Botanical Mocktail Recipes for Spring Parties

Botanical mocktails are non-alcoholic drinks built on flowers, herbs and fruit, like elderflower, lavender, hibiscus, cucumber and basil. This page has seven of them, from a one-glass elderflower sparkler to a pitcher of basil lemonade. They’re made for spring parties, though the hibiscus ginger fizz and the chamomile peach sipper are just as good on a cozy fall evening.

Why You Will Love This

For a spring party, the Elderflower Lemon Sparkler and Strawberry Lavender Refresher are the best openers. The sparkler is built right in the glass, and the refresher is made by the pitcher with a lavender syrup you cook first. The Hibiscus Ginger Fizz is the showpiece, with a deep magenta color that gets people talking. All seven of these mocktails follow published drink recipes, with the steps written in our own words.

The Story Behind It

These recipes came from too many spring gatherings where the non-alcoholic option was sparkling water with a lemon wedge. Spring has elderflower in the hedgerows, strawberries at the market and lavender starting to bud. Each drink here uses what spring actually grows, not what comes in a liquor bottle, and they’re easier to serve than people expect.

What You Will Need

1. Elderflower Lemon Sparkler (serves 1)

• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) non-alcoholic elderflower cordial or syrup
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) lime juice
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) sparkling mineral water
• Ice
• Lemon slices, optional for garnish

2. Strawberry Lavender Refresher

• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons organic dried lavender
• 2 cups organic strawberries (hulled and sliced)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 organic large lemons)
• 1 cup Lavender Simple Syrup
• Strawberry Puree
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 cups cold sparkling water

3. Mint Cucumber Cooler (serves 2)

• 1-2 medium English cucumbers
• 3 tablespoons sugar (or honey, agave, or maple syrup)
• 6-8 mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed is preferred)
• 1 teaspoon black salt
• 3 cups chilled water (divided)
• lime rings and mint leaves for garnishing
• ice cubes

4. Hibiscus Rosehip Sparkler (serves 2)

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 tablespoon seedless rosehips
• Simple syrup, to taste
• Non-alcoholic sparkling water
• 1 drop orange blossom water per glass, optional
• Ice

5. Hibiscus Ginger Fizz (serves 8)

• 1 2-in. piece ginger, sliced
• 6 tbsp. dried hibiscus
• 3 tbsp. agave syrup
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups cold water
• club soda, for serving

6. Chamomile Peach Sipper (serves 1)

• 1 tablespoon chamomile loose tea (or 2 tea bags or sachets)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2/3 cup peach juice
• 1 cup ice

7. Basil Lemonade (serves 7)

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 48 ounces water (divided)
• 1 cup basil leaves (packed)
• 8 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice

How to Make It

1. Elderflower Lemon Sparkler

1. Add the elderflower cordial, lemon juice, and lime juice to a Collins glass or tumbler. Stir well to combine.
2. Pour in the sparkling mineral water, then stir to combine.
3. Fill the glass with ice and garnish with a lemon slice if you like.

2. Strawberry Lavender Refresher

1. In a small saucepan, add the organic cane sugar, water, and dried lavender. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer for 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, cover it with a lid, and let it steep for 15 minutes. When the time’s up, uncover the saucepan and let the simple syrup cool for 15 minutes. Once it’s cooled, strain it through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the lavender with the back of a spoon to squeeze out all the syrup.
2. In a blender, combine the hulled and sliced strawberries with the 1/2 cup of water. Blend until the strawberries are fully puréed. Strain the purée through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with a spoon to get as much of the purée through as you can without letting the seeds through.
3. Squeeze the lemons using a citrus reamer, electric citrus juicer, or by hand.
4. In a large pitcher, add the strawberry purée, then pour in the lemon juice, the lavender simple syrup, vanilla extract, water, and sparkling water. Stir to combine. Pour over ice-filled glasses and serve with a lemon slice and strawberry, if you like.

3. Mint Cucumber Cooler

1. Cut 3 to 4 very thin slices from a medium English cucumber for garnishing. Use a vegetable peeler and peel along the length of the cucumber to get thin, long slices, or use a sharp knife to cut the slices.
2. Peel the remaining cucumber and chop it into small pieces. You need 1 cup of peeled and cubed cucumber. If the cucumber is small, chop another small one to make 1 cup.
3. Add the cucumber to a blender along with the sugar, mint leaves, and 1 cup of water.
4. Blend until smooth.
5. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Use a spoon or spatula to press the pulp and extract as much liquid as you can. Discard the pulp.
6. Stir in the lime juice, black salt, and the remaining 2 cups of water.
7. Drop one or two thin slices of cucumber and 3 to 4 ice cubes into each glass. Pour the drink into the glasses. Garnish with a few lime rings and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

4. Hibiscus Rosehip Sparkler

1. Pour the boiling water over the hibiscus and seedless rosehips. Steep for 5 minutes, strain, and chill.
2. Shake the chilled tea with ice and a little simple syrup. Divide between two flutes, filling each about one-third full.
3. Top with non-alcoholic sparkling water. Add one drop of orange blossom water to each glass if using, and stir gently.

5. Hibiscus Ginger Fizz

1. In a small saucepan, bring the ginger, dried hibiscus, agave syrup, and 1 cup water to a boil, then let it simmer for 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, then strain it into a pitcher.
2. Stir in 2 cups cold water. For each serving, pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into a glass filled with ice and top it with club soda.

6. Chamomile Peach Sipper

1. Put chamomile tea and hot water into a teapot. Boil water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set the water temperature to 195°F.
2. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the chamomile solids.
3. Pour the peach juice into the teapot.
4. Pour the iced tea into a cup with ice. Give it a stir before drinking.

7. Basil Lemonade

1. Put the sugar, 8 ounces of water, and basil leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Gently muddle the basil leaves with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer for one minute, then take it off the heat. Let it steep until it reaches room temperature, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While that’s steeping, pour the remaining 40 ounces of water and the lemon juice into a pitcher.
3. Once the syrup has cooled, pour it through a sieve to catch the basil leaves. Stir the syrup into the lemon mixture until it tastes as sweet as you like. Use all the syrup if you want sweet lemonade, or about three-quarters of it for something lighter.
4. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice and enjoy.