The Expert Tip For An Alcohol-Free Cranberry Sunrise

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Mocktail recipes are perfect for when you'd rather not imbibe but still want something that feels a little extra festive. They're especially key for when you're entertaining and have guests who prefer to skip the booze. The most foolproof approach is to learn non-alcoholic analogs for classics. For example, we looked at how to ditch the alcohol but still enjoy a tequila sunrise. A standard tequila sunrise recipe includes orange juice, grenadine, maybe some lime juice, and tequila. Without the tequila, you still have a tropical refresher, but what are some ways to riff or build on that? We asked Kaitlyn Stewart, author of the upcoming cookbook "Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips," how she would introduce new flavors like cranberry to balance the drink's sweetness and tartness with some bitterness.

While there's a standard recipe for a cranberry sunrise mocktail utilizing cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon-lime soda, Stewart admits, "I'm not sure if I'd call that a mocktail or just a juice and soda. I think there are better, more unique ways to elevate the cranberry sunrise to make it feel more like a spirit-free offering." Essentially, we drink mocktails because we want something more exciting than juice or soda, so a good mocktail incorporates elevated ingredients. "A cranberry shrub, fluffy orange juice, or even the addition of a spirit-free tequila would be a nice improvement," Stewart says. These are all ways to introduce balanced flavors and intriguing textures to the cranberry sunrise.

Per Stewart's advice, non-alcoholic tequila like Ritual Zero-Proof Agave Spirit Alternative is the quickest way to turn a cocktail into a mocktail while maintaining its status as something a bit more complex than juice and soda. To stay more strictly along the lines of a cranberry sunrise (with no tequila), try that cranberry shrub instead of just juice. All you need to know about shrubs is that they are beverages made from a fruit or vegetable with sugar and vinegar. Here, you'd let cranberries sit overnight in sugar until the latter has pulled out the former's juices. Then, mix that with your vinegar of choice, such as red, white, balsamic, or apple cider. A cranberry shrub would give the sunrise complex sweetness, tartness, and acidity from that vinegar.

The "fluffy" orange juice Stewart mentions is simply orange juice tossed into your blender for a few seconds, which aerates it and creates a dreamy citrusy foam. This would level up your cranberry sunrise with serious textural dimension. Alternatively, Stewart suggests trying "an acidified orange juice and a spiced homemade grenadine. But a proper grenadine made from pomegranate." To make this proper grenadine, simply combine pomegranate juice and sugar over heat until you have a syrup. In addition to acidity or texture, heat can be used to mimic that of standard tequila. "Try adding just a dash of jalapeño Tabasco to your non-alcoholic sunrise," Stewart advises. Or, use those syrup-making skills to craft an upgraded simple syrup with jalapeños or chili peppers.