Health

15 Autumn Mocktail Recipes For Your Fall Break From Alcohol

Before long, yellow school buses will be making their rounds, temperatures will begin to decline, and the sun will set earlier and earlier. Autumn is just around the corner, and with it comes cozy evenings, pumpkin patch outings, and warm colors transforming the views around you.

By Anna Pingel4 min read
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Shutterstock/Elena Veselova

Perhaps this fall you’re thinking of taking a break from drinking. It’s always nice to have a reset for your gut health and a rest for your liver. Or perhaps you are newly pregnant, or sober-curious, or don’t drink at all. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or fun this autumn while stepping away from alcohol. Here are 15 autumnal mocktails to enjoy this fall. 

These recipes are derived primarily from a leading recipe book on cocktails and mocktails called The Art of Mixology, and I’ve adjusted some classic recipes to make them non-alcoholic while adding a few recipes of my own. Enjoy!

1. Apple Cider Sunset

Who doesn’t love apples in autumn? Perfect to wrap up a day at the orchard.

  • ½ cup fresh apple cider, warmed

  • cinnamon stick

  • pinch of nutmeg

  • few drops of angostura bitters

  • (optional) few drops of PeaceLoveHormones bitters

  • orange peel

Pour warm cider into a mug (try a glass mug for extra aesthetic appeal). Add bitters and nutmeg, stir with cinnamon stick. Rub orange peel around rim of mug and add to cider. 

2. Cranberry Sour

A classic take on a whiskey sour, but with cranberry for extra flavor. Paired with hors d’oeuvres before Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t go wrong.

Put cracked ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and pour whiskey alternative over the ice. Add lime juice, cranberry juice, and simple syrup. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry. 

3. Mulled Alcohol-Free Wine

For the later autumn days, this is perfect to sip on with a blanket, a fireplace, and your favorite novel.

  • 1 bottle (750ml) Fre Red Blend

  • 3 fresh oranges

  • 1 inch ginger root

  • cinnamon sticks

  • whole cloves

  • star anise

  • maple syrup (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir. Simmer for 35 minutes, then strain out liquid. Taste and add maple syrup as needed. Serve in mugs. Serves four.

4. Pumpkin Spice Faux Old Fashioned

Much less sugar than a pumpkin spice latte, but just as much respect owed.

  • 1 sugar cube

  • dash angostura bitters

  • dash pumpkin spice seasoning

  • 3 oz Ritual Whiskey Alternative

  • 4-6 ice cubes, cracked

  • orange peel twist, to garnish

Put the sugar cube into a small, chilled cocktail glass. Add the angostura bitters, pumpkin spice seasoning, and half the whiskey alternative. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour in the remaining whiskey alternative. Add the cracked ice and garnish with orange peel twist. 

5. Ginger Fizz

Ginger has incredible medicinal value, and may help ward off those fall sniffles. Combined with mint, its sharp, fresh flavor is delectable.

  • ginger beer 

  • fresh mint, plus additional for garnish

  • cracked ice

  • orange peel twist, to garnish

Blend 2 oz ginger beer with several fresh mint sprigs until smooth. Pour into glass over cracked ice. Top with remaining ginger beer and garnish with mint sprig and orange peel twist.

6. Autumn *Sangria* 

This citrus-packed, alcohol-free sangria will deliver vitamin C and flavor to your day.

  • 1 bottle (750ml) Fre Merlot

  • 2 c orange juice

  • ½ c cranberry juice

  • 2 oz lemon juice

  • 2 oz lime juice

  • 3 oz simple syrup

  • 1 oz PeaceLoveHormones bitters (optional)

  • ice

  • lemon, lime, & orange slices

Combine all ingredients except ice and fruit slices in a large bowl. Stir well and let chill for an hour. Add ice and garnish with fruit slices in the sangria and on the rim of the bowl. Serves five.

7. Espresso Cinnamon Mocktini

The cousin of an espresso martini, this mocktail delivers all the class without the hangover.

Combine espresso, vodka alternative, coffee liqueur alternative, simple syrup, and heavy cream in a cocktail glass. Add ice. Shake thoroughly. Pour into martini glasses, and top with a dash of cinnamon and 3 coffee beans. 

8. Apple Pie Cream

The perfect pairing with warm apple pie.

  • 4-5 ice cubes

  • 3 ½ oz apple juice

  • 1 small scoop vanilla ice cream

  • 2 oz Ritual tequila alternative

  • club soda

  • cinnamon sugar and apple, to garnish

Put the ice cubes into a blender and add the apple juice, tequila alternative, and ice cream. Blend for 15 seconds until frothy and frosted. Pour into a glass and top off with club soda. Top with cinnamon sugar and garnish with an apple slice.

9. Faux Kir Royale

The original drink was born from French resistance to the Nazis during the Fall of France in 1940; this non-alcoholic version preserves l’esprit de resistance. 

  • 1 ¼ oz raspberry syrup

  • chilled sparkling apple juice

  • dash angostura bitters

  • raspberry, to garnish

Pour raspberry syrup and dash of bitters into a chilled wine glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling apple juice and stir. Garnish with raspberry.

10. Pumpkin Spice Coconut Cream

This creamy concoction is the perfect dessert drink; try it with a side of pumpkin pie after your Thanksgiving meal.

  • 2 oz cream of coconut

  • 2 oz Ritual tequila alternative

  • 1 c crushed ice

  • 1 oz simple syrup

  • pumpkin spice whipped topping

  • pumpkin spice seasoning, for garnish

Combine cream of coconut, tequila alternative, ice, and simple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into cocktail glass, and top with whipped topping and a dash of pumpkin spice seasoning.

11. The Gunner

Perfect for a September evening celebrating the beginning of hunting season. The adaptogens are a natural mood relaxer, and the tang of this mixture will have you making a second before long.

Mix all ingredients in a long glass. Taste and add more bitters if you wish.

12. Grand Royal Clover Club

Born from the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in the late 1800s, the original Clover Club has lasted through many seasons. The booze-free version will surely prove to have just as much longevity.

  • 1 ¾ oz Ritual gin alternative

  • ¾ oz lemon juice

  • dash angostura bitters

  • ¾ oz grenadine

  • 1 egg white

  • ice

  • lemon peel twist, to garnish

Vigorously shake the gin alternative, lemon juice, bitters, grenadine, and egg white over ice. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel twist.

13. Shady Lady

A little mystique, a lot of class. She’s brilliant with color just like the anthocyanins.

  • 2 oz Arkay orange napoleon

  • ¾ oz cranberry juice

  • dash lime juice

  • tonic water

  • ice

  • blood orange slice, to garnish

Shake the orange napoleon, cranberry juice, lime juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker over ice. Pour into martini glass. Top with splash of tonic water and garnish with blood orange slice.

14. Diamond Fizz

Fall weddings? Absolutely dreamy. Serve this option at the bar for those who aren’t drinking alcohol, and they'll no doubt be impressed.

Shake the gin alternative, lemon juice, and simple syrup over ice in a cocktail shaker until cold. Strain into a chilled flute. Top with Fre Sparkling Brut and serve immediately.

15. Boston Sour

Have you ever been to Boston in the fall?

  • ¾ oz lemon juice

  • ½ oz simple syrup

  • 2 oz Ritual Whiskey Alternative

  • 1 egg white

  • maraschino cherry, to garnish

  • lemon slice, to garnish

  • ice

Put ice into cocktail shaker. Pour the lemon juice, whiskey alternative, and simple syrup over the ice. Add the egg white. Shake until chilled, about 45 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the lemon slice and maraschino cherry. 

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