Toast These Jolly Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes
Tasty Mixes Still Pack A Punch, Minus The Booze
AAA Michigan asked members to send in their best non-alcoholic drink recipes to help promote a happy and safe holiday season.
Here are some recipes from the Zero-Proof Mix Off winners:
TICKLE ME PINK CRAYOLA COOLER
Mary Bilyeu, Ann Arbor
First Place, Detroit Mix-Off
1 pint Haagen-Dazs coconut gelato, slightly softened
16 maraschino cherries without stems
1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/3 cup light coconut milk
Whipped cream
4 maraschino cherries with stems
Blend together the gelato, stemless cherries, juice and coconut milk until smooth, adding a bit more coconut milk, if necessary, so the shake is not too thick. Serve in clear punch cups to show off the pink color, top with whipped cream and a stemmed cherry. Serves four.
HULA-HOOP HUMMER
Kimberly Cogle, Manistee
First Place, Traverse City Mix-Off
10 oz. pina colada mix (Bacardi’s frozen preferred)
8 oz. strawberry daiquiri/margarita mix (Daily’s preferred)
8 oz. chunk pineapple with juice
1 banana
2 cups ice cubes
Whipped topping
In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnish with whipped topping. Serves four.
MELON MARBLES SHOOTER
Betsy Tjapkes, Rothbury
First Place, Grand Rapids Mix-Off
16 oz. key lime sherbet
16 oz. lemon sherbet
1-1/2 cups honeydew melon balls or chunks
2 tbsp. frozen lime juice concentrate
16 oz. prepared Five Alive juice
Mix ingredients (except for four melon balls) in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into four round glasses. Slice small nicks in the four melon balls and hook on the rims of the glasses. Serve with a straw.
SUPER SPIROGRAPH SPINNER
Jeri Brinks, Wyoming
Second Place, Grand Rapids Mix-Off
1 pint strawberry ice cream
1 cup cold milk
1 cup club soda, chilled
8 tsp. Hershey’s strawberry syrup
Whipped topping
Whole strawberries
Beat ice cream, milk and club soda in a blender until smooth and thick, but not too long; then, set aside. Pour 2 tsp of Hershey’s strawberry syrup into each of four clear 8-oz glasses. One at a time, tilt the glasses sideways and spin around so the syrup coats the entire inside. Immediately pour in the ice cream mixture. Garnish with whipped topping and whole strawberries. Insert straws.
Note: Any flavor syrup and ice cream works well with this recipe. Why not try chocolate syrup and coffee-flavored ice cream?
RAGGEDY ANN MEETS ANDY
Ken Crawford, Owosso
Second Place, Detroit Mix-Off
3 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint stick
2 tbsp. maraschino cherry syrup
2 liters creme soda
2 tsp. imitation rum extract
1 jar maraschino cherries
1 cup strained pineapple juice
1 can whipped cream
4 red/white peppermint sticks
In a large Tupperware bowl, shake ice, crushed peppermint, maraschino cherry syrup, one liter of creme soda, rum extract, drained maraschino cherries and one cup of strained pineapple juice. Ladle equal portions of the mixture into glasses. Top with a whipped cream cloud and garnish with a peppermint stick.
MR. POTATO HEAD’S SPICY SIPPER
Colleen Rison, Bellaire
Second Place, Traverse City Mix-Off
8 oz spicy V-8 juice
1/8 tsp. grated horseradish
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
1 sprig fresh cilantro
Dash of Tobasco sauce
Dilled green beans, carrots or olives
Mix the ingredients in a blender for approximately 15 seconds and serve in a tall glass. Garnish with your choice of vegetables. Serves one.
SWEET GENTLE BEN SOOTHER
Dede Dewitt, Traverse City
Third Place, Traverse City Mix-Off
1 bottle Smucker’s chocolate sundae syrup
1-1/2 cups Diet Faygo chocolate creme pop
8 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 can whipped topping spray
2 Oreo cookies crushed
Squeeze a generous amount of chocolate syrup into four glasses and spread around the sides. Put the glasses in the freezer for a half-hour. Blend the vanilla ice cream and chocolate pop in a blender. Pour the mixture into the glasses from the freezer. Top with whipped topping and crushed Oreo cookies. Add spoon straws. Serves four.
