The Best Mocktail Recipes (Including a Few That Actually Lift Your Mood)

Somewhere along the way, mocktails got a reputation for being sad little virgin drinks -- a Shirley Temple for adults too polite to say they wanted something interesting. That era is over.

The sober curious movement has been building for years, and it's finally hitting a tipping point. More people are cutting back on alcohol -- not because they have to, but because they want to. Better sleep. Clearer mornings. Feeling present at the party instead of foggy the next day. The reasons are different for everyone, but the result is the same: people want a great drink that isn't beer.

And the drinks have caught up.

This is a collection of mocktail recipes that are actually worth making. Some are classics done right -- the kind you'd serve at a dinner party with zero explanation or apology. Others go a step further and use Good Mood Mix, our kava-based drink powder that adds a mild functional kick alongside the flavor. Those are the ones that feel a little different after you finish the glass.

We'll get into what makes kava interesting in a minute. But first, the drinks.

The Recipes

1. Blue Raspberry Coconut Cooler

This one tastes like a vacation. The Blue Raspberry Good Mood Mix is bright and slightly tart, and it plays perfectly against creamy coconut water and fresh lime. It's the kind of drink that disappears fast at a gathering.

What you'll need: - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Blue Raspberry - 8 oz coconut water - 1 oz fresh lime juice (about half a lime) - 1/2 cup ice - Sparkling water to top - Lime wheel for garnish

How to make it: 1. Add the Good Mood Mix packet to your glass and pour in 2 oz of the coconut water. Stir until the powder is fully dissolved -- this step matters, don't rush it. 2. Add the rest of the coconut water and the lime juice. Stir again. 3. Fill the glass with ice and top with a splash of sparkling water. 4. Garnish with a lime wheel. Drink immediately.

Pro tip: Chill your coconut water beforehand so you don't need as much ice. Less dilution, more flavor.

2. Strawberry Kiwi Mojito Mocktail

The mojito is one of the best mocktail templates in existence -- mint, citrus, and soda are a combination that works every time. This version uses Good Mood Mix Strawberry Kiwi to add a fruity layer that makes it feel more interesting than the standard recipe.

What you'll need: - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Strawberry Kiwi - 8-10 fresh mint leaves - 1 oz fresh lime juice - 1 tsp cane sugar (optional -- taste first) - Club soda - Ice - Fresh mint sprig and kiwi slice to garnish

How to make it: 1. Add mint leaves and lime juice to a glass. Muddle gently -- press and twist a few times, not pulverize. You want the oils released, not the leaves destroyed. 2. Pour in the Good Mood Mix packet and add 2 oz of still water. Stir until dissolved. 3. Pack in the ice and fill the glass with club soda. 4. Taste. Add the sugar if you want it a little sweeter. 5. Garnish and serve.

Pro tip: Use the back of a spoon to muddle if you don't have a muddler. Works just fine.

3. Citrus Ginger Sunrise

This one has some kick to it. Sunburst Citrus Good Mood Mix is bright and slightly tangy, and the ginger beer brings enough spice to make it interesting. It's the drink for people who say they don't like sweet drinks.

What you'll need: - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Sunburst Citrus - 4 oz ginger beer (not ginger ale -- the real stuff) - 2 oz fresh orange juice - 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice - Ice - Orange slice and candied ginger to garnish

How to make it: 1. Combine the Good Mood Mix packet with the orange and lemon juice in a glass. Stir until fully dissolved. 2. Add ice. 3. Pour in the ginger beer slowly -- it will fizz up if you pour too fast. 4. Garnish with the orange slice and a piece of candied ginger on the rim.

Pro tip: Fever-Tree ginger beer has the best flavor for this. The spice level is noticeable, which is the point.

4. Lavender Grape Relaxer

The most "wind down" drink in this collection. GMM Grape has a deep, slightly earthy flavor, and the lavender simple syrup deepens it further. This is the drink you make on a Friday evening when you're done with the week.

