Fruity Cocktails, Mocktails & Kids’ Drinks That Are Perfect for Spring

Warmer weather, buzzing bees, colorful flowers. There’s just something about spring that makes you feel alive again. You survived another grueling, frigid winter. Give yourself a pat on the back — and a fruity spring drink in your hand. You earned it. Try one, or all, of these spring drink recipes in celebration.

Cocktails That Are Distinctively Spring

Put a little spring in your cocktail with fresh fruits and your favorite alcohol mixers.

Fruit and Basil Margarita

Step up your margarita game this spring with creative fruit and herb concoctions. The combination brings to mind all of those plants that spring to life, even if your own herb garden is still hibernating from that long winter.

Basil plays well with many fruits, including strawberries. Or go with a mint approach to create a margarita-mojito vibe. Really, there are no rules when it comes to margaritas. Mix fruit or juice and tequila and you can call it a margarita.

Start with this recipe for your fruity spring margarita fix:

• 4 cups of Hubert’s Limeade
• 2 cups of your favorite tequila; use more or less depending on how much kick you want
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 5 to 10 basil leaves chopped

Mix together your limeade, tequila and strawberries in a large pitcher. Give it a little time to chill out in the refrigerator so those flavors mingle together. Just before serving, add in fresh basil leaves. Chop or crush them a little to really let out the basil flavor. If you want to add a slushy effect to your margaritas, blend frozen strawberries into the concoction.

Sip your margarita creation on Taco Tuesday, although personally we think tacos and margaritas are great every night of the week. Share a pitcher with friends on the patio on a nice, sunny spring day. Or just whip up a margarita when you’ve had a hard day at work. There’s no bad time for a margarita — except maybe at the office. You should probably hold off until later in the day.

Fruity Mojito

Mojitos are a lot like margaritas. You can take a lot of liberties with the combinations of flavors to make your own signature mojito. What are the basics of a mojito? Mint, rum and fruit juice. It’s easy and refreshing. And if your herb garden is already flourishing, grab mint sprigs right from home.

This recipe adds a refreshing twist to the traditional mojito with a little green tea to spice things up. With the fresh mint and green tea, it’s practically a health drink, or at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves. Here’s what you need to whip up this delicious minty cocktail:

• 2 tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lime juice — we won’t tell if you use juice from a bottle!
• 1 cup of green tea
• 2 ounces of your favorite rum
• 3 to 5 mint leaves
• Lime wedges
• Sugar to taste

Now comes the fun part — muddling. Basically, that means you’re going to crush the mint and lime wedges to let out their flavors and juices, but it’s also a great way to work out the frustrations of the day while making your spring drink. Add ice and the remaining ingredients, and stir them all up.

Want to simplify the recipe even more? Start with Argo Tea MojiTea. This refreshing drink contains mint tea, lime juice and pure cane sugar — all the basic flavors in this recipe. Add a little rum and some fresh mint leaves, and your iced tea mojito is ready to enjoy.

Want more fruit flavor? Try a different fruity version on the mojitos. Raspberry, orange, pink grapefruit, mango and blueberry are a few suggestions. Muddle whatever fruit you choose with your mint. If you don’t want to add green tea, mix in a few ounces of club soda instead.

Spring Sangria

Fruit and wine join forces in this refreshing cocktail perfect for spring. White wine is the way to go for spring sangria. The light, crisp flavor paired with all sorts of fresh fruits hits the spot. Like many of our other picks for fruity spring cocktails, you can mix and match the fruits you include to fit your tastes.

Here is one sample spring sangria recipe:

• 2 bottles of your favorite white wine
• 1 cup of your favorite rum, gin or schnapps
• 1 cup of pineapple juice, or try Natural Nantucket Nectars Pineapple-Orange-Guava
• 2 cups of your favorite fruits, such as pineapple, mango, peaches, berries or other fruit

Mix up the wine, alcohol and fruit juice in a large pitcher. Add the fruit chunks. Refrigerate the refreshing sangria for a few hours so the fruity flavors mingle.

