Tis the season to be merry!!!

We all understand the perils of drink driving. It kills innocent people, the drink driver will lose their licence, they may go to prison, they might lose their job, their car insurance premiums will double and they’ll have it all on their conscience for the rest of their life. All of the above are great reasons to say no to that drink.

It may be a blow to find that it’s your turn to drive, when you were hoping for a pina colada or two, but it happens to us all eventually. You are officially the designated driver.

If you like the odd drink, especially over the party season when it’s almost tradition to attend as many parties as possible and to endure a handful of fruity hangovers, then having to drive can be a pain. There is however a definite stigma attached to the behaviour of drink drivers nowadays, so boozing into the wee hours and then getting behind the wheel is not an option.

While it may not be quite the same, there are a multitude of non alcoholic cocktails that you can mix up at a party or ask for in the bar. If you don’t like the ‘non alcoholic’ taste of non alcohol beer then it may be the path you should take.

The people at Hoot Car Insurance www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk, the home of cheap car insurance for young people on the internet, really know how to get into the party spirit without actually getting stuck into ‘party spirits’. Here’s their round up of the top alcohol free cocktails.

Brown Horny Toad – For reptile lovers

  1. 50ml pineapple juice
  2. 50ml orange juice
  3. 25ml lemon juice
  4. 5ml grenadine
  5. 5ml gomme
  6. Pinch of ground cinnamon, pinch of ground cloves
  7. Shake ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice into a highball
  8. Garnish with an orange and lemon slice

Tenderberry – For those with a soft spot for strawberries and cream

  1. 6-8 fresh strawberries
  2. 25ml grenadine
  3. 25ml double cream
  4. Ginger ale
  5. Blend the strawberries, grenadine and cream with crushed ice
  6. Pour in a glass and top with ginger ale giving a good stir


Virginpolitan – For Sex in the City fans

  1. 100ml cranberry juice
  2. 25ml orange juice
  3. 50 ml orange juice
  4. 50ml grapefruit juice
  5. A squeeze of lime
  6. Pour into a Collins glass and garnish with a wedge of lime

Nicholas – For anyone, er, called Nicholas

Splash each of;

  1. Grapefruit
  2. Orange juice
  3. Sour mix
  4. Dash of Grenadine
  5. Shake & Serve over ice in a Highball glass

    Equal parts of;

  6. Cranberry & Orange juice
  7. Serve over ice in a Highball glass

Pearls and Lace – A posh one, for ladies

2 oz. each of;

  1. Orange soda
  2. Cola
  3. Root Beer
  4. 7-Up
  5. Splash of Lemonade
  6. Combine with ice in a tall glass

Liver recovery – More of a health drink than a cocktail

  1. Juice of two apples
  2. 6 strawberries
  3. Bananas
  4. Blend the juice with a handful of ice cubes and pour into a large glass

Ugly – No comment

Pour equal amounts of grapefruit and orange juice over plenty of ice and serve with straws.

Frosty Nog – For those who have forgotten to wear their long Johns

  1. ½ cup of egg nog
  2. 2 tablespoons of sugar
  3. Combine the eggnog and sugar in a blender and slowly add three cups of ice.
  4. Blend until smooth and frosty.
  5. Garnish with almonds and nutmeg.

So there you have it, a special selection of drinks you can whip up in a blender or just pour into a glass. With such delicious beverages available you might even choose to be designated driver next time!

(Disclaimer: We will not be held responsible for the reaction of the barman when you ask for a brown horny toad).