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If you’re participating in Sober October (or are always alcohol-free), there is no reason you should be left out of enjoying a festive autumnal cocktail mocktail. Indulging in seasonal fall drinks and hot beverages can be warming and cozy without the booze (and without the hangover!). Keep on reading for 21 drinks to try if you’re plunging into dry October.
We’ve made alcohol-free spin-offs of classic beverages like our non-alcoholic mulled wine, our vegan eggnog, and our cranberry basil sangria. Craving a wintery spritz? Try our blood orange mocktail spritzer, our grapefruit-rosemary mocktail spritz, or our bee’s knees mocktail spritz. Want something a little more decadent? Try our white hot chocolate! Feeling under the weather and in need of some TLC? Our wassail and reset lemonade are warm, cozy, and healing.
Planning ahead for the next holiday when booze is back on the table? Check out our festive Thanksgiving cocktails next.
Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria
Sangria without the wine? Yes, please. The fruit is the real star here — use whatever’s in season and get creative with the combination (think cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary for the holidays and mixed berries and mint for summer).
Get the Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria recipe.
Emily hlavac green
Touchdown Tea
This autumnal iced tea is made with brewed black tea, apple cider, and maple syrup for a cooling drink that holds its own. Serve it for game day to wash down seven-layer dip and pigs in a blanket, or sip it as an afternoon pick-me-up that’s just sweet enough and totally refreshing.
Get the Touchdown Tea recipe.
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLIST: BROOKE CAISON
Grapefruit-Rosemary Mocktail Spritz
This easy-to-make, booze-free cocktail hits all the marks. It’s tart, herby, slightly sweet, a little smokey, and definitely an adult mocktail that isn’t too heavy on the fruit juice or sweetener. Serve with some bite-size apps, and get ready to really get the party started.
Get the Grapefruit-Rosemary Mocktail Spritz recipe.
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Blood Orange Mocktail Spritzer
This blood orange and ginger spritzer hits all the right notes: a little sweet, a little sour, and a little spiced. Finished off with a bouquet of fresh garnishes, it’s the perfect cold-weather cocktail mocktail to toast with all season long.
Get the Blood Orange Mocktail Spritzer recipe.
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Porn Star Mock-tini
This mocktail has all the flavors of the original porn star martini but none of the hangover. The star flavor of the passion fruit juice adds a tart zippiness that’s balanced lovingly with a warm vanilla simple syrup and a bright bubbly side car of club soda.
Get the Porn Star Mock-tini recipe.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Apple Cider Slushies
The makings for these apple cider slushies are the perfect things to keep in your freezer for an icy-cold anytime treat. We borrow the technique of scraping it with a fork to create the slushie consistency from Italian granita. The key is to let it just freeze before mixing.
Get the Apple Cider Slushies recipe.
Parker Feierbach
(Make Ahead) Holiday Punch Bowl Ice Cubes
Looking for a quick way to level up your holiday mocktails, without the hassle? These stunning ice cubes are an incredibly easy solution—and they’ll make you look super-classy too! They use pomegranate juice instead of water, adding both flavor and a vibrant red hue to what would otherwise be plain ice.
Get the (Make Ahead) Holiday Punch Bowl Ice Cubes recipe.
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Non-Alcholic Mulled Wine
When the weather outside gets frightful, we can all agree that there’s nothing nicer than curling our hands around a piping hot mug some mulled wine…that is, unless you’re not drinking alcohol. Rather than simply skip that sip of pure coziness, make this non-alcoholic mulled wine instead!
Get the Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine recipe.
PARKER FEIERBACH
Wassail
Wassail is a warm, spiced punch that’s traditionally served when celebrating the ancient English Yuletide tradition of the same name. The combination of warm spices, like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom, infuse a heady, pleasing essence into each steaming mug.
Get the Wassail recipe.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE
Reset Lemonade
If you’re not feeling your best but aren’t in the mood for a hot toddy, then this is the drink you should turn to. With fresh lemon juice, honey for sweetness, and spices like ginger, cloves, and cayenne (trust me here), this non-alcoholic drink will give you the reset you’ve been needing.
Get the Reset Lemonade recipe.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Hot Chocolate
A good hot chocolate is the perfect balance of rich chocolate and creamy milk, sweet enough to satisfy your sugar craving but not too sweet that you can’t finish the whole cup. Here, we use a blend of dark and semisweet chocolate and add a pinch of salt to give you a perfectly rich, creamy, and delightfully satisfying cup.
Get the Hot Chocolate recipe.
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Affogato
Calling all coffee lovers: This is the dessert for you. An affogato is a simple Italian dessert-y nightcap—just espresso poured over a scoop of gelato. If you don’t own an at-home espresso machine, brew some extra-strong coffee and measure out 2 tablespoons to pour over.
Get the Affogato recipe.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
White Hot Chocolate
We know that white chocolate can be divisive—you either love it or you can’t stand it. This hot chocolate recipe was created for those in the “love it” camp, though it’s so totally wonderful that it might just create converts out of white chocolate haters too.
Get the White Hot Chocolate recipe.
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: ERIKA JOYCE
Not-So-Naughty Jack Frosties
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean a chilled, blended drink doesn’t hit the spot too. This vibrantly blue, not-so-naughty (read: non-alcoholic!) take on our Jack Frost cocktail is a refreshing departure from the hearty flavors of the holiday season.
Get the Not-So-Naughty Jack Frosties recipe.
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STLYING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Champurrado
Champurrado is the best kind of hot chocolate. Why? Unlike the plain, watery version you make with the powdered stuff, this hot chocolate is thick, rich, and decadent, thanks to masa harina. Instead of tasting like a Choco Taco, it lends a delicately sweet corn flavor and gives this a delightful richness.
Get the Champurrado recipe.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING:MAKINZE GORE
Bee’s Knees mocktail spritz
This Bee’s Knees mocktail spritz, inspired by the gin-based classic drink, has lemon, a sweet honey syrup, and is topped off with club soda. Here, we add a fresh garnish of lemon peel and sugared rosemary for a mocktail you’ll want to make all winter long.
Get the Bee’s Knees mocktail spritz recipe.
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: SAM SENEVIRATNE
Copycat Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino
Starbucks Frappuccinos® have been around since the mid-’90s, though it wasn’t until 1999 that the Caramel Frappuccino hit the scene. Prior to then, the drinks were just blended coffee and milk, so the addition of caramel and whipped cream was a HUGE deal, and it shows in this recipe!
Get the Copycat Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino recipe.
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Mexican Hot Chocolate
When it’s bone-chillingly cold, nothing warms us up faster than a mug of hot chocolate, especially one featuring warming spices like this one. If you prefer your drinks on the milder side, feel free to forgo the cayenne in favor of a spice that adds less heat, like chili powder.
Get the Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe.
DELISH
Horchata
Horchata is a popular and refreshing drink that takes on different forms across many cultures, but it always starts with a soaked nut, seed, or grain. This classic Mexican version, horchata de arroz, is made by soaking rice and almonds with cinnamon and blending everything together with milk and sweetener.
Get the Horchata recipe.
Joel Goldberg
Vegan Eggnog
You either love eggnog or loathe it—there is no in between. This version of the classic holiday cocktail has a similar flavor and texture of the original but is dairy-free and vegan-friendly!
Get the Vegan Eggnog recipe.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Dalgona Coffee
Dalgona coffee started as a TikTok trend, and quickly became a staple in our kitchen. If you’ve got instant coffee, sugar, and water on hand you can make this fluffy, perfectly sweetened caffeine treat.
Get the Dalgona Coffee recipe.
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