Category Archives: Mocktails

For yesterday’s brunch I made a batch of bellinis, and came up with a non-alcoholic mocktail version for myself which was peach nectar, peach seltzer, and a few drops of orange blossom water. The latter is the magical ingredient that reminds me of this Ramos Gin Fizz which used to come out every Easter Sunday. I’d forgotten about it until today, and it will actually make a fine mocktail. Not every cocktail does (think of the martini) but the ones with more than a few ingredients – especially the powerful but simple ones found in the Ramos gin fizz – tend to use the alcohol as an accent that isn’t always necessary. Watch this space for an Easter update on that.

In the meantime, and for the spring and summer ahead, this peach drink is a lovely addition to my mocktail repertoire, and the orange blossom water is paving the way for Neroli season…

The universe works in strange and mysterious and often wonderful ways, and when I stopped drinking two years ago, I suddenly began seeing and hearing about other people who had stopped drinking, or slowed drinking, either through some dry-January temporary endeavor, or a more lasting dedication to a healthier lifestyle. That meant more opportunities for mocktails when and where traditional cocktails were typically offered. It also meant that there were more creative options for said mocktails, when they had previously felt like afterthoughts. 

The cocktail pictured here is a simple pomegranate juice and rosemary syrup base with some vodka, topped by pomegranate seltzer. For the cocktail version, just remove the vodka and add more of whatever you like best. For me, that was the rosemary and brown sugar syrup and seltzer. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, or pomegranate seeds.