On The Mocks: Mocktails, Non-Alcoholic Drinks + Sober Curious Fun

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On The Mocks: Mocktails, Non-Alcoholic Drinks + Sober Curious Fun

OTM brings together the sober + the sober curious, pregnant women + the 30 day challengers, spirited mixologists + AF beverage makers.

This page is an extension of instagram where we share recipes, new NA brand introductions, special deals + discounts.

12/10/2025

Leave the milk + cookies for Santa… Rudolph wants one of these! ❄️🎅🦌

RUDOLPH’S ROADIE (recipe serves 4)

2 x Coke Zero Cherry
2 oz Lime Juice
2 oz Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer (or vanilla)
Whipped Cream, Cherries, Sprinkles
Ice + Straws

Grab your Lift Universal and pop the top of your cans… No fancy glassware necesssary for Rudolph’s Roadie. He’s got places to be 😉

Dump both sodas into a pitcher and add lime juice. Fill your cans halfway with ice. Pour in the cherry soda mix, leaving some room for coffee creamer + whipped cream on top!

(Cherries are optional, but kinda awesome 🍒)

Add as much creamer as you like! Since the soda is zero sugar, you can splurge elsewhere.

Cheers!

12/03/2025

HOW TO NAVIGATE DINING OUT — WITHOUT ALCOHOL {holiday edition}

This might surprise you, but I feel most irritable and “triggered” when I’m in a situation where everyone has something (alcohol) and I have nothing (water). I try to plan ahead, so I feel empowered instead of stuck.

A few tips before heading out:
If you can’t bring your own drinks, it helps to know what you’re walking into. Look at the menu online or call ahead. I like to bring my own NA wine to nice restaurants. In some cases, I have to pay a corkage fee ($15-$30) but it’s worth it for me to enjoy my wine while others are enjoying theirs.

While sitting at the bar:
—Be confident with your order. If the bartender acts rude or ignorant, use it as a teaching moment for them to become a better bartender.
—Ask for what you want. If they don’t have it (non-alcoholic beer, agave, ginger beer) it’s still worth saying out loud. They’ll get it if they hear it enough — and hopefully offer you alternatives based on what they have on hand.
—Zero in on the flavors used in their cocktails. See any fresh ingredients, housemade syrups or fun holiday garnishes? Try this:

“Can you make me a mocktail mule using ginger beer, lime and pomegranate? No alcohol.”

If it feels redundant to say “no alcohol,” don’t worry. I always say it an extra time (with a smile) because it’s important. Just like a food allergy.

POCKET NA LIST:
🍻 non-alcoholic beer
🍃 mojito/no-jito (lime, mint, sugar, soda)
🍋‍🟩 mock-mule (ginger beer, lime + optional fruit)
💦 soda water with a splash of juice
🍹 na paloma (grapefruit soda with agave + lime)
🍋 lemonade or iced-tea/lemonade
🥭 virgin (spicy) margarita

As a former New Yorker and Manhattan-Based Party Planner, I absolutely love dining out. I decided early on in my sobriety that I’m not going to let alcohol stop me from going out, trying new places and enjoying good food + friendship. There’s so much more to dining out than the booze. We got this 👊

12/02/2025

Level-up your mocktails this season with this festive holiday hack! 🎅🎄❄️

NOT-SO DIRTY SANTA⁠ (holiday mocktail)

4 oz Cranberry Juice (2 oz per glass)⁠
1 oz Lime Juice (1/2 oz per glass)⁠
Top with Lemon-Lime Soda (1/2 can)⁠
Edible Glitter
Ice

Garnishes: Rosemary Sprig, Cranberries⁠

For the rim: vanilla icing + shredded coconut mixed with peppermint sprinkles + crushed candy cane)

How’s it going after all that holiday shopping?! Are you feeling naughty or nice?! 🎄🎅
⁠

08/18/2025

TRADER JOE’S SHOPPING LIST (mocktail edition)

Every great mocktail has layers: a base mixer (to give your drink body), a touch of sweet, a hit of sour, and a bold hero flavor (fruit, veg, herb, or spice).

Take my Hot Honey Peach Mule, for example:

* Hero: Peach (sliced + muddled)
* Sweet: Hot Honey
* Sour: Lime
* Base Mixer: Ginger Beer

That said, mocktails are wonderfully flexible. If your base is already sweet (think lemonade, limeade, or ginger beer), you can skip the extra sweetener. If you don’t like carbonation, leave it out. If sugar isn’t your thing, lean into tart, bitter, or spicy layers.

A mocktail is simply a drink without alcohol — what you do with the “recipe” is entirely up to you.

SWEET 🍯
Sugar or Sugar Syrup (Simple Syrup)
Maple Syrup
Agave Syrup
Honey
Spicy Honey Sauce (Hot Honey)

SOUR 🍋
Fresh Lemons/Limes
100% Sicilian Lemon Juice

SPICY 🌶️
Jalapeños
Fresh Ginger
“No Joke” Ginger Juice Shot
Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

CREAMY 🥛
Non-Dairy Coconut Beverage
Milk (Oat Milk, Almond Milk)

GO-TO BASE MIXERS 💦
Limeade or Lemonade
Green Tea (Unsweetened)
Coconut Water
Ginger Beer
Probiotic Sparkling Beverage (Ginger Lemon / Tangerine)
Sparkling Water/Flavored Sparkling Water
Non-Alcoholic Wine (Sparkling/Red/White)

MARGARITAS 🍋‍🟩
Organic Margarita Mix
Organic Jalapeño Limeade
Spicy Mango Lemonade

GARNISHES 🍓
Freeze-Dried Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, figs)
Fresh Fruit
Candied Ginger
Pitted Amarena Cherries
Olives

HERBS 🌿
Mint
Rosemary
Sage
Basil
Thyme

✨ Save this list for your next Trader Joe’s run — and share in the comments what you’re mixing up!

