Holiday mocktails that offer a buzz without the booze

Twinkling lights and cold nights, festive treats, and bubbly drinks–this is what the winter holidays bring. As families, friends, and even coworkers start planning parties, maybe opt for these holiday mocktails over alcohol.

GreenState readers will have noticed by now that I have been on a mocktail tip this year, and I’ve gone just as hard for plant-based buzzes. For the holiday season, we’re bringing these worlds together and sharing cannabis, kanna, and functional mushroom cocktails that will liven up any night–whether it’s a party or a cozy night in.

BRĒZ Knees

BRĒZ is a sparkling beverage made with hemp-derived THC and lion’s mane. The social tonic contains 2.5mg of THC, 5mg of CBD, and 25mg of lion’s mane, a formulation designed to keep people jovial.

After trying BRĒZ, I knew the perfect mocktail for it. Bee’s Knees is a prohibition-era cocktail that showcases there’s beauty in simplicity. The cocktail is traditionally made with gin, lemon, and honey syrup—and it’s perfect.

Swap out the gin for BRĒZ Lemon Elderflower and tone down the lemon in the recipe to make this into a functional mushroom mocktail. The elderflower adds the herbaceous tones of gin with the perfect Bee’s Knees complement of gin. Check the recipe below.

BRĒZ Knees Recipe

• 3 ounces BRĒZ Lemon Elderflower soda
• ⅔ ounce Lemon juice
• ½ ounce honey syrup
• Garnish: traditionally lemon twist, use sugared rosemary or cranberries for a holiday theme

Directions: Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until properly chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with preferred garnish.

Brelixi Yuzu Green Tea-HC Highball

Yuzu has been having a moment in the American cocktail scene, and the biting citrus fruit pairs well with herbaceous nonalcoholic gin and grassy green tea. This highball is accentuated by the Brelixi THC-infused yuzu turmeric nanoemulsion powder.

Brelixi is meant to be dissolved into 8 to 10 ounces of liquid, and for this recipe, it’s best dissolved into a classic 25-ounce bottle of soda water. One packet contains 20mg of THC, which is a lot for some people, especially for two or three cocktails. Using one soda water bottle per packet makes for a more social dose of THC.

Another step to this recipe requires thinking ahead. Add two tablespoons of green tea leaves to a jar and top with one cup of non-alcoholic gin like MONDAY or Ritual.

This libation could create quite the buzz, so go slow with it and try it out before serving it to guests.

Green Tea-HC Highball Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces green-tea infused non-alcoholic gin
• ⅓ ounce yuzu juice
• Brelixi Yuzu Turmeric-infused soda

Directions: Fill a highball glass with ice, pour infused gin and yuzu juice over, and stir. Top with THC-infused soda water, and add tonic to taste.

Pom-kanna Spritzer

A little bubbly whispers of celebrations, which is why spritzers are perfect for holiday parties. This spritzer replaces the traditional champagne with seltzer and pairs it with tart pomegranate and assorted citrus.

For conviviality, it includes KA! Kanna drops, an herbal elixir from South Africa said to evoke a calmed heart; to me, that means less social anxiety. Follow this recipe and serve a winter spritzer with an unexpected kick.

Pom-kanna Spritzer Recipe

• 2 ounces pomegranate juice
• 1 ounce orange juice
• ½ ounce lime juice
• 2 ounces seltzer
• Half dropper of KA! Kanna
• Garnish: thinly sliced lime wedge

Directions: Fill an 8-10 ounce champagne flute halfway with ice. Add the pomegranate and citrus juices and stir. Add the KA! Kanna liquid. Pour the seltzer over the drink until it bubbles to the rim. Garnish with a lime wedge. This recipe is easily quantified to make a pitcher. Those that do make a pitcher, add the KA! to each glass individually to ensure equal distribution.

Happi Margs

While Margaritas aren’t a holiday cocktail for most, in my Southern California family, they’re a year-round beverage. Winter up a classic marg with updated flavors, and add some THC with Happi Glow seltzer.

The drink is flavored with ginger and blood orange alongside 5mg THC, 5mg CBD, 3mg CBG, and 2mg CBN. Pair this with a non-alcoholic tequila and a spritz of lime for a Californian’s taste of Christmas.

Happi Margs Recipe

• 1 ounce alcohol-free tequila
• 1 ½ ounces Happi Glow
• ¾ ounces lime juice
• Garnish: lime wedge, Brelixi Elderberry Hibiscus sugared rim

Directions: Mix Brelixi Yuzu Elderberry Hibiscus powder 1:1 with coarse sugar. Run a lime wedge around a tumbler glass, and dip the rim into the sugar mix. Shake the Happi, tequila, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Fill the prepped glass with ice, pour the mixture over the top, and garnish with a slice of lime.

These holiday mocktails can be served to guests or enjoyed alone as you sit by the fire, I know I do both. As the end of long nights and dark mornings comes closer, cuddle up with these booze-free buzzing cocktails for a superb snowy delight.