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No booze, no problem
Looking to serve something fresh and bright for your next party? My spicy, fun, and tropical Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail is a unique concoction made with ginger beer, pineapple juice, and cinnamon simple syrup.
Even without the alcohol, your party guests will be clamoring for more as the flavors are so intricate and bright.
Mocktails with ginger beer and pineapple juice are refreshing and a unique option for all of your party guests. This recipe allows for everyone to sip on something exciting.
Soda and water can be boring, so make sure you’re offering plenty of playful mocktail varieties, like my Sparkling Hibiscus Lime Punch and Mint Lemonade, next to this recipe.
What is a mocktail?
A mocktail is a non-alcoholic drink that’s meant to mimic craft cocktail recipes. Made with the same equipment and techniques as cocktails, bartenders usually include all of the ingredients needed in the original recipe but will replace the alcohol with other ingredients or added flavors.
There is no specific history on when the very first mocktail was invented, but some say the Shirley Tempel was first in line. Regardless of which recipe was first, non-alcoholic drinks have been around for hundreds of years and have always been known for being sweet, fresh, and never lacking in flavor.
What makes for a good mocktail?
Non-alcoholic party drinks rely on many factors to mimic their original spirit-forward recipes. Texture, mouth-feel, aromatics, flavor, and how they look are all crucial when creating a great mocktail.
Bartenders will bring a variety of unique solutions to the table in order to properly execute an alcohol-free recipe. Some will use tea in floral drinks, they’ll create custom sweeteners (just like my blueberry syrup), and use plenty of citrus, salt, and bubbles (like sparkling water) to achieve balance. Sometimes the mocktail is even better than the original!
Pro Tip!
- Mocktails are fantastic options to serve at parties where you know there will be a variety of drinkers and non-drinkers.
- Events like weddings, baby showers, and even a weekly game night are a fantastic opportunity to offer a mocktail to your friends.
Why should I serve mocktails at my party?
We want to make sure everyone can have a good time at our parties, right? That’s why it’s important to serve a variety of options to those who may not drink or for the designated drivers in the crowd. Mocktails are fun and creative, and are much more exciting to drink than soda or water.
What you need to make a ginger beer mocktail
This is a fresh mocktail that uses a custom syrup and a few fresh ingredients. Here’s what you need:
Ginger beer
Despite its deceiving name, ginger beer actually doesn’t contain any beer or alcohol. It’s similar to ginger ale, but is much stronger, spicier (thanks to the fresh ginger root), and has less carbonation. It’s delicious in a Moscow Mule and a Dark and Stormy.
I highly recommend sticking with ginger beer to make this recipe rather than ginger ale. It pumps up the flavor and pairs well with the syrup, mint, and pineapple.
Cinnamon simple syrup
This custom simple syrup will add complexity to your mocktail, along with a light cinnamon flavor. In fact, it’s so light that you might not even taste the cinnamon! It’s necessary in this recipe because even though the flavor can be mild, it adds depth to the drink and helps it taste amazing.
I’ve tested the drink using regular simple syrup, and you can do that, but it does take the drink down a notch in flavor.
Pineapple juice
This fun tropical juice is so refreshing in the summertime. I like stocking my bar cart with small shelf-stable cans, but you can use any storebought or fresh variety you like. If you’re a fan of summery pineapple cocktails, then you would love my Pineapple Gin Cooler.
Fresh ingredients
We need a few fresh ingredients to really make this tropical mocktail pop. Adding fresh mint leaves, ginger root, and lime juice will give this drink the best and most intricate flavors. Feel free to play around with the amount you use of each. Ginger will add more spiciness, whereas the mint and lime will make it taste more bright and fresh.
How to make a pineapple ginger beer mocktail
Let’s get to it! This fun and flavorful ginger beer mocktail is only a few steps away:
Step 1: Combine the sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Cook and stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Step 2: Remove the finished syrup from the heat and let the cinnamon sticks steep for at least 30 minutes. Afterward, discard the sticks and transfer the syrup to a jar.
Step 3: Muddle the ginger, mint, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
Step 4: Add the pineapple juice and cinnamon simple syrup.
