As the holidays approach, the topic of alcohol becomes even more applicable. Whether you avoid alcohol for personal reasons, such as your beliefs or you have a medical basis for abstaining, it can be difficult to get through the holidays and participate fully when you don’t drink alcohol.
Heath Reasons You Might Need to Avoid Alcohol
There are many medical reasons that you might want to avoid getting toasted during your next toast. From a health perspective, it’s important to note that alcohol stimulates food cravings, causes dehydration, and can even cause a spike and then drop in blood sugar. People who drink alcohol before or during meals tend to eat up to 30% more calories. This means that if you currently have a weight loss goal, drinking alcohol can seriously undermine your efforts.
Thankfully, there are some alcohol-free alternatives you can enjoy throughout the holiday season that will help you enjoy the festivities without feeling deprived. To do that successfully requires a little bit of planning ahead and a quick trip to the grocery store.
Stock Your Pantry
Here are some great options for you to have on hand, allowing you to toast without getting toasted this holiday season:
Classic Ingredients For Mocktails:
When you want a little something to add a kick to your drink without the effects of alcohol, consider keeping these on hand. If you are able to find ingredients without high fructose corn syrup, which is known to produce obesity, those would be preferred. Otherwise, limit your intake of the more sugary options or opt for sugar-free selections.
- Ginger Ale: This is a carbonated drink that is flavored with ginger. It is ideal to use as a mixer but can be consumed on its own.
- Grenadines: This is made from pomegranates and is a sweet syrup, perfect for mixed drinks. It has a distinctive flavor that is said to be both sweet and tart. It also adds a vibrant rich red color to your drink.
- Tonic Water: This bubbly carbonated water is lightly sweetened and contains quinine. It is both sweet and sour, making it an interesting addition to a variety of drinks.
- Club Soda: This is carbonated water with an added kick of minerals. The result is a lightly sweet or salty flavor.
- Fruit Juice: Adding Pomegranate, Cranberry, Cherry, Orange, Lime, etc. juice to a mixed drink will incorporate color and flavor, helping you feel like you are still participating during the evening’s toast.
- Apple Cider: As the perfect holiday addition to a mixed drink, you can add a dash of apple cider. This is an unsweetened and unfiltered beverage that is made from apples.
- Fresh Fruit for Garnishes: Adding frozen raspberries, sliced strawberries, sliced oranges, etc. or other fresh fruit is yet another way to spruce up a drink when you want to avoid alcohol. Not only will this add flavor and color, but you can also incorporate a bit of texture into the mix as well.
- Sparkling Water: This also comes in flavors, which makes it a great addition to cocktails.
- Sparkling Grape Juices: This version of grape juice is drier and less sweet than traditional grape juice. It is concocted from white grape juice. The higher-end version of sparkling grape juice even features natural carbonation. The grape juice sets to ferment in this case, creating a bit of carbonation.
- Mulled or Spiced Cider: Mulled cider creates a sweet cider that is heated with citrus fruits and spices. Mulled means to flavor, sweeten and heat. Spiced cider in the same way is sweetened through this process. Both make a great addition to mixed drinks.
For Creamier Options:
When you want something a little creamier, or even warmer, for the cold weather consider the following options for the upcoming holidays:
- Eggnog: This drink can be served chilled and sweetened and is dairy-based containing cream, egg yolks, milk, and whipped egg whites.
- Flavored Creamers: This is a great addition to a warm drink like tea or coffee. It can be non-dairy and add a variety of flavors.
- Coffee: Of course, the stand-by favorite drink of the winter is coffee, so this also makes a good toasting beverage with your preferences of flavors added in.
- Chocolate Syrup: As a consistent favorite, you can add a dash of chocolate syrup to a variety of drinks to create a bit richer offering.
- Crushed Peppermint-Peppermint Sticks: Perfect for the holidays, you can add either peppermint sticks or crushed peppermint to a variety of drinks.
- Sherbet: Primarily found in citrus flavors, a scoop of sherbet makes a great topper for punch or mocktails with a scoop.
Mocktail Recipe Recommendations
Now that we have considered some ways to alter drinks with non-alcoholic ingredients, consider the following recommendations for great drinks that you can sub out for your next holiday toast:
- Cranberry Fizz: Combine Cranberry Juice with either Club Soda or Ginger Ale.
- Apple Pomegranate Mocktail: Combine Grenadine with either Apple Cider or Cranberry Juice and Apple Cider. Add mint, lime juice, pomegranate juice, and Canada Dry.
You Can Toast Without Getting Toasted
Consider all the tips listed above to create a few fantastic go-to drinks you can enjoy throughout the holiday season. Even without getting toasted, you can still enjoy the season of frequent toasts and hold your glass up proudly to celebrate a variety of events.
