Get in the Holiday Spirit with these Mocktails

December 13, 2018

With the holiday season in full swing, festivities with friends and family are likely abundant. These events are a great time to bond with friends and family. But they often include alcoholic cocktails, which can make them tricky to navigate if you’re a woman who’s not quite ready to announce her pregnancy.

We’ve got you covered with these simple “mocktail” recipes. Mocktails are non-alcoholic drinks that are a mixture of fruit juices and soft drinks. Because fruit juices and soft drinks may be high in sugar, even these delicious libations should be consumed in moderation during pregnancy.

Sparkling Cape Cod Mocktail

This traditional cranberry cocktail is easy enough for a novice bartender to get right the first time.

You will need:

4 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces club soda or lemon-lime soda
Ice cubes
Lime slices, for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour the cranberry juice over the ice. Top with the club soda or lemon-line soda. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Bay Breeze Mocktail

This sweet concoction is beautiful and tasty. The shaken pineapple gives the drink a frothy top. Bay breezes are traditionally made with vodka, but this non-alcoholic version is just as delicious.

You will need:

5 ounces cranberry juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
Ice cubes
Lime slice, for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour the cranberry juice over the ice. Top with a splash of pineapple juice. Pour the mixture into a shaker and shake for five to 10 seconds. Pour back into highball glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Lemon Basil Mojito

(adapted from TasteofHome.com)
Taste of Home offers this refreshing take on a classic favorite. Because it’s a little more involved, the lemon basil mojito is ideal to make if you are hosting a holiday get-together. Just put out a bottle of white rum or vodka for those who want an alcoholic version. With these clear liquors, you will keep your guests in the dark on which version you’re enjoying.

You will need:

1-1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups fresh basil leaves, divided
Crushed ice, divided
2 bottles (1 liter each) of club soda
Fresh lemon wedges for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place half of the basil in a small bowl. With a pestle or wooden spoon, crush basil until its aroma is released. Stir into sugar mixture until it becomes syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Strain; refrigerate until cold.

Place 2 cups crushed ice and remaining basil in a four-quart pitcher. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, press basil leaves against ice until their aroma is released. Stir in basil syrup and soda. Serve over crushed ice in tall glasses; garnish with lemon wedges.

Sangrita Roja

(adapted from FoodAndWine.com)
If you love a good bloody mary you are sure to enjoy a sangrita roja. This cocktail has a little bit of everything – it’s salty, sweet, tangy and spicy all at once.

You will need:

1-1/2 cups canned tomato juice
1/2 cup fresh celery juice (from 6 ounces of celery)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
1 table pomegranate molasses
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground toasted chiles de árbol, (from 3 chilies)
1/2 tablespoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk together tomato juice, celery juice, lime juice, orange juice, molasses, chiles de árbol, salt and pepper in a large container until salt dissolves. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

Prenatal Nutrition Through the Holidays

It’s important that you remain focused on your baby’s health, as well as your own, throughout the holidays. With the bustle of shopping, parties and other festivities, it’s easy to slip or not prioritize your nutritional goals.

But your baby’s growth and development doesn’t take a break for the holidays. The Prenate^® Vitamin Family offers a line of prescription prenatal vitamins that help fill nutritional gaps. These prenatal vitamins incorporate USP pharmaceutical-grade ingredients that provide quality and purity you can trust. Your vitamin and mineral needs increase and vary during pregnancy, so it’s important to consider your options for nutritional support at each stage. Ask your doctor whether Prenate^® Vitamin Family prenatal vitamins may be right for you.