Did you ever go to a party as a teen where all there was at the drink table was Captain Morgan Rum and bottles of coke? Or a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka for doing shots? And did this sight make you immediately gag or feel the drunk gas bubbles already gurgling in your chest? Then you’re just like me: someone who hates the taste of alcohol. When you’re hanging out with your friends, sometimes you want to join in the fun while also feeling sophisticated with a fun cocktail in your hand. You’d rather not have a bitter vodka soda in hand, and you’d also rather not be drinking soda all night. Well, you’re in luck! Over the years, I’ve acquired a few go-to cocktails that let you join in on the drinking fun while also drinking something you actually enjoy. These cocktail dupes will be almost like the original, but with some fun twists and products!
The Vodka Soda
This dupe for the original vodka soda comes from my father. He’s made this drink ever since I was young, and I have to admit, I was really excited to be old enough to try it one day. He calls this creation: The Limer. I know there must be a real name for it, but I’ll choose to stick to tradition.
The Ingredients
- 1 shot of lime vodka (from the freezer)
- 1 shot of lime cordial
- Club soda
- Lime juice
- Lime wedge
The Directions
- Place ice in a glass
- Pour in cold vodka and lime cordial
- Pour in club soda to fill the glass
- Stir lightly with a spoon at bottom of the glass
- Squirt in lime juice
- Garnish with a lime wedge
This drink is a mix of tart, sweet and all-around delicious. I’m a big fan of flavoured vodka to mask the taste, and by mixing in the cordial, this becomes a delectable cocktail that is sophisticated, fun, and, again, delicious! The perfect combination!
The Pomegranate Martini
I’ve never been a fan of martinis. They’re way too strong, and there’s never enough actual liquid to feel like you’re having a whole drink! I actually discovered this recipe this past Christmas, as my parents and I were looking for fun holiday cocktails to experiment with during our quarantined holiday. After tasting my first sip, it was way too strong, so I changed the measurements a bit as well as added my go-to club soda for some fizz!
The Ingredients
- 1 shot gin
- 1 shot simply syrup (I use agave)
- Lime juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Club soda
- Pomegranate seeds and lime for garnish
The Directions
- Pour your gin and syrup into a martini shaker with ice
- Add a squirt of lime juice
- Shake and pour into a glass
- Fill the glass ¾ full with pomegranate juice
- Top with Club soda
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds and lime
This cocktail is the perfect level of sweetness and fruity. The syrup and lime juice bring out the real flavour of the gin, while the pomegranate juice masks the alcoholic taste. Sounds pretty good to me! While pomegranate seeds aren’t the easiest to deshell, the fun surprise at the bottom of your glass will be worth it! You can also substitute vodka instead of gin, but I found that gin worked perfectly along the pomegranate to create a delicious Christmas cocktail.
The Rum and Coke
Like I mentioned before, I started drinking rum and coke as a teen, and honestly, by now, I’d rather have anything else. Rum doesn’t sit too well with me; drinking soda with alcohol is no longer a fun fizzy experience, but an annoying, gassy dread. This dupe has some fun substitutes for the original and will give cherry coke lovers that feeling they so crave.
The Ingredients
- 1 Shot of Amaretto (my fav is Disaronno)
- 1 shot of Cola Syrup from 3/4 oz (find them here)
- Club soda
The Directions
- Pour your amaretto and cola syrup into a glass with ice
- Add club soda until full
This combination has the sweetness, the fizz, and the thick, rich taste of a rum and coke without the headache that comes with soda. You can always substitute your favourite rum in place of the Amaretto if you don’t like the almondy, cherry flavour it gives. This drink is one of my all-time favourites!
The Sangria
Now, you may be thinking, “there’s nothing wrong with sangria, why change it?” Well, my friends, not only do I oppose the taste of hard alcohol, but I also dislike wine. This recipe comes from an amazing company called Camp Craft Cocktails who create pre-made cocktail jars that you simply have to infuse in the fridge for three days with your choice of spirit. However, while these jars are amazing, the finished product is quite strong. But fear not! I have a solution!
The Ingredients
- 1 Camp Craft Cocktail Sangria Jar
- 12 oz gin
- Cranberry juice
- Lemonade
The Directions
- Pour 12 oz of gin into your Camp Craft Cocktail jar
- Place in the fridge and leave for 3 days
- Strain liquids into a jug
- Add 1-2 jars full of cranberry juice
- Add 1 jar full of lemonade
- Use any of the garnish from the jar!
These jars are so easy to use. You fill the jar with 12 oz of your favourite spirit then leave it in the fridge for three days. In this case, I chose gin. After it has infused, you simply strain out the contents of the jar and add your juices to the remaining liquid. I like to keep a few of the orange slices for garnish! Now, this sangria punch is perfect for a party, because, frankly, it tastes like juice. Which is both good and bad… Either way, be careful with this recipe; like all recipes on this list, you can drink it all night without tasting the alcohol…
*Drink responsibly and within the age limit
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