
Celebrate Valentine’s Day With A Special Mocktail
Whether you’re a fellow member of the IRS (AKA the “In Recovery Squad,” which I founded just now), don’t like to drink, or want to celebrate the holiday with your little “sweethearts” (kids) too, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a fancy drink on Valentine’s Day. There are so many great non-alcoholic cocktail (or “mocktail”) recipes out there these days that can make a festive addition to any special occasion.
But a romantic occasion like Valentine’s Day calls for something extra special, don’t you think? After scouring the internet, I ended up with a collection of 6 recipes that would be ideal as Valentine’s mocktails. (As someone with a February birthday, I wouldn’t say no to one on that occasion either!)
6 Valentine’s Mocktails That Anyone Can Enjoy

1. Brazilian Strawberry Limeade
Ingredients:
- 4 smooth, thin-skinned limes, cut into chunks
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups cold water
- 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pound strawberries, pureed
- Ice
- Light corn syrup (optional)
- Red sugar (optional)

Directions:
- Mix sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.
- Add half of the sugar water and half of the limes to a blender. Pulse the mixture 5 times. Then pour the lime & sugar water mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the pitcher you will be serving from. Repeat with the other half of the sugar water and limes.
- Mix the sweetened condensed milk and pureed strawberries into the sugar water and lime mixture.
- Pour a bit of corn syrup into a bowl and a some red sugar into another bowl. Lightly dip the top of each glass into the corn syrup and then immediately into the red sugar. Make sure not to get too much corn syrup on the glasses or it will run down the side of the glass.
- Serve with ice and garnish with strawberry and lime slices.

2. Ombre Papaya Mocktail
Adapted from Handmade Mood
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups papaya nectar, chilled
- 12 oz seltzer water, chilled
- 4 teaspoons grenadine
- 4 glasses
- Light corn syrup (optional)
- Purple and pink sugar (optional)

Directions:
- Start by making a simple syrup. Mix the water and sugar in a small pot and heat over medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to thicken. Set aside to cool.
- Pour a bit of corn syrup into a bowl and a some colored sugar into another bowl. Lightly dip the top of each glass into the corn syrup and then immediately into the colored sugar. Make sure not to get too much corn syrup on the glasses or it will run down the side of the glass.
- Put 1/2 cup papaya nectar in each glass.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup to each glass.
- Fill the rest of the glasses with seltzer water.
- Add a teaspoon of grenadine to each glass.

3. Virgin Sangria
Adapted from Not the Nanny
Ingredients:
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 pound strawberries, thinly sliced
- 8 oz raspberries
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup white grape juice
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1 cup seltzer water, chilled

Directions:
- Mix everything except the seltzer water in a large pitcher and chill for two hours.
- Add the seltzer water just before serving.

4. Fizzy Sorbet Mocktail
Ingredients:
- Lemon Sorbet
- Raspberry Sorbet
- Mango Sorbet
- Cookie Dough Scoop or Small Ice Cream Scoop
- Sprite or Seltzer Water

Directions:
- Fill a glass 3/4 of the way full with Sprite or seltzer water.
- Add mini scoops of sorbet to the glass. I scooped my sorbet onto a cookie sheet and refroze them so they would maintain their shape a bit longer.

5. Blood Orange and Rosemary Mocktail
Adapted from The Juice Stand
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 rosemary sprigs, lightly bruised
- 1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice, strained and chilled
- 1 1/3 cups cranberry juice, chilled
- 2 cups cream soda, chilled
- Ice
- 4 glasses

Directions:
- Start by making a simple rosemary syrup. Mix the water and sugar in a small pot and heat over medium/low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to thicken. Add the rosemary sprigs, remove from heat and cover. Set aside to steep for 1-2 hours.
- Fill each glass with ice. Add two tablespoons of the rosemary syrup.
- Add 1/4 cup blood orange juice, 1/3 cup cranberry juice, and 1/2 cup cream soda to each glass.

6. Mexican Chocolate Mocktail
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups almond milk, chilled
- 4 glasses
- Light corn syrup (optional)
- Red sugar (optional)

Directions:
- Add the sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and water to a small pot and whisk together. Heat on medium/low until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled a bit put it in the refrigerator until it is chilled.
- Pour a bit of corn syrup into a bowl and a some red sugar into another bowl. Lightly dip the top of each glass into the corn syrup and then immediately into the red sugar. Make sure not to get too much corn syrup on the glasses or it will run down the side of the glass.
- Mix the almond milk with the chilled chocolate mixture.
- Pour into your sugar topped glasses.
Mix up one (or all 6) of these Valentine’s Day mocktails for ALL the “sweethearts” in your life!
More Sweet Ideas For Valentine’s Day
- In the mood for romance, or a sweet treat you can share with the fam? Here are some other Valentine’s Day ideas to consider:
- A Romantic Valentine’s Dessert For Two
- Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Valentine’s Day Sour Cream Cookies
- “Valentine’s With Jillee” Playlist (all my favorite love songs!)
- A Valentine’s Day Dinner For The Whole Family
Do you have a favorite mocktail recipe?