Make it a mocktail
Margaritas, mojitos, and delicious bubbly drinks aren't off-limits when you're pregnant—after you remove the alcohol, that is. You'd be surprised: These cocktails taste just as good—if not better—without the booze.
No mocktails in sight? Learn how to fake happy hour with these tips.
Skinny Patron Margarita
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Patron tequila
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz agave nectar
Directions
Mix the Patron tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar in a shaker. Shake well. Serve over ice.
Make it a mocktail
Use seltzer instead of tequila.
Recipe courtesy of Antelmo Ambrosio, chef at SouthWest NY southwestny.com
Strawberry Crush
Ingredients
2 oz Russian Standard Gold Vodka
1/2 oz ginger beer
1-2 strawberries
1 basil leaf
Directions
Mix the Russian Standard Vodka, ginger beer, and ice in a shaker. Shake well. Muddle the strawberries and basil in a glass, and pour contents of shaker into the glass. Serve straight up.
Make it a mocktail
Use ginger ale instead of vodka.
Recipe courtesy of Joel Reiss, chef at S Prime sprimenyc.com
Sexy Redhead
Ingredients
2 oz strawberry vodka infused with mint (Directions below)
1 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water, stirred over heat until the sugar dissolves)
1 oz sparkling wine
Directions
To make the infused vodka, combine a 750-ml bottle of strawberry vodka with two mint sprigs in a large jar. Let sit for at least eight hours and up to three days (the mint flavor will grow stronger the longer it sits). Strain.
Mix the vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, and sparkling wine in a shaker. Shake well. Serve over ice.
Make it a mocktail
Use lemon juice, fresh mint, and strawberries instead of vodka and sparkling water instead of sparkling wine. To make, muddle 1 oz lemon juice, 3 fresh mint leaves, and 3 to 5 fresh strawberries in a shaker. Pour lime juice and sparkling water into the shaker. Shake well. Server over ice.
Recipe courtesy of Alex Garcia, executive chef at A.G. Kitchen agkitchen.com
Chillaxin
Ingredients
1 1/4 c vanilla frozen yogurt
2 oz Malibu rum
1 banana, sliced
1/4 c blueberries
Juice from one lime (about 2 tbsp)
Directions
Blend all ingredients except the blueberries until the shake is smooth but still thick. Garnish with blueberries, and enjoy.
Make it a mocktail
Use milk instead of rum.
Recipe courtesy of Anthony Fontana, co-owner/dessert maestro at SLIDE sliderestaurant.com
Wild Card
Ingredients
1 1/4 c vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 c amarena cherries
1 oz Chambord liqueur
1 oz amaretto
Directions
Blend all ingredients except the cherries until the shake is smooth but still thick. Garnish with cherries, and enjoy.
Make it a mocktail
Use milk instead of Chambord.
Recipe courtesy of Anthony Fontana, co-owner/dessert maestro at SLIDE sliderestaurant.com
Mango Mojito
Ingredients
6 lime wedges
6 mint leaves
1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water, stirred over heat until the sugar dissolves)
2 oz rum
1 oz fresh mango purée
Directions
Muddle the mint leaves and lime wedges in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass (reserving one lime wedge). Add Bacardi rum and mango purée. Add ice cubes, and garnish with lime wedge.
Make it a mocktail
Use club soda instead of Bacardi.
Recipe courtesy of Praveen Pedankar, executive chef at Brick Lane Curry House bricklanecurryhouse.com
Passion Fruit Jalapeno Margarita
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz 100 percent agave tequila
1 oz passion fruit puree
1 oz lime juice
1 slice jalapeno
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
Combine paprika, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in small bowl, mix well, and spread the spice mixture onto a saucer. Wet the rim of a tall glass with a lime wedge, and dip it in the spice mix to coat. Muddle the jalapeno slice in a shaker, then add the tequila, passion fruit puree, lime juice, and ice. Fill the glass with fresh ice, then shake and strain the cocktail into the glass.
Make it a mocktail
Use seltzer instead of tequila.
Recipe courtesy of Jonathan VanSleet, executive chef at MexiBBQ mexibbq.com
Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
3 oz 100 percent agave tequila
2 oz fresh watermelon purée
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Splash agave nectar
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well, and serve in a glass with a salted rim and lime wedge garnish.
Make it a mocktail
Use seltzer instead of tequila.
Recipe courtesy of Jonathan VanSleet, executive chef at MexiBBQ mexibbq.com
Berry Basil Bubbly
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz strawberry purée
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 fresh basil leaf, minced
Splash of prosecco
Directions
Mix all ingredients together and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and a halved strawberry.
Make it a mocktail
Use seltzer instead of prosecco.
Recipe courtesy of Erin Ward, beverage director at Carmine's carminesnyc.com
Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients
2 oz Hendricks gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 1/4 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water, stirred over heat until the sugar dissolves)
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced on the bias
Directions
Vigorously mix all ingredients except for the cucumbers in a cocktail shaker, and then strain over a wine glass filled with ice and cucumber slices.
Make it a mocktail
Use ginger ale instead of gin.
Recipe courtesy of Erin Ward, beverage director at Carmine's carminesnyc.com
