Strawberry Lemon Mint Spritzer (Virgin Cocktail)
I was grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s when I suddenly I locked proverbial eyes with a four-pack of sparkling strawberry juice sitting on the shelf.
And I swear, time slowed and the angels in mocktail heaven began to play their harps.
I stood there, slack-jawed and half in love–and more than a little surprised at myself!
I’m *not* actually a fan of overly sweet soda. Ew, right?
But I instantly saw some serious virgin cocktail potential with TJ’s strawberry sparklers!
(Personally, I want something herby or spicy or smoky or oaky to balance out the sweet in an alcohol-free drink—otherwise, I feel like I’m just drinking sugary mixed juice.)
So I went to my laboratory kitchen and got to work trying to imbue some freshness and liveliness to this otherwise meh canned strawberry juice.
And so was born the child of #NA angels: this nonalcoholic strawberry mint lemon spritzer.
In this case, fresh mint brings bright earthiness, and the bitter/tart taste of a fresh lemon balances the strawberry’s jubilant sweetness.
If you love strawberries and you’re looking for an “instant” cocktail with no alcohol, check this one out!
Nonalcoholic Strawberry Lemon Mint Spritzer (Mocktail)
Ingredients
- 1 can sparkling strawberry juice
- 1/2 lemon
- 6 mint leaves
- ice
Instructions
- Muddle mint and lemon.
- Add sparkling strawberry juice.
- Swirl or stir. Strain over ice. Garnish with a fresh strawberry to make it fancy!
Notes
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Mint Spritzer
I like my mocktails like I like my….chores. Easy!
Because if a nonalcoholic beverage is too fussy to make, I’m not gonna make it on the regular.
This strawberry lemon mint spritzer really delivers on the effort to payoff ratio; Trader Joe’s did the “hard work” of making the sparkling strawberry juice—and I just did the last little part of making it more adultish to drink.
(Because I’m sorry—but just because you don’t want alcohol, that doesn’t mean you should have to drink plain soda! We sober curious types want sophisticated, interesting drinks too.)
The only thing that would make this mocktail even more “instant” would be using mint extract in place of fresh mint. But if you do, you’ll lose all the fresh, dirt flavor from the mint that balances out the sweetness of the strawberry. I find that bottled mint is a little too “toothpastey” in mocktails (for the most part).
So, you’ll love this virgin spritzer because it’s
- Easy
- Fast
- Simple
- Refreshing
- Sweet
- Bubbly
- Tart
Remember to save the recipe for later to learn more, and be sure to follow me on Pinterest or Instagram!
What To Pair With This Strawberry Spritzer Recipe
This is a fruity and fun drink that—in my opinion—would go well with pizza. (Seriously. Have you ever had orange soda and pizza? It’s a counterintuitive match made in pizza heaven.)
But you could almost drink it with any kind of fun food—nachos, grilled cheese, a burger, maybe even something salty and greasy from your local Chinese place. I think this beverage would sit well on the menu of an American-style pub.
You also could sip it with some buttered popcorn while you’re watching a movie on family night.
Or serve it to friends on a summer afternoon when you’re sitting on the deck and laughing.
So much potential with this recipe!
What Kind of Glass Should You Use With This Spritzer?
My feeling about glassware is that you should use what you have on hand. Being un-fussy might make it easier to reach for a zero-proof cocktail than the “leaded” kind.
Ideally, you might want to serve this sparkler in a tall collins glass. A taller glass shows off the beauty of all those little bubbles dancing to the surface among the ice cubes.
But…
I opted for a shorter glass for my photos and videos, because me and collins glasses are not friends right now (they are fussy models who insist on being shot vertical, but the internet [and the human eye] skew horizontal). #PhotographerProblems. Getting a good photo of a collins glass is next on my list life achievements.
At the end of the day, drink your nonalcoholic beverages in the glass that makes you feel good about it. Maybe that means a champagne glass. Maybe stemless red wine. You do you, baby.
Looking for More Strawberry Mocktail Recipes?
Check these out!
Strawberry Limeade by AlphaFoodie. This is a “start from scratch” version that’s similar to my mocktail but asks you to muddle fresh strawberries and use club soda and a sweetener of your choice.
Healthy Strawberry Mocktail Spritzer by Haute & Healthy Living. This recipe blends ingredients in a magic bullet for serving a group.
Strawberry Mocktail with Mint by Girl Heart Food. Very similar to the above recipe by AlphaFoodie. Start with fresh ingredients, muddle and strain, etc.
Do you make strawberry mocktails regularly?
Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Lee
Disclosure: I may earn a small commission on purchases made from links on this site (I only link to products I would use). My family and I cannot thank you enough for your support of my efforts to spread the words about nonalcoholic beverages for adults!
