Give the mocktail equal billing
The kindest thing you can do is make the alcohol-free drink as good as anything else on offer. Serve it in the same glasses, with the same garnish and the same care. When the mocktail sits next to the wine in a matching glass, nobody can tell at a glance who is drinking what, and nobody has to explain.
If you only make one special drink for the event, consider making it the alcohol-free one. Everyone can enjoy it, including guests who also drink.
Simple etiquette
- Offer drinks by name: "We have a grapefruit spritz and sparkling water, and there is wine too."
- Accept a "no thanks" the first time, and don't ask why.
- Don't comment on what is in anyone's glass.
- Don't top up a glass without asking. Guests should know what they are drinking.
- Make toasts open to any drink, including water.
Label everything
Clear labels help guests who avoid alcohol and guests with food allergies at the same time. List the main ingredients on a small card beside each drink. Call out common allergens such as nuts, dairy, sesame or soy if they appear in any syrup or garnish.
If you serve bottled products, read the label carefully. In the US, a beverage labeled "non-alcoholic" can still contain a small amount of alcohol, less than 0.5 percent by volume, while "alcohol-free" means none. Some guests avoid alcohol completely, so label these products for exactly what they are and let guests decide.
Keep drinks apart
When you serve both kinds of drinks, put them on separate tables or at opposite ends of the same table, with different pitchers, scoops and ladles. Use different garnishes or colored cups if it helps guests tell them apart. Never add alcohol to a shared punch or pitcher after it is labeled, and if a guest asks, tell them exactly what is in their glass.
Children and mixed-age events
For family events, set up a lower table with kid-friendly drinks: lighter on sour and bitter ingredients, with fun garnishes like fruit skewers. Use cups that are hard to knock over. Keep any alcoholic drinks out of reach and clearly separate. Food-safety agencies advise extra care with unpasteurized juice for young children, so read the fresh juice guide before serving it to them.
Faith, culture and work events
Many faiths and cultures avoid alcohol, and plenty of workplaces keep events alcohol-free. For these events, a thoughtful drinks menu does the work a bar would otherwise do. Two or three named mocktails, a pitcher of iced tea and good water make a full drinks table. Ask the organizer about any other food rules, and label ingredients so guests can check for themselves.
A host's checklist
- At least one alcohol-free drink made with the same care as the rest of the menu.
- Water always available, apart from the other drinks.
- Labels with drink names and main ingredients, allergens called out.
- Separate serving tools for drinks with and without alcohol.
- The same glassware for everyone.
- No questions, no comments, no surprise top-ups.
For drink ideas, start with our six formulas, and for crowd sizes see the batching guide.