With all the talk of New Year’s resolutions and that feeling of a fresh start, many people are focusing on creating healthy changes. Whether it’s trying a new gym routine, cooking at home more, or prioritizing boundaries between school and personal life, all of us probably have at least one area of our lives we’d like to change or improve. Dry January is one way that many individuals do this. Dry January is a global public health campaign that challenges everyone to go alcohol-free for all 31 days of January. However, participating in Dry January doesn’t mean you have to miss out on trying cute drinks and fun new recipes. Mocktails have become all the rage recently, and I’ve curated a list of some SU-inspired mocktails to enjoy this month (and throughout the year)!
Syracuse Sunrise
We all missed the gorgeous Syracuse sun while we were away on break, and this drink is inspired by those beautiful CNY sunrises and sunsets. A take on the classic tequila sunrise, you’ll need four ingredients to make this mocktail. Grab a fun glass and fill it with some ice, and then you can get started pouring the drink. All you need is 1 oz. of orange juice, 1 oz. of peach juice (or something similar, like a white grape peach juice), 1 oz. of grenadine, and then top it all off with Sprite or 7UP to fill the glass! This drink will be a beautiful color, same as the Syracuse sunrises we all know and love.
44 Margarita
Next up is this super easy non-alcoholic margarita. You will need 2 oz. of lime juice, 1 oz. of simple syrup (which you can even make at home), ½ oz. of orange juice, and 1 oz. of a flavored syrup (your choice of flavor, but I’d recommend raspberry, blackberry or blueberry). Mix all this together, then top with club soda to fill up your glass. You can even add a salt rim to get the authentic margarita feel!
NY Mule
A take on the famous Moscow Mule, this non-alcoholic mule has only three ingredients and is super easy to make. All you’ll need is ginger beer (which is already alcohol-free!), 1 oz. of lime juice and your choice of flavored syrup. (Raspberry or pear would pair well!) 1 oz. of the flavored syrup should be enough, but you can add more or less as you like!
Otto’s Spritzer
Inspired by everyone’s favorite orange, Otto’s Spritzer is a delicious grapefruit-orange drink that’s perfect for Dry January. You will need 1 oz. of grapefruit juice, 1 oz. of blood orange juice or syrup (whatever you can find), 1 oz. of lemon juice, and club soda to fill your glass. You’ll get a beautiful orange color and a refreshing spritzer to enjoy with friends!
Mocktails are great for enjoying a fun drink while taking a break from alcohol. Participating in Dry January is a simple way to have a fresh start, support those around you in recovery and create a healthy change!
Written By Madison Roberts ’23, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Be Wise Peer Educator