Summertime is full of a long weekend where you can spend time having fun with your loved ones. That said, while these celebrations can be a great time to unwind, there’s plenty of drinking that happens — which can be a trigger, especially for those in early recovery. While sitting out these celebrations while you’re in those early stages is a valid way to approach these issues, it can feel isolated and lonely. One way to ease the tension is by finding ways to minimize your exposure to any substances — like bringing non-alcoholic beverages to any party.

If you feel like you want to participate in the festivities, we have a few fun recipes for fun, delicious and easy summer mocktails you can try!

Mint Watermelon Mocktail

Ingredients (makes one serving):

  • ¾ cup watermelon juice (you can either use store-bought or make your own by pureeing 1 1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon and straining thoroughly)
  • Two fresh mint leaves, plus some for garnish
  • ½ cup of your favorite club soda
  • Ice
  • Slices of watermelon for garnish

Directions:

In a tall glass, add mint leaves and mash them with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add one-third of ice and watermelon juice, and top off your drink with some club soda. Add a watermelon slice and some mint leaves for a fun garnish!

Blueberry Lemonade

Ingredients (makes two servings):

  • 1 cup of water
  • ½ cup of fresh blueberries and some for garnish
  • ¼ cup of lemon juice (store-bought works well, but fresh is even better)
  • 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • a pinch of salt

Directions:
Place lemon juice, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and salt into a blender and process until smooth. Strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher and stir in the water. Pour into two glasses with some ice. Add some additional blueberries on the top as a garnish (if you have fresh lemons, you can also add a lemon twist).

Mint Julep Mocktail

Ingredients (makes two servings):

  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tbsp of chopped mint leaves
  • 2 cups of crushed ice
  • ½ cup of your favorite lemonade
  • Mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:
Add the water, sugar and 1 tbsp of chopped mint to a saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil, cooking until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about an hour. Once cooled, strain out mint leaves.

Take two cups and fill them with crushed ice. Pour half of the lemonade, topping it with a splash of the sugar syrup. Garnish your glasses with a mint sprig and a fun straw.

Recovery is a lifelong journey that takes consistent effort and a commitment to make significant life changes. While some of your summer memories may include substance use,  they will soon be replaced with newer, healthier memories. We hope you give these mocktails a try!