What you'll need: - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Grape - 1/2 oz lavender simple syrup (see tip below) - 4 oz sparkling water - 4 oz cold water - Ice - Lavender sprig to garnish

How to make it: 1. Combine the Good Mood Mix packet with the cold water and stir until dissolved. 2. Add the lavender simple syrup and stir again. 3. Add ice and top with sparkling water. 4. Garnish with a lavender sprig.

Pro tip: Lavender simple syrup is easy to make. Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stir until sugar dissolves, and let it steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the lavender and store in the fridge. It keeps for two weeks.

5. Watermelon Mint Smash

No kava on this one -- just a clean, refreshing classic that earns a spot on any summer spread. Muddled watermelon and mint, lime, and soda. Simple. Crushable.

What you'll need: - 1 cup fresh watermelon, cubed and seeded - 8 fresh mint leaves - 1 oz fresh lime juice - 1 tsp honey or agave - Club soda - Ice - Watermelon wedge and mint sprig to garnish

How to make it: 1. Add watermelon cubes and mint leaves to a shaker or sturdy glass. Muddle well until the watermelon breaks down into juice. 2. Add lime juice and honey. Stir to combine. 3. Pour over ice (strain if you want it cleaner). 4. Top with club soda and garnish.

Pro tip: Freeze extra watermelon cubes to use as ice. They keep the drink cold without watering it down.

6. Classic Virgin Paloma

The Paloma is arguably better as a mocktail than its tequila counterpart -- the grapefruit flavor stands completely on its own. This version leans into the bitterness with fresh grapefruit juice rather than a mixer.

What you'll need: - 3 oz fresh grapefruit juice - 1 oz fresh lime juice - 1/2 oz agave syrup - Pinch of salt - Sparkling water or grapefruit soda - Ice - Grapefruit slice and tajin rim (optional)

How to make it: 1. Salt or tajin the rim of your glass: run a lime wedge around the edge, then press it into a small plate of salt or tajin. 2. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and agave in a glass and stir. 3. Add ice and top with sparkling water or grapefruit soda. 4. Garnish with the grapefruit slice.

Pro tip: Trader Joe's sells a grapefruit sparkling water that works perfectly here if you don't have fresh grapefruit on hand.

7. Fruit Punch Good Mood Lemonade

This is the crowd-pleaser. Make it in a big batch for gatherings -- people will ask what's in it.

What you'll need (single serving): - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Fruit Punch - 6 oz lemonade (fresh or store-bought) - 2 oz sparkling water - Ice - Lemon slice and fresh berries to garnish

How to make it: 1. Pour the Good Mood Mix packet into a glass with 2 oz of the lemonade. Stir until dissolved. 2. Add the remaining lemonade and stir again. 3. Add ice and top with the sparkling water. 4. Garnish and serve.

For a big batch: Use 6 packets of Fruit Punch Good Mood Mix mixed into a 64 oz pitcher of lemonade. Stir well. Add ice directly to the pitcher and top with a 12 oz can of sparkling water right before serving.

Pro tip: If you're making the batch version, let guests pour their own and add their own ice. Keeps it from getting watered down as it sits.

8. Cucumber Basil Cooler

Clean, herbal, and a little unexpected. This one's for the person at the party who says they don't really like sweet drinks.

What you'll need: - 5 thin cucumber slices - 4-5 fresh basil leaves - 1 oz fresh lime juice - 1/2 oz simple syrup - Club soda - Ice - Cucumber ribbon and basil sprig to garnish

How to make it: 1. Muddle cucumber slices and basil leaves in the bottom of a glass. The cucumber should be fully broken down. 2. Add lime juice and simple syrup. Stir. 3. Pack with ice. 4. Top with club soda. Don't stir -- let it layer. 5. Garnish and serve.

Pro tip: English cucumbers have less water content and more flavor than standard cucumbers. Worth it here.

9. Watermelon Lemonade Refresher

Good Mood Mix Watermelon has a clean, summery flavor that pairs naturally with lemonade and a little sparkling water. This is the easiest recipe on the list.

What you'll need: - 1 packet Good Mood Mix Watermelon - 6 oz lemonade - 2 oz sparkling water - Ice - Fresh watermelon chunk and mint to garnish

How to make it: 1. Dissolve the Good Mood Mix packet in 2 oz of the lemonade. Stir until the powder is fully combined. 2. Add the rest of the lemonade and stir. 3. Fill with ice, top with sparkling water. 4. Garnish and serve.

