‘Mocktails’ Help Keep Holiday Parties Merry and Bright
NEWS from AAA South Dakota, Dec. 26 – The annual Great Pretenders Mocktail Mix-off has produced another bumper crop of tasty alcohol-free beverages, just in time for holiday parties.
“Over the holidays, far too many traffic fatalities are the fault of drivers who have been drinking. These deaths are, for the most part, preventable,” said Mark Madeja, spokesman for AAA South Dakota. “Serving guests zero-proof mocktails not only slows down the rate of alcohol consumption for the drinker, they also give the non-drinker a fun, festive way to celebrate. Plus, kids love them.”
The following beverage recipes were chosen:
FIRST PLACE
“Dulce De Leche”
Blend:
½ cup caramel ice cream
2 oz. milk
1 oz. amaretto syrup
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cinnamon
Serve in a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a sprig of mint and dust with cinnamon.
SECOND PLACE
“Purple Heart”
Mix well:
3 parts pineapple juice
1 part cream of coconut.
Then, mix together:
1 part Pom juice
2 parts club soda
1 part of the first mixture.
Shake well and strain over ice.
If desired, garnish with fresh pomegranate and a mint leaf.
TIE – THIRD PLACE
“Melon Berry Rush”
Blend:
3 oz. Berry Blue Hawaiian Punch
3 oz. Red Bull energy drink
Add a splash of Monin watermelon syrup and garnish with watermelon sugar rock candy.
TIE – THIRD PLACE
“Bosa Nova, Driver Style”
Blend:
2 oz. acai juice
2 oz. guarana soda
1 oz. cardamom-infused simple syrup
¾ oz. passion fruit concentrate
¼ muddled lime
Fill glass (which has been chilled with white chocolate) and garnish with frozen, sugared blueberries, a floating star-shaped white ice cube and sprig of mint.
“Holiday Peppermintini”
Blend:
3 oz. French vanilla half & half
3 oz. whole milk
Splash of mint extract
Serve in a martini glass and garnish with any or all: crushed ribbon candy, piece of ribbon candy, traditional candy cane, strawberry jam.
“The Kiss”
Blend:
2 oz. sparkling grape juice
1 oz. ginger ale
Dash of cranberry concentrate
Dash of pomegranate syrup
Garnish with a carambola (star fruit) soaked in cranberry concentrate.
“Rococo Candy Cane”
Muddle:
6 mint leaves
1 Starlight mint
1 oz. simple syrup
Add:
6 oz. cranberry
Splash of soda
“Midnight Mistletoe”
Mix:
1½ oz. whipping cream
a large mint leaf
1 heaping scoop of white chocolate cappuccino mix
Add ice and fill glass with lemon-lime soda.
Top with red sugar and mint leaf and add a chocolate candy cane.
“A Berry Merry Christmas”
First, make the white chocolate rim mixture by combining:
2 cups of white chocolate morsels
1 T. shortening
Heat at 450 degrees until melted.
Then, rim a martini glass with this mixture.
Dust the rim with crushed candy cane Hershey’s chocolate.
Now, make the beverage by blending:
2 cups eggnog
1 cup strawberry mix
Dash of vanilla extract
Dash sweet and sour
Pour into white chocolate rimmed-glass that’s been filled with ice and add a sliced strawberry.
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