25 Tasty Virgin Drinks and Holiday Mocktails for Thanksgiving
Serve these non-alcoholic mocktails for Thanksgiving! Get into the holiday spirit with these tasty virgin drink ideas that are perfect for sharing with the whole family. Holiday mocktails are easy to make and pair perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner. Plus they work for any other gathering too!
You’ll love these Holiday Mocktail Recipes
Thanksgiving mocktails are a good idea to have on hand for your guests who don’t want anything boozy but still want to sip something festive. Mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks have become really popular lately and not just for Dry January.
If you want the flavor of a cocktail but made without alcohol, virgin drinks for the holidays are the answer. And when served in a fun glass with a garnish, they really enhance any party.
Related: Easy Mocktails for Dry January
Many mocktails for Thanksgiving and Christmas use fresh fruits, herbs, or mixers to create zero-proof (which means no alcohol!) cocktails everyone can enjoy. Virgin holiday drinks are a fun and delicious way to socialize without alcohol.
While some are kid-friendly with bases like apple cider and cranberry juice, others are more sophisticated and play up the bitter notes found in liquor.
This year, enjoy some of the very best holiday mocktails with your friends and family! Thanksgiving mocktails (which can easily turn into Christmas mocktails and make great Friendsgiving ideas) are the perfect way to get everyone in on the fun with a tasty Thanksgiving drink.
Related: Non-Alcoholic Drinks for New Years
Virgin Drinks for Thanksgiving
Mocktails are a festive option for those who don't drink. Check out this fantastic list of virgin drinks for Thanksgiving to add to your holiday festivities!
Grapefruit Mocktail Recipe with Avec, Thyme and Cucumber
Using Avec's grapefruit and pomelo soda, along with a dash of bitters and fresh lime, this Grapefruit Mocktail Recipe is a simple, refreshing non-alcoholic drink made with just a few ingredients. With this Avec mixer, you can effortlessly create a foolproof mocktail in no time! (This recipe uses cocktail bitter with trace amounts of alcohol).
Cherry Sparkles Mocktail
If you’re looking for a light refreshing non-alcoholic drink this Cherry Sparkles Mocktail is a perfect balance of cherry and lemon flavors.
Ingredients: Cherry Juice, Lemon Sparkling Water, Cherry Bitters, Lemon Peal
Spiced Cranberry Spritzers (Non-Alcoholic)
These Spiced Cranberry Spritzers, topped with blood oranges and candied rosemary, combine homemade cranberry jam, spicy ginger beer and sparkling, non-alcoholic Rosé to make a flavorful, festive cranberry spritzer mocktail that's easy to make and refreshingly delicious.
Ingredients: cranberries, agave nectar, rosemary, cardamom pods, orange rind, water, sparkling grape juice, cranberry juice, ginger beer, blood oranges, vegan sugar
A Healthy and festive non-alcoholic drink (pomegranate mocktail)
What better way to ring in the new year or celebrate Thanksgiving than with an elegant non-alcoholic beverage containing pomegranates and sparkling water? Fizzy and festive!
Ingredients: pomegranate juice, orange juice, mint leaves, sparkling water, coconut sugar, orange slices
Cranberry, Orange and Ginger Mocktail
This non-alcoholic Thanksgiving punch is perfect for this festive season! Simple and quick to make with cranberry juice, orange juice and ginger ale, this cranberry, orange and ginger mocktail is a refreshing drink that the whole family can enjoy during the holidays.
Ingredients: orange, lime, cranberries, ice, cranberry juice, orange juice, ginger ale, rosemary
Cranberry Mocktail
Light, refreshing, festive, and fun, this Cranberry Mocktail is suitable for all of the guests at your holiday gathering. With a combination of cranberry and pomegranate juice, club soda, and a hint of lime, these mocktails are a pretty pinkish color and garnished with fresh mint.
Ingredients: cranberry pomegranate juice, club soda, lime, mint, garnishes
Sparkling Apple Margarita Mocktail | Zero-Proof Cocktail Recipe
Mocktails are having a major moment right now, so add this Envy™ Apple Margarita Mocktail to your menu! It’s crisp, sweet, and features the beautiful Envy™ apple.
Ingredients: apple, apple juice or cider, lime juice, lime wedge, agave syrup, tonic water, ice, sugar, tajin seasoning
Sparkling Apple Punch
This Sparkling Apple Punch is a refreshing mix of apple cider, cranberry juice and orange juice with a little fizz from sparkling seltzer water for an effervescent and bubbly way to quench a hearty thirst.
