Mixology is an exciting activity that anybody can do from the comfort of their home. What we should keep in mind, however, is that cocktails don’t need to be boozy. Substitute the alcohol for something else and you’ll get the same delicious drink minus the hangover.
Maybe you’re teetotal, or perhaps you just fancy trying something new. Either way, you can still have fun with at-home mixology! Here we explore four tea and coffee mocktails that you can make today.
1) Irish Cream Coffee
You don’t need the luck of the Irish to nail a non-alcoholic Irish Coffee; the perfect way to end a lovely meal (or to start a night out). This drink is traditionally made with Irish whiskey, but we can leave that part out and still achieve an appetising mocktail.
You’ll need the following ingredients to make four servings:
- 170ml hot coffee
- 57ml (non-alcoholic) Irish cream
- Whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon shaved chocolate
Once you have your ingredients ready, it’s time to create the drink. First, mix the brewed coffee with the Irish cream in a clear glass mug. Really, any mug is fine, but clear glass is aesthetically pleasing and will allow you to see the layers better.
The trickiest part is adding the whipped cream without having it sink to the bottom. Once the coffee and non-alcoholic liquor have been stirred together, take the cream out of the fridge and whisk it lightly until it thickens slightly. From there, pour it on top of your drink over the back of a spoon, as (hopefully!) this will keep it afloat.
From there, sprinkle some shaved chocolate on top. Sláinte!
2) Long Island Iced Tea
You know what they say about us Brits: we love our tea! In fact, it’s believed that a staggering 100 million cups of tea are relished every single day across the United Kingdom.
Let’s look at how we can make a flavoursome mocktail from our favourite plant. For four servings, you’ll need:
- 6 black tea bags
- 340ml ginger beer (non-alcoholic, of course)
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 500g ice
- Lemon slices and mint leaves
First, brew your six tea bags in two cups of boiling water for roughly four minutes. While this is happening, fill your pitcher with the ice.
Once sufficiently infused, add the ginger beer and lemon juice to your tea and then pour the mixture over the ice. From there, garnish with the lemon slices and mint leaves to your liking. We’ll cheers to that!
3) Espresso Martini
Your at-home mixology session must contain espresso martinis for the ultimate sophistication. A simple recipe that will delight the party or household, this recipe delivers the same fantastic taste as the original drink – but without the booze.
To make four of these elegant mocktails, you’ll need:
- 180ml non-alcoholic coffee liquor
- 60ml non-alcoholic white rum
- 180ml fresh espresso
- 10ml vanilla syrup
- Handful of ice cubes
In a cocktail mixer, combine the non-alcoholic coffee liquor and white rum with the fresh espresso and vanilla syrup, and shake together.
Half-fill the cocktail mixer with ice and then shake again before straining it into a martini glass or one of your favourite mugs.
4) Tea and Tonic
A mocktail so good that it’s appreciated by those who don’t even abstain from alcohol! Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you… the delicious tea and tonic. Well, the rumours must be true: we’re undeniably a nation of tea drinkers.
To make four of these bad boys (or should we say ‘good’ boys?), you’ll need:
- 50g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- 8 tea bags
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 600ml chilled tonic water
- Lemon slices
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and then bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Once removed from the heat, add the eight tea bags and then leave to infuse for ten minutes before straining.
Mix the tea with the lemon and orange juice and then divide the mixture between the four glasses. Top up with the tonic while gently stirring, and then garnish with your lemon slices. Who needs ‘gin’ and tonic when you’ve got tea and tonic!
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere
This is your sign to grab the necessary ingredients, invite your friends around, and have a catch-up over some tasty tea and coffee mocktails. Because our recipes contain no booze, you don’t even have to wait for an ‘appropriate’ time. Bonus! Who said you need alcohol to have fun?