Pro tip: Add a pinch of sea salt to the glass before you start mixing. It enhances the watermelon flavor and rounds out the sweetness.

10. Non-Alcoholic Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz became ubiquitous for a reason -- it's light, slightly bitter, and feels festive. This version uses non-alcoholic aperitivo (Ghia is a good brand) to keep that bitter orange character without the alcohol.

What you'll need: - 2 oz non-alcoholic aperitivo (Ghia or similar) - 3 oz sparkling water - 1 oz fresh orange juice - Ice - Orange slice to garnish

How to make it: 1. Fill a wine glass with ice. 2. Add the aperitivo and orange juice. 3. Top with sparkling water and stir once gently. 4. Garnish with the orange slice.

Pro tip: Don't skip the wine glass -- the shape matters more than you'd think. It affects how you smell the drink while you sip it.

What Actually Makes a "Good Mood Mocktail" Different

Here's the thing about regular mocktails: they taste great, but they don't really do anything. Which is fine. Not every drink needs to be functional.

But the Good Mood Mix recipes above are a little different because of what's in the powder: kava root extract.

Kava is a plant from the South Pacific that's been used ceremonially for centuries. The active compounds -- kavalactones -- interact with GABA receptors in a way that creates mild relaxation without sedation. No alcohol, no hangover, no next-morning fog. Just a gentle easing of tension that most people feel within 10-20 minutes.

The effect isn't dramatic. It's subtle. But it's real, and it's consistent. That's why we built Good Mood Mix around it instead of the usual vitamin and adaptogen stack that does approximately nothing.

More on how kava works and what to expect: The Complete Guide to Kava: Effects, Safety, and Why It's So Popular Right Now

Regular Mocktails vs. Good Mood Mocktails

Here's a quick breakdown of the differences, in case you're deciding which direction to go:

The short version: if you want great flavor and nothing else, any of these recipes work. If you want flavor plus something that actually affects how you feel, use the Good Mood Mix recipes.

The Sober Curious Shift (And Why Mocktails Got So Good)

A few years ago, ordering a mocktail at a bar meant getting a glass of soda water with fruit. Restaurants treated it as an afterthought. The culture around drinking made abstaining feel like an admission of something.

That's changing fast. The sober curious movement isn't about sobriety -- it's about choice. People are opting out of alcohol for a night, a month, or permanently, and they want a drink that matches the occasion. Something that tastes intentional. Something worth holding.

The market has responded. Non-alcoholic spirits, functional beverages, kava bars, better mixers -- there's an entire ecosystem now that didn't exist five years ago. Mocktails have become a legitimate category, not a consolation prize.

Good Mood Mix sits in the middle of that shift. It's not trying to be a fake cocktail. It's its own thing: a drink powder built around kava that makes a genuinely good beverage with a light functional effect. No alcohol, no apology about it.

We wrote more about this trend here: The Mocktail Revolution: Making Non-Alcoholic Drinks as Sassy as Their Boozy Counterparts

Grab the Full Mocktail Recipe Book

We put together a downloadable PDF with even more mocktail recipes, mixing guides, and batch drink ideas for gatherings.

Download the Free Mocktail Recipe Book (PDF)

Try Good Mood Mix

If the GMM recipes in this guide caught your eye, here's where to start:

Not sure which flavor? Grab the 4-Flavor Variety Pack and try them all before committing.

Know what you want? Each flavor is available individually: - Blue Raspberry - Fruit Punch - Grape - Strawberry Kiwi - Sunburst Citrus - Watermelon

Want something ready to drink? The Psychedelic Water Variety Pack is our canned kava beverage line -- no mixing required.

Keep Reading

• The Complete Guide to Kava: Effects, Safety, and Why It's So Popular Right Now
• The Mocktail Revolution: Making Non-Alcoholic Drinks as Sassy as Their Boozy Counterparts
• What Is Kava Root? A Beginner's Guide
• Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Parties
• Good Mood Mix: All Flavors Reviewed