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Life

Marvelous Mocktails for St. Patrick’s Day

Kaitlin Kenny
Alexandria Galli
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at York U chapter.

With so many reasons to not drink alcohol, St Patrick’s Day can seem like a lost experience. However, just because you don’t drink doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time with your friends! Instead of drinking plain water or boring pop, sip on one of these alcohol-free delights while dancing and staying green.

 

Virgin Long Island Iced Tea

Classy and classic.

If using packaged lemon juice, it will appear cloudy!

Recipe adapted from Living Sober.

 

Ingredients

  • Strong tea (I used Earl Grey)

  • Ginger beer

  • Lemon juice

  • Ice

  • Optional: fresh lemon

 

Directions

  1. Brew 1 cup of tea with two tea bags. Let steep until strong and refrigerate until cold.

  2. Fill a glass halfway with ice.

  3. Add cold tea.

  4. Top — to taste — with ginger beer.

  5. Add half a lemon’s worth of juice, or about 1.5-2 tbsp of packaged lemon juice.

  6. Optional: garnish with lemon peel or wedges.

 

Adaptation: Bean Sidhe’s (Banshee) Tea

More sour won’t kill you… will it?

  • Replace lemon juice with lime juice

  • Add lime cordial to taste

 

Ginger Lime Spritzer

For looking carefree (even with midterm stress).

Recipe adapted from Taste and Tell Blog.

 

Ingredients

Ginger-lime simple syrup

  • 6 oz. ginger, peeled and sliced

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • ½ cup lime juice

Drink

  • Ginger-lime simple syrup

  • Seltzer water

 

Directions

Ginger-lime simple syrup

  1. In a small pot, combine ginger, water, sugar and lime juice.

  2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.

  3. Simmer until all sugar is dissolved.

  4. Pull from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.

  5. Strain syrup and discard the ginger. Refrigerate until cold.

Drink

  1. Combine 1 cup of seltzer water with 2-3 tbsp ginger-lime simple syrup.

 

Adaptation: Shamrock Spritzer

Carefree, but mintier.

  • Add four drops of mint extract

  • Add a drop of green food colouring

 

Non-Alcoholic Appletini Mocktail

If appletinis is the big sister of apple juice, this is the middle child.

Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats.

 

Ingredients

  • 2 oz apple juice (for a tarter taste, use no sugar added or sugarless)

  • ½ oz simple syrup (recipe here)

  • ¼ oz lemon juice

  • Optional: apple slices

 

Directions

  1. Pour ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

  2. Shake well.

  3. Pour into glass.

  4. Optional: garnish with apple slices.

 

Adaptation: Lazy Leprechaun

You’ve already made the other drinks and want something casual!

  • Replace simple syrup with ginger-lime simple syrup from the ginger lime spritzer

 

Moscow Mule Mocktail

Perfect to impress your comrades.

While meant to be consumed in a copper mug, a coffee mug or regular cup will suffice.

Recipe adapted from The Merry Thought.

 

Ingredients

  • Ginger beer

  • Lime juice

  • Club soda

  • Crushed ice

  • Optional: fresh lime

 

Directions

  1. Combine ½ cup ginger beer, 3 tbsp lime juice and 3 tbsp club soda in a cup half-full of crushed ice. Can be tempered with more lime juice and club soda.

  2. Optional: garnish with lime wedges.

 

Adaptation: I <3 St Pat’s

Share the love!

  • Add 1.5 tsp of grenadine

  • Add three drops of mint extract

 

Shirley Temple

Seriously simple and sweet.

 

Recipe from Jean Fenton.

 

Ingredients

  • Ginger ale

  • Grenadine

  • Optional: orange slices and maraschino cherries

 

Directions

  1. Combine 1 cup ginger ale with 2 tbsp grenadine.

  2. Optional: garnish with orange slices and maraschino cherries.

 

Adaptation: Ginger Gal

Visiting the Emerald Isle? Get feisty!

  • Top with ¼ cup ginger beer

 

Mistletoe Punch

A Christmas drink delicious enough to make a mid-March comeback. Serves plenty!

Pulp from lemonade will float to the top!

Recipe from Jean Fenton.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

  • 1 6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

  • 6 cups cold water

  • ½ cup grenadine

  • 1 liter ginger ale, chilled

  • Optional: lemon slices and maraschino cherries

 

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except ginger ale.

  2. When ready to serve, add ginger ale.

 

Adaptation: Knockout Punch

It’s a kicker!

  • Add ¼ cup lime cordial

  • Add ⅛ cup lime juice

OR

  • Add mint extract to taste

 

It’s just like mom says: you don’t need alcohol to have fun and party! Have a safe and fun St Patrick’s Day from the team at Her Campus YorkU!

 

All photos by Kaitlin Kenny.

 

Kaitlin is a bilingual (French and English) writer originating from friendly Thunder Bay. They are in their seventh year at York University, where they study professional writing with an emphasis on journalism. They live with their partner of nine years and their cat, Tessa. They started writing with a passion and a poem that eventually won third in a contest 12 years ago, and started editing not too long after. When not at the keyboard, Kaitlin can be found reading, cooking, playing video games, or holding Tessa. Their favorite movies are scary and their favorite television genre is reality. Kaitlin's passions include copyediting, anything scary or spooky and adding to her collection of dolls, magnets and cups. Their favorite part of writing/editing is giving others a chance to share their story or achieve their dreams and offering insight on "the little things." Some of Kaitlin's favorite topics reflect on their personal life, including health/disabilities, fringe topics and social issues.
Wilfrid Laurier University Alumna - BA Honours History & Minor in Sociology and Religion and Culture. York University B.Ed. Her Campus York U Campus Correspondent/ HSA Advisor/ Chapter Advisor.  When I'm not leading the team, advising, or writing you'll find me watching any and every reality T.V show or re-runs of Friends and Gilmore Girls. Semi-classy wine lady who thinks pineapple on pizza is a crime.