Ingredients: apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice, seltzer water, garnishes
Festive Holiday Sangria Mocktail Recipe
My sangria mocktail has fresh fruit, two different kinds of juices, and ginger ale to add a fizzy taste to the whole thing! Kids and adults alike will enjoy this simple, festive mocktail!
Ingredients: pomegranate juice, apple juice, oranges, lemon, pomegranate arils, apples, ginger ale
Cranberry Cosmo Mocktail
When the adults are celebrating with wine or cocktails, it's nice to have a non alcoholic drink option. And this Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail is perfect for kids or anyone looking for a holiday drink without alcohol.
Ingredients: cranberry juice, sparkling water, orange extract, lime juice, garnishes
Espresso Martini Mocktail
This creamy espresso martini mocktail is the best virgin, non alcoholic coffee mocktail. Made with espresso, homemade vanilla simple syrup and cream. This recipe tastes just as good as a real espresso martini!
Ingredients: vanilla bean, water, sugar, espresso, heavy cream, simple syrup, cocoa powder
Cranberry Orange Mocktail
This cranberry orange mocktail features the best holiday flavors: tart cranberries, fresh orange juice and sparkling soda for that bit of fizz.
Ingredients: ice, cranberries, cranberry juice, orange juice, seltzer water, rosemary
Cranberry Ginger Ale Punch - always use butter
You just need 1 minute to make this sparkling Cranberry Ginger Ale punch! It's the perfect punch for all your holiday gatherings and easy to prep ahead. Just as delicious non alcoholic as it is spiked with some gin.
Ingredients: cranberries, ginger shot, cranberry juice, ginger ale
Refreshing Moscow Mule Mocktail Recipe (Non-Alcoholic!)
Moscow Mules are a perfect combination of citrusy lime notes and zingy ginger. The bitters in this recipe and the omission of vodka are simple ingredient tweaks to make this delicious drink mocktail-friendly! (This recipe does use cocktail bitters that has trace amounts of alcohol).
Ingredients: ice, lime juice, ginger beer, cocktail bitters, club soda, lime
Hot & Bubbly Caramel Apple Cider (A Simple Slow Cooker Recipe)
Here’s a recipe for a bubbly caramel apple cider. A step up from plain cider, you’ll love this tasty drink that includes all the flavors of fall.
Ingredients: apples, oranges, water, sparkling water, whipped cream, cinnamon
sparkling pomegranate mocktail with fuyu persimmon
This sparkling pomegranate mocktail is not only delicious and easy to make, but also provides antioxidants and sources of fiber. A fruity mocktail recipe with nourishing ingredients too? That's right!
Ingredients: Pomegranate Fresh Arils, fuyu persimmon, water
Cranberry Ginger Sparkler Mocktail
Cranberry Ginger Sparklers are an easy 3-ingredient mocktail recipe that are packed with health benefits thanks to 100% cranberry juice and kombucha. This is the ultimate cranberry mocktail recipe!
Ingredients: cranberry juice, ginger kombucha, lemonade
Pear Ginger Beer Mocktail
This Pear Ginger Beer Mocktail is a refreshing and flavorful non-alcoholic drink that combines the sweetness of pear nectar with the spicy kick of ginger beer. This mocktail offers a delicious blend of fruity and spicy elements, making it a perfect choice for those who want a sophisticated and alcohol-free beverage option.
Ingredients: ginger beer, pear nectar, cinnamon, sugar, pear, garnishes
Gracias Madre- Paleo Mocktail
The Gracias Madre is a delicious drink you need on your menu! This paleo mocktail is sweet and refreshing and sure to be a hit!
Ingredients: blueberries, lemon juice, agave, dried rosemary, mineral water
Thanksgiving Mocktail (Holiday Mocktail) – A Nerd Cooks
This Thanksgiving Mocktail is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time during the Fall and Winter months. Drinkers and non-drinkers alike will love it!
Ingredients: cranberry juice cocktail, apple cider, ginger beer, sugared cranberries
Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine
This warmed Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine is easy, delicious, and full of festive winter flavors. This recipe is perfect for kids or anyone who wants to enjoy mulled wine without the alcohol and hang over.
Ingredients: non alcoholic merlot*, alcohol removed bourbon whiskey*, orange juice, maple syrup, orange, cranberries, spices
Apple Cider Mule Mocktail
This non alcoholic Apple Cider Mule is the perfect refreshing and spicy fall mocktail. It has flavors of apple, ginger, caramel, and cinnamon.
Ingredients: apple cider, ginger beer, tonic water, caramel, cinnamon, apple slices
Apple Cider Sangria Mocktail
This fresh and fruity Apple Cider Sangria Mocktail is fun, easy to make, and the perfect non-alcoholic option for entertaining.
