Alcohol-free drinks are an up and coming necessity in today’s world; Summer is always filled with celebration, memories and sometimes the presence of alcohol. The summer get-togethers calls for cold and refreshing beverages. With the heat setting in these tasty, non-alcoholic beverages are sure to make your summer celebrations a big hit. Beat the heat with a colorful cherry flavored berry splash or maybe a lemon-mint sparkler to add the extra pizazz to your celebration. It can be tough to face these times when you are in recovery or trying to get involved in a drug and alcohol recovery program. Just because you are cutting out the hard stuff does not mean the fun times will be full of dread and dull times. Check out these eight fun and festive alcohol-free drinks to spice up the New Year while enjoying sober living!
Berry Splash
Ingredients:
- 1 (0.13-oz.) package unsweetened cherry drink mix
- 6 cups white cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Garnish: fresh mint sprigs or strawberry leaves
Make this drink even more colorful with some Berry Ice Cubes.
Lemon-Mint Sparklers 
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice (about 10 lemons)
- 1 1/2 cups Lemon-Mint Syrup
- 3 1/2 cups chilled club soda
- 2 cups ice cubes
Looking to make your party a blast? Try this Lemon-Mint Sparkler recipe.
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Steps:
In a small bowl, combine frozen strawberries with sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a blender, combine frozen lemonade, ice, lemon zest, and ½ cup club soda. Pour into separate pitcher. In the clean blender, combine strawberries and ¾ cup club soda. Layer strawberries and lemon slush in cups. Stir to combine gently. Garnish cups with a lemon slice.
Iced Hibiscus Sweet Tea
Ingredients:
- 8 regular-size hibiscus tea bags
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 navel orange sliced
- 1 lime sliced
- 3 cups ginger ale, chilled
Steps:
In a small bowl, combine frozen strawberries with sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a blender, combine frozen lemonade, ice, lemon zest, and ½ cup club soda. Pour into separate pitcher. In the clean blender, combine strawberries and ¾ cup club soda. Layer strawberries and lemon slush in cups. Stir to combine gently. Garnish cups with a lemon slice.
Buffalo Rock Float
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-oz.) can Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 graham cracker, crushed, for garnish
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish
Steps:
Scoop ice cream into two cold glasses. Top with ginger ale, stir with cinnamon stick, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. The Buffalo rock Float is a rich and creamy treat – don’t be fooled by the cinnamon and graham crackers. This sweet desert might just become your new favorite nightcap.
Ginger-Peach Soda
Ingredients:
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
- 2 very ripe peaches
- 2 liter Seltzer
- 16 fresh mint leaves
Steps can be found here
What is more synonymous with summer than peaches? This drink is the perfect fruity refresher for a hot summer day and the forecast is looking hot this summer!
Homemade Orange Soda
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-ounce) can frozen, pulp-free orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
- 2 (2-liter) bottles lemon-lime soft drink, chilled
- 1 to 2 oranges, thinly sliced
Only two ingredients needed for this delicious fizzy twist is some orange juice and lemon-lime juice, and you got yourself some delightful homemade orange soda.
Classic Southern Sweet Tea
Ingredients:
- 12 regular-size tea bags
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 qt. distilled or bottled water
- 1 qt. ice cubes
- 1 1/4 cups Simple Syrup
For our final summer drink we have the classic southern style sweet tea. No party is complete without this crowd pleaser.
The holidays and New Year are fun-filled times. Sometimes it can be tough to be around all of the flowing bottles and tempting drinks. But with these recipes, the fun times continue, with alcohol-free beverages.
Guest Blogger
Matthew Boyle is the Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Recovery drug and alcohol rehab center and has been working in the healthcare space for 7 years now with a new emphasis on recovery. Before his ventures into healthcare Matthew graduated from Duke University in 2011 Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After Duke Matthew went on to work for Boston Consulting Group before he realized where his true passion lied within Recovery. His vision is to save a million lives in 100 years with a unique approach to recovery that creates a supportive environment through trust, treatment and intervention.
