The Underrated Art of Mocktails: Summer Edition
- jennysmithmattfeldt
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 23
Mule, Marg, & Butterfly Pea Tea Summer Mocktails
Welcome to our newest mocktail series: summer edition. We have six cute little drinks and two star ingredients: butterfly pea flower tea (which changes from deep blue to light purple when you add citrus!!) and white grape juice, which I swear is one of the most underrated ingredients. The idea for this article came from two places: so many of my friends are pregnant right now, and two, sometimes your girl just needs something hydrating to sip by the pool because it's a million degrees in Arizona. Whether you're skipping the alcohol or just looking for something a little lighter, we've got full tutorials for every drink.
This is the exact butterfly pea flower tea I use. It comes as a bag of dried flowers that you simply steep in hot water to create a vibrant, deep blue tea. The fun par when you add a little citrus, and the color transforms into a bright lavender. The easiest way to make drinks that look incredibly high end with no extra effort.
White grape juice is so underrated. You can usually find it right alongside the rest of the juice at the grocery store, but it adds a light, crisp sweetness that feels so much more elevated than your standard mixers. Just trust me on this one. Next time you're making a vodka cran swap the classic for this instead you'll never look back.
Crisp, gingery, bubbly.
.5 oz lime juice
1 oz white grape juice
1 oz pineapple juice
ginger beer
garnish: pineapple flower
Bake thin slices of pineapple in the oven at 250° for ~40 minutes or until they're dried.
Add your lime juice, grape juice, & pineapple juice to your copper cup over ice.
Top with ginger beer and your pineapple flower.
I get asked about the pineapple flowers more than anything else I've ever made. They are so deceptively simple. Slice your pineapple as thin as possible and lay the slices on paper towels to dry. Bake them at 250 for around ~40 minutes. (Best advice: use a silicone baking mat because they can stick to a try and they will be very delicate.)
Cool, hydrating, tropical.
1.5 oz pineapple juice
.5 oz lime juice
coconut water
butterfly pea tea
garnish: thin lemon slices
Fill a tall glass with extra ice (pebble preferred, obviously) slide lemon slices down along the glass.
Pour in your pineapple juice and lime juice, then fill glass halfway with coconut water.
Lay a spoon across the top and slowly pour in your butterfly pea tea (this will allow it to really stay in pretty layers)
Best way to create layers in your drink go slowly. Once your first layer is in the glass hold a spoon close to the top of the liquid, then slowly pour in your next layer letting it run gently off the spoon. This will let it sit on top rather than mixing right together.
Light, fresh, bubbly.
2 oz lychee juice
.5 oz lemon juice
elderflower tonic water
garnish: lychee fruit + a flower
Put your glass in the freezer until it's crispy cold.
Shake your lychee juice and lemon juice over ice.
Add lychee and lemon to your frozen glass and top with elderflower tonic water.
Rather than looking for fresh ones just grab a can of lychee fruit that come in juice. That gives you plenty of juice for a few drinks plus fruits for the garnish.
Citrusy, bubbly, floral.
2 oz white grape juice
2 oz butterfly pea tea
.5 oz lemon juice
sparkling water
garnish: fresh flowers
Two options: put a big sphere ice cube in your cute little coupe glass, or put your glass in the freezer before hand to get it nice and cold.
Add your butterfly pea tea to the glass and top with sparkling water.
Slowly pour your grape and lemon over the top and watch the magic happen.
Take advantage of the fact everything is blooming right now. You can attach fresh flowers so easily to your glass with a tiny hair clip or a mini clothes pin.
Sweet, soft, fruity.
muddled strawberries
crushed ice
muddled kiwi
vanilla extract
strawberry vanilla Olipop
Muddle up your kiwis with a splash of vanilla extract and add layer to the bottom of your glass.
Fill the glass with crushed or pebble ice and pour in your strawberry vanilla Olipop.
Top the ice with a layer of muddled or blended strawberries.
I think my edit next time I make these would be to blend the strawberries for the top layer to create a silkier texture. The muddled kiwis work at the bottom but it would just look more appetizing if the top layer was smoother.
Spicy, sweet, refreshing.
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz lime juice
2 oz pineapple juice
jalapeño slices
2 oz cold water
.5 oz agave
garnish: tajín rim, maybe a little flower
Rim your glass with a bit of agave and tajín. Then add your ice to the glass.
Add your lemon, lime, pineapple, jalapeño slices, cold water, and agave to a shaker glass with lots of ice.
Shake hard to get the jalapeño flavor melded in then pour everything over ice.
Okay. Underratedly might the best drink of the entire series. You would think it would feel like it's missing something without the tequila but this is so crisp and refreshing. Especially with the tajín it's just amazing, trust me make this one.
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