Step 5: Add the ice and shake for 30 seconds.
Step 6: Double strain the cocktail over two glasses with ice.
Step 7: To finish, top each glass with ginger beer. Give it a stir, garnish, and enjoy!
Pro tips
Make the best mocktail in no time by following these helpful recipe tips:
Make the mocktail ahead of time
The cinnamon syrup can be made up to 1 month ahead of time. Just keep it in a sealed jar or container in your fridge. You can use it for all sorts of funn cocktails or mocktails.
If you’re serving this for a party, you can make a big batch of the mint, ginger, lime, cinnamon simple syrup, and pineapple juice mixture the night before. Follow the instructions, double strain, and keep it in a container or glass bottle overnight.
Equipment you need
You’ll need a cocktail shaker and a small fine-mesh strainer to make this recipe. Any type of shaker or even a mason jar with a lid will work. If you don’t have a mesh strainer, you can use cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or even a thin, clean dishcloth.
🎉 It's time to cook! 🎉
Alright, friend! It's your turn to make this delish recipe for your next get-together.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When you do, please leave a comment and star rating below so we can hear what you think! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recipe
Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 4 large cinnamon sticks
Ginger Beer Pineapple Mocktail
- ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- ¾ once lime juice
- 1 ½ ounce cinnamon simple syrup
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- 5 ounces ginger beer
Instructions
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow the cinnamon sticks to steep in the sugar water for 30 minutes.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and allow to cool completely before using. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Ginger Beer Pineapple Mocktail
- Muddle ginger, mint and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Add pineapple and cinnamon simple syrup.
- Shake with ice until cold, about 30 seconds.
- Double strain, by pouring the mocktail through the shaker and then through a fine mesh strainer directly into two glasses filled with ice. (see the video for a demonstraition)
- Top with ginger beer, stir to combine. If needed top with more ice and serve!
Notes
- This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Christina says
I had a dry wedding, and we served this as one of our signature drinks. It was a hit with the drinkers and non drinkers, and was informed I needed to add it to the menu for every holiday meal and family get together. Thank you!
Michelle Weiner says
Christina! This makes me so happy to hear! I LOVE that you chose to include my recipe on your special day and that so many of your guests enjoyed it. We also served this at our wedding so our non-drinkers could have something delish to drink and it really makes me happy to hear that your guests enjoyed it as much as ours did. Thank you so much for sharing!
Camilla says
Very tasty and refreshing! Will make again! Thank you for sharing.
Michelle Ferrand says
YAY! So glad you like it and plan on making it again!
Mel Taylor says
Hi I’m planning on making this for a party, how much of the cinnamon syrup do you add?
Michelle Ferrand says
Woohoo! So excited for you to make it.
You'll want to use 1 1/2 ounces of cinnamon simple syrup per batch!
Sally Huebscher says
I'm making this for dinner tonight. I hope you really want feedback. I have a lot of kitchen experience, but I'm not sure what you mean by double strain. Do you strain it first into an empty glass and second into a glass of crushed ice? Also, I wish the print option gave me a one page recipe with CUPofZEST logos, photo, and spacing on the left so I can punch holes and put it in my CUPofZEST notebook. Then, sell me a CUPofZEST notebook with colorful dividers.
I love your voice in everything you produce, your instructions are great, and your brand is fun and accessible. YOU ROCK!
Michelle Ferrand says
So excited for you to make this and I absolutely appreciate any feedback that helps make a recipe more clear!
To double strain when making cocktails means that you will simultaneously strain through two strainers. You pour the liquid from the cocktail shaker (which is the first strain) and then through a fine-mesh strainer (the second strain) directly into the cocktail glass. Here's a quick video showing what I mean!
Double straining helps keep all of the muddled mint and ginger pieces from ending up in your cocktail. You can skip the step if you don't have a small fine-mesh strainer!
I'll update the post and recipe card to explain what I mean. Thanks for helping me clear it up!
As for the print option...that's a more techy thing I'll need to get someone to help me with, so I'll see what can be done there.
Thanks again Sally for the comment and idea for the CoZ notebook...and you ROCK!