Does the idea of getting through the holidays without a glass of boozy eggnog or a shot of rum in your cider make you want to hurl yourself out of a one-horse open sleigh?
While a glass of bubbly may encourage a festive spirit, it’s likely making your peri/menopause symptoms worse. Alcohol is bad for your heart, turns up the heat on your hot flashes, and can make your insomnia and sleepless nights worse.
Mocktails are having a moment, and for good reason. They’re vibrant, they’re artisanal, they offer a flavor sensation without the inebriation. Plus, they allow everyone, including friends and family who don’t or can’t drink, to get into the spirit. It's cool to be sober curious.
"The nonalcoholic drink scene is thriving right now," says Tawny Lara, author of the upcoming book Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without Booze. "More restaurants offer nuanced mocktails beyond the virgin piña colada."
Want to bring something sober to the party other than flavored seltzer? Lara recommends nonalcoholic IPAs and wheat beers from Wellbeing Brewing.
"You can also make a zero-proof margarita with Ritual’s tequila alternative," she says. "If you want to try something totally different, Three Spirits makes functional beverages that contain botanical extracts and herbal aphrodisiacal blends."
We asked Natalie Battaglia from The Mindful Mocktail for recipes to send your taste buds into a winter wonderland, hangover not included. 
Photo credit: The Mindful Mocktail
Cherry Burst
Ingredients5 cherries roughly chopped
1 lime, quartered
6-8 mint leaves
1 cup soda water
Sweetener of your choice to taste (optional)
Method
Place chopped cherries and lime in a glass. Add a little sweetener if using. Muddle together for about 1 minute. If you don't have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon. The idea is to get it small enough to fit though a straw. Clap mint together in your hands a few times to release the scent and add to the glass. Give the mint a gentle press with the muddler. Add ice and top with soda water. Garnish with lime wheels, mint and/or extra cherries.
Link to recipe
Photo credit: The Mindful Mocktail
Pomegranate Fizz
Ingredients
2 oz pomegranate juice
Half a lime, cut in wedges
6-8 mint leaves
250 mls regular or diet ginger ale
Pomegranate seeds
Method
Place lime wedges and pomegranate juice in a tall glass. Muddle until all the juice has been pressed out of the lime. If you don’t have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon or similar. Clap mint leaves together in your hands a few times to release the scent and add to the glass. Give the mint a gentle press a couple of times with the muddler. Add plenty of ice to the glass and top with ginger ale. Stir well. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, mint and lime.
Link to recipe.
Watermelon Crush
Ingredients
1 cup diced watermelon25 mls lime juice
10 mint leaves
Splash of apple cider vinegar (optional)
Method
Muddle watermelon, lime and optional apple cider vinegar in a shaker or mason jar until all the juice is released from the watermelon. If you don't have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon. Clap the mint leaves together in your hands to release the scent and add it to the watermelon mixture. Give the mint a gentle press with the muddler. Add a few ice cubes, replace the lid and shake well. Strain into a small ice filled glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and extra mint.
Note: if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can blend the watermelon, lime, apple cider vinegar and mint together, then strain into an ice filled glass.
Link to recipe
Glowing Green
Ingredients
Ingredients 2-3 cms grated ginger
3 cms grated cucumber
1 tablespoon lime juice
6 mint leaves 125 mls sparkling water
125 mls regular or diet ginger beer
Method
Muddle ginger, cucumber, and lime in a bowl. If you don't have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon. Clap the mint leaves together in your hands to release the scent and add it to the ginger mixture. Give the mint a gentle press with the muddler. Strain mixture into a glass and add ice. Top with half ginger beer, half sparkling water. Garnish and serve.
Link to recipe
“Providing alcohol-free options means that everyone can be included in the celebration,” says Battalgia. “And to that, we say 'Cheers and happy holidays!'
By Lindsay Goldwert
Lindsay Goldwert is the content director for Stripes.
