This beautiful floral, earthy, and light mocktail made with lychee and non-alcoholic gin is the perfect drink for anyone who loves enjoying cocktails, but wants to cut back on the alcohol. Lychee is such a delicious and delicate fruit that makes fantastic desserts and drinks. In my previous post, I shared how I made this homemade lychee syrup that can be used in so many different ways. This lychee mocktail recipe is one of my favorite ways to use lychee syrup.
Why I love this recipe
Lychee is a lovely floral, delicate flavor and is super refreshing in drinks. This is an easy mocktail recipe to make and can also be adapted as a cocktail! Using a non-alcoholic gin spirit adds even more earthy and herby flavors which perfectly complement the lychee. Because this lychee mocktail is non-alcoholic, it can be enjoyed any time of the day/week and you don’t have to worry about hangovers, ha!
Why mocktails?
Mocktails get a bad rap, but these days you can easily get amazing non-alcoholic drinks that are as good as the real thing minus the boozy buzz! I love cocktails, but I’m not in my 20s anymore, and my metabolism ain’t what it used to be! Non-alcoholic spirits help me still enjoy delicious cocktails, even during week nights, but without the consequences the following morning! Of all the non-alcoholic spirits that I’ve tried, my favorite is non-alcoholic gin. The botanicals in NA gin still come through and wonderfully complement the drink. And lychee is one of many fruits that pairs so well with gin – non alcoholic or not.
Ingredients to make this lychee mocktail
Lychee syrup Lime (lime juice or lime wedges) Canned, drained lychee pieces or fresh lychee (optional, but recommended) Non-alcoholic gin of your choice (you can use a different kind of non-alcoholic spirit that you prefer as well). Soda water or tonic
Lychee syrup
However, I prefer to make my own homemade lychee syrup! This homemade version is so easy to make, because you only need 2 ingredients, canned lychee and sugar. Homemade lychee syrup has a better flavor that is more natural, bringing out the floral, fruity flavors of lychee. Store-bought syrup tends to be too sweet and have an artificial flavor that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So the homemade version is perfect to make this lychee mocktail!
How to make the lychee mocktail
Making the lychee syrup
The first step is to make the lychee syrup. The lychee syrup can be kept in the fridge for up to 7 days, or up to 4 months in the freezer. So make sure to make it ahead of time and keep it chilled in the fridge. If the syrup is in the freezer, remember to properly thaw it out before using it.
Assembling the mocktail
In a cocktail mixer (shaker or glass), place the lime wedges and muddle it very well to release the juices. Add 2 – 3 pieces of lychee and muddle this along with the lime. Next, add the lychee syrup, followed by the non-alcoholic gin. Add ice and stir well to mix, and chill the mocktail. Strain into a lowball glass (rocks glass). Top up the lychee mocktail with chilled soda or tonic. You can add some ice to the cocktail if you like. Garnish with lime and lychee and serve.
Muddling lime vs lime juice
For this mocktail, you can either use lime juice, or muddle the lime. I prefer to muddle lime wedges instead. Muddling enhances the flavor of the drink because you release the essential oils in the rind of the lime as well as the juices. This adds more complexity to the mocktail.
Other lychee mocktail variations
Substitute the non-alcoholic gin with regular gin for a delicious lychee cocktail! Use tonic instead of soda water for a mocktail lychee flavored gin and tonic. You can add extra flavor to your lychee syrup to make the mocktail taste even more interesting. Add 1 oz of strongly brewed green tea for an elevated cocktail. Substitute the non-alcoholic gin with NA tequila for a fizzy lychee margarita mocktail. Or use NA vodka for a twist on a mocktail martini!
