Words by John deBary

People avoid alcohol for a wide variety of reasons: health, religion, needing to drive, or simply because they don’t feel like it. It’s important to consider accessibility when serving drinks and having a solid repertoire of non-alcoholic cocktail recipes in mind is a great way to make sure that your drinks can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. 

Until recently, the options for easy mocktail recipes has been rather limited, but thanks to a growing category of products, there’s never been a better time to explore the world of non alcoholic cocktails. Here, the Cheeky Cocktails  crew have put together a collection of six classic cocktails, re-imagined to be accessible to those who want a tasty and well-crafted cocktail without alcohol.

Non-Alcoholic Mixed Drinks Are Challenging, On a Few Levels

Perhaps the most glaring deficiency with non-alcoholic cocktails, sometimes referred to as virgin drinks, is that they don’t contain alcohol. Ethanol is the specific type of alcohol, produced by fermentation, that humans are able to drink that produces an intoxicating effect. Ethanol also has a few key physical differences than water: it has a lower density, lower boiling point, and is a much stronger solvent than water.  This means that ethanol feels different on the palate and also carries flavors much more robustly than water. 

Enter: Non-Alcoholic Spirits

The past ten years has seen an explosion of products without alcohol that seek to replace or mimic the experience of alcohol-containing spirits like gin and whiskey. Within the category there are also products that do their own thing and offer an experience with no antecedent, but for now, we’re just going to focus on the ones that strive to provide a 1:1 experience with traditional spirits. 

Non-alcoholic spirits producers obviously can’t rely on the physical properties of ethanol to achieve their goals, but they do have a few tricks up their sleeves. Many use the exact same botanicals found in gin such as juniper and cardamom to mimic the aromatics found in spirits. Others use spicy elements such as capsaicin to recreate the “burn” from alcohol as well as glycerin and acids to enhance texture. Others do use alcohol in the process but then remove it via “reverse distillation,” leaving behind only flavor.

How to Incorporate Non-Alcoholic Spirits In Your Cocktails

When I was working as a bartender at the East Village neo-speakeasy, PDT, we were expected to be familiar with—if not outright memorize—hundreds of cocktail recipes. As I learned more and more recipes, I noticed patterns emerging. Many drinks, despite tasting completely different, were structurally similar to one another and it became easy to think about a new cocktail recipe as another-drink-but-with-a-difference instead of an entirely new piece of information. For instance, a Gimlet is a Daiquiri with gin instead of rum. 

This was colloquially referred to as the “Mr. Potato Head” method, referencing how the toy allowed you to mix and match features on the titular character. Traditionally this method was used to swap out spirits on existing drinks, gin for rum, whisky for tequila, and so on. 

Most non-alcoholic spirits are designed so that you can use this method to create delicious non-alcoholic cocktails without needing to modify an existing recipe. It’s always best to try this method first, but if you’re finding the resulting drinks too thin, try experimenting with less dilution or an increased measure of the non-alcoholic spirit. That said, the recipes here have been tested by the experts at Cheeky Cocktails HQ and meet their exacting approval.

One final note regarding the management of expectations. You should always strive to make drinks that taste amazing, but keep in mind that without the unique properties of ethanol, the drinks are going to be different. 

Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan was created in the 1980s by bartender Toby Cecchini and was popularized by the characters on Sex and the City. Instead of citrus vodka, we’re using a non-alcoholic gin for a Cosmopolitan riff that even the now-teetotaling Miranda can get behind. 

2 ounces Ritual Gin

3/4 ounce Cheeky 100% Lime Juice

 3/4 ounce Cheeky Cranberry Syrup

Garnish: Dehydrated Lime

Combine all cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with dehydrated lime. 

Spicy Margarita

 A piquant Margarita is a perennial crowd favorite. This version gets its heat from a bit of spice in the tequila replacement as well as from the Cheeky Habanero Hot Honey. 

2 ounces Free Spirit Tequila

1 ounce Cheeky 100% Lime Juice

1/2 ounce Cheeky Habanero Hot Honey

Garnish: Dehydrated Lime

Combine all cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with dehydrated lime. 

*Cheeky Lime Juice contains zero artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. 

* Cheeky Habanero Hot Honey is complemented with floral notes and a soft lingering heat, and diluted to a 2:1 ratio (wildflower honey to water) for easy pouring and mixability in cocktails.

French 75

Non-alcoholic sparkling wines have exploded in popularity in recent years and we no longer have to rely on cloying sparkling apple cider for a festive fizz. We use that to top this riff on a classic gin cocktail. 

1 1/2 ounces Ritual Gin

3/4 ounce Cheeky 100% Lemon Juice 

1/2 ounce Cheeky Simple Syrup

Top with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine

Garnish: Dehydrated Lemon

Combine all cocktail ingredients except for the wine in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with dehydrated lemon. 

*Cheeky Simple Syrup comprises solely all-natural cane sugar and water, and is made to a one-to-one ratio (equal parts sugar and water.)

Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is a classic whiskey sour riff that uses honey to add a layer of flavor to the mix. Here we use a bourbon replacement made in Kentucky that’s very faithful to traditional bourbon.

2 ounces Kentucky 74

3/4 ounce Cheeky 100% Lemon Juice 

1/2 ounce Cheeky Honey Syrup

Garnish: Candied Ginger

Combine all cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice and garnish with candied ginger. 

*Cheeky Honey Syrup is mixed at a 2:1 ratio, and made with Grade A Wildflower Honey

Mojito

The Mojito is a refreshing and super popular summer cocktail that’s known for being somewhat of a hassle to make due to muddled mint. Not a problem here since we’re using Cheeky’s mint syrup!

1 1/2 ounces Lyre's Cane Spirit

3/4 ounce Cheeky 100% Lime Juice

1/2 ounce Cheeky Mint Syrup

Top with chilled seltzer

Garnish: Mint

Combine all cocktail ingredients except for the seltzer in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Top with soda and garnish with fresh mint. 

*Cheeky Mint Syrup made from real bunches of Mint and all-natural cane sugar.

Espresso Martini

These days people can’t seem to get enough Espresso Martinis and here we can bring non-drinkers into the fold by replacing the vodka with a non-alcoholic spirit that contains notes of ginger and citrus. 

2 ounces Seedlip Grove

1 ounce Cheeky Espresso Syrup

Garnish: 3 coffee beans

Combine all cocktail ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with three coffee beans. 

*Cheeky Cocktails coffee selection and the addition of gum arabic (a mixologist-approved natural emulsifier) ensure you’ll get a proper crema each time you shake, and best of all, you only need to mix two ingredients to make the perfect Espresso Martini at home

 About the Author:

John deBary is an award-winning bar expert, author, and cocktail consultant with over a decade of experience in the New York City bar scene. He's the author of two cocktail books, a freelance journalist, and a judge for the L.A. Spirits Awards. He was named one of Wine Enthusiast's 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in 2020.