Stocking a mocktail bar at home doesn’t have to mean splurging on pricey spirit-free liquors.

Local holistic nutrition consultant Blair Horton—whose nearly 365,000 Instagram followers come to @holisticrendezvous for a steady stream of zero-proof drink recipes—prefers simple, fresh ingredients such as tea, fruit, and herbs, usually served in a fancy glass. Horton avoids gluten and drinks coffee and alcohol only rarely, instead creating “everyday elixirs” (the name of her forthcoming book) with functional benefits and no boozy downsides.

“I don’t want my mocktail to be something I have to have because I’m not having a drink,” says Horton, who mixes her gorgeous viral beverages (think: spritzes layered with ripe persimmons and sage or virgin Pimm’s Cups brimming with oranges, strawberries, cucumber, lemon, and ginger) from her RiNo home. “To me, we’re taking out the alcohol, but we’re adding so many other good things, so it’s actually cooler than a cocktail.”

Here, her go-to elements—most of which are easy to find at grocery stores or local apothecaries—for next-level mocktail-making.

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6 Ingredients To Keep in Your Mocktail Bar at Home

A pink mocktail from @holisticrendezvous
A mocktail by @holisticrendezvous. Photo by Sarah Banks

Teas

For the bases of her drinks, Horton often uses teas, which provide antioxidants, flavonoids (beneficial plant compounds), and astringency, aka that dry, puckering mouthfeel delivered by many red wines. Green tea supplies energy, chai aids digestion, and chamomile facilitates relaxation. Try Organic India teas, based in Boulder, or high-quality loose-leaf varieties.

Fresh Produce

The most nutrient-dense ingredients in Horton’s bar cart? Fresh fruits and veggies. For optimal health and sustainability benefits, Horton follows what’s in season. This time of year, look for kiwis, pomegranates, and citrus fruits such as blood oranges and kumquats.

Tinctures & Bitters

These concentrated herbal extracts—which can be made with or without alcohol—add depth of flavor and sometimes even a wellness boost. Horton likes Louisville-based WishGarden HerbsLiquid Bliss Mood Elevator, a blend of passionflower, damiana, cacao, and hawthorn.

Milk & Honey

Horton adds a touch of honey to most elixirs, which sweetens them without adding color. Coconut milk is her go-to creamy element, thanks to its neutral flavor, healthy fats, and penchant for not separating.

Herbs & Roots

Stock functional plants like digestion-friendly ginger, allergy-fighting nettles, vitamin C–rich hibiscus and rosehips, and antioxidant-laden butterfly pea flower, which turns purple when exposed to citrus. Shop fresh and dried herbs at spots like Cherry Creek’s Apothecary Tinctura or Balanced Root Apothecary in Capitol Hill.

Garnishes

Dress your mocktail for an occasion by serving it in a beautiful glass, creating a zero-waste rim by blending citrus zest with sugar or salt, and topping it all off with a slice of dried fruit. “That always makes it feel really elevated to me,” she says.


4 Pieces of Equipment To Keep in Your Mocktail Bar at Home

  1. Muddler
  2. Jigger
  3. Blender
  4. Strainer

Horton’s pro tip: Blitz fruit in a blender and strain out the solids for homemade juices.


Mocktail Recipes From @holisticrendezvous

A yellow mocktail from @holisticrendezvous
NA Ginger-Pineapple Fizz by @holisticrendezvous. Photo by Sarah Banks

NA Ginger-Pineapple Fizz

  • 1 oz. ginger honey syrup
  • 1 oz. pineapple juice
  • ½ oz. apple cider vinegar
  • 2-3 oz. sparkling water

Combine the ginger honey syrup, pineapple juice, and apple cider vinegar in a glass. Stir to combine. Add ice and top with sparkling water. Stir gently before serving. (Garnish with a sprig of rosemary for an aromatic touch.)

Self-Love Lemonade

  • 1 green tea bag
  • 4 oz. hot water
  • 2 oz. lemon juice
  • 2 oz. rose syrup
  • Pinch salt
  • Sparkling or still water

Pour hot water over green tea and let steep for five to 10 minutes. Combine with lemon juice, rose syrup, and a pinch of salt. Stir and add either sparkling or still water; pour over ice. (To add color, make indigo tea ice cubes by steeping butterfly pea flower tea, letting it cool, and freezing it in ice molds.) Add dried rose petals to coarse sugar for a stunning rim.

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This article was originally published in 5280 February 2025.
Riane Menardi Morrison
Riane Menardi Morrison
Riane is 5280’s former digital strategy editor and assistant food editor. She writes food and culture content. Follow her at @riane__eats.