There are plenty of reasons you might want to , including better health, a happier bank account, or simply because听you鈥檙e looking for听a . Whether you鈥檙e going cold turkey or just giving up a few drinks a week, restriction听can be tough, so consider swapping in an alternative to your postride beer or evening听cocktail. Truly satisfying nonalcoholic beverages all come down to听high-quality ingredients, like homemade simple syrups and fresh-squeezed juices, says Denver-based Jen Kates, a听former bartender and the听owner and head coach at听. Here,听Kates and three other bartending athletes share their favorite mocktail recipes.听
Chamomule
Kates teamed up with Laura Danley, a mountain-biking bartender at 听in Golden, Colorado, to put together drinks that scratch that postworkout, pool-party itch without the hangover.听鈥淭his is our version of a modern-day mule听minus the booze,鈥 Kates says. 鈥淵ou can adjust the sweetness to your preference by tweaking the ratio of simple syrup听to the other ingredients.鈥
Ingredients
- 4-6 mint leaves
- 1/4 ounce听chamomile simple syrup (recipe听)
- 1/4 ounce听ginger simple syrup (recipe听)
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- Gosling鈥檚 ginger beer
Directions
Muddle the mint:听听it with a muddler or something round and flat. Add the simple syrups听and and cranberry juice, and mix with crushed ice. Top with Gosling鈥檚 ginger beer and serve in a copper mug. Garnish with a mint leaf.
Bloody Barry听
鈥淭his drink is our refreshing take on a Bloody Mary,鈥 says Kates. With beet juice as its base鈥攚hich is rich in nitrates and can improve performance鈥攊t鈥檚 even more athlete friendly. Drink it alongside a postworkout brunch.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 ounces听beet juice
- 3/4 ounce听lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce听honey
- 1/4 ounce olive juice
- 3 dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- Topper of soda water or Topo Chico sparkling mineral water
Directions
Shake ingredients with ice. Strain and serve in a martini glass with lemon juice, salt, and chili powder on the rim. Garnish with an olive.
Ginger-Blueberry Mojito Mocktail
Arch Bernard, a cyclist based in Brooklyn, New York, and the general manager at , prefers mocktails that don鈥檛 require weird ingredients or mixologist-level expertise to make. Chances are you already have everything you need to whip听up this听fruity, tangy twist on a classic mojito.
Ingredients
- 4听mint leaves
- 6 blueberries (or 3 blackberries)
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 3/4听ounce simple syrup
- Ginger kombucha (or spicy ginger beer)
- Seltzer
Directions
Muddle the mint and blueberries. Add these to the lemon juice and simple syrup, then shake with ice. Pour straight into a 12-ounce听cup. Top with equal parts听ginger kombucha or ginger beer and seltzer.
Hot and Cold Paloma Mocktail
Grapefruit juice, lime, and rosemary offset the听spice听in this refreshing drink. Can鈥檛 handle the heat? Consider swapping in听听or Calabrian chilies, which still offer a little kick but take the temperature down a few notches,听says Bernard.听
Ingredients
- 1/2 peeled grapefruit (or 3 ounces听fresh, natural grapefruit juice with pulp)
- 1 hot chili听
- 1听ounce lime juice
- 1听ounce simple syrup
- Seltzer
- Sprig of rosemary
Directions
Muddle the grapefruit and chili (or just chili if using the juice). Shake grapefruit, chili, lime juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a ten-ounce听glass. Top with seltzer. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
Pear and Rosemary Mocktail
Sweet meets savory in this fruity cocktail. If it鈥檚 a little too saccharine,听yoga instructor and former bartender Claire Woodhouse suggests swapping the ginger beer for seltzer and serving in a tumbler versus a martini glass.
Ingredients
- Splash of lemon juice
- 1 ounce pear juice
- 2 ounces ginger beer (nonalcoholic)
- Rosemary sprig
Directions
Shake lemon juice, pear juice, and simple syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into a martini glass, top with ginger beer, and serve with rosemary sprig.