, aesthetic, and zest to your drink.

Before we look at more complicated recipes, we should focus on base beverages because the standard options of soda and fruit juice can be detrimental to your Dry January health kick. For example, one glass of orange juice has around forty-five calories, a spoonful of simple syrup is roughly fifty-two, and a can of soda is approximately 150. Combining these high-sugar, calorie-laden ingredients means you're looking at least 200 calories per drink!

Although something alcohol-free is automatically perceived as healthier, there’s a lot to learn about these seemingly innocent ingredients that won’t do your heart health, waistline, or teeth any favors, so choose wisely!

At Skinny Mixes, we’ve created specialty skinny syrups to make low-sugar, lifestyle-friendly drinks, bakes, and coffees accessible and straightforward. We have developed a wide variety of delicious syrups with incredible tastes that are 100% compatible with your New Year’s goals.

How to Make a Mocktail More Exciting

When you’re making a mocktail for yourself or for friends, you have the freedom to try different flavor combinations, added garnishes, and alternative textures, adapting your mocktail to your specific preferences. It's worth remembering that a mocktail isn't meant to be just a mixed drink or the same as a cocktail with the alcohol taken out–it’s a sophisticated beverage that can be just as satisfying.

Our Raspberry Spritzer Syrup is a perfect example and, like all skinny syrups, can be mixed with less obvious choices to bring out the zing of raspberry. Try these ideas to get started:

• Use mint to muddle a raspberry mint lemonade with skinny syrup, sparkling spring water, fresh raspberries, and a wedge of lime for a seriously refreshing, smooth summer tipple.
• Go upscale with a graceful rosewater mule, blending our Strawberry Rose Water Syrup with a sugar-free ginger beer, a rosemary sprig, and a couple of crushed blackberries. 
• Get that holiday feeling with a lemon margarita made with Lemon Elderflower Syrup instead of simple syrup, along with sparkling water, a Meyer lemon wedge to match the syrup, and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

There are countless ways to make a mocktail feel grown up, such as sprinkling with peppercorns, using unusual bitters or herbs for a tang, or creating blends in tall highball glasses with slim cocktail spoons for muddling.

Pairing Mocktails With Food

Entertaining with a clear head is a fantastic experience, allowing you to absorb the energy of your event, remember every joke, and wake up feeling fresh! Mocktails can be paired with specific courses if you’re really set to wow your guests, choosing flavors that complement each other perfectly.

• For a cheeseboard, we’d recommend something herby and slightly bitter, as you want a citrusy but not fruity drink to cut through your cheeses without overpowering the flavor.
• Mocktails based on lemony flavors work amazingly with a fish course, with the acidity of the lemon keeping the fish light and tart. A Natural Margarita Syrup works well, as does our sugar-free Lemon Elderflower Syrup.
• BBQs and grilled meats are superb with a sweeter mocktail or an iced tea made with a pump or two of skinny syrup to add maximum flavor. You'll find plenty of inspiration within our Naturally Sweet Bar Cart Bundle.
• Dessert must be combined with a cranberry or pomegranate mocktail, as these bold flavors are great at matching super-sweet chocolate. Try our Mistletoe Spiced Cranberry Margarita Syrup for a festive-themed dessert course!

Choose flamboyant garnishes and go wild with fruit, herbs, and beautiful glassware, and it’ll be sure to be an evening not to forget–with or without the alcohol.