9 Christmas Mocktails to Serve to Santa (So He Can Still Drive)

The stockings were, in fact, hung by the chimney with care, and carrots and cookies were carefully arranged on a plate near a glass of milk in the middle of the table. And amidst all the Christmas planning, parties, and festivities, the mocktails flowed freely.

There's no time to lose when you're shuffling from party to party and hill to hill in search of the ultimate sledding spot. As the nights become longer and the parties grow bigger, these Christmas mocktail recipes will be a hit for everyone — carolers, partiers, little elves, and adults alike. 

It's not a Christmas season if you don't get your Kris Kringle on! So get merry in a jingle with a spiced cranberry mocktail. It's what Mr. Kringle would do if he was there with you.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces nonalcoholic spiced rum
• 4 ounces cranberry juice
• ½ ounce orgeat
• ¼ ounce nonalcoholic orange liqueur
• Ice
• Dehydrated orange wheel and cinnamon stick for garnish

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, nonalcoholic spiced rum, cranberry juice, orgeat, and nonalcoholic orange liqueur.
2. Shake to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and a cinnamon stick. 

You won't find any humbugs here, not in this house. And if you have that humbug chip on your shoulder, well, you're still welcome to come on in an have a seat. A zero-proof old-fashioned Christmas mocktail will change your tune into a Christmas carol in no time. 

Chilled orange and spice tea is the comfy cozy base for this Christmas mocktail spin on a summer Aperol spritz. No Aperol necessary  this time!

Ingredients

• 3 ounces chilled orange spiced tea
• 2 ounces white cranberry juice
• 2 ounces club soda
• Ice
• Orange slice for garnish

Instructions

1. In a wine glass, add ice, orange spiced tea, white cranberry juice, and club soda.
2. Stir briefly to mix.
3. Garnish with an orange slice. 

Mocktails don't need to be complicated or have a laundry list of ingredients — there's enough running around at Christmas. Keep it simple, so you have more time to hang out underneath the mistletoe.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce rosemary simple syrup
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ ounce grenadine
• Ice
• Tonic water to top off
• Rosemary sprig for garnish

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rosemary simple syrup, lime juice, and grenadine.
2. Shake to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Top off with tonic water.
5. Stir to mix.
6. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. 

With flavors of peppermint dancing in the air, the zero-proof mojito is actually quite on the nose for a Christmas mocktail. A little pomegranate juice or cranberry juice can add some red to your green cocktail for a decoration you can hold in your hand. 

Keep the change and keep the booze on the shelf with a tart nonalcoholic twist on the summer paloma. Grapefruit juice is a year-round key player. And at Christmas, it's a great way to balance out all those sugary snacks your sweet tooth loves.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 ounce blood orange juice
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• Ice
• Club soda to top off
• Grapefruit slice and rosemary sprig for garnish

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, grapefruit juice, blood orange juice, and pomegranate juice.
2. Shake to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Top off with club soda.
5. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a rosemary sprig. 

Turn your zero-proof eggnog on its head with upgraded glassware this Christmas. All mocktail, all flavor, and so totally fancy. The only downside is you'll soon need to share this creamy eggnog mocktail-tini at the Christmas party. We won't judge if you bring your own secret stash. 

In the words of Charlie, "Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." So while Scott Calvin may not have been seen on screen enjoying this zero-proof Christmas nightcap doesn't mean it didn't happen. 

Ingredients

• 2 ounces white cranberry juice
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ ounce pomegranate juice
• ½ ounce nonalcoholic orange liqueur
• Ice
• Lime wedge for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.
2. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white cranberry juice, lime juice, pomegranate juice, and nonalcoholic orange liqueur.
3. Shake to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

There's nothing even close to the spiced flavors ginger beer so cheerily offers in a Moscow Mule. But if you and your reindeer are skipping the vodka this year, there's no reason to miss out on any of the cheer. Zero-proof mules absolute sleigh the Christmas mocktail game. 

Santa probably gets a little tired of milk with his cookies. So why not serve him something he can share with the elves and still be able to safely get packages to all the good girls and boys around the world on Christmas Eve? Our Christmas mocktails are sure to put you on Santa's nice list for years to come.

If you want to lean into festive holiday colors, try our green mocktails or warm up with hot holiday mocktails.