- Caroline
Seven sunny, easy mocktails for the summertime!
Days at the beach, picnics with the kids and late cozy evenings. That’s what summer often is associated with. And, large amounts of alcohol. You’re kind of expected to have a beer at the family barbecue, a glass of wine when catching up with friends or cocktails after dinner. But maybe you've come to the conclusion that it's time to start enjoying the summer holiday sober? Whether you're avoiding alcohol completely or looking to reduce your consumption, here are some tips for easy to make, refreshing mocktails.
Ginger Ale Soda
1 lemon, optional amount of ginger, ice cubes, 10 dl/40 fl oz of ginger ale, mint leaves or lemon balm.
Here's how to make it: Squeeze half of the lemon and slice the rest. Peel and slice the ginger. Fill large glasses with ice, lemon, and ginger. Pour ginger ale over it. Decorate with mint leaves or lemon balm. Serve immediately.
Mojito with Kombucha
8 dl/32 fl oz of kombucha, 2 limes, mint leaves to taste, 16 cl/5.4 fl oz of simple syrup, ice cubes.
Here's how to make it: Boil twice as much water as sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves, then let it cool. Cut the lime into wedges and muddle with mint in the simple syrup. Pour into glasses with ice cubes and fill with kombucha. Decorate with lime wedges and mint leaves.
Elderflower Drink
5 dl/20 fl oz of elderflower syrup, 4 cl/1.35 fl oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 7 fresh basil leaves, ice, and non-alcoholic light beer. If you want to avoid non-alcoholic beer, you can try replacing it with ginger ale or Schweppes soda.
Here's how to make it: Crush the basil leaves with a few ice cubes, lemon juice, and elderflower syrup in a glass. For more basil flavor, you can stir it with a muddler. Fill with beer and additional ice cubes if desired. Serve!
Cosmo(ck)politan
4 dl/16 fl oz of cranberry juice, 4 dl/16 fl oz of Sprite, 7Up, or fruit soda, 4 cl /1.35 fl oz of orange juice or lime concentrate, ice.
Here's how to make it: Mix all ingredients in a well-chilled glass. Decorate with an orange or lime wedge.
GT without G
5 tablespoons of juniper berries, 2 teaspoons of coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons of black pepper, 8 dl/32 fl oz of water, 12 dl/40 fl oz of Indian tonic, 4 limes or lemons, ice cubes.
Here's how to make it: Lightly crush the spices in a mortar. Then boil the spices in water and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator. Strain out the spices and pour the water into a glass. Add tonic and ice. Slice the lime or lemon into wedges. Use the slices as decoration and squeeze some juice into the glass.
Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
450g/0.99 lb frozen strawberries, 4 limes, 12 tablespoons of simple syrup, 4.8 dl/20 fl oz of concentrated elderflower syrup or fruit soda, ice cubes.
Here's how to make it: Blend all ingredients until slushy consistency. Pour into glasses and decorate with strawberries. Done!
Sangria
5 dl/20 fl oz of orange soda, 5 dl/20 fl oz of blackcurrant juice or non-alcoholic red wine, 1 orange, 1 lime, ice.
Here's how to make it: Slice the lime and orange, mix all ingredients in a pitcher, and serve chilled.
The recipes are calculated for approximately four people.
For an extra touch of summer, you can try mixing edible flowers and berries in the simple syrup or freeze them into ice cubes. For example, elderflower, blackcurrant, or lavender. Recipes sourced from:
Aftonbladet, folk o folk, Mårtenssons kök, Tasteline, Taysta , Coop and köket.se.