The great thing about sangria is you can keep it in the refrigerator and sip on it throughout the day or even over a few days. This means even if you aren’t hosting a big party, sangria is a suitable springtime cocktail.

Fruity Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule is all the rage these days. Fill your copper cup with a fruity twist on the traditional drink to give it a spring time makeover. Vodka and ginger beer are the two primary components that define this drink.

Try this peach Moscow Mule recipe when you’re in the mood for fruity cocktails and are looking for recipes for spring:

• 1 ounce of your favorite vodka
• 12 ounces of Gosling’s Ginger Beer
• 1 ounce of peach schnapps
• Fresh peach slices
• Fresh lime slices

Muddle the peaches and lime slices with the peach schnapps in a cocktail shaker. Add a little crushed ice and your vodka to the shaker, and give it all a swirl. Transfer the mixture to a glass, and top it with your ginger beer. We recommend drinking it from a copper cup for an authentic feeling, but any cup will do.

Not a fan of peaches? Choose your favorite berry instead. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries have that refreshing spring vibe. Or, you can get really wild and crazy and try a combination of fruit. Muddle them just like the peaches for a twist on the drink.

Because you make one Moscow Mule at a time, this drink is perfect for yourself after a long spring day at the office or cleaning up the backyard. Since it’s such a trendy drink these days, you’re sure to impress your guests if you do invite some over to join you.

Tips for Making Spring Cocktails Extra Special

These tips make your drinks even more special and spring-like:

• Drink them from brightly colored cocktail glasses to remind yourself it’s spring.
• Use fresh garnishes that match the flavor of the cocktail — a strawberry on the rim of a strawberry margarita, for example.
• If you invite friends over for spring cocktails, offer a little variety. Offer two different types of alcohol, and let each person choose a favorite, or offer two different flavors of margaritas, for example.
• Set up a garnish bar with sliced fruits, fresh herbs and edible flowers so each person can top the glass.

Mocktails for Those Non-Alcohol Situations

Mocktails keep the party going even when alcohol isn’t an option. Whip up fruity mocktail recipes for spring family gatherings when some people in the crowd can’t drink alcohol or simply don’t want to. Many of the recipes are easy to adapt by adding in a few shots to individual glasses if some people in the crowd prefer the real thing to a mocktail.

Fruit Spritzers

Spritzers are essentially a combination of fruit, sugar and sparkling water. Sometimes fruit juice gets in on the action. Whether you call it a spritzer, a sparkler or something else, it usually involves combining sugar and fruit or fruit juices over low heat until it simmers and the sugar dissolves. This makes a syrupy base for the spritzer.

Here is one option:

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 6 to 8 cups of seasonal fruit cut into pieces, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Sparkling water

Stir the water and sugar together in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring as it heats. Cool the syrup just a little while you prepare all of those yummy spring fruits.

Put the fruit, syrup and lemon juice in a blender. Process it all until it is fully pureed. Pop it in the refrigerator until it is nice and cool.

When you’re ready to serve your springy fruit spritzer, put about ½ cup of the puree in a glass. Fill the rest of the space with your favorite sparkling water. Add a twist with a flavored sparkling water, such as Found Infused Sparkling Water in Elderberry.  You also try and use Sparkling Juices for this fruit spritzer.

This crowd-pleaser works for anyone of any age, even the kids in the group. Make up a large batch of the puree ahead of time when you’re entertaining. If you’re hosting a party, choose the fruit based on the color scheme of the party. Hosting a baby shower for a mom-to-be? Make strawberry spritzers if it’s a girl or blueberry for a boy.

Raspberry Non-Alcoholic Beer Punch

Who says you can’t have the beer taste in fruity mocktails recipes for spring? Whip up a raspberry beer punch using non-alcoholic beer so you don’t have to miss out on the flavor. Here’s what you need and how to do it:

• 4 bottles of chilled non-alcoholic beer
• 12 ounces of frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate
• 1 cup of raspberries
• Lemon and lime wedges

Mix together the non-alcoholic beer, lemonade concentrate and raspberries in a large pitcher. Add the lemon and lime wedges for extra flavor and a fun garnish.

