There’s plenty of reasons why you might want to serve non alcoholic drinks at a party, but if you’re used to entertaining with adult beverages only it can be tricky to figure out exactly what to put out. After all, you want your guests to enjoy themselves! Here’s the ultimate guide to providing non-alcoholic options at a party or event.
Personally, I always like to have a selection of drinks on hand for impromptu entertaining. Most of these can be kept in your bar or beer fridge alongside adult beverages so you’re prepared to entertain anyone who may drop by.
The quantities you buy of these drinks for an event will vary depending on the type of people you entertain. Keep in mind most popular drink mixes make great non-alcoholic drinks too, so you may be able to get away with just buying some extra to avoid waste or too many options.
Why You Should Serve Alcohol Free Beverages to Guests
Whether you serve booze alongside alcohol free options is up to you, but there’s plenty of reasons people don’t want to drink. It’s good practice to have something available for them that reflects the types of alcoholic drinks served at the party. For example, if you’re making a lot of cocktails, have a mocktail option.
It can be extremely disappointing for someone who isn’t drinking to miss out on the fun of a signature punch because there’s no non-alcoholic version!
Pregnant or Breastfeeding
New parents or soon to be parents shouldn’t be excluded from the fun! But if one of your guests is pregnant or breastfeeding, you’ll definitely want some great non-alcoholic options. This is especially important to keep in mind at wedding showers and baby showers because it’s a group of women gathering, and therefore higher odds of someone being pregnant or nursing attending.
Someone who is newly pregnant but not ready to share the news will also be able to avoid any awkwardness if you have alcohol free options laid out.
Sober or Cutting Back on Alcohol Consumption
Parties and other events are tough places for recovering alcoholics. Whether they’re maintaining sobriety or just cutting back, good quality booze-free options will help make drinking less tempting. IKt also will help social drinkers feel like they’re part of the fun even without alcohol in their cup.
Religious Reasons
There are quite a few religions that don’t allow their members to drink alcohol. Unless you know all your guests personally, it’s possible that some guests could be a member of these groups. This is especially true in regions that have higher populations of Mormons, Islamists, or Buddhists.
Designated Driver
Drinking and driving is a huge issue, and one that most party hosts want to avoid when it comes to their guests. If party attendees have to drive to your home or venue, make sure you have an array of options for your designated drivers to enjoy. That way everyone can get home safely.
Kids and Teens
If children are in attendance make sure you have something available for them to enjoy. Parties are a great opportunity to give youngsters some drinks they wouldn’t normally get like juice boxes or soda.
Just Don’t Want to Drink
It’s important to have options for folks who simply don’t want to drink. Some folks have medical conditions or medications that prevent them from drinking, others simply may not feel like it. Have options for these people, and never pressure them into drinking if they don’t want to.
A Complete Guide to Non Alcoholic Drinks to Serve at a Party
Now that we know why you need alcohol-free beverages, here’s a long list of everything you might want to consider serving. Of course, you don’t need to offer everything on this list; but it’s a great starting point if you need inspiration.
Soda Pop
This is the go to for most folks. A lot of adults (and kids, for that matter) like drinking soda. It’s also convenient like beer and coolers for BBQs and casual events.
Make sure you offer a selection of sugar and diet drinks, as well as options without caffeine. I strongly recommend buying brand names (even multiple brands for a big event); no-name sodas are fine as mix, but not as tasty to drink on their own.
To class this up, buy some speciality pop, glass bottle options, or Italian soda for your guests.
Fruit Juice
If you’re making cocktails then you probably will have fruit juice on hand anyway. It’s a nice extra to offer to your guests, especially for those who don’t like to drink pop.
Not sure what to buy? I tend to stock orange juice, cranberry juice, and some kind of fruit cocktail at minimum.
Juice Boxes, Sunny D, Kool Aid Jammers, etc
Speaking of juice, another great idea is to grab a pack of juice boxes for your party. While these might not be adult friendly, they’ll definitely keep and kids in attendance happy. You can also get some of the juice-like options like Sunny D or KoolAid Jammers. You’d be surprised how many adults will enjoy drinking these too!
Flat and Sparkling Water
Guests, whether they’re drinking or not, will appreciate having chilled bottled water available. You can also pick up some sparkling water, with and without flavor, to serve as well. This also makes great light mix for drinks, too.
Gatorade
When I’m drinking I almost always down a gatorade at the end of the night to fight off dehydration. Your guests will definitely appreciate being sent home with a bottle!
Gatorade is also pretty tasty, so those avoiding alcohol and teens will also like having it as an option.
Coffee and Tea
Have coffee made and serve a variety of tea options with a kettle, especially if it’s an evening party. This a great pick-me-up for adult guests, especially if they party is past bedtime. It also feels more grown up than some of the other options; perfect for those who aren’t drinking.
Make sure you offer some different creamers or flavors, milk or cream and sugar, and some caffeine-free herbal tea options.
Energy Drinks
Speaking of pick-me-ups, your guests might prefer this slightly more irresponsible option. There’s a reason why you can get Red Bull at most clubs: it keeps the night going. Just don’t mix it with alcohol.
Mocktails
Last, but definitely not least, is mocktails. If you plan to make cocktails for you guests, make sure you have a few similar recipes for alcohol free options to serve to guests who don’t drink. Usually you can remove the alcohol in most cocktail recipes, but some (especially ones that rely on alcohols like blue curacao) may need special ingredients to make a mocktail version.
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