There are so many ways to make merry around the holidays — sharing a batch of holiday cocktails with new and old acquaintances is one that’s pretty high on our list. For a lot of us, it’s hard to fathom the thought of an office party without a little liquid courage.
However, it can be an overwhelming experience for those who don’t drink booze. While alcohol can be a very popular party component, it can also leave some guests feeling disappointed or even left out. Reasons may be pregnancy, health, religion, addiction recovery, or maybe they just don’t drink — just to name a few.
So, whether you’re hosting a holiday get-together or an office party, it’s always nice to have a few non-alcoholic holiday drink options on hand during the season. Just because you don’t drink, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a night out!
We think the non-drinkers among us also deserve holiday drinks as festive and delicious as any alcoholic cocktails that most of us enjoy. With these special booze-free drinks, teetotalers can sip on a delicious adult beverage without feeling like they’re missing out!
Let’s start!
1. Cranberry Cider Punch
This is a great recipe for a crowd of people for an office party. Non-drinkers will surely enjoy this festive punch.
To make this: Combine the Cranberry juice, Ginger Ale in a large punch bowl. Add the frozen cranberries, orange slices, and ice. Garnish with a small orange slice on the rim of the glass and fresh rosemary. If you feel you want more fruit flavor, just add a few pieces of fruit to the punch, just don’t take away from the hero of this recipe, the cranberry!
2. Honey Berry Kombucha Smash
This fizzy drink might be just the thing to serve to your favorite team members this holiday. It has rich colors—thanks to blueberries and raspberries—and comes together with ginger beer, honey, and fresh mint or basil.
To make this: Just simmer some honey and blueberries together until the berries were bursting. Then smash them with some fresh raspberries as well as kombucha to mix everything up. Pour it over crushed ice and topped it with vanilla seltzer and throw in some fresh basil and mint
The flavor is incredible because there is a richness from the simmered berries and the soda makes it seem super bubbly to the point where people will actually think it is a cocktail.
3. Lemon Blackberry Mocktail
This lemon blackberry mocktail is a refreshing and tangy drink for when you want a non-alcoholic option that tastes just as good! This mocktail is made by making a blackberry and lemon puree with seltzer and mint.
Just combine blackberries, lemon juice, and honey with a splash of ginger ale in shaker and muddle, then fill with ice. You can also garnish with additional blackberries or lemon wedges if you like.
4. Seedlip Spice Sour
This non-alcoholic spirit alternative from Seedlip is made like a gin with botanicals but is definitely not a gin. The predominant flavor is clove rather than juniper, and most importantly, it has NO alcohol! Perfect for our non-alcoholic employees, especially those designated drivers.
Combine six botanicals to make Seedlip: allspice, grapefruit, lemon peel, cardamom, American oak, and cascarilla bark. Together, they make a fresh, warming drink that is full of flavor but is alcohol-free.
5. Caramel Apple Pie Mocktail
While apples are great in pies and cobblers, they are also great in drinks! This mocktail is a showstopping nonalcoholic drink recipe for kids and adults to enjoy.
It’s a sweet treat made with homemade caramel sauce, cold apple cider, and sparkling ginger beer. The decorated rim of caramel and sugar with the cinnamon stick garnish makes this autumn party drink perfect for your office holidays.
6. Cocoa Mock-Tini
With just a few ingredients, a little bit of heat, and a snazzy glass, the Cocoa Mock-Tini Mocktail is one of the most attractive drinks your teetotaler employees will enjoy! Especially the chocolate lovers!
To make this: Combine almond milk or cream, cocoa, vanilla, ground cinnamon and salt and heat on medium until well combined. In a shaker or tall glass, add cocoa or flavored syrups for mocktail version over ice and shake until cold.
7. Christmas White Russian Mocktail
This Christmas white Russian mocktail is a family favorite that is easy to make and so delicious! This can also be a great option for an alcohol-free party drink in your office. The white drink itself is reminiscent of freshly fallen snow.
The instruction is quite simple: Just skewer two cranberries on the end of a rosemary sprig and place in glasses. Then combine cream, whole milk, cranberry Dry Sparkling soda, and coffee-flavored syrup together in a cocktail shaker with ice. The addition of the cranberry Dry Sparkling soda just ups the festive flavors that make this a true holiday mocktail.
8. Non-Alcoholic Hot Buttered Rum
Rich, creamy, buttery, and loaded with spices, Hot Buttered Rum is an unforgettable drink that’s perfect for any cold-weather occasions. This non-alcoholic hot buttered spice drink is Hot Buttered Rum‘s tamer sister.
To make this: Cream together butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and rum flavoring. Blend in softened ice cream, seal, and freeze. Then garnish with a cinnamon stick. Perfect to pair it with cookies or some holiday treats!
9. Moscow Mule Mocktail
If you’re a fan of ginger beer, you’re sure to love this drink! Crisp, cool, and refreshing – this mocktail is a non-alcoholic version of a classic Moscow Mule! This mocktail version has club soda instead of vodka, and it’s totally spicy, tasty and delicious.
Mix ginger beer, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and club soda. Then garnish with a slice of lime and a small slice of ginger and sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar. Because this Moscow mule is alcohol-free it’s perfect for pregnant mommies, kids, designated drivers, or anyone who just doesn’t want to drink alcohol.
