Mocktails and Alcohol Consumption

Nutrition Month 2024

By Rayvin Wombold, Year 3 Nutrition Student

Research shows that no amount, or kind, of alcohol is beneficial to your health. Mocktails are a great alternative to enjoy of delicious beverage and to participate in some social functions or toast special occasions. 

Alcohol Consumption

  • Consuming more than two standard drinks per occassion is associated with an increased risk of harms to self and others. 
  • When pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, there is no known safe amount of alcohol use. 
  • Every drink counts: any reduction in alcohol use has benefits. 

New recommendations as of January 2023. 

Benefits

Mocktails don't just taste delicious, they have health benefits as well. Here are some of the benefits from the ingredients we use in the Mocktail recipe below:

Ginger: 

  • Rich in calcium, iron, vitamin C and magnesium .
  • Neuroprotective effects such as a pain killer, memory improvement, and learning caused by the aging process. 
  • Widely used for arthritis, cramps, sprains, sore throats, rheumatism, muscular aches, pains, vomiting, constripation, indigestion, hypertension, dementia, fever and infectious diseases. 

Lemongrass:

  • Helps maintain well-being of nervous system.
  • Assists in countering neural disorders such as nervousness, convulsions and vertigo. 
  • Useful for relaxing muscles and nerves for inducing sleep and curing insomnia. 
  • Prevention of cancer cell growth. 
  • Antioxidant properties. 
  • Helps reduce heart disease. 

Ginger Lemongrass Mocktail 

This recipe takes seven minutes to prepare and makes one serving. 

Ingredients: 

  • 3/4 lime - halved lengthwise and then cut into 6 
  • 1/2 lemongrass - finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp ginger syrup 
  • 1 tsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 mint sprigs
  • 80-100 ml apple juice
  • crushed ice  

Directions: 

Add the lime pieces, lemongrass slices, ginger syrup and sugar to a study highball glass or a cocktail shaker. Add the mint leaves and muddle a bit more. 

Add half of the apple juice and stir. 

Fill up with the crushed ice and the rest of the apple juice. Combine until well mixed. 

Add the straws, mint, and lemongrass slices. 

Enjoy! 

Notes

Don't have ginger syrup? Boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and add some fresh ginger. Bring to a boi, then turn off heat and let cool. 


Recipe sourced from Francoise La Plume: Lemongrass Ginger Mojito.