Mary Kate Skehan

The best mocktails for Dry January

Alcohol-free cocktails to make at home

  • From Spectator Life
[iStock]

It’s the new year, and that means time for resolutions. Many of us will pursue food-and-drink-related goals: eating healthier, eating out less, or trying a ‘Dry January’ – giving up alcohol for the month.

Non-drinkers have more interesting options these days than coffee or Diet Coke. Commercially bottled kombuchas are a plausible substitute for something stronger. Non-alcoholic beers, wines and cocktails are also multiplying, judging from the crush of Instagram ads I receive.

As someone in a semi-permanent state of trying to drink just a bit less, I’m always interested in tactics to facilitate sobriety. This year, I tried out mocktail recipes that might help a Dry January feel livelier.

One benefit of the homemade mocktail is the Ikea effect: you’re more likely to appreciate a drink when you’ve had to work on putting it together yourself

The internet’s recommended mocktails tend to follow a basic pattern: make a simple syrup infused with seasonal herbs and spices and combine with citrus and sparkling water.

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