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5 Thanksgiving Mocktails To Make This Year

By chef Henry

These festive Thanksgiving mocktails bring seasonal flavors to your table with pomegranate, apple cider, cranberry, and warming spices. Each non alcoholic drink is easy to make and tastes just as complex as any cocktail!

Pomegranate mocktail

Last Thanksgiving, I watched the non-drinkers at the table sip on water while everyone else clinked glasses of festive drinks. It struck me how often we overlook creating a special drink without alcohol. Especially with my interest in the Mediterranean diet lifestyle: this year, I’m changing that!

I’ve spent the past few weeks perfecting these Thanksgiving mocktails, and these are so delicious that even Alex has been choosing them over his usual bourbon. These aren’t just “juice in a fancy glass” like some mocktails I’ve tasted: each drink has layers of flavor that make them taste celebratory and complex!

My Top Thanksgiving Mocktails

Easy Pomegranate Mocktail

My personal favorite, this easy pomegranate mocktail stars pomegranate juice for a bright red color and sweet-tart flavor, and apple cider vinegar that adds a complexity that makes it taste intriguing. Topped with spicy ginger beer and a salt rim, it's perfect for parties.

Apple Cider Mocktail

Another star non aloholic drink is this apple cider mocktail! The apple cider is sweet and tangy, the ginger beer adds bubbles, and muddled mint and lemon add aromatic notes. The best part is the cinnamon sugar rim: it has a little salt too, which is so satisfying!

Thanksgiving Punch

This Thanksgiving punch is vibrant and tastes irresistibly light and fruity! Pomegranate juice, fresh lemon and orange juice, and soda water make magic in this drink that’s perfect for serving a crowd.

Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail

Often mocktails can taste like glorified juice, but this festive cranberry mocktail tastes bubbly, sweet tart and delicious with only three ingredients! This ginger beer mocktail has a hint of spicy complexity, and you can muddle in a little rosemary for a sophisticated finish.

Mulled Cider

Maybe it's not technically a mocktail but this non alcoholic drink is one that everyone loves! Infused with mulling spices like cinnamon and cloves, everything is better with a mug of mulled cider on hand. You can make it on the stove or in a crock pot with mulling spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Tips for Serving Mocktails at Thanksgiving

After hosting several Thanksgiving gatherings, I’ve learned a few tricks that make everything run more smoothly:

  • Prep ingredients ahead: Juice your citrus and rim your glasses the morning of Thanksgiving. This way you can assemble drinks quickly when guests arrive. Each mocktail recipe above has advanced prep tips in the recipe.
  • Set up a mocktail station: Put out the ingredients with a simple instruction card so guests can make their own drinks.
  • Use pretty glassware: Serve mocktails in the same beautiful glasses you’d use for cocktails.
  • Garnish is key: Fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, cinnamon sticks, and citrus wheels make these drinks look as good as they taste.

What to Serve Alongside

These mocktails pair well with traditional Thanksgiving fare and some lighter appetizers before the main meal. I think they’d go well with:

For more Thanksgiving inspiration, check out my guides for 25 Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers and 60 Best Thanksgiving Recipes.

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Easy Thanksgiving Mocktail

Pomegranate mocktail
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This easy Thanksgiving mocktail combines sweet-tart pomegranate juice with lime and ginger beer for a delicious non alcoholic drink!

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Mocktail
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces 100% pomegranate juice
  • 2 ounces ginger beer
  • ½ ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Flaky sea salt, for rimming
  • Lime wedge and wheels, for rimming and garnish
  • Pomegranate arils, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prepare the glass by running a lime wedge around the rim. Dip the rim into a plate of coarse salt to coat. Fill the glass with ice.
  2. In a cocktail shaker or small measuring cup, combine the pomegranate juice, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine. Pour the juice mixture over the ice in the prepared glass.
  3. Top with ginger ale and gently stir once to combine.
  4. Garnish with fresh pomegranate arils and a lime wheel if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Pitcher of 8 servings: In a pitcher, mix 2 cups pomegranate juice, ½ cup lime juice, and 2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate until serving. When serving, pour 2 ½ ounces pitcher into a glass and top with 2 oz ginger beer.

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