The Most Exotic Mocktails That Rival the Best Cocktails in the UK

Back
10th July 2024

Jump to

Cocktails are many people’s favourite alcoholic drink. They can be refreshing, exotic, and a visual masterpiece, depending on who has made them. But sometimes you just don’t want to drink alcohol, so does that mean all those exciting cocktails are out of the question? Not at all, thanks to the variety of mocktails available. Many restaurants and pubs offer these non-alcoholic versions of your favourite cocktails, but you can also make them at home.

Here, we’ll take a look at the most exotic and, frankly, tastiest mocktails that rival the best cocktails in the UK. The best part is you can make each of these at home, wowing yourself and your guests with the results.

Virgin Mimosa

There’s something incredibly classy and even elegant about sipping on a mimosa. They can be the perfect way to start your morning while on holiday, ideal for toasting with friends at brunch, or just an unexpected and refreshing summer beverage. Although alcohol-based cocktails are popular and as widely enjoyed as well-known online slots in the UK, there are also many great mocktails worth sampling.

The classic mimosa is extremely simple to make; just combine good-quality orange juice with champagne, cava, or prosecco. The ratio is 50/50. For the non-alcoholic version, you can swap out the alcohol for non-alcohol sparkling wine or carbonated-flavoured water. Add the orange juice like normal and a splash of pineapple juice to ensure there is a robust flavour profile. Be sure to serve this mocktail chilled.

Citrus Iced Tea

On a hot summer day, iced tea can do a great job cooling you down. Hard iced tea is traditional iced tea mixed with vodka for that extra little something. You can easily capture the essence of this popular cocktail without the vodka.

The trick to making this drink still feel exotic and special is to layer the flavours. Rather than just iced tea with a few ice cubes floating in the glass, add fresh slices of lemons and oranges. Fresh mint leaves will add visual appeal and flavour.

If this sounds too safe for you, there are other flavours you can mix in, such as pineapple, peaches, mango, and even strawberries.

Tequila Sunrise Mocktail

And speaking of refreshing drinks that are ideal for summer, the tequila sunrise mocktail shouldn’t be missed. This one has a beautiful orange-red hue to it, making it appear all the more special. It’s the kind of drink that looks like it took a lot of work to create but is surprisingly fast and easy.

For this mocktail, you’ll need orange juice, grenadine, red wine vinegar, vanilla extract, coriander sprigs, ice, and a fresh orange slice as the garnish. A couple of important tips when making this mocktail are to have a high-powered blender that allows you to seamlessly mix all the ingredients and a strainer to remove any pieces as you pour into a glass.

Virgin Piña Colada

If you were to ask people what their favourite cocktail is, many would likely name the piña colada. This creamy cocktail is bursting with coconut and pineapple flavours. The traditional alcohol used in this cocktail is rum, but you won’t even miss it with this recipe.

Pardon the interruption

Did you know that you can become a member for free, taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. You can save your My Bar ingredients, make tasting notes, have personalised Tried and Want to try lists and more.

A virgin piña colada has more ingredients than some of the others on this list, but it’s well worth the effort. Ingredients such as vanilla essence, lime, caster sugar, pineapple juice and chunks, condensed milk, and coconut cream ensure that flavour isn’t sacrificed. Because of its creaminess, it can be heavier compared to many other cocktails and is not a drink to have in large quantities. With that said, you can mix up a batch that serves you and your guests and not worry about refills.

Virgin Mojitos

In terms of the “prettiest” cocktail, a mojito could easily take the title. A mojito contains rum, sugar, lime juice, club soda, ice, and plenty of fresh mint leaves, making for a lovely presentation. While you can certainly follow all the same steps and just leave out the rum, you may find it’s lacking in flavour. This is why we suggest some more exotic ingredient options.

Blackberries pair perfectly with lime juice and mint leaves, and you can use flavoured seltzer to elevate things further. The result is both tasty and visually appealing. This mocktail is known for being light and refreshing, but that doesn’t mean you can only enjoy it in the summer.

Virgin Sangria

One of the best things about virgin sangria is that the options are limitless. This is where you get to play the role of a mixologist and combine a variety of exotic ingredients and flavours. Sangria is best made in a large pitcher so that it can be enjoyed by many and the flavours get a chance to mesh.

Sangria is known for being brightly coloured, with fresh chunks of fruit floating in it. This is a chance to play up that aspect, making sure to choose fresh fruit packed with flavour. Some of the best fruits to use in sangria include apples, oranges, peaches, nectarines, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, lemons, limes, and seedless grapes.

Ideally, you want to make the mixture a few hours before you plan on drinking it so that the flavour becomes stronger. Once you’ve added all the fruit to the pitcher, you can top it with lemon-lime-flavoured soda or sparkling mineral water. Lemon, lime, orange, or cranberry juice can also be used in the mocktail version of the drink.

There’s No Need to Sacrifice Flavour When Making Mocktails

As you can see by these tasty and exotic mocktail options, there is no need to sacrifice flavour when skipping on the alcohol. These mocktails can be enjoyed year-round and by all ages, making them incredibly versatile.

Filed with tags

More to explore

Would you like cream with that?

Some of our favourite cocktails are the ones we top with cream. And there is nothing that a good hot...

The History of Champagne

It is the drink that is saved for celebrations and extravagant events, used to impress others and cr...

The History of Whiskey

At Christmas time, the Irish coffees flow freely in my household. My husband is very generous with h...

Tag cloud

Explore more with our randomised tag cloud.

Bartender's top tip

The foundation of a great cocktail is quality ingredients. Invest in good spirits that you enjoy on their own, as they'll inevitably make your cocktails taste better. Similarly, use fresh, high-quality mixers, real fruit juices, and homemade syrups instead of pre-made or artificial alternatives. Even a simple cocktail made with quality ingredients can taste exceptional.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get tips straight into your inbox.

Upgrade your mixology

Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.

  • Save your bar forever
  • Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
  • Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
  • Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
  • Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
  • Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
  • A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
  • And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)

Create your own cocktail menu!

Use our interactive cocktail menu creator for free, and create wonderful looking cocktail menus for your next party, gathering or bar.

Great looking pre-built designed themes, group your cocktails, choose what to show on them and a host more options.

Get creating