Sober Curious? Sparkling NA and Low ABV Cocktail Recipes Anyone Can Enjoy
America is getting more and more sober curious. It’s not that folks are permanently breaking up with booze. It’s that they’re looking to lead healthier and more active lives, and they’re learning that overconsumption of alcohol can negatively impact such goals. On this sober-curious quest, people are eschewing sugar laden “mocktails” in favor of clean, crisp and creative drinks made with little or no alcohol.
At Mountain Valley Spring Water, this is a quest we can happily (and deliciously) get behind. Since 1871, Mountain Valley has been bottling the purest and most refreshing spring water from our protected source located deep in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains of the Southern U.S. In our 150-plus years, Mountain Valley Spring Water has hydrated presidents, rock legends and prizefighters alike. We were the chosen water for the Triple Crown-winning thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat, and we think our background lends itself nicely to this new, sober-curious era where folks care more about hydration and less about slamming shots.
The perfect sober-curious place to start: Mountain Valley’s lineup of Sparkling Essence spring waters. Available in Sparkling White Peach, Sparkling Blackberry Pomegranate, and Sparkling Key Lime Twist, our Sparkling Essence Collection serves as the ideal base for whatever kinds of spirit-free or low-ABV drinks you can dream up. These zero-calorie sparkling spring waters are made with no sugars or sweeteners. They’re naturally flavored. And they are award-winningly delicious.
Yes, you could enjoy our Sparkling Essence Collection on its own and stay wonderfully sober, but if you want to get a bit more creative, we have a few recipes for non-alcoholic and low-ABV cocktails that are sure to delight, and that may even spark some more sober curiosity.
The Mountain Valley Little Buck
We put a low-alcohol spin on this recipe from Mountain Valley Culinary Ambassador Braithe Tidwell of the iconic Brennan's in New Orleans. While The Buck is a classic cocktail believed to have been created in the late 1890s, our Little Buck is like that cocktail’s younger, less boozy sibling. As Braithe explained: "(The Buck) is a close cousin of the Vodka Collins and Mamie Taylor, and actually means any cocktail made with the addition of ginger beer. I added fresh mint to this, and I love how refreshing this cocktail is with the Mountain Valley Key Lime Twist.”
While Braithe’s recipe called for 2 ounces of vodka, we substituted sauvignon blanc — or any dry, citrus-forward white wine — to lower the alcohol levels. For a NA version, simply skip the Sauvignon Blanc and add 2 more ounces of Mountain Valley Key Lime Twist.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 oz lime juice
- 6 oz good ginger beer (like Fever Tree)
- 2 oz Mountain Valley Key Lime Twist Sparkling Spring Water
- Mint leaves
- Lime
Directions:
- Tear up a few mint leaves and sprinkle half in a wine glass; add sauvignon blanc, lime juice and ginger beer.
- Fill glass with ice and add the other half of your torn mint into the glass.
- Top with Mountain Valley Key Lime Twist Sparkling Water. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wedge. Cheers!
Cherry Lime No-quila Spritz
When we asked Drinking With Chickens’ Kate Richards to craft a special Mountain Valley cocktail, she did not disappoint. Not only did she give us a delicious drink recipe, but she also used her spent Mountain Valley bottles to build a lovely green-glass retaining wall for her feathery brood. Cheers to that!
We reworked Kate’s recipe and tamped it down a notch booze-wise, substituting dry, sparkly, Spanish Cava where once there was tequila. For a clucking-ly good NA version, swap the Cava for 2 more ounces of our Sparkling Key Lime Twist.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Spanish Cava
- 2 oz Mountain Valley Sparkling Key Lime Twist
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- .5 oz Maraschino liqueur
- .5 oz fresh cherry syrup (instructions below)
- 1 tbsp coarse salt for glass rim
- sliced limes and fresh cherry for garnish
- crushed ice made from Mountain Valley Spring Water
Directions:
To make the fresh cherry syrup:
Combine 1 cup pitted, fresh cherries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and smash cherries with a muddler. Set mixture aside to thoroughly cool, then strain into an airtight jar and store in fridge.
To make the cocktail:
- Start by prepping your glass by running a slice of lime around the rim of a highball glass and roll through coarse salt.
- Fill glass completely with crushed ice (and if you want to be fancy, lay your garnish lime slices flat along the side of the glass before filling with ice).
- In a shaker with ice, add tequila, lime juice, cherry syrup, and maraschino liqueur. Shake until chilled and strain into your prepped glass.
- Top with Mountain Valley Sparkling Key Lime Twist and garnish with lime slices and cherry.
Sparkling Berry Lemonade - Mountain Valley Style
From deep in our Mountain Valley archives, this batch recipe is a summery crowd pleaser that looks beautiful in a pitcher. For a non-alcoholic version, swap the sparkling wine for more Mountain Valley Sparkling Blackberry Pomegranate.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ice
- 2 cups sparkling wine
- 2 cups Mountain Valley Sparkling Blackberry Pomegranate
- 2 cups strawberry lemonade
- Ice
- Fresh berries, pomegranate seeds and mint sprigs for garnish
Directions:
- To a pitcher, add ice, sparkling wine, Mountain Valley Sparkling Blackberry Pomegranate and strawberry lemonade. Stir until combined.
- Add a few berries, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves to the pitcher for garnish.
- Add more berries and mint to each glass before pouring and serving.
Quench your sober curiosity: Have Mountain Valley Spring Water delivered
If we’ve whetted your sober curiousness, then great! There’s a quick and easy solution: Have any or all of Mountain Valley’s Sparkling Essence Collection delivered to your home or office. These low-ABV and NA cocktails won’t make themselves, but we can at least do the heavy lifting for you. Get started with Mountain Valley Spring Water delivery by clicking here.
