Low-Sugar Mocktails

The most common complaint about non-alcoholic drinks is how sweet they are. These lead with bitterness, acid and salt — the flavours alcohol used to carry — rather than sugar.

Cold Brew Tonic

Smoother and less acidic than espresso tonic, and you can make it without a machine.

3 min · Easy

Cranberry Orange Spritzer

Tart, bright and barely sweet. Two minutes, and it looks like an occasion.

3 min · Easy

Cucumber Mint Cooler

Clean, cold and barely sweet — the drink to make when everything else on offer is sugary.

5 min · Easy

Espresso Tonic

Bitter, bright and genuinely one of the best non-alcoholic drinks going. Two ingredients and one bit of technique.

3 min · Easy

Ginger Turmeric Tonic

Sharp, warming and barely sweet. The one to make when you want something that feels like it's doing you good.

5 min · Easy

Grapefruit Rosemary Soda

Bitter, herbal and barely sweet — for people who don't want a sweet drink at all.

4 min · Easy

Homemade Ginger Ale

Real ginger, lemon and soda. Once you've made it, the shop-bought kind tastes like sugar water.

15 min · Easy

Honey Citrus Cooler

Three citrus fruits and honey over ice. Nothing exotic, and one of the best things on this list.

4 min · Easy

Lemon, Lime and Bitters

Australia's default non-alcoholic order, and the most-ordered mocktail in the world. Three ingredients, one technique.

2 min · Easy

Nogroni

The most convincing zero-proof classic there is, because bitterness survives losing the alcohol better than anything else.

3 min · Easy

Virgin Michelada

Savoury, spicy and citrus-sharp, with a chilli-salt rim. The most interesting savoury drink you can make without alcohol.

5 min · Easy

Virgin Paloma

Grapefruit, lime and salt over ice — Mexico's real everyday drink, and better than a margarita.

4 min · Easy

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Blended watermelon, lime and a pinch of salt. The most refreshing thing you can make in summer, in four minutes.

5 min · Easy

Watermelon Juice Cooler

Three ingredients, no equipment beyond a blender, and the best thing to drink in real heat.

5 min · Easy