It’s mocktail hour, friends! The perfect sunshiny socal weather calls for a sweet zing of a refreshing beverage, while enjoying the beautiful temperatures. Celebrate the day with a mocktail! You get the delicious flavors and elegance of a cocktail, but without the cloudy mind. We love to add such elixirs to our menus for parties, baby showers, weddings, b’nei mitzvahs, birthdays and more. They make the kids feel like royalty and everyone gets something fun to sip on. We have some tried and true recipes in store for you from friends of Taste and Company and one from our very own collection. If you’d like to spike these recipes, we’ve added a recommendation below each drink. Try them out and tag @tasteandcompany to let us know what you think!

Fresh Garden Mojito

By Justin Renauld  | @Renauld_Bar_Creations

A twist on a classic, everything you need for a light refreshing summer drink right from your own backyard garden! This drink is all about the invigorating bold flavors that are so simply made for each other. You will be finding yourself making a second before the first one is even done!  

4 mint Leaves 
4 basil leaves 
2 cucumber slices 
1-2 lemon or lime wedge
.75 oz simple syrup 
Fill with Topo Chico mineral water

Instructions:

Muddle Mint, Basil, Cucumber and lemon in pint glass or shaker. Shake all ingredients with ice. Fine strain into glass over fresh ice and add simple syrup. Top off with Topo Chico Mineral Water and stir. Garnish with cucumber and herbs and lemon spritz.

Spike it: Add 1.25 oz of rum

Pretty in Pink

By Taste and Company | @tasteandcompany

A Taste and Company client favorite, the Pretty in Pink you’ll find shining at Bat Mitzvahs and Baby Showers all over town. This sweet fruity beverage will have your taste buds dancing on the beach.

2 oz orange juice
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz peach nectar
grenadine
pineapple wedge

Instructions
Mix orange, peach, and cranberry juices together over ice. Slowly poor grenadine over a spoon into the glass of juice for a red layering at the bottom. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

Spike it: Add 1.5 oz of vodka for the twist!

Cranky Sour

By Cristian “Cranky” Valenzuela | @crankymixology

A lovely summer evening beverage, with a perfect sweet / tart balance of blueberry and lemon and a complimentary herbal essence from the sage. A non-alcoholic Tanqueray provides the whimsy of gin without the alcohol, a cranky fairy’s favorite drink.

3 oz Blueberry Sage syrup
1.5 oz lemon juice
1 oz egg white substitute
1.5 oz Tanqueray 0.0 (non alcoholic gin)

Instructions

Pour the ingredients into a shaker dry, and give it a strong shake, then add ice and shake again vigorously to create a foamy texture. Pour into Coupe glass or Highball and garnish with sage and blueberries.

Spike it: Replace Tanqueray with 1.5 oz Gin and .5 oz St. Germain (with only 2 oz syrup, 1 oz lemon juice)

Pixie Sunset

By Melissa’s World Variety Produce | @melissasproduce

Don’t wait too long to try this one. Instead of the usual orange juice, it’s made with Ojai Pixie tangerine juice, so sweet and intensely flavored that this will be one of the best drinks you can have this spring—by summer Pixies will be gone.

1/4 cup Pixie tangerine juice 
2 tsp lime juice 
2 tsp grenadine 
1 1/2 oz sparkling water
Ice cubes
1 thin slice Pixie tangerine.

Instructions
Combine the tangerine juice, lime juice, and grenadine in a cocktail glass. Add sparkling water and ice cubes and place the Pixie slice on the rim.

Spike it: Replace sparkling water with tequila

Apple Ginger Cooler

By Chenoa O.

Appletini lovers might enjoy one of these fun and healthy mocktails. With a bit of apple cider and kombucha, you’ll be transported back to the cool weather of fall while you sip this remix in the summer heat.

3 oz apple cider
3 oz kombucha
1 tsp fresh pressed ginger root juice
squeeze of lemon
1-2 mint leaves

Instructions

Wet the rim of a glass with apple cider. Dip glass into cinnamon and sugar. Pour Kombucha into rimmed glass. Shake ginger root juice, squeeze of lemon, and apple cider in a shaker with ice. Pour the shaken mixture over the glass of the Kombucha and fresh ice. Garnish with fresh mint leaves for an ultra sensory experience. Or for a more autumn feel garnish with candied ginger and an apple slice.

Spike it: Add a shot of Bourbon, Rum or Gin

Chili Lime Pineapple Mocktail PITCHER

Making a something for a party? This sophisticated drink gives a zing of sweet heat to share with all of your friends at a party, or even a fun group trip to a park jazz night! Here’s a recipe for a full pitcher:

1 tbsp pink peppercorns
zest of 1 lime
2 jalapenos or serranos sliced
3 cups fresh pineapple juice
½ cup sugar
Salt
9 cups sparkling water

Instructions

Crush peppercorns, and place in a jar with lime zest, chilis, pineapple juice, sugar, and salt. Mix till sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill till flavors are infused, for best results, over night for 8-12 hours. Strain and mix with soda water 1:4 ratio ( ¼ cup mix to ¾ cup sparkling water). This recipe makes 3 quarts.

 Spike it: Add a shot of smoky mezcal to each glass.

We hope you try out these delicious mocktails or reach out to request them for your next catered event in Los Angeles with Taste and Company! We’re always at your service.