April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and that got us to thinking about “mocktails.”

Festive, alcohol-free beverages should be part of every chic hostess’s repertoire. Many girlfriends are eliminating alcohol from their diets as a way of life or as a choice in their day. But just because they’re going alcohol-free, it doesn’t mean they have to miss out on the fun! We’ve got a recipe from Natalie Bovis-Nelsen’s book, Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-be, plus more ideas and tips to help you serve some delicious mocktails at your next girlfriend gathering.

As you can see from the beautiful photo, mocktails are getting ever more sophisticated. They can be brimming with nutritious vitamins, making them a great pick-me- up at the end of a long workday. Plus, it’s OK to drink mocktails and drive. You won’t have to rely on a designated driver and you won’t have to worry about praying to the porcelain goddess the entire next day. 

We find girlfriends appreciate alcohol-free options anytime, but certain occasions are perfect for serving mocktails:

• Brunch
• Baby showers
• Breast cancer support parties
• Pre or post-workout gatherings
• Gatherings in support of recovering girlfriends
• Mixed-age or underage gatherings
• Church-based gatherings
• Others? Let us know below!

Delicious recipes

Lifestyle writer and mixologist Natalie Bovis-Nelsen keeps an eye on drink trends around the world, and she designs signature cocktails for celebrity-studded events. We are thrilled that she shared a recipe from her highly acclaimed book Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-to-be. The book features more than 75 of her original recipes designed with the fun-loving preggie party girl in mind, and was named one of the top ten cocktail books of 2008.

(c) 2008 Natalie Bovis-Nelsen. Recipe excerpted from the book “Preggatinis™: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be.”  Reprinted with permission. 

Here are a few other alcohol-free beverage recipes to get you started exploring the wonderful world of mocktails:  

Mock-hito and The Virgin Mary 

Mock-Champagne, 

Virgin Pina Colada. 

Apple Pilar: Muddle sprig of mint, add spoon of sugar, 4/10 apple juice, fill with ginger ale; contributed by our girlfriend Jen at SecondCitySoiree.

Serving tips

While alcohol has its place (for those of us old enough to legally drink it), consider whipping up some mocktails for your next girl’s night in!  We want to hear your favorite alcohol-free drink ideas. Please use the comment form below to share your delicious drink recipes and give other girlfriends ideas for their next gathering.