How to Serve Memorable Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Fewer and fewer people drink much, if any, alcohol. Any group of drinkers should have a designated driver who is drinking only non-alcoholic drinks. Still other people don't drink because of health reasons, alcoholism, or watching their calories. So when you throw your party, don't just gloss over preparing the non-alcoholic drinks, or mocktails. Create great non-alcoholic drinks your guests won't soon forget.

Part of serving unforgettable non-alcoholic drinks is in the presentation. Just imagine the difference. One host pours you a cranberry-orange non-alcoholic drink out of refrigerated juice bottles and hands it to you. Another host pours a jigger or two of cranberry, then orange juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shakes it until the cocktail shaker is frosty, and then strains it into a hi-ball cocktail glass. Then the party's host tops it off with an orange peel swirl and hands it to you with a straw and a napkin. Same exact non-alcoholic drink, but which would you rather be served at a party? Which drink feels more like a party?

Spending a few bucks on bar tools helps you with the presentation of your non-alcoholic drinks. Some of the bar tools you should have are a jigger for measuring portions, cocktail shaker, strainer, blender, straws, stirrers, and small sharp knife. All right, OK, if you must you can add some little umbrellas.

Don't ignore the glasses in which you serve your non-alcoholic drinks. Plastic-coated paper cups are not eco-friendly and in any case, don't belong at a nice party. Serving everything in everyday table glasses (especially mis-matched ones) can also detract from all the time and effort you put into making first-rate non-alcoholic drinks.

Ideally, for your non-alcoholic drinks you should have a selection of tall (hi ball) glasses, short (on the rocks) glasses, martini glasses, margarita glasses, beer mugs for non-alcoholic beer drinkers, flutes for sparkling non-alcoholic drinks, and glass coffee cups or mugs for coffee drinks. Additionally, it's a good idea to have a pitcher and a punch bowl. Check discount or thrift stores for bargains on glassware.

Yet another way to add to the presentation of your non-alcoholic drinks is to freeze some fancy ice cubes. Try serving ice cubes in various shapes such as hearts, stars, penguins, seashells, strawberries, or dolphins (find them here). If you want to get truly fancy and holiday-ish, check out some of these festive light-up ice cubes.

You can also freeze ice cubes in the kind of juice(s) you expect to be popular at your party, such as orange or cranberry juice ice cubes. They keep your non-alcoholic drinks from getting too watered down. For more on dressing up your drink with ice cubes, read AC Content Producer Pendragon's article.

Garnishes also dress up your non-alcoholic drinks. Before the party, wash and slice some lemon twists or spirals, cut a few limes into eighths, and have a few celery sticks (for virgin bloody Mary's), maraschino cherries, and perhaps some washed cranberries. Have some wooden skewers on hand to skewer your fruit and garnish your drinks (like pineapple for Virgin Piña Coladas). For non-alcoholic drinks with fruit juice, you can make a fruit kebab by threading onto the wooden skewers fruit such as maraschino cherries, pineapple chunks, orange slices, apple slices, and so on. Allow room on either end of the wooden skewer so that you can lay the fruit kebab right on top of your non-alcoholic drinks.

Set all the garnishes aside in small containers at your bar or serving area to be handy and ready when you are. As for what to serve, get the non-alcoholic drinks basics first. Have on hand various kinds of sodas (especially coke and lemon-lime), club soda, tonic water, and various juices.

Your juices should include cranberry, bloody Mary mix (non-alcoholic) or tomato juice, and orange juice. Some other additions to a well-stocked bar are lemon juice, Rose's or other lime juice, grenadine syrup, maraschino cherries, salt or granulated sugar for rimming, and simple syrup. You can make your own simple syrup by boiling together 1 part water and 2 parts sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved, take off the heat and cool. When it is totally cooled, put your simple syrup in bottles. This stuff lasts (almost) forever and can be used to sweeten iced tea or anything in which you would normally use sugar.

You're all set now - for great recipes for non-alcoholic drinks, see my article on Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes, and open your doors for a sparkling party!