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I’m not one to tire of my love for Coke Zero, however drinking the same thing on repeat, particularly at holiday gatherings, gets old! Now, I will admit that I’m sometimes that boring person who alternates between water and soda while at parties and get togethers. Sometimes it’s just best to avoid the bar area, especially if being around open bottles is triggering. But there is something special about having a fun and festive drink, especially during the holiday season!
Besides, making an alcohol-free drink that looks like what everyone else is drinking might be enough to get through the evening without constant questions about your sobriety. One less thing to have to stress over, right? Enjoy your company without having to explain for the 10th time why you are downing your fifth Sprite Zero. Instead, make one of these three simple yet festive alcohol free drinks!
Please note: I am not a bartender. When I drank alcohol, I would always pour with a heavy hand and rarely measured. I drank solely to get DRUNK. So, these are just eyeballed recipes to quickly make at home or at a party so that you can take the guesswork and stress out of what to drink. Less stress on my sobriety journey, I will take it!
For those that crave rules and don’t like to fly by the seat of your pants (love y’all!), here are some mixing recommendations:
- If using syrups of any kind, the general guideline seems to be 1 part syrup to 4 parts soda.
- When mixing multiple juices, start with 1 part of each and then adjust based on preference. I for example love the hints of apple with cranberry juice, so I might add a bit more apple juice to even out to tartness of the cranberry. Of course, adjust to your own tastes!
Now for those fun and festive AF drinks!
Cran Apple Twister
Classic fruit juice and carbonated beverage combo. Something about adding sprite or ginger ale to juice just makes it feel fancy.
cranberry juice
apple juice
ginger ale /club soda/seltzer
Note: Add ice to your glass, then equal parts cranberry juice and apple juice. Top off with clear carbonated beverage of choice.
Bubbly Lemonade
Take the classic summertime drink of lemonade and jazz it up a bit with a dash of club soda or a lemon lime carbonated beverage of choice.
simple syrup
lemon juice
Club soda or ginger ale
Note: Go easy on the simple syrup, then adjust to taste. I would mix the simple syrup and lemon juice first. Then add your ice, and finally top with your club soda, sprite, or ginger ale. Also note, using ginger ale will make this into a Bubbly Ginger Lemonade. Yum!
Shirley Temple
This classic alcohol free drink will be easy to pull off at a bar or at a party with a fully stocked bar. Most, if not all bartenders know how to make this classic, so it’s a great choice if your holiday gathering happens to take place at the bar.
Grenadine syrup
lemon-lime soda (sprite or 7-up)
ginger ale (optional)
maraschino cherries
Note: Add ice to your glass. Then add 1 part grenadine syrup to 8 parts lemon-lime soda. Top with a splash of ginger ale and a few maraschino cherries. You can also sub all of the lemon-lime soda for ginger ale too.
Tips – So We Don’t Overthink This!
We are sober and a big thing with sobriety is trying to avoid decision fatigue. If all else fails, pour any soda or juice into a glass over ice. Or simply mix a juice with a clear carbonated beverage. Ice-Juice-Clear carbonated soda- DONE! Add a slice of lime on the side if you’re feeling extra fancy!
Some examples:
- Cranberry juice and lemon-lime soda, such as sprite or 7-up
- Cranberry juice and seltzer
- Club soda and lime (great option if you are watching your sugar intake!)
- Orange juice and Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider (or any alcohol free sparkling apple cider.) This is a great option for New Year’s celebrations!
- Orange juice and pineapple juice with a dash of grenadine syrup
Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Remember, you’ve got this! The hardest decision, to remain sober, has already been made! Focus on spending time with loved ones and people you haven’t seen in a while and ENJOY THEM! Alcohol doesn’t need to be a part of it.
For more tips on navigating the holidays sober, check out this post here. Also, here is a post of positive affirmations to help keep you strong and mindful in your decision to be sober. Feeling triggered and need to stop an alcohol craving in its tracks? Check out this post here.
And if you need some extra reinforcement, check out This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. Reading this book gave me the push to begin my alcohol sobriety journey over 4 years ago. It is chock full of information about alcohol and substance abuse, what it does to our bodies and provides great research and reasoning for why alcohol is CRAP! This book armed me with the knowledge that I am so much better off without alcohol in my life!
What is your favorite AF drink? Share with us below!