Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. Many people sacrifice things like junk food, soda, and alcohol for 40 days until Easter Sunday. If you are one of the people sacrificing alcohol, you can opt for mocktails instead!

Mocktails – cocktails without alcohol – have been popular for years and are part of the emerging sober-curious lifestyle being adopted by more and more people. In our blog on the rise of non-alcoholic options, you can learn more about this trend and how it impacts the bev alc market.

Let’s dive into some delicious mocktail options that can help quell your thirst while staying true to your Lent sacrifice! Also – with it being National Margarita Day, we threw a few non-alcoholic margarita recipes in there too.

Spicy Citrus Herb Springtime Marg Mocktail

Ingredients

• 3 oz. lemonade/limeade
• A splash of OJ
• 1 small Persian cucumber (muddled)
• 1/5 jalapeno (muddled)
• ¾ oz. agave syrup
• A pinch of salt
• A crack of black pepper

Directions

Shake with ice, strain out any solids (from the muddling), and garnish with lemon peel, a slice of jalapeno and a slice of cucumber.

Source: Fintech’s very own Matt Lalli!

Non-Alcoholic Margarita

Ingredients

• 5 c. limeade
• ½ c. fresh-squeezed orange juice
• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 cups Toco Chico sparkling water or club soda
• Lime wedges for garnish
• Ice

Directions

Step One: Combine limeade, orange juice, and lime juice in a pitcher or punch bowl. Add salt. Stir until combined and salt dissolved.

Step Two: Top with sparkling water or club soda. Add ice.

Step Three: Serve in salt-rimmed glasses (if desired) with a lime wedge for garnish. Feel free to garnish with additional seasonal fruits or herbs.

Source: Southern Living

Blackberry Virgin Mojito

Ingredients

For Mint Syrup:

• ½ c. packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. water

For Mojito:

• 1 c. blackberries
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• ½ c. lime juice
• Ice
• 2 12oz. cans of seltzer
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Directions

Step One: In a small pot using a wooden spoon or using a mortar and pestle, crush mint leaves. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let boil 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then strain out mint leaves, pressing with a wooden spoon to help release all liquid.

Step Two: In a small bowl, add blackberries and sugar, and using a wooden spoon, crush blackberries until broken down.

Step Three: Divide blackberries between 4 glasses and add 2 tablespoons simple syrup and 2 tablespoons lime juice to each glass. Fill glasses with ice and top off with seltzer, then garnish with mint.

Source: Delish

Virgin Pina Colada

Ingredients

• 1 10oz. bag frozen pineapple chunks
• 4 large scoops of ice cream (about 1 cup_
• 1 c. coconut milk
• ½ c. pineapple juice
• Pineapple wedge, for serving
• Maraschino cherry, for serving

Directions

Step One: In a blender, blend together frozen pineapple, ice cream, coconut milk, and pineapple juice.

Step Two: Divide between glasses and garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.

Source: Delish

Thai Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 4 c. water
• ½ c. Thai tea mix
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• Ice
• Sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Step One: Bring water to a boil. In a larger picture, combine boiling water, Thai tea mix, and sugar. Let steep 15 minutes.

Step Two: Strain tea using a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the tea leaves to extract all of the liquid. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

Step Three: When ready to serve, pour tea over ice and add 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each class.

Source: Delish

Virgin Raspberry Mango Margarita Slushies

Ingredients

For the Mango Layer:

• 2 c. frozen mango
• ¾ c. coconut water
• ¼ c. lime juice
• 2 tsp. honey

For the Raspberry Layer:

• 2 c. frozen raspberries
• ¾ c. coconut layer
• ¼ c. lime juice
• 2 tsp. honey

Directions

Step One: Make the mango layer. Combine frozen mango, coconut water, lime juice, and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth, then fill each glass halfway full.

Step Two: Make the raspberry layer. Combine frozen raspberries, coconut water, lime juice, and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth, then top off each glass with mixture.

Step Three: Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Source: Delish

Mocktails, Sober Bars, and More

You can make these mocktails at home or ask your favorite local establishment which mocktails they have on their menu. Most bartenders can concoct a few quality mocktail recipes using fresh ingredients. You can also look for sober bars in your area – establishments exclusively serving non-alcoholic options!

Fintech – Alcohol Management Simplified

Fintech is dedicated to helping businesses selling alcohol create efficiencies. Our automated alcohol invoice payment solutions allow you to free up time from tedious back-office tasks so you can focus on other areas of your business. That being said, we are constantly tuned into trends and other aspects of the bev alc space.

Check out our blog for other posts on trends, regulatory updates and more. Request a demo to learn more about how Fintech can streamline your alcohol invoice payment management.