Cigar Lover’s Guide to Mocktails

Cigar Lover’s Guide to Mocktails

Many of us overindulge over the holidays by spending gifts on the ones we love, eating many, and I mean many, cookies and delicious family meals, and having more cocktails than usual, but never smoking too many cigars, of course! For this reason, many folks use January as a month to start a new diet, hit the gym, cut back on spending, an,d of course, take some time off alcohol. Non-alcoholic spirits have been beyond popular in many large cities lately, even with the introduction of zero-proof spirits stores that sell a variety of botanical spirits, flavored bitters, and unique mixers, entire rows at the liquor store dedicated to non-alcoholic spirits and even entire sober establishments. One of the activities that goes hand in hand with smoking a great cigar is pairing it with a fantastic cocktail, though, so we have provided some mocktail recipes to use in place of your usual spirit but still enhance your smoking experience.

Instead of an Old Fashioned, try this swap for the Improved Old Fashioned

This recipe is credited to allthebitter.com and an easy and flavorful cocktail to craft!

Ingredients

•  1 ½ oz non-alcoholic whiskey

•  1 oz Three Spirit Nightcap

•  3 dashes All The Bitter Orange bitters

•  1 barspoon cinnamon syrup

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir 15-20 seconds.

2. Strain into a rocks glass over one big ice cube, garnish with an expressed orange peel.

3. Enjoy!

Nothing beats a good negroni, but instead you can try a NAgroni

This recipe is credited to simplyrecipes.com and is a bold and flavorful take on a traditional nagroni.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Monday Zero Alcohol Gin

• 1/2 ounce Blutul Rosso Vermouth

• 1/2 ounce Ghia Non-Alcoholic Aperitif

• 1/2 ounce Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters

• 1/4 ounce simple syrup

• Orange twist, for garnish

Directions

• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass half-filled with ice, and stir until chilled.

• Strain and pour over ice in a chilled rocks glass or Old-Fashioned glass.

• Garnish with an orange twist.

• Enjoy!

For the caffeine lover, try out this zero proof Espresso Martini

The recipe is credited to Seedlipdrinks.com and will give you that flavorful energy boost to accompany any cigar-smoking experience.

Ingredients

• Seedlip Spice 94: 2 oz

• Cold Brew Concentrate: 2 oz

• Sugar Syrup: ½ oz

Glass & Garnish

• Coupe

• Garnish w/ three Coffee beans

Directions

• Add Spice 94, Cold Brew Concentrate & Sugar Syrup to a shaker.

• Add ice & shake.

• Double strain into a coupe glass.

• Enjoy!

For those of us who enjoy a fruitier drink like rum punch, you can try this delicious zero proof punch

This recipe is credited to seirhill.com and is a great zero-proof fruity rum punch that will deliver on sweet and sour in full force.

Ingredients

• 2.5 oz of Seir Hill's Biscane

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• 1 orange

• 1 lime

• 1/4 oz grenadine

• Cherries for garnish

• Ice

Directions

• Start by cutting your orange and lime in half. You'll need 1 oz of fresh orange juice and 1/4 oz of fresh lime juice. Juice half of each fruit and use the other half to create a cheerful garnish for your drink. 

• Add the Biscane, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, and grenadine into a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake thoroughly until the mixture is cold throughout. 

• Add fresh ice to a hurricane glass or other drinkware. Strain the Biscane and juice combination into the glass. 

• Use cherries, orange slices, and lime slices to garnish your finished mocktail. You can even freeze them to keep

At brunch instead of your Bloody Mary, try out a Virgin Mary

This recipe is credited to soberish.com and is a great starter to any brunch or tailgate!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp celery salt

• Tsp black pepper

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp garlic powder

• 3 Tbsp horseradish

• 1/4 cup Worcestershire

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• Tobasco (or valentina) to taste

• 46 oz tomato juice or Clamato

Directions:

• Mix all in old wine bottle or 750ml glass bottle

• Prep Your Glass: Rim your glass with salt or tajin. You can do this by adding a little bit of lime juice to the rim or water can also do the trick in a pinch.

Garnish and Serve: Pour the mixture into the prepared glass. Garnish with a celery stalk, lemon wedge, and olives. Sip and enjoy the spicy, tangy goodness!

The mojito is a refreshing drink to pair with a cigar

This recipe is credited to lyres.com and is a refreshing drink to pair with a cigar!

Ingredients

• 2.5 oz Lyre's White Cane Spirit

• 1 oz lime juice

• 0.5 oz white sugar syrup (1:1)

• 8-10 mint leaves

• 30mL premium bottled soda water

Directions

• Add all ingredients into glass, fill with fresh cubed ice, stir, add soda

• Pour into a highball glass

• Garnish with lime wheel, plump mint sprig

• Enjoy!

NA Beer is nothing new in the world of non-alcoholic beverages, but what better NA beers to recommend than the 2024 winners from The Great American Beer Festival that was held in Denver, CO this past July. Each of these beers won the gold award in their category:

• Pale NA Beer: NARC IPA by Resident Culture

• Amber to Dark NA Beer: NA Dark by Fremont Brewing

• Specialty NA Beer: Patagonia Provisions NA Kernza Golden Brew by Deschutes Brewery

Pre-Made Mocktails

If you are not looking to craft your own mocktails, many zero proof brands have made it easy for you with a mocktail in a can/bottle so there is no need to get all the ingredients. We like Curious Elixers (https://curiouselixirs.com/collections/cocktails) with their Non-Alcoholic Smoked Smoked Chocolate Cherry Old Fashion and Non-Alcoholic Spicy Pineapple Ginger Margarita to name a few options. Another great option is one of the many flavors offered by Mingle Mocktails. They even sell a variety pack so you could try out a few options. https://www.minglemocktails.com/collections/shop-all

Either way, with you are doing a “dry” January, are looking for a different option or prefer to stray from alcohol all together due to the lingering hangovers, these mocktail recipes will allow you to enjoy that cigar of yours with a flavorful drink without the booze.