There’s something delightfully comforting about the seasonal flavors of winter: citrus and spice, pear and pomegranate, the occasional hint of vanilla. They’re all terrific building blocks for the alcohol-free sipper.
Maybe you’re using Dry January to take a break from alcohol, or perhaps you’re simply looking to make some creative drinks sans booze. Whatever the reason, everyone can enjoy a mocktail, and anyone can make one — no fancy bartending skills required.
These seasonal mocktails call on shrubs for their base. Also called drinking vinegars, shrubs are essentially fruit syrups that bring brightness to drink recipes. They’re deceptively easy to make, and their tart, fruity profiles serve as an ideal base whether you fancy a winter warmer like a “not toddy” or something cold, fizzy, and served in a cocktail glass.
If alcohol is still on the menu for you, any of these mocktails can become cocktails with a splash of spirits — you’ll find a few suggestions below for the best options. Cheers!
Pomegranate Shrub
Although it’s a little more work, seeding a pomegranate is worth the effort — ’tis their season after all, and their juicy, sweet-tart flavor is at its best in winter. But for convenience’s sake (and less mess), feel free to use pomegranate juice instead.
Makes about 4 cups • Prep time 15 minutes active, 4 days inactive
- 1½ cups pomegranate seeds (from about 1 large pomegranate) or ¾ cup pomegranate juice
- 1½ cups white cane sugar
- 1½ cups apple-cider vinegar
- If using pomegranate seeds, gently crush them with a wooden spoon to release their juices, then transfer to a large jar. Alternatively, simply pour the pomegranate juice into a large jar.
- Add the sugar and stir. Secure the lid and shake well to combine. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 48 hours, shaking the jar occasionally.
- After 48 hours, strain the seeds (if using) from the liquid, gently pressing the seeds to extract all their juice. Stir the vinegar into the mixture and secure the lid.
- Leave the mixture for another 48 hours at room temperature, shaking occasionally. Refrigerate until ready for use. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
- Add a bit of this shrub to your favorite mocktail or use it in one of the following recipes.
Mulled Pomegranate Cider
Anthocyanin-rich pomegranate — together with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and clove — may help support cardiovascular health, and the comforting warmth of this citrus-spiked cider can repel the winter chill.
Makes 6 servings • Prep time 5 minutes • Cook time 20 minutes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 whole green cardamom pods
- 2 star-anise pods
- 1 cup pomegranate shrub
- 1 qt. spiced apple cider
- 1 tangerine, sliced
- 1 clementine, sliced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 apple, sliced
- In a large saucepan, gently toast the spices over medium-low heat until fragrant, about three to five minutes.
- Pour the pomegranate shrub and apple cider into the saucepan. Add the sliced fruit and gently simmer over medium-low for 15 minutes. Ladle into cups.
Suggested spirit: Apple or pear brandy
Clemen-thyme Pomegranate Smash
Muddling (gently crushing) fresh thyme and clementine releases the fragrant oils that give this mocktail its vibrant flavor. A gentle touch is the secret here: Overly aggressive muddling will bring out the clementine’s bitterness, but you’ll want to muddle at least enough to release its juice.
Makes 1 serving • Prep time 5 minutes
- 4 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1 clementine, quartered
- ½ tsp. maple syrup
- 1 oz. pomegranate shrub
- Soda water to taste
- Place the thyme and clementine in a cocktail shaker. Add the maple syrup and gently muddle. Add the pomegranate shrub.
- Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, secure the lid, and shake well for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Suggested spirit: Bourbon
Lemon-Ginger Shrub
The bright acidity of lemon complements ginger’s spicy bite to make this a dynamic antioxidant-packed shrub for the winter. Research has shown that the antiemetic properties in ginger can serve as a digestive aid.
Makes 4 cups • Prep time 15 minutes active, 4 days inactive
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 or 5 lemons)
- 2-inch ginger root, peeled and grated
- 1½ cups cane sugar
- 1½ cups apple-cider vinegar
- Combine the lemon juice, grated ginger, and sugar in a large jar. Tighten the lid and shake well. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 48 hours, shaking the jar occasionally.
- After 48 hours, strain the ginger from the liquid. Stir the vinegar into the mixture and secure the lid. Leave the mixture for another 48 hours at room temperature, shaking occasionally.