08/07/2025

Grab my cheat-sheet and make it non-alcoholic.

Comment “SHOP” if you need help finding any of these brands in a store near you.

07/25/2025

When I quit alcohol on Cinco de Mayo, 2019, I never imagined I’d one day be packing my suitcase with non-alcoholic tequila — flying to Mexico to lead mocktail workshops. ✈️🌴🧳🍹🍋‍🟩

Pinch me.

Thinking back to my time at (October ‘24) and (June ‘25) still feels like a dream.

With the ocean behind us (and my parents in the audience!), I had the privilege of sharing my story — one of life, death and transformation.

I introduced non-alcoholic tequila to a room full of tastemakers and watched as they sipped it for the very first time.

Together, we shook up a few variations of my favorite drink: the sweet-and-spicy margarita. We talked about connection, ritual, and what it really means to celebrate. ✨

To be alcohol-free and still experience all of this?!

It’s hard to put into words — but I’ll never forget it.

Feeling grateful on 🍋‍🟩

Have you ever tried non-alcoholic tequila?

—

07/06/2025

Mocktails 101: Sweeteners You Should Know ✨

Not sure how to sweeten your mocktail without reaching for the sugar?

Let’s mix it up! Here’s your go-to guide for making non-alcoholic cocktails exciting this season.

🍯 Natural Sweeteners: honey, maple, agave, date syrup 🍓 Fruit-Forward: jam, muddled fruit, shrubs 🥥 Creamy Additions: cream of coconut, flavored creamers 🍊 Classic Mixers: simple syrup, flavored syrups, fruit juice 💡 Pro tip: Don’t forget non-alcoholic triple sec, blue curaçao and sweet liqueur alternatives for extra depth.

Did I forget anything?!

Save this post for your next mocktail night and comment “list” if you want my cheat sheet sent to your DMs! Xo 💌

06/21/2025

what paradise tastes like…

It’s been a week since departing Riviera Maya and arriving back home to Charlotte, NC. The text messages back and forth between my parents and I include messages filled with memories and words like, “I can’t stop thinking about Grand Velas and what a great trip that was!”

I regret not capturing photos of the dozens of dishes we all tasted over 5 delicious nights, but at the same time, I don’t.

We were truly present. In conversation. In atmosphere. In flavor. In family and friendship.

On the first night, after a day of travel, we gathered for an early reservation at Cocina de Autor Riviera Maya - a Michelin-strarred restaurant.

2 hours and 10+ courses complete with mocktail-pairing. The flavor combinations were magical and had me dreaming up new cocktail recipes in my head.

Over the days that followed, it felt like each night out-did the one before. But how is that possible when you start with the best?

*Sunday: Frida (Mexican)
*Monday: Sen Lin (Asian)
*Tuesday: Piaf (French)
*Wednesday: Farewell Dinner in the Garden at Zen Grand (with late-night room service snacks back at the hotel room)

The words “all-inclusive” are often defined by boundaries. Limits. Exceptions.

At (and ) I felt like those words didn’t exist. Unique and fresh ingredients served in innovative ways were served abundantly… Until you couldn’t consume another bite!

From pool-side to the dining room to the guest room, all expectations were exceeded. If you’re considering a bucket-list trip to Mexico, follow and find the location that best fits your travel plans: Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, Los Cabos.

Thank you, Team Velas, for spoiling this busy single mom with a trip of lifetime. 10/10 would recommend.

{ps: some photos in this post were taken by me during my stay in June 2025 while others are credited to }

05/20/2025

HOW TO NAVIGATE TRAVELING TO AN ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT IN MX (…when you’re alcohol-free) 🌴🇲🇽

A few tips during the planning stage:

—Know the menu. Look online or call ahead. Ask about your NA alternatives in advance so that you can prepare a mental/written list.
—BYOB. Pack na wine or tequila in your suitcase. (This has worked for me now 3x, but of course, border rules + regulations are always subject to change)
—Order NA products from Amazon MX and have them shipped to your hotel. (Coordinate with the concierge to make sure the delivery details are correct).

A few poolside recommendations:

🍻 00 (non-alcoholic beer)
🥒 mojito/no-jito - cucumber, strawberry, hibiscus, passionfruit
🏝️mock-mule - ginger beer + lime + muddled fruit
💦 ice water with slices of lemon or grapefruit
🍹 grapefruit soda with lime juice + a pinch of salt (with or without non-alcoholic tequila)
🍋 lemonade (also delicious with muddled jalapeños a splash of soda and a lot of ice!)
🏝️ hibiscus iced-tea
🥥 coconut water + pineapple juice
🥭 virgin spicy margarita (ask for mango!)
🍍 virgin piña colada
🥤 light — and other soft drinks
🍹 fresh juices + smoothies

After 3 sober vacations at all-inclusive resorts, this is my go-to list for waking up refreshed and hang-over free — without feeling like I’m missing out. Did I forget anything?!!

Cheers to a vacation to remember… (Like, really remember 😉) You got this! 👊

🏝️🍹🏝️🍹🏝️

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