Even though this recipe uses non-alcoholic beer, this is best reserved for adults only. Make a batch of the non-alcoholic beer punch for an adult party or get-together as a non-alcoholic beverage option that still feels very adult.

Gourmet Lemonade

Lemonade is a warm-weather staple, but don’t go for any old lemonade out of the can. Kick it up with gourmet touches to make it feel more like grown-up lemonade without the alcohol.

Whip up this concoction the next time you feel like fancy lemonade:

• 2 quarts of your favorite lemonade — Harney & Sons Organic Lemonade is a good option!
• 2 cups of hulled strawberries

Blend the two ingredients together, and you have a fruity lemonade ready to go for your next family gathering or party. If you want to get really fancy, you can squeeze fresh lemons and add sugar and water before blending in the strawberries.

Here are some other variations that put your lemonade in a whole new league:

• Basil Lemonade: Muddle some fresh basil leaves with your lemonade.
• Mojito Lemonade: Take cues from the mojito, and muddle mint leaves with your lemons. Add a little club soda to give it that slightly bubbly mojito effect.
• Mango Lemonade: Just like strawberry lemonade, you puree the mangos and add lemonade. Use any other soft fruit instead of mango if you prefer. Raspberries and blueberries both work well.
• Jalapeno Lemonade: Add slices of fresh jalapeno to your lemonade for a real kick. Or poke holes in whole jalapenos and put them in the pitcher of lemonade.
• Lavender Lemonade: Nothing says spring like flowers. Add some fresh lavender to your next pitcher of lemonade. It looks just as good as it tastes.

Lemonade is a versatile drink option that works well almost anywhere: birthday parties, family gatherings, baby shower or just around the house as a refreshing beverage. Serve it over ice with sliced lemon garnishes, and it looks just as extravagant as any cocktail. Add a splash of sparkling water to make it feel more like a special drink.

Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Why should wine drinkers have all the fun? Non-alcoholic sangria is possible and just as fun as the real thing. After all, the fruit is the star of any good sangria. Instead of wine, use grape juice. Either white or purple grape juice works.

Try this alcohol-free option:

• 1 container frozen apple juice concentrate
• 3 cups of Apple & Eve Concord Grape Juice
• 1½ cups of sparkling water
• 2 cups of fruit chunks

Mix up all of the ingredients. Put the pitcher in the refrigerator for a few hours so it all blends together. Want a sparkling non-alcoholic sangria without feeling like it’s watered down? Try Fizzy Lizzy Yakima Grape instead of regular grape juice.

Non-alcoholic sangria is the perfect way to include everyone in your next fiesta. Even kids can enjoy this drink option due to the absence of alcohol. Bonus: You can count it as part of their fruit intake for the day.

Tips for Making Spring Mocktails Extra Special

Leaving out the alcohol doesn’t mean you have to leave out the fun. Dress up your alcohol-free drinks with these tips:

• Serve them in the same glasses their cocktail counterparts go in. It gives them that grown-up feeling even if they aren’t spiked.
• Add a little sugar to the rim like you would put salt around the edge of a margarita glass. Not only does it add a little sweetness to it, the sugar makes the glass pretty and fun.
• Use frozen fruit chunks to cool your spring mocktails so they don’t get watered down.

Kid-Friendly Drinks for Spring

Mocktails work for kids since they don’t have any alcohol in them, but why not give the kids something special? These kid-friendly spring drinks all appeal directly to the little ones in the group, whether you’re throwing a family party or just want to make a special treat for your kids. Both the ingredients and the directions are kid-friendly in case you have little helpers in the kitchen.

Melon Cooler

Pack the refreshing flavor of watermelon in this fun kids’ drink. It takes on the bright red shade of the watermelon, which makes it that much more appealing to kids — and gives you that much more incentive to make them drink it outside, away from your carpet.