Ingredients: alcohol removed white Moscato, apple cider, ginger beer, simple syrup, pear, apple, cinnamon sticks
Sparkling Cherry Mocktail
This sparkling cherry mocktail is fun, fruity and perfect for holiday celebrations! Made with just five ingredients, it's an easy to make non-alcoholic drink everyone will love.
Ingredients: cherries, thyme, maple syrup, vanilla, sparkling water
Blackcurrant Mocktail - Through The Fibro Fog
This blackcurrant mocktail is a fun non-alcoholic drink with so much flavour! Fruity and delicious, it's so quick and easy to make for your holiday celebrations.
Ingredients: blackcurrant cordial, apple juice, mint, berries
Tips
The collection of non-alcoholic Thanksgiving drinks and mocktails above has many variations to choose from. But here are some tips to keep in mind as you figure out what drink to serve at your holiday meal.
Seasonal flavors – Cranberries, pomegranate, apples, pears, and cinnamon and nutmeg are common flavors found on party menus this time of year so see if you can carry them over into your drinks. Spices, especially, can add complexity and warmth to any Thanksgiving mocktail.
Make it sparkle – When in doubt, fizz is fabulous! Anything with bubbles or that uses sparkling juices will instantly make a moment, and especially Thanksgiving Day, feel more celebratory!
Add herbs – Herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage are aromatic and look great as a mocktail garnish. Plus you probably already have them on hand from your other Turkey Day recipes.
Use fresh – Fresh fruits can significantly enhance the flavor of your mocktails. Try using freshly squeezed juices for the best taste. Since you don’t have one of the most flavorful parts of a drink (the liquor), you can really make a drink sing with ripe fruit.
Keep it balanced – Just like with making cocktails, the best non-alcoholic mocktails are also balanced. Make sure you add sweetness if you have lemon juice or another citrus. Sip and adjust as you go.
Layers of flavor – Add more flavor (along with balance) by using homemade or store-bought flavored simple syrups. Using flavored simple syrup for virgin drinks is easy and you can infuse more flavors into your beverage and sweeten it up at the same time.
Garnish it – A festive garnish is an element your guests will truly enjoy with these Thanksgiving and Christmas mocktails. It can be as easy as a lime slice, cinnamon stick or whole cranberries. Or you can get creative and use sugared rosemary (which I think looks like snow-covered Christmas trees) or rim your glass with colorful sugars.
Ingredients to keep on hand to make drinks and mocktails
- Ginger beer and ginger ale are great bases for mocktails.
- Citrus, like fresh lime, lemon and orange are essential for making a delicious drink.
- Fresh ice helps to shake up and serve refreshing beverages.
- Tonic is a tangy mixer that you can pair with fruit juice.
- Maple syrup is a great fall sweetener.
- Pumpkin pie spice instantly adds warm spices like clove and cinnamon to a drink (it won’t dissolve, so make sure you offer something to stir the drink with).
- Zero-proof spirits help you turn any of your favorite cocktail recipes into a virgin option.
- Non-alcoholic wines can help you to make a non-alcoholic sangria or add fizz to any drink. I like the Surely brand best, especially the non-alcoholic champagne alternative.
How To Serve Holiday Mocktails
If serving mocktails along with cocktails at your holiday meal, make sure you label them well so there is no confusion.
Keep things casual by mixing and matching drinkware (especially if you’re making drinks for a crowd). You can even use mason jars.
Consider setting up a garnish bar so that everyone can dress up their own drink. Include things like fresh herbs and fruit along with some festive drink stirrers and picks.
I always love to serve a signature holiday mocktail which means you only need to have ingredients for one particular beverage on hand which helps to keep things less chaotic.
You can also stick to mocktails that are a certain color to match your theme. This is a great way to get everyone in a festive mood for the holidays!
Frequently Asked Questions
Many mocktails use a little bit more of each ingredient (skipping the liquor) to account for the loss of liquid. But you can also use a zero-proof alcohol alternative in place of the liquor. They make many great varieties and blends that add complexity without alcohol. I like the Ritual brand the best.
Mocktails can often be healthier than cocktails in a variety of ways including fewer calories. However, because many virgin drinks are made with fruit juices, they can still be full of sugar. Keep that in mind as you browse the mocktail recipes for Thanksgiving above, if you are watching your weight.
And many doctors and experts would say that not consuming alcohol is very important to your overall health.
More easy non-alcoholic drinks
- Peppermint Chocolate Egg Creams
- Spiced Cranberry Juice
- Crockpot Christmas Punch
- Best Hot Apple Cider Recipe
- Ginger Mint Strawberry Sparkling Water
- Non-Alcoholic Pina Colada Slush