I rang in 2022 and the Dry January Challenge with Mocktails Uniquely Crafted. These are the official cocktails of Dry January by Alcohol Change UK. These mocktails are vegan, gluten-free, alcohol-free (of course!), low calorie, and use 99% recycled packaging.
They are also somewhat less expensive than many other mocktails. Last year, a variety of pack of 16 bottles (four of each flavor) cost me $29.99. This year, I see the price has increased and now it’s 12 bottles for $29.99. Still, that’s less expensive than many of the mocktails I have seen.
Additionally, these beautiful little bottles can also be used as mixers. So if you are in a mixed group (punny, huh?) of drinkers and non-drinkers, everyone can drink the same thing. Margaritas for all! – just some will be alcohol-free.
Of course, none of the above matters if the mocktails don’t please your palate. I will admit I was hesitant, because many mocktails taste like mixers without the alcohol. So I was very pleasantly surprised by Mocktails Uniquely Crafted.
We’ll start with The Vida Loca Mockarita! This is my fave of the four flavors I’ve tried! It’s not too sweet and the bitter orange gives it a bit of bite and keeps it from tasting like limeade. Highly recommend serving chilled with margarita rock salt and a squeeze of fresh lime for major oomph. AND – it’s vegan, says so right on the bottle, so you don’t have to second guess yourself about “natural flavors” or how the sugar was sourced.
I was first introduced to Moscow Mules in Autumn 2020. We vacationed in Washington, DC. DC is an early town, and even earlier back in those original Covid days! So my travel companion and I became DIY-ers, setting up our own little bar to make Moscow Mules with limes, ginger beer, vodka, crushed ice, and mint. This cocktail became one of my favorites because of the nostalgia value of that very happy trip.
So I was excited to try Mockscow Mule – but it was a bit different from what I was expecting! For a start, they call it “Scottish Lemonade Mockscow Mule” and use lemons instead of the traditional limes. (Probably because their Mockaritas are already pretty lime-y.) The lemons are supposedly Sicilian and Argentinian lemons – I have a sensitive palate that’s been on fleek since Covid, but even I couldn’t tell where the lemons originated. Let’s just say it was lemony. It did have a nice bite of ginger and a soft, peppery undertone. The other main difference is that ginger beer is carbonated, but this mocktail isn’t.
Pleasant, but I tweaked it. Added some fresh lime and just a tiny bit of club soda. It turned out to be pretty amazing. If I’d had fresh mint, a few crushed mint leaves would have been divine.
Here we have Karma Sucra Mockapolitan. I may not be the best person to judge, as I’ve never had a Cosmopolitan. From Googling, it appears to be a sweet, pink drink made with cranberries, lime, and vodka. It shot to fame in the 90’s due to being the drink of choice for the Sex and the City girls and is still today considered the “girlfriends drink.”
What I liked about the Karma Sucra Mockapolitan (besides the fact it is vegan and gluten free): The juniper. That was an interesting note and I became more intrigued the more I sipped.
What I didn’t like: It was too sweet for my taste. This isn’t necessarily a flaw in the drink. I just happen to prefer my drinks on the sharper, tangier side. @drinkmocktails offered the suggestion to squeeze in some lime, but I think this drink just wasn’t for me. If you like sweet pink drinks (and I know many girls – and guys – do!) definitely give this mocktail a try!
The fourth and final flavor is Sevilla Red Sansgria. I was a little hesitant about this one – I’d had sangria once before, and wasn’t a fan. (Then again I’d had sangria at Olive Garden, which may not have the world’s best sangria, just as they may not have the world’s best pasta.)
What a surprise! This actually did taste rather like wine. It wasn’t too sweet and it had notes of citrus and clove (think of orange spice tea). I can see adding fruit such as chopped apples. Since I didn’t have any, I added some cara cara orange which was brilliant.
Would I Buy These Again?
These were a lot of fun to try and test. I might buy the Mockaritas again next Dry January. I admit, though, I am a do-it-yourselfer and dabbling in mixology, so I may be more interested in whipping up my own “libations.”
I can definitely see myself buying these for:
- Parties and dinner parties – just a more thoughtful option to have on hand for non-drinkers than a can of Coke.
- BABY SHOWERS!!!
- Spending “girl time” with a pre-teen or teen (break out one while getting a mani/pedi or watching a chick flick).
- Gift Baskets. The bottles are sort of like beer bottles with very attractive, metallic labeling. Very nice presentation. I can totally see putting together a gift basket of vegan treats and then adding in a few bottles of these vegan mocktails.
VegCharlotte 
Are these available locally or do you have to order them?
To be honest, I’m not sure. I have most of my groceries delivered these days with occasional forays into Trader Joe’s and EarthFare. I ordered from Amazon but you can also order directly.