The golden ratio
works with any mocktail
Shake the sour, sweetener, and juice with plenty of ice for 12 seconds. Shaking is especially important for a mocktail, as it adds texture.
Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
Top up with cold tonic or sparkling water and stir gently once.
Add the bitters or a pinch of salt and garnish generously. Taste and adjust with a splash of acid if it’s too sweet.
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Why mocktails often fail
Alcohol in a cocktail does much more than just provide alcohol. It carries aromas, adds a lightly burning texture that balances the sweetness, and provides the “length” that makes you sip a cocktail slowly. Remove it without replacing it with anything, and all that remains is lemonade, which is exactly why many people find mocktails too sweet. The solution lies in three things: more acidity than you are used to, something bitter (tonic, cold tea, grapefruit, or a few drops of bitters), and texture from shaking or a creamy ingredient. Do that, and you have a drink that holds its own on the table.
The right glass
With mocktails, the glass is more important than with any other cocktail, and that has nothing to do with aesthetics. If you don't drink, you don't want to sit among the cocktails with a cola glass; having the same glass as everyone else at the table makes the difference between taking part and watching from the sidelines. So choose your regular highball glasses from 33 to 47 cl, and garnish at least as generously as you would the alcoholic versions. Serving something more like a short drink? Then use a coupe or martini glass, exactly as you would with alcohol in it.
Onis Icon Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Duralex Picardie Highball Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Together € 56,90.
The right tools
For a Mocktail, besides the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 92,75.
What do you make these Mocktails with?
These mocktails need the right base. On each drink page, you'll find the percentage, how it tastes, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
All mocktail recipes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a mocktail and a cocktail?
Only the alcohol. In terms of composition, technique, and presentation, they are identical. A good mocktail is shaken, strained, and garnished just like a cocktail.
Which glass do you use for a mocktail?
The same glass as for the cocktail it resembles. See our highball glasses for most mocktails, or the cocktail glasses for short drinks.
Why does my mocktail taste too sweet?
Almost always because there is too little acidity. Add fresh lemon or lime juice, not more syrup. A pinch of salt or a few drops of bitters also cut through the sweetness.
Can you make every cocktail alcohol-free?
Almost. Cocktails that rely on acidity and fruit, such as mojitos, daiquiris, and spritzes, work excellently. Cocktails in which the drink itself takes center stage, such as a Negroni or Old Fashioned, remain more difficult, even with 0.0 alternatives.
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