Summer is coming, and this means that in just a few months, we will (hopefully) meet our friends, enjoy the perfect weather, and have barbecues. High time to start preparing with these Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for a Barbecue! Getting a good grill, inviting guests, purchasing the best meat you can possibly find – those are the essentials of every barbecue. However, people need drinks, too. And not everyone enjoys beer or wine.
Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for a Barbecue
We’ve asked the experts from outdoorcookingpros.com (an outdoor cooking blog) for a list of the best non-alcoholic drinks. Believe us – both children and adults will love them. Pop some paper umbrellas in there, and we promise – the party will be a huge success. Note everyone likes to drink alcohol, or maybe your friends and family are on medication that they can’t mix with booze, or perhaps they even have a health condition like me, where they try not to drink often.
You can absolutely have fun sober, but sometimes having cocktails just makes things more fun! In those cases you can easily whip up fun drinks to enjoy so that you’re not missing the fun of actually having fancy cocktails. These are some of the best Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for a Barbecue and they are all easily made right at home, usually without any special equipment, and likely with kitchen and pantry supplies you already have on hand!
Lemonades
Lemonades are a classic. They’re easy to make and delicious – no wonder everyone loves them. You can go along the traditional path and make an inexpensive, pretty, old-fashioned lemonade with water, lemons, and sugar. Or, you can get creative – for example, with this Grilled Lemonade recipe from Tasty.
With lemonades, you can get as imaginative as you want and impress everyone with some unique solutions. Add thyme, mint, or basil to the drinks, or splash them with some chili pomegranate syrup. (Sweet & spicy is always an excellent option.) You can also opt for some ginger to add a bite or change normal water to the sparkling variety.
Non-alcoholic Punches
A punch is by all means one of the best non-alcoholic drinks for any party. Refreshing, sweet, bubbly – it’s everything you need on a hot summer day. You can add any fruit or berry juice to it, but make sure to do everything yourself (or with the help of a friend). Don’t go shopping for ready-to-drink punch. Trust us, it won’t taste half as good as home-made.
The recipe is simple: in a large bowl, combine soda, a juice of your choice, fruits and berries (optional), and add ice. If you want to do something less traditional, consider making some jello a day before then break it up with a large spoon, top with soda or sparkling water, and serve!
Simple and Fun Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for a Barbecue
Non-alcoholic Sangria
You don’t need wine to make delicious sangria. Cranberry or grape juice, cherry-flavored sparkling water, ginger ale, or even black tea – almost anything can be the base of your new favorite non-alcoholic drink. Make it colorful by adding various fruits and berries, store in the fridge, and decorate with basil or mint before serving.
Save your time mixing individual cocktails and make a few pitchers of sangria. But for the party to be a little more interesting, consider serving a few variations. Sangria infused with honeydew and pear, one with passion fruit and kiwi, or a classic orange and lime. Or give it a kick with some spices. The only limit is your imagination.
Mocktails
You may like alcoholic cocktails but may not be able to drink alcohol for some reason – this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life. Mocktails are extremely popular today, which means you can indulge in your favorite drinks without alcohol.
Tequila-free Margaritas, blueberry Moscow mule, watermelon Bellini, Virgin Mojito, or Piña colada without rum – they exist, and they are delicious. You can look for recipes online, so the mocktail will taste almost the same as the original version, or simply change the alcohol to the fruit juice of your choice.
Bonus Drink!
If you need some inspiration, here’s a bonus recipe of our favorite non-alcoholic barbecue drink – watermelon slushy punch. Slice a watermelon (seedless, preferably) in half and use a spoon to scrape out all the meat. Don’t throw out the empty halves!
Place the watermelon pulp in a large blender, add lemon juice, strawberries, sugar, and ice, and blend until pureed. Then pour everything into the empty watermelon halves, garnish with some lemon and strawberry, and slurp your punch from a straw! You can also serve it in portions or use a whip to mix the ingredients together right inside the watermelon (if you love pieces of fruit in your drink).
A Final Note
Whatever people may think, non-alcoholic drinks can be just as fun as those with alcohol. Fancy mocktails, tasty slushies, colorful sangrias – any child or adult will want a refill. And the best thing is, you can get as creative as you want. Someone doesn’t like lime? Make sangria with frozen berries. People want something bubbly? Dr. Pepper punch coming right up.
And sometimes, fruits, berries, and sparkling water are all you need to make a refreshing beverage for a barbecue. After all, you don’t need alcohol to have fun – just a few good friends and good moods…and these Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks for a Barbecue!
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