If you’re avoiding alcohol or just not a big drinker, yet you want something refreshing and sophisticated, this non-alcoholic gin and tonic tipple with homemade citrus and botanicals infusion is exactly what you need it. It’s low in sugar, crisp, thirst-quenching and very grownup.
If you’re following the latest trend of going sober or you’re trying to avoid alcohol for other reasons, I want to introduce you to a fabulous alcohol-free tipple that rivals the best gin and tonic.
Here is how it came to be! I was trying to avoid alcohol during the reset Week 1 of my 4-week paleo program. It always amazes me (but doesn’t surprise me) how much people struggle with giving up alcohol. I also find it quite tough because I love a good glass of wine or a gin and tonic on a Friday night or while out socialising.
The thing is that it’s not even the alcohol itself that we are addicted to. It’s the ritual of drinking it. Many of us have also grown to love the flavours of certain drinks and sparkling water with lime just doesn’t cut it.
If you were to opt-in for commonly available mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, they are often loaded with sugar and additives (colours and flavours), so that’s another trap that makes avoiding alcohol difficult.
As a gin and tonic lover, I decided to create a delicious and healthy non-alcoholic drink that would satisfy the craving without tipping me off the wagon.
I wanted to recreate the flavours of the gin and tonic and somehow avoid the use of gin or tonic water. Challenging? Maybe. Here is what I came up with.
Gin & Tonic Inspiration
Gin is traditionally distilled from grain and malt and the flavour comes from various botanicals such as juniper berries (the key flavour), lemon peel, other herbs and spices and so on. The tonic water is bitter and sweet with a hint of citrus. Together it’s a combination made in heaven.
So, I decided to use citrus fruits, especially grapefruit for its sweet and bitter characteristics, citrus peel, and a few botanicals to make an infusion of sorts. Mixed with sparkling water and poured over ice, it’s a real treat that really hits that G&T spot.
You can make this juice infusion ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few days (it will get more bitter over time while the citrus peel releases its oils and the juniper berries flavour will become more pronounced. Then simply mix with sparkling water, in whatever ratio you prefer, and pour over ice. If you want to add some alcohol, be my guest, that will also work really well.
The cool thing is that you can experiment with your own infusion ideas: add some strawberries and basil, lavender and honey, vanilla and cinnamon, rose petal water and peaches. My recipe is for a smaller batch but you can make up a large bottle to bring to a gathering or a party.
How To Make An Alcohol-Free Gin & Tonic Drink
This lovely alcohol-free drink is sweet and zingy yet low in sugar. Bonus vitamin C is included! Let me know what you think guys. I hope you like it.
Non Alcoholic Gin & Tonic Inspired Drink
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Infusion
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
For the infusion
- 3 large grapefruits (pink or regular or both)
- 1 lemon
- 3 oranges (blood orange and regular)
- 8 juniper berries
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 sprig rosemary
Other
- Sparkling water or soda water
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Peel off some rind off the grapefruit, lemon and orange. You want about 3-5 inches long peels, one or two of each fruit to add to the bottle.
- Cut the fruit in half and juice into a bowl, don’t worry about the fruit flesh falling in.
- Strain the juice through a sieve to catch the meat.
- Add the juniper berries, cardamom pods and rosemary sprig to a bottle or other vessel with a lid. Add a peel of each citrus fruit and then pour in the strained juices. Shake well.
- Infuse overnight or for a couple of days or use right away.
- I like to use half and half of each juice infusion and sparkling water over ice but you can play around with ratios. Feel free to add some lime if you like.
This sounds so good! I’m doing the Happy Body Formula now and the last drink I had before starting the elimination phase was a craft gin and tonic. I thought at the time, ” I’ll miss this!” – not for the alcohol but for the flavor and perhaps the ritual. Coincidentally I’ve just added back citrus and especially grapefruit to my usually pretty completely seasonal locavore primal diet. This is a match made in heaven! Thanks!
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Enjoy it 🙂
This is so creative! I love it!
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My husband is on blood pressure meds and can’t have grapefruit. Any suggestions for substitutions?
Hmmm, I can’t think of another bitter citrus fruit so you could just omit it and use more lime/lemon. Using some more lemon skin would add some bitterness as well. PS. Didn’t realise you can’t have grapefruit on some blood pressure meds. Must find out more!
Not good with statins i believe. Dic never mentioned it. Pink may be ok, not sure.
This sounds amazing! G&Ts are one of my top 2 drinks (the other is a margarita) but I try to limit my alcohol to a few drinks a month, so this would be perfect.
Oh, you’ll enjoy it then 🙂
This was very easy can’t wait to taste it!
Careful – grapefruit juice can be dangerous combined with some Blood Pressure medicines – Ask first before you serve this drink
Made this last night for New Years. Every other mocktail is made with soda and junk. This was healthy and great! Everyone thought it tasted a lot like a gin and tonic. Then today I blended the leftover with lettuce for a fancy vegetable juice like a V8 type thing. It was a bit bitter but refreshing and wonderful. All the flavors were so bright.
I had to find juniper berries and spent five bucks on them but they were totally worth it. Also only had ground cardamom and used a quarter teaspoon. Really excellent!
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Glad you enjoyed it! And what a great idea to add it to a veggie juice, I wouldn’t have thought of it.
Are these green or black cardamom pods?
I used green ones.
Where you can find juniper berries? I’ve never seen them at Whole Foods.
You can definitely find them online, check on Amazon.
Hi, your recipe appealed to me because I’ve just begun chewing on juniper berries and loved the flavour. As a non alcoholic its often tempting to not drink anything but water, yet juniper berries seemed a much better bet. And you have done it – made a faux gin & tonic drink – well done. It looks wonderful, the colour is gorgeous and I plan to take it for christmas to neighbours. Thank you for your kind generosity.
This worked out really well. I only had 1 lemon so it was on the bitter side but I liked that. It’s like a AF negroni 🙂
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I have just made this but at the moment does not taste anything like gin but it is very, nice and refreshing. I can imagine sitting out the back on a summer day sipping it. Maybe it will have more of a gin flavour in a few days when it matures a bit more. I presume it will not last much longer than the 2-3 days you suggested. Can I add something to help it last longer?
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