A perfect spring day isn’t complete without a drink.

By Andie Vigliotti

What is spring to you? To us here at Baked Magazine, spring themed drinks are the perfect complement to warm weather. Picture it now: You are walking outside soaking up the warm embrace of sunshine, knowing that winter has finally ended and spring is upon us. These five mocktails will have you ready for spring and wanting to bask in the sun. Many of these drinks are simple, with easy-to-find ingredients that don’t require much assembly. 

Berry Spritzer

Our first mocktail is a mixed berry spritzer. It is simple to make, but can be easily elevated with some extra care and effort. If you’re feeling ambitious it allows for a fresh berry compote to add to an already fun mocktail! It is both sweet and tart, which makes for the most refreshing bubbly drink. 

Ingredients:

• Sprite or any lemon-lime soda
• Blueberry syrup
• Compote
  • Frozen blueberries
  • Sugar
  • Lemon juice
• Splash of lemon juice

Directions: 

Start by adding lemon lime soda to a glass until it’s filled about ¾ of the way. 

You can buy flavored syrups like raspberry or blueberry at your grocery store, but to take this drink to the next level, make a berry compote on the stovetop. Follow this simple compote recipe from Food Network and add it to the bottom of the glass with ice before you add the soda. 

Finish it off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top. Then you will have yourself a cool, refreshing drink for a nice warm day!

Rachel’s Ginger Beer Inspired Blood Orange Mule

This next mocktail takes on the concept of a classic drink: the mule! Moscow mules are a popular alcoholic beverage traditionally consisting of ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice. This mocktail takes inspiration from a Seattle favorite, Rachel’s Ginger Beer. One of their most popular flavors is the blood orange flavor and this mocktail resembles it pretty closely.

Ingredients:

• Ginger beer
• Blood orange Sanpellegrino
• Squirt of lime juice

Directions:

Start with getting a ginger beer from your local grocery store. Ginger beer can be found in most stores, so do not stress. Then mix it with Sanpellegrino’s Aranciata Rossa drink, which can also be found at most local grocery stores. Lastly, finish it off with a squeeze of lime juice and you’re done!

Raspberry Basil Mocktail

The third mocktail is a refreshing tea-based drink. This mocktail takes inspiration from @bevsbybeverly on Instagram. This recipe uses raspberry iced tea and fresh basil-infused simple syrup, which adds a slight sweetness that will have you craving this mocktail all day long.

Ingredients:

• Raspberry iced tea
• A few sprigs of fresh basil
• Basil simple syrup
  • ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup of sugar
  • Four sprigs of basil
• Lemon juice

Directions:

Start by acquiring raspberry flavored Pure Life iced tea at your local grocery store, or steep a bag of hot raspberry tea at home. Make sure to let it cool over some ice, then add in a few ounces of fresh lemon juice. 

Next, tear up a few pieces of basil or spend a few minutes making an additional basil-infused simple syrup to go with your raspberry tea. All it requires is ½ cup of water and ½ cup sugar and four sprigs of basil. Then, boil the sugar, water, and basil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. 

Take off the stove and cool. Then pour it into your glass with the tea and you’re done!

Pomegranate-Lavender Lemonade

This next mocktail starts with a traditional lemonade base, but has a twist. It gives all the color and feel of a warm spring day and the natural hints of fresh herbs. With its pink color and aromatic lavender, it may be your new favorite mocktail. This is very simple to make and gives you the best of both worlds: sweet and sour. So what’s not to love, try this recipe out and get creative!

Ingredients:

• Lavender syrup
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon dried lavender or lavender tea Nature Restore USDA Certified Organic Dried Lavender Flowers, Loose Leaf, Extra Grade, 4 Ounces 
• Pomegranate juice
• Garnish with Pomegranate seeds (optional)
• Lemonade

Directions:

Start with store bought lemonade; either a powder mix or make your own with a 1:1:5 ratio of sugar, lemon juice, and water. Next, add a splash of pomegranate juice for a little bit of color and tang. After that, add a few ounces of lavender syrup. You can buy this, but you can also make it. It is as easy as adding 1 tablespoon of dried lavender to  1⁄4 cup white sugar and ¼ cup water. If you want, you can garnish your drink with pomegranate seeds for some extra crunch. 

Strawberry Cream Soda

The last spring-y drink was inspired by a restaurant called Goddess and the Baker in Chicago. It’s a spin on a traditional Italian cream soda. It is not only comforting and fresh, but perfect for satisfying a craving for a little something sweet.

Ingredients:

• Club soda
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Freeze dried strawberries
• Strawberry syrup
• Strawberry Puree
  • 4 cups of strawberries
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoons of lemon juice

Directions:To make this, start by filling a glass with ice and club soda. Then, add ¼ cup of strawberry syrup to the cup. You could also use a strawberry puree made in a food processor with 4 cups of strawberries, ¼ cup of sugar, and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Next, add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and stir. Top with some freeze dried strawberries for extra flavor and enjoy!