My Five Favorite Virgin Cocktails

mhaithaca

Shirley Temple.

For the record, I am not pregnant. But a startling proportion of my friends are heading into their second and third trimesters this summer and therefore are unable to join me in multiple rounds of margaritas. Rather than drink alone, I have decided to explore the world of non-alcoholic cocktails with them. Here are my five favorite:

5. The Arnold Palmer (4 oz. lemonade, 4 oz. iced tea, lime wedge garnish). Supposedly the favorite mocktail of the eponymous famous golfer. Caffeinated yet incredibly refreshing, the Arnold Palmer is possibly the only cocktail that will actually facilitate dancing (or studying) all night.

4. The Shirley Temple (6 oz. ginger ale, 1.5 oz. grenadine, maraschino cherry garnish). An oldie but goodie that takes me back to steak dinners of my childhood. I felt so cool drinking something with a little straw and a floating berry. Ten years later, I felt even cooler when I added some cheap vodka.

missginsu

Ginger Fizz.

3. Coca-Cola (4 oz. coconut milk, 2 oz. lime juice, 1 oz. cola). Light, creamy, and with a lovely acidic zip, the Coca-Cola (or Coco-Cola) is especially terrific with fish tacos and guacamole. Tip: Shake the coconut milk and lime juice vigorously to prevent premature separation and serve over large ice cubes.

2. The Ginger Fizz (3 oz ginger beer, 3 oz. apple juice, 1.5 oz. pear juice). I love the Ginger Fizz's slight tartness and autumn flavors. It creates a pleasant, harmless burning sensation in the back of my throat unlike that flaming shot, which, um, left some scars.

1. The Preggie Provence (3 oz. lavender soda, 2 oz. lemonade, 1/2 oz. simple syrup plus rosemary leaves, white grapes, lemon peel, lavender flower petals). More complicated than your average mocktail, so here's a helpful recipe to aid in construction. The Preggie Provence tastes like spring, with citrus and herbal notes that soothe the stomach and clear the head. Probably what you should have been drinking that night you accidentally conceived Junior.

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