Winter Holiday Mocktails

'Tis the season for family gatherings, friendly parties, and business get-togethers to celebrate the holiday season. Along with good times and great food, alcohol is often part of the mirth and cheer of these holiday parties.

Drinking and driving is an issue all year round, but it's especially prevalent during the holidays. Coupled with the inclement weather, drinking and driving can turn the joy and happiness of the holidays into a tragic time of year.

So if you're hosting a holiday party, consider these delicious non-alcoholic alternatives when serving your guests. Not only will they help prevent drinking and driving, they offer an opportunity to showcase your creativity as a party host.

Candy Cane Punch

Ingredients:

This recipe makes serves 4

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 16-ounce can orange juice
• concentrate
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 6 hard peppermint candies
• 4 peppermint candy canes
• Ginger ale

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients except candy canes and ginger ale in blender.
2. Blend until candies liquefy.
3. Divide evenly between 4 tall glasses.
4. Top with ginger ale.
5. Stir gently to mix.
6. Serve with peppermint candy canes as stirrers.

Cardinal Punch

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 10

• 1 quart cranberry juice
• 1 pint orange juice
• 2 lemons squeezed or 2 ounces
• lemon juice
• 4 quarts ginger ale

Directions:

1. Combine juices with ice and chill.
2. Pour into punch bowl over a block of ice and add ginger ale.
3. Garnish glasses with mint sprig.

Tips:

• Add a few scoops of orange sherbet.

Cherry Daiquiri

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 10

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup cherry juice, from canned cherries
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 quart seltzer or ginger ale

Directions:

1. Blend sugar and juices.
2. Cover and chill.
3. Before serving, add seltzer or ginger ale combine juices with ice and chill.
4. Pour into punch bowl over a block of ice and add ginger ale.
5. Garnish glasses with mint sprig.

Tips:

• Add a few scoops of orange sherbet.

Frosty Mocha

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 16

• 1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream, softened
• 8 cups coffee, chilled
• 1 pint half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 square semi-sweet chocolate, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. With mixer at low speed, beat ice cream and 3 cups of coffee until smooth.
2. In chilled 5-6 quart punch bowl stir ice cream mixture, half and half, almond extract, salt and 5 cups coffee until blended.
3. Sprinkle top of punch bowl with grated chocolate and cinnamon.

Fruit Fizz

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• club soda
• grated lemon rind or splash lemon juice

Directions:

1. Add juice to a shaker of cracked ice.
2. Shake, strain into cocktail glass or tumbler, top with club soda.
3. Garnish with lemon or lime twist.

Garnet Spritzer

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cranberry-apple juice
• 2 ounces white grape juice
• club soda

Directions:

1. Pour juices over ice in large wine glass.
2. Add a splash of club soda.
3. Garnish with slice of lime.

Jack Frost

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle Pina Colada mix
• 1 quart softened vanilla ice cream
• 1 quart pineapple juice
• 2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime Soda

Directions:

1. Mix in blender.
2. Freeze.

To serve:

1. Put 2 scoops in tall glass
2. Pour in lemon-lime soda or ginger ale
3. Garnish with pineapple or maraschino cherry.

Laurel Libation

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons raspberries
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 ice cube

Directions:

1. In blender, puree raspberries and strain to remove seeds.
2. Whip puree in blender with milk, honey, and ice for 30 seconds.
3. Pour into a glass and decorate with fresh raspberries.

Mock Pink Champagne

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 10

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen grapefruit juice concentrate
• 1 bottle (28 ounce) chilled ginger
• 1/3 cup grenadine syrup

Directions:

1. Mix sugar with water in saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Allow mixture to cool.
3. Add frozen concentrates.
4. Refrigerate.
5. At serving time add ginger ale and grenadine syrup.
6. Stir lightly.

Moette Punch

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 8

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup white grape juice
• 1 pint club soda
• Sugar
• 1 quart raspberry sherbet or ice

Directions:

1. Add soda to fruit juices.
2. Sweeten to taste.
3. Pour into punch bowl.
4. Add scoops of sherbet.

OJ Sparkle

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces orange juice
• 3 ounces lemon-lime soda
• 1 ounce maraschino cherry juice

Directions:

1. Blend ingredients and serve over ice in large glass.
2. Garnish with pineapple chunks or maraschino cherry.

Pineapple or Orange Eggnog

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 4

• 2 cups chilled pineapple or orange juice
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar or honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 egg or 2 egg yolks
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup cracked ice

Directions:

1. Combine in shaker or blender.
2. Shake or blend well.
3. Serve in large rock glasses.

Red Sparkler

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Tomato juice
• dash of salt, pepper, celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Tabasco sauce to taste
2. Shake well, serve in tall glass over ice.
3. Garnish with celery stalk.

Sea Breezer

Ingredients:

• 3 parts grapefruit juice
• 1 part cranberry juice cocktail

Directions:

1. Mix and serve over ice

Sparkling Fruit Slush

Ingredients:

This recipe serves 10

• 2 pints unsweetened pineapple juice
• x2 6 ounce cans pink lemonade concentrate
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients and freeze overnight.
2. Remove from freezer just before serving.
3. Stir well.

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