POOR, PITIFUL PEARL’S PERK-ME-UP TREAT
Susan Piatek, Sterling Heights
Third Place, Detroit Mix-Off
2-2/3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup creme de coconut nonalcoholic flavoring
2/3 cup orange juice pulp
2/3 cup Sprite
4 grilled pineapple wedges
4 fresh strawberries
1 kiwi fruit
1 starfruit sliced
Zest of an orange
4 sprigs fresh mint
Crushed ice
Wash the strawberries. Remove skin from the kiwi and cut it into eight wedges. Rinse and dry mint sprigs. Place a strawberry, two kiwi wedges, a grilled pineapple wedge, a starfruit slice and some orange zest onto a swizzle stick and set aside in the refrigerator. In a blender, blend the creme de coconut until it becomes smooth; then, add the pineapple juice and blend again until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Sprite and orange juice. Half-fill a punch bowl with crushed ice and stir in the Sprite/orange juice and pineapple/creme de coconut solutions. Taste to adjust the Sprite/orange juice amounts, if necessary. Ladle the mixture into glasses and garnish each serving with the swizzle stick and a mint sprig. Serves four.
SILLY PUTTY SPICED LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
Bob Royce, Okemos
Third Place, Grand Rapids Mix-Off
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
4 tsp. instant tea
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups ice
1 can Vernor’s ginger ale
Mix all ingredients, except Vernors, in a blender. Add Vernors and stir. Garnish with a cut orange slice over the side of the glass, and add a swizzle stick or wood skewer with a pineapple chunk, a maraschino cherry and a cinnamon stick. Serves four.
BABY ALIVE
Gina Bausano, Addison Township
Honorable Mention, Detroit Mix-Off
24 oz. cranberry juice
4-6 oz. soda
5-6 splashes Rose’s lime juice
1 lemon
Stir all ingredients and pour into iced glasses. Garnish with a lemon twist. Serves four.
GUMMY BEAR JUMPING JUICE
Kimberly Boni, Central Lake
Honorable Mention, Traverse City Mix-Off
1 cup raspberry juice
1/2 cup white grape juice
1/2 cup Sprite
3 scoops raspberry sherbet
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve. Serves four.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES SIPPER
Robyn Emde, Benton Harbor
Honorable Mention, Grand Rapids
1 green apple cubed
1 cup cubed honeydew melon
1 cup green grapes
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup pineapple concentrate
1 cup crushed ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender, holding out some kiwi fruit. Cover and process until smooth. Serve in tall glasses and garnish with kiwi fruit. Serves four.
THE SIT AND SPIN
Jodie Mellos, Livonia
Honorable Mention, Detroit Mix-Off
1 pomegranate’s seeds
8 oz. seltzer water
12 oz. Canada Dry ginger ale
8 oz. pineapple juice
8 oz. cranberry juice
2 large scoops raspberry sorbet
8 ice cubes
Fresh fruit
In a blender, blend or liquify the ice cubes, juices, sorbet and pomegranate seeds. Pour into parfait glasses and garnish with fresh fruit. Serves four.
RED RYDER
Drake Morin, Greenville
Honorable Mention, Grand Rapids Mix-Off
6 oz. strawberry/daiquiri mix
12 oz. Schweppes club soda
1 pint Knudsen’s cranberry nectar
8 oz. Rose’s non-alcoholic triple sec
Chill all ingredients. While continuously stirring in a large pitcher, first mix the triple sec and strawberry daiquiri mix; then, cranberry nectar; then, club soda. Serve in frosted 10-oz glasses. Garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit. Serves four.
SKATIE SMOOTHIE
Marion Stow, Frankfort
Honorable Mention, Traverse City Mix-Off
1 banana
3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Combine in a blender until smooth. Serves four.
Source: KCRA TV 3 Sacramento, CA website