Dry January is a great practice for those hoping to “detox” after the holiday season—both mentally and physically. But if you’re used to treating yourself to a cocktail at the end of a long workweek, it’s a hard habit to break. With the rising popularity of mocktails, you don’t have to break the habit completely—just ditch the alcohol!
The base of this mocktail is a botanical tea that takes the place of a spirit. Channeling all of the best flavors of gin, the nonalcoholic alternative is ideal for mocktail versions of classic drinks like a Tom Collins, bramble, or French 75.
Using sparkling apple cider instead of the typical champagne, this mocktail is perfectly sweet, subtly tart, and packed with all the same botanical flavors you get from a sip of a good gin.
To make the tea, simply heat filtered water on the stovetop with various herbs, spices, and botanicals. The essential flavors in gin revolve around juniper berries—which give gin its unique peppery and piney finish. Along with the berries, we add grapefruit and lemon peel for a touch of bitterness, mint to bring in some light and fresh notes, and coriander seed for a citrusy, nutty, and spiced finish. Feel free to change up the measurements depending on which flavors you like best. (If you love the piney notes in gin, for example, add more juniper berries.)
Once you’ve made the tea (your kitchen will smell fresh and piney!), you can chill it in a bottle in the refrigerator for several weeks. Then, you can pull out your mock “spirit” for mocktails that are just as flavorful and complex as your favorite cocktail. Here, we’ll show you how to make a French 75-inspired mocktail. But you can always make it your own with ingredients like flavored sodas, muddled berries, homemade syrups, and more.
Whether you’re sober, participating in Dry January, or just want to cut back, here’s a mocktail that’s sure to impress.
A French 75-Inspired Mocktail Perfect for Dry January in Delaware
Course: CocktailCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium30
minutes15
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minutesThis French 75-inspired mocktail skips the gin in favor of a home-brewed botanical tea that packs a ton of flavor.
Ingredients
- Mock “Gin” Botanical Tea
3 cups filtered water
1 grapefruit
1 lemon
1 tbsp juniper berries
A few coriander seeds
2-4 mint leaves
- Apple Cider French 75 Mocktail
2 oz mock “gin” botanical tea
1.5 oz lemon juice
Sparkling apple cider
Lemon peel
Directions
- Mock “Gin” Botanical Tea
- Wash your lemon and grapefruit well, then peel them. Set the peels and fruit aside.
- In a sauce pan, pot, or stovetop teapot, add your filtered water and turn to medium-high heat.
- Add your juniper berries, coriander seeds, and mint leaves. Add a few strips each of the lemon and grapefruit peel.
- Bring the tea to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover and let steep for at least 15 minutes, or up to a few hours.
- Drain the tea through a fine mesh strainer, then use a funnel to transfer it to a bottle or jar.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.
- Apple Cider French 75 Mocktail
- To a glass or cocktail shaker filled with ice, add mock gin and lemon juice. (You can use the juice from the lemon you peeled earlier!)
- Stir or shake, then strain into a champagne flute.
- Top with sparkling apple cider, garnish with a lemon peel or twist, and enjoy!