13 Mocktails to try if you want to go alcohol-free this summer

Hi cocktail lovers! I'm really excited about this week's post because I'm sharing a cocktail topic that I've personally been getting more and more interested in - alcohol-free cocktails, aka mocktails. I *love* cocktails because they feel special. They are something that is different than drinking regular old tea, lemonade, soda, they are often served in way cuter glasses, and they can give you a gentle relaxation (or not so gentle if you pick something with a higher ABV to sip on.) But sometimes I'm not really feeling like drinking alcohol yet I still want something special to sip on. And I must not be the only one that feels this way because there are a bunch of exciting brands with alcohol-free cocktails, like my favorite - Curious Elixirs - brands with mocktails that utilize alcohol alternatives to still deliver that gentle relaxation, and brands that are making straight up awesome flavor combinations that just happen to be booze-free, all hitting the market. I have tried a few of them so far and I can't wait to try more.

To help us all navigate this exciting alcohol-free cocktail landscape I've created a cheat sheet for us.

Here is a list of some of the mocktails I'm excited to try this summer.

1. Curious Elixir - I keep coming back to Curious Elixirs because they are so close to being a cocktail that it blows my mind. The flavors are complex and interesting. The drinks themselves are really pretty and very worthy of your prettiest cocktail glasses. And they even check the relaxation box. Curious Elixirs have set my mocktail bar pretty high so I'm curious to see if any of these others can match them
   SHOP CURIOUS ELIXIRS HERE >>
   
   
2. Kin - I have not tried Kin yet but it seems to pop up a lot on my social feeds and I'm intrigued. They have a couple of canned mocktails that sound really tasty and two mocktail mixes including Dream Light which is an alcohol-free night cap to help you sleep. That definitely sounds like something I want to try.
   SHOP KIN HERE >>
   
   
3. Hiyo - I really want to try Hiyo! It contains my very favorite stress reliever, ashwagandha, and they describe their drinks as a "float" which sounds delightful to me. I could use more relaxed, floaty moments this summer!
   SHOP HIYO HERE >>
   
   
4. Psychedelic Water - This one is "the world's first legal psychedelic blend of kava root, damiana leaf and green tea leaf extract for a mild mood-boosting experience" which of course piques my curiosity. I have no idea what to expect from Psychedelic Water but it's a trip I'm interested in taking. 😉
   SHOP PSYCHEDELIC WATER HERE >>
   
   
5. Prima Pavé - If you know me, then you know I don't do wine. It gives me the worst headache and I've sworn it off for good. BUT this alcohol-free sparkling wine from Italy might be right up my alley and I can't wait to order some for my next girls' night.
   SHOP PRIMA PAVE HERE >>
   
   
6. Free Spirit - This one is super interesting. Free Spirit is alcohol-free liquor created by cocktail lovers. You can use their spirits as a direct replacement for liquor in the cocktails you mix up or you could even do half Free Spirit, half regular liquor for a less boozy cocktail option. I love the versatility of this and I'm thinking I might want to try Free Spirit in my Bartesian cocktail making machine.
   SHOP FREE SPIRIT HERE >>
   
   
7. Bonbuz - This is another alcohol-free spirit line. They have two unique spirits - the Bonbuz OG and the Slowburn - that each have specific flavor profiles. So instead of these being direct spirit replacements like Free Spirit, these are more like flavored cocktail mixes with extra mood boosting properties added in - I think. Worth a try?
   SHOP BONBUZ HERE >>
   
   
8. Soul Spirits - Speaking of alcohol-free spirits, Soul Spirits is a mocktail subscription box. Each box contains everything you need to make awesome, bar-worthy, booze-free cocktails at home including premium alcohol-free spirits. This is such a fun way to still have the mixology experience without the alcohol.
   SHOP SOUL SPIRITS HERE >>
   
   
9. Aurora - I'm not sure what to make of this one but I wanted to include it in the list because it is interesting. This is a sparkling hemp and hops beverage. I'm guessing it might be more like a beer because of the hops but with flavors like Rosemary Grapefruit they sound like cocktails. If you've tried this one, let me know what you think.
   SHOP AURORA HERE >>
   
   
10. Moment - Moment is described as "drink your meditation." It is free of caffeine, sugar, and artificial flavors, it contains my favorite ashwagandha, and they have a ton of unique flavors so I want to give this one a try. The meditation angle sounds a little wacky but I'm always up to give things a try. :)
    SHOP MOMENT HERE >>
    
    
11. Aura Bora - Aura Bora has been on my mind since I first saw them on Shark Tank. Their flavors are so unique that I'm sucked in already. Combine that with cute packaging and I'm all the way in. These are more on the sparkling water side rather than a mocktail - but with flavors like Lemongrass Coconut, they sound like a cocktail to me and it definitely passes the "fancy" test.
    SHOP AURA BORA HERE >>
    
    
12. Free Rain - Free Rain is another sparkling water but this one includes adaptogens to kick up the benefits. They have four versions, one for calm, one for focus, one for arousal, and one for energy. It is a cool idea so I'm adding them to the list for all my sparkling water fans.
    SHOP FREE RAIN HERE >>
    
    
13. Recess - This one is another sparkling water this time with adaptogens AND hemp that focuses on delivering calming benefits which checks the relaxation box on my mocktail search. I did try a Strawberry Rose Recess a few weeks ago and wasn't sure what to make of it. I'd like to try another flavor or two specifically the zero-proof margarita.
    SHOP RECESS HERE >>

Do you know of another booze-free option I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments.

And a bonus summer mocktail essential I'm obsessed with:

As an avid canned cocktail lover, I am obsessed with my YETI can insulators. They keep all of my drinks so cold and it makes them easier to hold. I have a slim can insulator in seafoam but they just came out with the cutest pink color so now I need that color too, probably in the regular can size.

If you love to drink anything canned outside during hot weather, I cannot recommend these enough. There is a reason YETI is so well known for keeping things cold.

Until next week, cocktail lovers! Cheers!!

SHOP PAPER STRAWS // SHOP SWIZZLY STICKS™ 

Note: We hope you enjoy our reviews. If you do decide to purchase these cocktails online using the links provided we may collect a small share of the sale.

Photo by ShengGeng Lin on Unsplash