Easy low-alcohol cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks for summer

Having a range of drinks on offer at end-of-year gatherings can help everyone feel included.

Here's our round-up of non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails that use less alcohol.

Non-alcoholic drinks 

Mojito mocktail

"One of the rare cocktails not lost in translation is the mojito, which is more dependent on the deliciousness of lime, mint and ginger than on the flavour of rum," writes Tim Grey. Here is his recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 massive amount of mint leaves
• 5 limes
• 1 ginger beer, to top
• 1 sparkling water

Method

1. Juice your limes into a cocktail shaker or jar.
2. Loosely tear the mint leaves and throw them in the shaker, and gently muddle with a mixer or spoon. Shake, but unenthusiastically.
3. Load up a glass with ice and pour over your limey, minty liquid. Top up with a half-and-half mix of soda water and ginger beer (if you've got a sweet tooth, just use the ginger beer).

Pro tip: For some next-level business, add a dash (and I mean a very, very small amount) of smoky Habanero hot sauce to truly bring this mocktail into balance.

Strawberry and ginger shrub

Refreshing fruit-based sodas can be made up to a month in advance. This recipe is flexible and you can use other water-based fruits such as berries, melon and citrus. Serve with soda water and ice. 

Lemon drop mocktail

This simple recipe from Alice Zaslavsky has just three steps, including a lemon zest and sugar crust for the rim of your glass. Use Meyer lemons if you can find them.

Sparkling ginger coffee with lime

Offer your guests (or yourself) an icy pick-me-up with this combination of cold brew and ginger beer from Hetty Lui McKinnon. "This is the ultimate thirst-quencher, with the added appeal of caffeine," she writes. "A cold coffee with soft drink vibes." Option to use decaf cold brew if you prefer.

Low-alcohol cocktails

Sherry cobbler for a crowd

This classic cocktail needs only a few ingredients and you can adjust the recipe to make individual drinks or a pitcher so guests can serve themselves. 

It uses Amontillado sherry, which winemaker Angus Raddon says "cuts through the sweetness of fresh fruit and makes it super refreshing." It's also an affordable option, with a decent bottle costing about $20. 

Aperol float

Why have an Aperol spritz when you can have an Aperol spider instead? 

"Aperol's an interesting ingredient because it has all the hallmarks of a spirit, but it's not actually that high in alcohol," writes Tim Grey. "Sitting at 11 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume), it's less heady than most glasses of red, and about half the alcohol you'll find in its cousin, Campari." Here is his recipe: 

Ingredients

• 1 scoop ice cream of choice
• 50ml Aperol
• Blood orange soda

Method

1. Heat your scoop (or spoon) under hot water and make your best quenelle of ice cream. Dump in your prettiest glass.
2. Pour over 50ml of Aperol, and top with blood orange soda. Be careful here — it's going to bubble.

Rosemary and bitters mimosa

If you find the combination of sparkling wine and orange juice a little too sweet, give Tim Grey's version a try, where he adds "something herbal, something savoury, and something acidic."

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of champagne or sparkling wine (budget dependent)
• 4 oranges
• 1 lemon
• Dash of bitters
• Rosemary sprig

Method

1. Because you're an epicurean and wouldn't dream of buying juice that's been boiled at super-high temperatures, thus ruining its flavour, squeeze four oranges to make some juice.
2. Take your tallest, fanciest champagne flute and fill it half with fizzy wine, half with OJ. Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice over the mixture — you don't need much as your oranges are already acidic.
3. Roll your sprig of rosemary around in your hand, bruising the leaves to release some of its delicious oils. Add a few drops of bitters (Australian, if you can find them), then swizzle the entire concoction with your rosemary sprig. Swig.

To reduce health risks associated with drinking alcohol, check out the Australian guidelines.