A good friend of mine who is expecting said she recently asked a bartender to make her a “mocktail” and he responded by saying “Like, club soda and lime?”  What a disappointment!  I’ve been there too.  When I was pregnant I remember wanting something fruity, delicious and adorned with an umbrella-that was just as good as the real thing!

Recently, Twin Cities Live asked me to do a segment on nonalcoholic drinks for the 4^th of July.  So inspired to create something that would give teetotalers something refreshing during the summer months, I decided to create 5 mocktails all modeled off existing drinks that you could make at home and best of all with 5 ingredients or less.

Any of these drinks would be great to have on hand when hosting a party.  You can set the ingredients on your drink table and print out the recipe so people can make their own.  When I have a party I slip the drink recipe into a 4X6 picture frame and set it next to the ingredients.  So when you are hosting parties this summer, don’t forget those partygoers who aren’t imbibing and give them a tasty summer drink to enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 ice cubes

¾ cup Sparkling Water

1/3 cup Orange Juice

1 TB Grenadine

Garnish:

Orange Wheel

Cherry

Directions:

In a large pint glass, add ice cubes, sparkling water, orange juice and stir. Drizzle in grenadine.  Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Makes 1 drink

Cosmini 

Ingredients:

5 ice cubes

8.4 ounce can of Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry Juice

2 TB Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice

Garnish:

Lemon Twists

Directions:

Add ice cubes, cranberry juice and Rose’s to martini shaker.  Give drink several good shakes, and then pour into martini glasses.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

Makes 2 drinks

Fauxito 

Ingredients:

2 TB Mint Leaves

1 Lime Wedge

4 Ice Cubes, divided

2 tsp Sugar

¼ cup Simply Limeade

½ cup Sparkling Water

Garnish:

Lime Wheel

Mint Sprig

Directions:

In a martini shaker, add mint, lime wedge, 1 ice cube and sugar.  Muddle ingredients rapidly for 15-20 seconds until ingredients are combined.  Add limeade and shake for a few seconds, pour over 3 ice cubes in a cocktail glass.  Add sparkling water and garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

Makes 1 drink

Strawberry Fauxrita 

Ingredients:

2 large Strawberries

5 Ice Cubes

1 cup Simply Limeade

½ cup San Pellegrino Aranciata

Garnish:

Lime wedge

Sugar for glass rim

Strawberry

Directions:

Wet the rims of two margarita glasses with a lime wedge; roll rims of glasses in sugar on a plate.  Set aside.  In a martini shaker, muddle 2 strawberries then add ice cubes, limeade and San Pellegrino Aranciata.  Mix and add to margarita glass.   Garnish with a strawberry.

Makes 2 drinks

Mango Colada 

Ingredients:

6 ounce can of Pineapple Orange Juice

2 ounces of Simply Squeeze Coco Real Cream of Coconut

½ Mango

5 Ice Cubes

Garnish:

Orange Wheel

Cherry

Umbrella

Directions:

In a blender, add juice, cream of coconut, mango and ice cubes.  Blend until smooth and pour into pina colada/daiquiri glass.  Garnish with orange wheel, cherry and umbrella.

Makes 1 drink