Get the app that makes your AARP membership truly mobile!

Content starts here

These Mocktails Bring the Party, Not the Hangover

Natalie Battaglia, founder of The Mindful Mocktail website, shares 5 dazzling drinks that are big on taste and free of alcohol

As told to

Leslie Quander Wooldridge,

AARP

Published July 24, 2026

a photo shows Cucumber Spritz, Easy Chocolate, Watermelon Mocktail, Faux Mimosa and Blue Hawaii mocktails

(From left) These mocktails keep the party going, sans hangover: Cucumber Spritz, Easy Chocolate, Watermelon Mocktail, Faux Mimosa and Blue Hawaii.

Dane Tashima

Jump to recipes

Cucumber Spritz | Watermelon Mocktail | Easy Chocolate | Faux Mimosa | Blue Hawaii

If you’re looking for a guilt-free way to sip or toast this season, try adding a few simple and delicious alcohol-free drinks to your repertoire.

As the U.S. drinking rate has fallen to a new low, according to a 2025 survey by Gallup — and as only 56 percent of surveyed adults ages 55 and older reported drinking alcohol at all — mocktails can help you feel festive while reducing your consumption.

More Ways to Benefit

View All

Related Benefit 1
Related Benefit 2
Related Benefit 3
Related Benefit 4
Related Benefit 5

But what should you serve? We connected with Natalie “Nat” Battaglia, founder of The Mindful Mocktail and author of the recipe book by the same name, to get details on five lovely and easy-to-make drinks you can whip up in your kitchen or home bar. Another benefit: Battaglia focuses on drinks that tend to be lower in refined sugar than traditional mocktails.

So whether you’re trying to cut back temporarily or permanently, try one of these tasty drinks that you can generally make with ingredients from your local grocery store or big-box retailer. You can treat yourself with a single serving or whip up a bigger batch. Cheers to that!

Cucumber Spritz

The Cucumber Spritz recipe can easily be scaled up to serve many guests.

Dane Tashima

Crisp, fresh and sweet, this easy cucumber drink includes lime and elderflower and is finished with a splash of soda water or dry, nonalcoholic sparkling wine. With no shaker required, this quick recipe can easily be scaled up and served as a batch mocktail when entertaining guests.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes (with optional cucumber-ribbon garnish)

Ingredients

2 ounces cucumber juice, chilled

½ ounce alcohol-free elderflower syrup or cordial, chilled

1 ounce lime juice, chilled

½ cup alcohol-free dry sparkling wine or soda water, chilled

Ice to fill glass, as needed

Cucumber ribbon(s) and/or edible flowers to garnish (optional)

Directions

Fill a wineglass to the brim with ice.

Add the alcohol-free elderflower syrup or cordial.

Add the cucumber juice and lime juice.

Gently pour in the nonalcoholic wine (or soda) and stir, being careful not to disturb the lovely bubbles too much.

Add cucumber ribbon and/or edible flowers as garnish, as desired, and serve.

Expert tips from Nat:

To make cucumber juice, simply blend 2 inches of cut cucumber with 2 tablespoons of water in a small or handheld blender, then strain.

Nat prefers alcohol-free wine in this recipe because she says it feels a little more celebratory. Soda water tastes great, too; it’s just a little milder in flavor.

Make sure all ingredients are icy cold prior to serving. This recipe is designed to be refreshing and crisp, and it just does not taste as good lukewarm. Be sure to fill your glass to the brim with ice before assembling.

For a cucumber-ribbon garnish, trim the ends off a cucumber with a knife. Use a vegetable peeler to slice long, thin, vertical strips along the length of the cucumber. Skip the first skin-heavy piece, and stop peeling when you reach the seeds. As desired, accordion-fold the peeled strip(s) on a cocktail pick or toothpick, or roll the slice(s) tightly.

Watermelon Mocktail

Add sparkling water or kombucha to the Watermelon Mocktail to give it an extra kick.

Dane Tashima

Though naturally low in sugar, watermelon is deliciously sweet. This mocktail recipe balances juicy melon, fresh mint and tangy lime. For a lovely bite, it is finished with apple cider vinegar and your choice of sparkling water or kombucha.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup diced watermelon, fresh (or use thawed watermelon if the fruit was frozen)

1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

10 mint leaves

½ cup soda water or kombucha

Most Popular

Ice cubes, as desired

Splash of apple cider vinegar, as desired (optional)

1 lime wheel to garnish (optional)

Extra mint to garnish, as desired (optional)

Directions

You can make this watermelon mocktail in one of two ways.

Option 1: Shaker

Muddle watermelon and lime in a shaker or mason jar (or any container that includes a tight lid) until all of the juice is released from the watermelon. You may need to stir a little if the watermelon compacts at the bottom of the shaker.

