If your New Year’s Eve Party includes kids this year, be sure to include them in the festivities with a selection of “mocktails” (non-alcoholic cocktails) that are fun to drink. Parents will love that most of these drinks provide their children with a serving of fruit juice or calcium (Shirley Temple and Roy Rogers excluded)
Orange Cream Soda Mix two cups of pulp-free orange juice with one pint of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt in a blender until smooth. Fill each glass two thirds full with the orange mixture then top off with club soda and stir. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple or a mint sprig.
Cranberry Twist Mix equal amounts of cran-raspberry or cran-apple juice with lemon-lime flavored soda. Garnish with a slice of starfruit. (Recommended brands: Ocean Spray cranberry juice and 7up soda)
Shirley Temple Fill a glass with ice and then fill half with lemon lime soda and half with ginger ale. Add a dash of grenadine syrup and stir. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Roy Rogers Fill a glass with ice and add any cola flavored soda and a dash of grenadine. Stir and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Hot Chocolate with Sweet Cinnamon Whipped Cream Make a pot of your favorite hot chocolate according to the packages directions and make it extra special by topping it with a dollop of cinnamon flavored whipped cream. To make cinnamon whipped cream, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and one tablespoon of sugar, to one pint of heavy whipping cream, beat the cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a few shavings of chocolate bar. (Recommended brand: Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate hot cocoa mix.)
Cinderella Add one ounce each of orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice to a strainer. Top with two ounces of club soda and a dash of grenadine. Fill the strainer with ice. Shake well and strain into a glass. Garnish with a pineapple or orange wedge.
Hot Cran-Apple Cider Fill a slow cooker with 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, 2 quarts apple cider, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, one sliced orange, ½ cup sugar, and four cinnamon sticks. Cook mixture for one hour on high and at least one hour before serving on low. Serve in mugs with an extra cinnamon stick and an orange slice
Pomegranate Mimosa Pour ½ ounce of fresh pomegranate juice into a champagne flute and fill with sparkling apple cider. Drop a few whole pomegranate seeds into the glass for garnish. (Recommended brands: POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and Martinelli’s Apple Cider)
