Mocktails: for those who want the glamour of a cocktail but without the hangover

Drinking a cocktail any day of the year is a dangerous activity, as risky as bungee jumping or swimming with sharks. After all, putting a mixture of high-octane alcoholic liquids into your bloodstream is a gamble that can have all sorts of consequences if you get carried away. In summer, this drinking pastime can be much more dangerous. Heat, thirst, dehydration and too much free time can turn starting the evening with just one dry martini into a bold test of derring-do and that same someone can then end up with the hangover of a lifetime.

For those who doubt themselves - or they simply don't want to drink alcohol - there has long been the mocktail craze. The term itself is indicative of what we are talking about. Mock means mockery or imitation. The mocktail is a mock cocktail - all the glamour of the cocktail mixer without the alcoholic sting in the tail. "Many people, more and more, are opting for this choice. For example, pregnant women, people with medical issues, or cultural or religious values, but also children. The truth is that cocktails are one of the most inclusive branches of the world of flavours, so we can adapt to the client's taste", explains Koke Morán, director of the Escuela de Coctelería de Madrid - yes, this is a professional training school for bartenders. This centre, in addition to providing professional bartender courses, has begun to offer classes on how to make these mocktails.

Until the mocktail craze broke out, the only non-alcoholic cocktail on every menu was the San Francisco, a mixture of orange, lemon, pineapple and grenadine juices topped with a cherry and orange slice. In total, an average of 180 calories. This cocktail, however, was almost a source of derision for some experts. "It's relevant, like any other classic, but if a group of friends go to a cocktail bar and all order alcoholic cocktails except one, who orders a San Francisco, they're likely to tell them to order a real one."

The mocktail has arrived to avoid this one-stop offering for those who wish to avoid alcohol for whatever reason(s). Watermelon and mint mojitos, blueberry and basil mojitos, strawberry and basil lemonade or peach and mint iced tea are just a few examples. Some mocktail recipes are simple and effective. For instance, the Little Pink Pearl requires lime juice, pink grapefruit juice and a spoonful of horchata in a shaker. These are then stirred vigorously and served in a glass half full with ice and a slice of grapefruit.

The non-alcoholic mojito is not complicated at all. To make it you just need a lime, fresh mint leaves and a spoonful of brown sugar. After crushing them all to mix well, add a large dose of crushed ice and finish by filling the glass with soda or a similar fizzy drink.

One of the typical prejudices about non-alcoholic cocktails is that they necessarily involve drinking a large dose of sugary juices. According to Koke Morán, this is due to certain prejudices towards the so-called tiki cocktails. This term refers to those mixes inspired by places such as Polynesia or Hawaii and which are made with rum but also with tropical juices. "Now, for example, you can make classic cocktails with 0% distilled spirits. They are becoming very fashionable and it is surprising to learn that, for example, the price of 0% gin is often higher than that of classic gin", says Morán.

Having a mocktail - also known as a virgin cocktail - doesn't have to mean missing out on the experience of a strong drink. "For people who have never drunk alcohol before, enjoying a perfectly presented mocktail with its spectacular garnish can be quite an experience. There is a certain hedonism in enjoying such a drink and this is, inevitably, personal. The sophistication does not depend on the spirits used but on the experience, the preparation, the presentation and other components," says the director of the Escuela de Coctelería de Madrid.

In addition, opting for one of these mixtures allows you to avoid facing the rite-of-passage test facing one of the most hedonistic tiki cocktails: the Zombie. The recipe for a zombie is pure dynamite. It includes five different rums (in some cases with brandy or absinthe) accompanied by a splash of grenadine and grapefruit juice. Just reading about it is enough to give you a hangover.

Little Pink Pearl . This drink is prepared with lime juice, pink grapefruit juice and a tablespoonful of horchata. The ingredients are mixed in a shaker or glass and then served with plenty of ice and a slice of grapefruit.

Alcohol-free mojito . To make it you need the juice of a whole lime, fresh mint leaves and a spoonful of brown sugar. After crushing everything together to blend the flavours, add ice to fill the glass halfway and top up the rest with soda.