They’re sophisticated, more-ish and downright delicious.

Doing Dry July and losing interest in whatever you’ve been sipping on so far? Or maybe you don’t drink but like a fancy bev as much as the next guy. Whatever the case, cutting out the booze no longer means choosing between only soft drinks or mocktails that fully send the sweetness. These days, non-alcoholic cocktails are all grown up, offering deliciously complex subs for all tastes and occasions. We know this because our gun team of experts have developed the best recipes that they tried and tested on repeat until they struck the perfect balance.

Welcome to the brave new world of alcohol-free cocktails. If you’re seeking a zero% switch, you now have serious options with a real depth of flavour. These non-alc cocktails also happen to be easy to make at home, especially if you follow a few pro tips that will make them even better. Don’t believe us? We think the 12 cocktail recipes below prove our point. You’ll find everything from a couple of fruity Mojitos and a grown-up Spritz to a zero% Marg and more. Mix up these non-alc cocktails with a little TLC and you won’t look back.

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1. Tropical Non-Alc Sgroppino

One of our newest zero% cocktails, this drink gives the traditional Italian Sgroppino a tropical twist and brings it all together with alcohol-free beer. Simply blitz passionfruit sorbet together with lime juice, grapefruit juice, a little sugar and a pinch of salt, pour it out and top it with non-alc beer. Simple. A final sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top adds a little something-something that elevates it even more.

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2. Non-Alcoholic Martini

We’re going to come right out and say that you can’t make a non-alcoholic Martini that will taste like the real deal. The Martini is one of the most alcohol-forward cocktails out there, after all. What you can do is combine complex ingredients, like a good non-alc gin, verjuice, mirin, sugar syrup and olive oil to create one of the most satisfying and sophisticated non-alcoholic sippers we’ve ever made.

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3. Non-Alc Berry Spritz

Bursting with sweet berries, homemade cordial is what makes this drink special. It’s super easy to do – you just need to plan ahead. Batching up the cordial is a great idea (you can even freeze it for up to six months) and then you can make this tasty Spritz any time. Combine it with a non-alc sparkling in the glass, and go all out with fresh berries and herbs to garnish it.

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4. Frozen Non-Alcoholic Strawberry Daiquiri

This fruity, sweet and icy non-alc cocktail makes the best use of a blender we know. Using an alcohol-free white cane spirit, this Daiquiri gets blitzed with strawberries and sugar syrup, along with lime juice and cranberry juice for some tang to balance it all out. The result is a refreshing treat that always tastes like summer, regardless of what the weather’s doing.

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5. The Virgin Dan Murphizz

If you visited our pop-up Dan’s Diner at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival in 2024, you may have tried the Virgin Dan Murphizz. You might also still be dreaming about those fried mozzarella sticks like we are. Created especially for the fest, this cocktail has a base of Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Bandwagon non-alc gin, gets mixed with lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white or a vegan sub, and is then topped with soda to finish.

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6. Salted Caramel Non-Alcoholic Espresso Martini

With alcohol-free spirits getting better and better, non-alc cocktails like this indulgent creation can be as rich and complex as their traditional counterparts. This one uses an alcohol-free coffee liqueur and spiced rum alternative, which bring depth and intensity, while espresso coffee and salted caramel syrup combine to create a well-rounded slow sipper. It’s also easy to tinker with too, so you can experiment to get the balance just right.

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7. Zero% Margarita

Marg fans rejoice because you too can enjoy this classic cocktail without the alcohol. The trick is to find a great non-alc sub for both tequila and triple sec (Lyre’s has some great ones) and then use the juice from the freshest limes and some quality agave syrup. Salt the glass rim, drop in that all-important lime wedge as garnish, and you’ve got a quality cocktail on your hands.

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8. Non-Alcoholic Passionfruit Mojito

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9. Non-Alcoholic Cucumber Mojito

Proving the point that a Mojito shines with just about any key ingredient, the cucumber arrives to steal the show. Grab that same bottle of non-alc white cane spirit, add some to a tall glass with a few cucumber slices, lime juice, sugar syrup and plenty of crushed ice, give it a good stir and top it with soda. It might just give you some other ideas about how else to riff on this classic.

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10. Blood Orange Non-Alcoholic Spritz

If you’re not up for making the berry cordial in our Non-Alc Berry Spritz (see #3), you can keep things even easier and make this instead. Here, we take non-alc versions of triple sec and Aperol (we’re into this one) and mix it with a blood orange soda. If that’s getting too much orange for you, you could play around with non-alc sparklings instead to see where your tastes lie.

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11. Non-Alcoholic Salty Dog

If you haven’t yet discovered how great non-alc gins can be, this drink might just convert you. The Gordon’s 0% is a fan favourite, and here it’s mixed with grapefruit soda, lime juice and a pinch of salt, complete with a sprig of rosemary as garnish to add some aromatics. It’s tart, layered and delivers a tangy kick, which is everything you want in a fresh mixed drink.

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12. Dry Basil Smash

A non-alc riff on the Gin Basil Smash, this has a definite Mediterranean lean thanks to basil doing a lot of the talking. It gets shaken with the non-alc gin sub, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, before getting strained into a glass with fresh basil leaves and a lemon wedge to finish. Another great pick for when you need some sunshiney vibes, the herbal notes and lemon combine in the best way.