With a few key ingredients you can blend up crowd-pleasing drinks and mocktails. Often mocktails remove the alcohol and add a load of sugar, but you don’t have to overdo the sugar. This way you can enjoy your non-alcoholic drinks all night long without the sugar spikes.

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Depending on the time of day and the occasion, you will be looking for different types of drinks. A hot afternoon requires good hydration, where as during the early evening you might be looking for something that curbs your appetite without ruining your dinner.

The key ingredients for non-alcoholic drinks

Colour

We can enjoy a range of colours from fruit and vegetables, which can be enjoyed blended, chopped, sliced or as edible decorations. Chilled teas and tisanes also offer a wonderful range of natural colours. Coloured glassware is also an option.

Fizz

Sparkling mineral water, soda water and tonic water all provide bubbles. But also have still water on hand, because after a couple of non-alcoholic glasses of bubbly, your guests might be looking for a change.

Chill

People prefer their drinks at different temperatures from room temperature to frozen. This is where a few simple options can meet most guests’ requirements, from a jug of fruit water, to a spritzer with ice and a frozen fruit blend for those who like a really cold drink. Having ice on hand is the key here, especially in warmer weather.

Substance

By substance I mean how filling or satisfying a drink is. A fruit smoothie presents well as a mocktail. You can choose between dairy, nut, cereal and soy milks. You may wish to add natural yoghurt, which goes well in banana and berry smoothies.

Flavour

Flavour is a combination of all of the above. Sweet and sour flavours can be obtained from a combination of fruits, tonic water and also herbs and spices. The temperature of a drink also affects the flavour.

Presentation

It is a party, so presentation ideally matches the event. A combination of tall glasses, tumblers and champagne flutes will add variety. Fruit, sliced cucumber or a small sprig of fresh herbs adds interest too.

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Five simply stunning non-alcoholic drinks

#1 Still water or coconut water

Works well with

• Sliced citrus.
• Mixed berries.
• Pineapple and lime.
• Sliced cucumber and lime.
• About ¼ fruit and ¾ water.
• Prepare in a jug and serve in a tumbler.

#2 Tonic water or sparkling water

• Sliced citrus.
• Prepare and serve in a tall glass. A simple classic.

#3 Chilled iced tea

Try these combinations

• Green or white tea.
• Mint tisane with sprigs for fresh mint.
• Fruit tisane with sliced or chopped fruit.
• Prepare in jugs and serve in a tall glass.

Always read the instructions for brewing your green tea, as it can become bitter if left too long. You might like to add about 1 teaspoon of honey per litre of green tea.

It best to prepare the teas the night before and add the fruit and herbs just prior to the event.

#4 Fruit smoothie

Smoothies are best blended fresh.

• Usually ¼ fruit and ¾ milk is fine – add a sprinkle of turmeric and cinnamon prior to blending for additional colour and flavour.
• If you are adding yoghurt, then you might decrease the amount of milk. Add ¼ ice to the mix to thicken the smoothie if you are not using yoghurt.
• Prepare in a blender and serve in a champagne flute.

#5 Frozen fruits

• Mango, watermelon, rockmelon and honeydew melon are easy to combine with ice and blend.
• Blend about half ice and half fruit.
• Prepare in a blender and serve in a champagne flute.

With so many different fruits, teas and tisanes you can create a variety of non-alcoholic drinks without added sugar. Always taste your drinks prior to serving as the sweetness of the fruits varies. Also try the drinks with varying amounts of added ice as this alters the flavour too. With a little creative flare you will be serving non-alcoholic drinks that everyone will love.