The leaves are fluttering down, covering my street with a beautiful golden glow. There’s a chill in the air most mornings. It’s sweater weather! Time for pumpkin patches and apple orchards! If you are like me, maybe you’re looking ahead to the holiday season. All of these things feel different this year, don’t they?
I don’t have to tell you what a trying year this has been. We all are living our own versions of a difficult 2020. As we approach Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, we are all are having to find new ways to be together even when we can’t actually be together physically. I don’t mean to minimize how hard things are and continue to be, but for those of us fortunate to have our health and wellbeing – to have family and friends, I know we will adapt just like we always do.
So, allow me to raise a glass to this beautiful season, but before I do, in the spirit of adapting, let’s talk about what’s going inside those raised glasses! Traditionally, my fall holiday go-tos have been cozy beverages like mulled wine or spiked cider.
{Living In a World of “Wine Wednesdays”}
But, this season is going to be different for a lot of reasons, one of which is that I’m looking for libations that are alcohol-free. I’m excited to enjoy our gatherings—whether they are virtual, in my backyard, or otherwise socially distant — fully immersed in every moment.
I’ve found some delicious mocktail recipes to help me do precisely that. Allow me to share my four favorites with you! They are from The Mindful Mocktail. You can find the founder and creator Nat on Instagram where you can also download her free recipe e-book. Visit her website for more ideas!
Mocktails for the Fall
Pomegranate Mulled ‘Wine’
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Pomegranate Juice
- 2 Cups Cranberry Juice
- 2 Cups Water
- 8 Cloves
- 6 Blackberries (optional)
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Star Anise
- 1 Sliced Orange
Click here for the full recipe.
Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh rosemary
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup Stevia (or sweetener of choice)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- Sparkling water
Click here for the full recipe
Ginger Nojito
Ingredients
- 1 inch grated ginger
- 1 inch grated cucumber
- Juice of half a lime
- 6 mint leaves
- 1 tsp sweetener (optional)
- Ginger beer or ginger ale (whatever your preference)
- Sparkling water
Click here for the full recipe.
Espresso Mocktini
Ingredients
- 1 30ml shot espresso
- 1/8 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup regular milk
Click here for the full recipe.