6 Sizzling Summer Mocktails for your BBQNothing sets the mood for a BBQ like the drinks you serve. Never mind beer and cider, find new ways to impress your guests this summer by throwing a few alcohol-free cocktails together to really bring the day to life.
But, at Wise Bartender, we don’t want you to spend hours in the kitchen when you’ve got friends and family to entertain, which is why these cocktails are delightfully simple to throw together but equally delectable all the same. Because we truly believe that with a cocktail shaker and a cocktail strainer, you can achieve amazing things.
Classic Margaritas
The classic Margarita is refreshing, rewarding and just right on a warm summer's day, especially when it is paired with the meatier elements that go hand in hand with a barbecue. Margaritas are not only the perfect way to add a touch of class to your social gatherings, they also bring the chill.
After all, it’s difficult not to relax into a state of holiday bliss when you have a tall glass of citrusy seduction in your hands.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces Fluere Agave Alcohol Free Tequila Spirit
- 2 ounces Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Orange Sec Spirit
- 1 ½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- Coarse sea salt
- Lime wedges to garnish
Recipe:
- Dip the rim of your glasses in lime juice then into your sea salt
- Set aside
- Combine the tequila, triple sec and lime juice in a cocktail shaker or stir thoroughly in a jug
- Place a few ice cubes in each glass
- Strain the margarita over the top
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Watermelon Daiquiri
What says ‘it’s summer’ more than a watermelon sugar concoction?
Give your guests what they want and serve Watermelon Daiquiris with your barbecue to deliver a burst of refreshment and hydration that’s hard to beat. It’s juicy, it’s joyful and it’s musical. You could even say it tastes just like a song. With this recipe at your fingertips, you can’t go wrong
Ingredients:
-
50ml Myth White Cane Coconut Alcohol Free Spirit
-
25ml Three Spirit Alcohol Free Spirit - Livener
- 10ml fresh lime juice
- 2 cups of watermelon cubes
Recipe:
- Mix the watermelon, rum, Three Spirit and lime juice in a blender until smooth
- Serve immediately
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tip top tipple advice: For an extra pop of flavour, dip the glass in lime juice and again in dusting sugar
Traditional Shandy
Ask anyone who loves a barbecue and it’s quite likely their chosen drink pairing of choice will be beer. There may be a debate surrounding whether they really want a beer, or whether it’s stout, ale or even IPA they prefer, but we’ve found beer tends to be pretty standard. So why not give this pub delicacy a refresh and spice it up with a citrus addition.
If you’ve not sampled a traditional shandy before then you might be wondering how on earth citrus flavours blend with beer, but breweries have been including fruit in their beers for decades. This fan favourite was invented in 1850 and the spectacular flavour it creates has helped earn its place as a beloved British beverage. So why not whip up a batch at your next barbecue and let the fresh feeling wash over your guests
Ingredients:
-
50% UNLTD. Alcohol Free Lager
- 50% Lemonade
Recipe:
- Pour the beer into a glass until halfway full
- Top with lemonade
Frozen Jell-Y Shots
Now you might be thinking, ‘Jello shots? At a barbecue? Are you quite mad?’ But hear us out on this one. Although you typically see these sour staples at American house parties on TV and probably never envisioned yourself slinging them back at a humble British barbecue, they can hold their place.
Just think about it for a second; it’s midday. The sun is high in the sky. The heat is sweltering. The ice in your drinks is melting. As much as you want it to, a cold beer just isn’t hitting the spot anymore. Then, once you’ve thoroughly stuffed your face full of burgers, someone brings out little cups of frozen flavour that you can down in one go to cool off.
Almost like one of those fancy pre-desserts you see at banquets on TV. Except these are a whole lot easier to make.
Ingredients:
- 90g agar jelly powder
- 10ml CleanCo Clean W Whisky Alternative Alcohol Free Spirit
- 50ml boiling water
Recipe:
- Chill the Whisky Alternative in the freezer
- Combine the jelly mix and boiling water in a jug until the powder has dissolved
- Add the chilled whisky alternative
- Pour into a large tupperware tub
- Leave to freeze in the freezer
- Remove the frozen mixture and transfer to a blender
- Blend until broken up/slushie texture
- Pour into shot glasses
- Serve immediately
Tip top tipple advice: It can be fairly difficult to freeze jelly that contains gelatin so vegan alternatives like agar jelly are better for making frozen jello shots
Lively Lemonade
We’re going to be a little bit cheeky and give you the ultimate cheat drink for hosting a large group of guests; pour a pitcher of lemonade and serve it with fruit packed ice cubes. Fruit ice cubes are so easy to make and, unlike other cocktails, can be made the day before and left in the freezer, ready to whip out at a moment’s notice - and you can sip on any leftovers once the BBQ is over.
You can make fruit ice cubes using almost any type of fruit or herb: strawberries, blueberries, watermelon cubes, orange, kiwi, mint, lemon. You can make ice cubes for individual fruits or mix and match them together. You can throw them all in a pitcher or leave them in a chilled bowl and let your guests dive in and choose their own combinations. The choice is entirely up to you.
However, we would recommend keeping ice cubes that have common allergens like strawberry and kiwi separate from the rest.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Plenty of fruit of your choice
- Lots of Lemonade
Recipe:
- Wash the fruit and cut them into smaller pieces
- Add the fruit into your ice cube moulds
- Fill the remainder of the moulds with water
- Leave to freeze overnight
- As your guests arrive, pour a large pitcher of lemonade
- Either add the cubes to the pitcher or leave for self selection on the side
- You might wish to keep them in the freezer as they’ll melt quickly on a hot summers day
Tip top tipple advice: Try spiking your ice cubes with a dash of AF liqueur to liven them up even more. You’ll want at least 5 parts water to 1 part liqueur to ensure they freeze properly.
Boozy Bubble Tea
This one’s for the evening. For that time in every barbecue when the evening chill has begun to set in and the craving for something caffeinated and hearty begins. Instead of whipping out the coffee machine and serving something hot, which will inevitably feel too heavy following the immense amount of food consumed, why not serve something chilled? Something smooth. Something akin to those moreish iced coffees that make you feel warm and glorious on a hot day. But with a Taiwanese twist.
This is the Boozy Bubble Tea.
Ingredients:
- 150ml iced coffee
- 50ml milk
- ½ cup brown sugar/tapioca boba pearls
-
25ml Lyre's Non-Alcoholic Coffee Liqueur
- Ice cubes
Recipe:
- Add the boba pearls and ice to a tall glass
- Stir in the iced coffee, coffee liqueur and milk
If you need any more inspiration for serving excellent alcohol-free drinks at your BBQ this summer, check out Wise Bartender’s wide selection of pre-mixed cocktails, beers and ciders, as well as our non-alcoholic spirits & mixers.
