Credit: © Andreas Näslund
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Absolut Cocktails: 3 non-alcoholic cocktails to make this festive season (which won’t have you missing the booze)
2 years ago
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2 min read
Looking for a break from wine, spirits and champagne? These easy non-alcoholic cocktails will see you through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and beyond.
We all know that Christmas is a season of excess. From food to shopping, it’s the time of year that’s all about spoiling ourselves and the ones we love – and for many, drinking is no exception. A weeknight mulled wine with friends, several rounds at your work do, mimosas to kick off Christmas morning and countless glasses of prosecco on New Year’s Eve – there’s almost no end to the seasonal merriment. And while we’re all for enjoying every last drop of the festivities, if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic option this season, we have just the recipes for you.
Coming from Absolut. Cocktails, which is brimming with classic and contemporary vodka cocktails to sip all year round, the book also offers up an array of drinks that skip the booze – and just so happen to be perfect for this time of year.
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So whether you’re going alcohol-free or just looking for some alternative drinks in between all those bubbles and mulled wine, these zero-percent cocktails won’t have you feeling like you’re missing out this Christmas.
Virgin appletini
“The Appletini was one of the iconic drinks of the 1990s, and here’s how you can get some of those fruity, flirty vibes with zero alcohol. Will it taste even better if you’re wearing platform trainers and a crop top? Only you can answer that.”
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 15ml lemon juice
- 15ml simple syrup
- 60ml apple juice
- 1 slice apple
Method
Fill a shaker with ice cubes, add all the liquid ingredients and give it a good shake. Once everything is nicely combined and chilled, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of apple.
Raspberry spritzer
“A liquid love poem to the queen of summer fruits, with nothing more than a bit of simple syrup to bring out its rich sweetness, and sparkling soda to lengthen that crimson colour and add refreshment. (And it’s easier than writing an actual love poem, because nothing rhymes with raspberry. Try it.)”
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 7 whole raspberries
- 15ml simple syrup
- 25ml lemon juice
- 150ml soda water
- 1 sprig mint
Method
Muddle all but two of the raspberries and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker until they are nicely mashed together, then add the lemon juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until cold.
Double-strain into an ice-filled wine glass and top with soda water. Garnish with the remaining raspberries and a fresh sprig of mint.
Virgin espresso
“Bitter, bold and powerful, this is a virgin cocktail that’s punchy enough to perk up any get-together, and elegant enough to turn heads. That pretty layer of creamy foam on top comes from a hard shaking – put in the effort, and you’ll be rewarded!”
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 60ml cold espresso
- 30ml vanilla syrup
- 30ml water
- 2 whole coffee beans
Method
Fill a shaker with ice cubes, then pour in all the liquid ingredients and shake vigorously to combine the delicious flavours. Strain into a cocktail glass, then garnish with two coffee beans.
Absolut. Cocktails: Absolut Vodka Drinks for Every Occasion (£20, Quadrille) is out now
Photography © Andreas Näslund
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