- Refrigerate until ready for use. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
- Add a bit of this shrub to your favorite mocktail or use it in one of the following recipes.
Lemon-Ginger Blood Orange Fizz
With two sources of vitamin C and ample antioxidant-rich ginger, this mocktail is part refreshing libation and part nourishing tonic. On top of delivering a hefty dose of vitamin C, the anthocyanins that imbue blood oranges with their eponymous color may help reduce oxidative stress and curb damage from free radicals.
Makes 1 serving • Prep time 5 minutes
- ½ tsp. honey
- ½ tsp. warm water
- 1 oz. lemon-ginger shrub
- 1 blood orange, peeled and juiced (peel reserved)
- Soda water to taste
- Combine the honey with the warm water and stir well until the honey dissolves.
- Fill a glass with ice, then pour the lemon-ginger shrub, blood orange juice, and diluted honey into the glass and stir to combine.
- Top with soda water and garnish with the blood orange peel.
Suggested spirit: Gin
Figgy Lemon-Ginger Soother
Fig jam delivers a honeyed sweetness to this cozy, warming mocktail — the ideal foil to the spicy, tart profile of your lemon-ginger shrub.
Makes 1 serving • Prep time 10 minutes
- 6 oz. cold water
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp. fig jam
- 2 oz. lemon-ginger shrub
- Rosemary sprig and lemon slice, for garnish
- Bring the water to a boil. Place the rosemary in a glass measuring cup, pour in the hot water, and allow it to steep for about five minutes.
- Place the jam in a mug. Add a splash of the rosemary tea and stir until the jam dissolves.
- Stir in the remaining tea and the lemon-ginger shrub. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and slice of lemon.
Suggested spirit: Mezcal
Pear Shrub
My favorite pear for shrubbing is the Comice, a sweet dessert cultivar originally from France. Bartletts and Boscs, or any pear you’d use for baking, also work well in this shrub.
Makes 4 cups • Prep time 15 minutes active, 4 days inactive
- 5 ripe pears, roughly chopped
- 1½ cups cane sugar
- 1½ cups apple-cider vinegar
- Place the pears in a large jar and add the sugar. Secure the lid and shake well to combine. Leave for 48 hours at room temperature, shaking occasionally. If needed, gently press the pears with a spoon to submerge them in their juices as they break down.
- After 48 hours, strain the pears from the liquid, gently pressing the fruit to expel any remaining juice. Stir the vinegar into the mixture and secure the lid. Leave the mixture for another 48 hours at room temperature, shaking occasionally.
- Refrigerate until ready for use. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.
- Add a bit of this shrub to your favorite mocktail or use it in one of the following recipes.
Masala Chai Pear Toddy
The warming flavors of cinnamon, ginger, pepper, clove, and cardamom that constitute masala chai match effortlessly with pear’s honeyed floral sweetness. With their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the spices in this tea-based toddy make it well suited for a chilly evening or for immune support at the first signs of a cold. For a bolder chai taste, brew the tea for a few extra minutes.
Makes 1 servings • Prep time 10 minutes
- 8 oz. cold water
- 1 unsweetened masala chai tea bag
- ½-inch vanilla bean
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 oz. pear shrub
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the tea bag and vanilla bean, reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow the tea to brew for five minutes. Cool slightly, then stir in the honey and strain.
- Stir in the pear shrub. Pour into a mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Suggested spirit: Spiced rum
Pear-Grapefruit Sour
Red grapefruit introduces a bittersweet note that complements the luscious flavor of ripe pear. Rosemary infuses this mocktail with a beautiful herbal vibrancy, and this Mediterranean herb may also help boost cognitive function and even ease anxiety.
Makes 1 servings • Prep time 5 minutes active, 2 hours inactive
- 2 oz. freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice (from about half a small grapefruit)
- 1 tsp. whole pink peppercorn
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
- 1 oz. pear shrub
- ½ tsp. maple syrup
- Pear slice, for garnish
- Place the grapefruit juice, pink peppercorn, and rosemary sprigs in an airtight container and chill for at least two hours or up to overnight. Remove the rosemary sprigs.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour the infused grapefruit juice, pear shrub, and maple syrup into the cocktail shaker, secure the lid, and shake well for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a slice of pear and a small sprig of rosemary.
Suggested spirit: Whiskey
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