10. Non-Alcoholic Eggnog
This non-alcoholic eggnog is the perfect holiday drink to enjoy with your employees and their families. Eggnog is like a winter-specific milkshake. Just without the ice cream.
It’s typically concocted of eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to give it a sweet sip similar to a custard that’s the base of ice cream. It can be served cold or warm and your guests probably guzzle it down a minute after it’s set on the table.
To make this: Mix egg whites, egg yolks, sugar, salt, cups of milk, vanilla extract, and whipped heavy cream for this holiday standard! Serve eggnog in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
11. Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail
This lovely little drink is the perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors. It can be made with three ingredients: tonic water, pomegranate juice and sugar. All of these should be mixed according to taste and volume.
Because of its bright shade of red, it would be a great addition to your buffet line. You can also add lime, mint, and club soda, and then served in highball glasses.
12. Paradise City
This holiday drink looks and tastes perfect which will be an absolute delight for your employees. And to top it off, you do not need any fancy ingredients to prepare this beverage. Vanilla syrup, passion fruit, grapefruit, club soda, and ice will do the magic.
To make this: Combine vanilla syrup, passion-fruit puree, grapefruit juice, and cream in a cocktail shaker over ice. Pour club soda into a highball glass, then slowly strain the contents of the cocktail shaker over the club soda, allowing the head of foam to rise above the rim of the glass.
13. Shirley Temple
If you’re organizing an office party that includes family members, you cannot ignore the kids at your party. Before they get curious about the adults’ drinks and become adamant about trying them serve Shirley Temple. This luscious beverage with bright colors will definitely captivate the young crowd. it’s a surefire way to get a big, pink grin out of the little kid you adore.
To make this: Fill a Hurricane or Collins glass with ice and add grenadine. Fill with ginger ale, 7UP or Sprite. Then stir, and garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon wedge. You can also top the glass off with the lemon-lime soda or ginger ale.
14. Roy Rogers
Like Shirley Temple, a Roy Rogers is another non-alcoholic soda drink that kids and adults love. A Roy Rogers uses cola—which usually has caffeine—in place of the ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, but it keeps the grenadine and the cherries.
Though it’s sometimes called a cherry cola, the Roy Rogers is not cherry flavored. With a few exceptions, grenadine is made from pomegranate—not cherries. This fruity syrup does add a nice sweetness to the average cola and there are a few things you can do to make the drink just a little bit better.
To make this: Combine Coca Cola, ice cubes, grenadine, and maraschino cherries with a stem. Then pour in grenadine syrup and add a maraschino cherry with a stem as your garnish.
15. Chocolate Coconut Coffee Seltzer
This drink is a crowd favorite not just for its spot-on flavors, but also because it’s a coffee drink that anyone can sip in the afternoon! Given that you can adjust the amount of coffee way down and the amount of seltzer and coconut milk way up, this is the perfect way to liven up your party.
To make this: Combine the chocolate syrup and coconut milk in the bottom of a tall glass and stir until evenly combined. Add ice to the top of the glass, top with the coffee, and stir. Garnish with a slice of orange and top with club soda or seltzer water to your liking.
16. Carrot Ginger Lemonade
This drink will surely make a bold statement when it’s served because no one will be expecting that bright orange shade on your platter. It comes together with peeled and chopped carrots, ginger, lemon, and maple syrup, and it’s best served with large cubes of ice.
Combine the chopped lemon, carrots, ginger, and water. Blend on high for a full minute or until the mixture is completely liquified. Then run the mixture through a fine strainer, pressing the pulp into the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the strained liquid back to the blender. Then add your liquid sweetener of choice to the liquid and blend on high for 20 seconds. Check the lemonade for sweetness, and adjust if necessary.
17. Maple Apple Cider
This one is also a perfect non-alcoholic holiday drink! It makes a fresh batch with honeycrisp and granny smith apples, pomegranate, orange, and cinnamon sticks. Serve it all in copper glasses to really make it feel special.
This is a very simple recipe. Just stir the apple cider, bourbon, and maple syrup together in a cocktail pitcher. Pour over ice in a highball glass and add a splash of ginger beer to each glass. Then garnish with cinnamon sticks and apple slices if desired.
There You Have It
Sometimes we lose sight of a holiday celebration and see it as a chance or opportunity to drink socially. While it is such an opportunity, the main purpose of an office holiday party is to have fun with your employees and colleagues.
Drinking is always an option and optional, and it is as much as a choice as it is a responsibility. So if you’re planning on hosting a party this season, remember to give your teetotaler guests some festive booze-free alternatives to cure their “Am I the only one who doesn’t drink?” feeling. It’s a good way to make sure that everybody can enjoy it and no one will be left out.
For those who aren’t imbibing, having something to sip besides water can make any and all holiday parties a whole lot more fun. Plus, these non-alcoholic holiday drink recipes will add a delicious touch to your most awaited holiday party!
So, which one would you make for your office party? Or if you haven’t planned out your party yet, here are 15 ideas that will take your party from meh to amazing: 15 Fun Ideas to Shake Up Your Office Holiday Party This Year
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