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Need a mocktail in 5 minutes? This easy ginger ale mocktail is perfect for parties or weeknights, with just a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand. The combination of citrus, ginger, and rosemary or mint makes it feel a little more sophisticated than traditional ginger ale
Quick Look: Ginger Ale Mocktail
- Prep Time: 5 minutes with no cooking or special equipment needed.
- Difficulty: Super easy! Just stir everything together and top with ginger ale.
- Ideal For: Holiday parties, baby showers, or an easy non-alcoholic drink for entertaining. Since ginger ale is well known to settle an upset stomach, it’s great for sick days when you want something besides water.
- Dietary Notes: Gluten free, dairy free, and Mediterranean diet friendly. Not suitable for the strict HYH diet elimination phase because of the citrus.
- Why You’ll Love It: I developed this ginger ale mocktail on a migraine attack day when I was feeling dizzy and nauseous. I needed something quick and easy that sounded good, and this was not only super comforting and nostalgic, but also felt more elevated and fun than your basic canned ginger ale drink.
While all brands of ginger ale will work for this mocktail, you can also use my homemade ginger ale as well, especially if you want a lower sugar option!
As you can see, I love ginger mocktail recipes, so if you enjoy this drink don’t miss my blueberry mocktail, homemade cola, or homemade electrolyte drink with coconut water. All are perfect on days you don’t feel well, or if you want a flavorful non-alcoholic drink.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
- Ginger ale – I prefer Q Ginger Ale, which has basic ingredients and doesn’t taste overly sweet, but Schweppes, Canada Dry, Seagrams all work. While you can use your favorite brand, keep in mind that sweetness and ginger intensity vary between brands. Ginger ale is typically lighter and less intense than ginger beer, which has a more concentrated or spicy ginger flavor. If you have ginger beer, you can substitute it or make this ginger beer mocktail.
- Lemon juice and lime juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice and lime juice adds a bright, tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the ginger ale. Both create a nice balance, similar to my homemade sprite recipe. I recommend fresh juice over bottled for the best flavor.
- Honey – Just 2 teaspoons of honey lightly sweetens the citrus and helps balance the spicy ginger. You can adjust this or omit this depending on how sweet your ginger ale is. You can also replace this with agave or maple syrup, which can blend a little easier, but overall the flavor of honey works best with this combination.
- Fresh ginger – Freshly grated ginger gives this mocktail a stronger ginger flavor and a little extra kick. I recommend using a microplane to grate it finely so it blends easily into the drink.
- Fresh rosemary or mint – Adds a subtle herbal aroma that complements the ginger and citrus. I prefer to use fresh rosemary in the fall and winter for Thanksgiving mocktails or Christmas drinks. In the summer, mint is ideal!
See the recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.
How to Make a Ginger Ale Mocktail
Step 1: In a large wine glass or tall glass, add the fresh lemon juice, lime juice, honey, and grated ginger. Add rosemary or mint to the glass and muddle gentle to release the herbal flavor.
Step 2: Fill the glass with ice and slowly pour the ginger ale over the top. Give it a gentle stir to combine. Add the remaining rosemary sprig or mint for garnish and serve immediately while cold and bubbly.
Recipe Tip
Because honey can clump up when cold, be sure to fully combine the honey with the citrus juice before adding ice. This helps distribute the sweetness throughout the drink. If your honey is particularly thick, you can heat it for a few seconds in the microwave to make it more pourable.
Serving Suggestions
This mocktail with ginger ale is is ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, baby showers, or any occasion where you want to serve something special without alcohol.
- For holiday events – Add a few fresh cranberries to the glass for a festive red and green garnish. You can also freeze cranberries and rosemary into ice cubes to add to the glass. I recommend pairing with this cozy Boursin pasta.
- During summer or warm days – I love to serve it as a spritz in a wine glass just to make it feel more special, but any tall glass will work. A ginger ale mocktail with mint is especially cooling and a nice compliment to the drink, making this similar to a ginger ale mojito (without alcohol). It pairs especially well with these smash burger tacos or crockpot pulled pork.
- Sick days or morning sickness – the balance of citrus and ginger can be incredibly calming for nausea. Because ginger ale actually includes very little ginger (if any), the fresh ginger addition makes this recipe a little more helpful. Pair with these ginger gummies!
Ginger Ale Mocktail FAQ
Yes! You can leave out the honey for a less sweet drink or substitute maple syrup or simple syrup. Depending on the ginger ale you use, you may find that no additional sweetener is needed.
Ginger ale is typically lighter, sweeter, and milder in ginger flavor, while ginger beer usually has a bold and spicy ginger taste. Both are commonly sold as non-alcoholic mixers (but it’s always a good idea to check the label). They can both be used for this recipe, but I prefer the lighter flavors in ginger ale for this mocktail – it’s a little more mellow, even with the fresh grated ginger.
You can prepare the base mixture up to 24 hours ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. Add the ginger ale right before serving so it stays bubbly and carbonated!
Yes! For a large batch that serves 8-10 people, use 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup fresh lime juice, ⅓ cup honey (5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon), ⅓ cup freshly grated ginger (5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon), and 8 cups ginger ale (64 ounces).
More Mocktails using Ginger Ale
Drinks
Sparkling Ginger Pomegranate Mocktail
Drinks
Easy Homemade Ginger Ale
Drinks
Autumn Mocktail with Apple Cider
Drinks
Refreshing Ginger Drink
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Ginger Ale Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
- 8 ounces ginger ale
- 2 sprigs rosemary, divided, can also use 5-6 fresh mint leaves as a substitute
Instructions
- In a wine glass or tall glass combine lemon and lime juice, honey, ginger, and 1 sprig of rosemary (or 5-6 mint leaves), cut into 4 smaller sections. Stir well to combine so the honey is fully blended.
- Add ice and top with ginger ale. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
Notes
- Rosemary vs Mint – I prefer to use rosemary for holiday mocktails like Christmas and Thanksgiving. It looks especially festive with a few fresh cranberries added. For summer months, choose the mint. It’s cooling and refreshing!
- Ginger ale recommendations – I prefer Q brand for this as it’s less sweet, but Schweppes, Canada Dry, or any other favorites will work.
- A note on ginger beer – While ginger beer will also work for this recipe, it will be a much stronger, spicy flavor. Since ginger ale is more mellow, it works nicely with the citrus and honey, allowing those flavors to shine through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