Follow this easy recipe so your kids can sip on melon coolers:

• 8 cups of watermelon chunks, seeds removed
• 2 cups of Honest Fizz Golden Ginger Ale
• 6 ounces of frozen limeade concentrate

Spread the watermelon pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze the watermelon for about 30 minutes. This gives the drink a kid-friendly slushy effect. Chill the ginger ale while you’re at it so everything stays nice and cool.

Blend together the watermelon, ginger ale and limeade concentrate. You may need to blend a few smaller batches to avoid a blender catastrophe. Add a little water to thin out the mixture if needed. Serve the blended watermelon drink right away so you can enjoy the slushiness.

Serve this refreshing drink at a tea party or birthday party. But, don’t miss out on the treat yourself. It may be aimed at kids, but adults can enjoy this drink just as much.

Fruity Ice Cream Soda

Kids and ice cream go hand-in-hand, so it only makes sense to include the creamy treat in a spring drink. Think of these recipes as a twist on the classic root beer float with a fruity edge.

Try this strawberry version of an ice cream soda:

• Softened strawberry ice cream
• Fresh, sliced strawberries
• Strawberry syrup, homemade or from a bottle — we won’t judge
• Chilled club soda

Layer the ice cream, fresh strawberries and syrup in a tall glass, repeating the layers until you almost reach the top. Pour the club soda over the layers. Add whipped cream and strawberry slices for garnish before enjoying this drink.

Here’s another version that uses the tangy taste of lemons. Here’s what you need:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Sparkling lemonade

Scoop the ice cream in a glass, and top it with sparkling lemonade. R.W. Kundsen Jamacian Lemonade Spritzer is one option. Swap out the ice cream for lemon sherbet if you want an extra lemony kick.

If your favorite pint-sized pal doesn’t like ice cream, try this version of homemade orange soda:

• 12 ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
• 7-Up or your favorite lemon lime soda
• Orange slices

Combine the orange juice and lemon lime soda. Add the orange slices as a garnish.

These fun treats are perfect for a party drink for kids. Or serve them up in the evening as a springtime drink that doubles as a dessert.

Fresh Fruit Smoothie

Fresh fruit smoothies are healthy fruity spring drinks for kids. You can serve them any time of day, even for breakfast.

Try this spring combination for a smoothie that tastes like an orange creamsicle:

• 1 peeled, sliced frozen banana
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¾ cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 peeled orange, separated into slices
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend the banana and orange juice together to puree the frozen banana. Add in the remaining ingredients. Blend it all up until it is creamy, smooth and mixed well.

Like so many other drinks, it’s easy to mix and match the flavors of a smoothie. Choose two or three different fruits to blend together. Use one fresh and one frozen fruit. This gives the smoothie a creamy, frozen texture without being too thick. Add more orange juice or your favorite type of milk to thin out the smoothie if necessary.

Serve a smoothie as a healthy breakfast or alternative way to get your kids to eat their fruit. You can also convince them it’s dessert because of the thick, creamy texture.

Tips for Making Kids’ Spring Drinks Extra Special

Have a little fun with kids’ drinks. They’ll get a kick out of the extra attention you put into them. Here are a few ways to dress up their spring drinks:

• Let your kids help you make the drinks. Most are easy enough that kids can do some if not all of the work. They feel like a grown up, and it doubles as entertainment and bonding time.
• Serve the drinks in fun glasses with a spring design or fun shape.
• Add a little colored sugar around the rim of the glass for a sweet, colorful touch.
• Cut fruit into flowers, suns or other shapes with small cookie cutters as garnishes.
• Freeze fruit as fun, edible ice cubes that won’t water down the drink.
• Let them sip their drinks through twisty straws.
• Drop a few clean, edible flowers into the drink.

Sip in Spring

Whether you want your drinks to be kid-friendly or adults-only, fruity is the way to go with spring drinks. The fruity drinks bring all the best flavors of the season. No matter what you decide to sip, give yourself more time to enjoy the warm spring weather by ordering all the supplies for your spring sips from Beverage Universe.

Check out our blog post on Hannukah Drinks for inspiration that will sure amaze your guests!