Holidays can be a bit challenging for the recovering alcoholic, especially if they have to attend a holiday party where alcohol will be served. One way to combat the awkwardness and temptation of drinking is to bring your own delicious non-alcoholic drinks to the parties. It’s not only a good idea, it’s also a great deal of fun to learn new recipes and try them out. Before long, your friends will be asking you to create delicious non-alcoholic drinks for them!
Holidays sure can be fun, but they can also be quite difficult for recovering alcoholics. There certainly are plenty of holidays to celebrate, including the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and so on. It’s plausible that just about every party you attend will have a fully stocked bar. The guests do not make it any easier for you as nearly each and every one of them will carry glasses of wine, mixed drinks, beer, and more. You will see party cups being refilled with bright cocktails and exquisite wines, which is sometimes the ultimate temptation.
If you are in recovery, you should not miss out on the fun during the holidays by declining to attend parties where your sobriety is guaranteed to be tested. Another effective way of solving this problem is to have some tasty recipes for non-alcoholic drinks that you can have at the parties you attend. Carrying your own nonalcoholic drink will help you feel better about the whole thing eliminate having to discuss the fact that you are not drinking. This makes it easier for non-alcoholics to still attend parties that serve alcohol and freely interact with the other party goers.
Here are some tasty non-alcoholic beverages that you can serve at parties:
Watermelon Strawberry Cooler
Here is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink that is quite easy to make. You will need a watermelon, strawberries, lime, chia seeds, mint leaves, and ice. To make two 8oz drinks, combine the following in a blender:
- 4 cups watermelon, cubed
- 1 cup strawberries
- Juice from ½ a lime
- 1.5 tsp chia seeds
- 6 mint leaves
- Ice
Blend the watermelon, strawberries, and lime juice and strain via a sieve. Add the chia seeds to the liquid and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes so that the chia seeds can swell. Place 3 mint leaves at the bottom of two glasses and add ice. Give the juice a good stir and then pour into the glasses and serve.
Sparkling Breakfast Punch
This simple punch is highly recommended for a holiday brunch to remember. Choose one or several juices to serve as the base of this punch. For example, you could use strawberry and orange or fruit punch. The juices should be first blended. After mixing the juices, add club soda and ginger ale immediately before you serve.
Fruit Loops
This cocktail requires 3 ounces of pineapple juice, one dash grenadine, one ounce of cranberry juice and one and a half ounces of orange juice. Blend all the ingredients thoroughly. The cocktail should be served on the rocks. For the fruit lovers, you can garnish the cocktail with an orange slice or a cherry, this is optional.
Blueberry Lemonade
Originally, this recipe includes gin, however, the non-alcoholic version drops the booze, but still maintains the awesome taste. To make this cocktail mix the juices of fresh blueberries and lemon with soda and mint. The drinkers at the party can still add the gin for the extra punch.
Go ahead and give these non-alcoholic drinks a try the next time you are hosting or attending a party. You do not have to feel left out when it comes to delicious drinks when you make your own. Continue to research non-alcoholic drinks and try out various recipes. That way, you’ll always have a few drinks up your sleeve for yourself and guests.
Image: Flickr