Clap the mint leaves together in your hands to release the scent, and add them to the watermelon mixture.

Add a few ice cubes to the mixture. Then put on the lid and shake well.

Strain watermelon mixture into an ice-filled glass.

Top with soda water or kombucha. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Stir gently.

Garnish with a lime wheel and extra mint.

Option 2: Blender

Blend watermelon, lime juice and mint leaves at high speed.

Strain into an ice-filled glass.

Top with soda water or kombucha. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Stir gently.

Garnish with a lime wheel and extra mint.

Easy Chocolate

For an energy boost, add an espresso shot to the Easy Chocolate mocktail.

Dane Tashima

Combine milk, condensed milk and cocoa, and blend. I love the decadence of this recipe. It’s like dessert in a glass! Plus, the optional espresso shot is amazing.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes (not including time to make optional espresso shot)

Ingredients

For the chocolate rim (optional):

1 to 2 tablespoons melting chocolate of your choice

For the mocktail:

4 ounces milk of your choice

1 ounce sweetened condensed milk

½ tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon flaked chocolate for garnish (optional)

1 shot espresso (optional)

1 fresh strawberry or chocolate-dipped strawberry for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon flaked chocolate for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the chocolate rim (optional):

Microwave chocolate until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Dip the rim of the glass into the chocolate. Don’t worry if it’s not even — it all tastes the same.

Place the glass in your freezer for about 10 minutes before serving. If you have a thicker layer of chocolate on the rim, it can chill for a little longer.

To make the mocktail, blend milk, condensed milk and cocoa powder together until combined. Blend in espresso, if desired.

Remove glass from freezer. Pour the blended mixture into it.

Garnish with optional fruit and chocolate flakes, as desired. Serve immediately.

Faux Mimosa

Add fruit slices or pieces to the Faux Mimosa for an authentic hat tip.

Dane Tashima

This classic sip takes just seconds to make and never disappoints. One of my top go-tos when entertaining, it’s made with orange juice and alcohol-free sparkling wine or sparkling water.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup orange juice, chilled

½ cup dry nonalcoholic sparkling wine, citrus sparkling water or ginger ale, chilled

Fruit to garnish, such as an orange slice, cherry or strawberry (optional)

Directions

Add equal amounts of orange juice and nonalcoholic sparkling wine (or alternative) to a champagne flute or a wineglass. Pour the orange juice first, then top with the nonalcoholic sparkling wine (or alternative). Note: You will have a bit of each liquid left over if you pour into a champagne flute.

Garnish with fruit, as desired, and serve.

Expert tips from Nat:

If you prefer to squeeze your own orange juice, it will add time to your prep, and you’ll need a juicer or citrus squeezer. You can squeeze the juice in advance to allow it time to chill.

If the orange juice has pulp, strain the juice before using it. But if you love pulp, you may decide not to strain it, if preferred.

A dry wine is recommended because orange juice is sweet. But feel free to use a sweeter nonalcoholic sparkling wine.

Blue Hawaii

The Blue Hawaii is an absolute showstopper.

Dane Tashima

A stunning blue hue, light, creamy texture and dramatic garnish make the virgin Blue Hawaii an absolute showstopper. Blue curaçao syrup gives the drink its iconic color, while pineapple, lime and coconut round out these tropical flavors — ideal for warm-weather sipping.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

½ ounce blue curaçao syrup

1 ounce lime juice (or ½ ounce lime juice for a sweeter taste)

2 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces coconut water (no sugar added)

1 tablespoon coconut milk or cream of coconut

3 to 4 cubes of ice for shaker, plus additional ice for glass, as desired

1 ounce nonalcoholic rum (optional)

Extra fruit such as pineapple slices and/or edible flowers for garnish (optional)

Directions

Add all liquid ingredients (not the garnishes) to a shaker or mason jar with three or four cubes of ice.

Put on the lid. Shake for around 15 seconds to combine.

Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice.

Garnish with extra fruit and/or edible flowers. Serve immediately.

Expert tips from Nat:

Using more lime juice can balance out the sweetness. But feel free to experiment with the amount of lime juice to find what works for you.

If you have time, chill your ingredients prior to making your Blue Hawaii, since mixing warm ingredients with ice can dilute the drink, and you can lose some of its depth of flavor.

When left sitting for a long time, the coconut milk (or cream of coconut) can separate slightly from the rest of the ingredients. So stir the punch every now and then to ensure the ingredients are properly mixed.

Leslie Quander Wooldridge is a contributing writer who covers personal finance, health and lifestyle topics. She formerly worked as an editor for AARP The Magazine and Sisters From AARP, and she has written for outlets including Business Insider, Consumer Reports and Men’s Health.

AARP Membership

Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join