Raise a glass to the Festival of Lights with these Hanukkah non-alcoholic drinks—vibrant, family-friendly sips that bring sparkle, sweetness, and celebration to every night!

Not every toast needs spirits to feel spirited. These Hanukkah non-alcoholic drinks are full of festive flavor, bright color, and pure joy—perfect for kids, adults, and anyone skipping the hard stuff this season. 

Hanukkah Non-Alcoholic Drinks

1) Pomegranate Rosemary Spritz (Eight Shiny Seeds, Endless Clinking)

• Style: Sparkling aperitivo (zero-proof)
• Glass: Stemmed wine glass with ice Serves: 1 (scale below)
• Active: 5 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) 100% pomegranate juice, well-chilled
• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh orange juice, strained
• 10 ml (2 tsp) simple syrup (1:1), optional for softer tang
• 120 ml (4 oz) chilled soda water (or unsweetened lemon seltzer)
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 8 pomegranate arils (one for each night)
• 1 orange half-wheel
• Ice

The “Glow In A Glass” Moves

• Fill a large wine glass with 3–4 big cubes (dense ice keeps bubbles lively).
• Add pomegranate juice, orange juice, and syrup (if using). Swirl once to chill.
• Top with soda water. Lift once with a bar spoon from bottom to top to wake the fizz.
• Roll the rosemary sprig between your fingers to release oils; tuck it along the rim with the orange half-wheel.
• Drop in 8 arils and serve immediately.
• Batching (Pitcher For 8): 480 ml pomegranate, 240 ml orange, 60–80 ml simple syrup (to taste). Chill. Pour 90 ml mix over ice per glass, top each with 120 ml soda, garnish in the glass.

Variations: Swap rosemary for thyme; add 2–3 dashes of orange blossom water to the pitcher for perfume.
Fix-It Fast: Too tart? Add 5 ml simple syrup directly to the glass, lift once. Too sweet? Squeeze in 5 ml lemon juice.

2) Applesauce Mule (Gingery Lift, Latke-Friendly)

• Style: Highball, fizzy
• Glass: Copper mug or tall highball
• Serves: 1
• Active: 6 minutes
• Total: 6 minutes

Ingredients

Spiced Cider Reduction (Makes ~360 ml / 1½ cups):

• 480 ml (2 cups) apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, 1 strip lemon peel

Build (Per Drink):

• 45 ml (1½ oz) spiced cider reduction (cold)
• 15 ml (½ oz) fresh lime juice
• 90–120 ml (3–4 oz) cold ginger beer (choose spicy, not sweet)
• 1 literal pinch ground cinnamon
• Apple fan + lime wheel
• Ice

Straight To The Spark

• Simmer cider with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon peel until reduced to 360 ml (1½ cups); strain and chill.
• Pack your mug with Ice To The Brim™.
• Add 45 ml cold reduction, 15 ml lime, and the pinch of cinnamon.
• Top with 90–120 ml ginger beer. Lift once with a bar spoon to mix without killing the fizz.
• Fan a few apple slices and perch the lime wheel at the rim.
• Batching (8 Drinks): 360 ml reduction + 120 ml lime in a bottle. Shake cold. Pour 60 ml per glass over ice; top with ginger beer.

Variations: Add 2 cucumber ribbons to the mug for a cool edge. Swap lime for yuzu juice (15 ml) if you have it.
Fix-It Fast: Flat fizz? Your ice was melting. Dump, re-ice with large cubes, rebuild in 30 seconds.

3) Sufganiyot Sour (Raspberry Jam, Powdered Sugar Rim)

• Style: Foamy sour (zero-proof)
• Glass: Coupe, chilled
• Serves: 1
• Active: 7 minutes
• Total: 7 minutes

Ingredients

Raspberry Jam Syrup (Makes ~180 ml):

• 150 g (½ cup) seedless raspberry jam
• 120 g (½ cup) hot water
• (Whisk smooth, fine-strain, chill.)

Build (Per Drink):

• 60 ml (2 oz) cold strong raspberry herbal tea or water
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 20 ml (⅔ oz) raspberry jam syrup
• 30 ml (1 oz) aquafaba or 1 small egg white
• Powdered sugar + lemon wedge for rim
• Fresh raspberry, optional

Jelly Joy, No Mess

• Swipe the coupe’s outer rim with lemon; dip in powdered sugar. Chill the glass 5 minutes so the “snow” sets.
• To a shaker tin: tea/water, lemon, syrup, aquafaba/egg white. Dry shake (no ice) 10 seconds for foam.
• Add ice and hard-shake 12–15 seconds until the tin frosts.
• Double-strain into the sugared coupe. Drop a single raspberry on the foam or leave pristine.
• Batching (6 Drinks): 360 ml tea/water, 135 ml lemon, 120 ml jam syrup, 180 ml aquafaba. Keep very cold. Shake 115–120 ml per drink with ice to order.

Variations: Swap raspberry for apricot jam and garnish with a tiny twist of lemon—apricot sufganiyot vibes.
Fix-It Fast: No foam? Your aquafaba was weak—add 5 ml more and shake harder 10 seconds.

4) Miracle Of Oil Lemon–Thyme Sparkler (Silky Without Spirits)

• Style: Bright, lightly silky lemonade spritz
• Glass: Nick & Nora or small wine glass with ice
• Serves: 1
• Active: 6 minutes
• Total: 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 25 ml (5 tsp) fresh lemon juice
• 15 ml (½ oz) thyme syrup (see below)
• 10 ml (2 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil (a peppery, green style tastes best)
• 90 ml (3 oz) chilled soda water
• 1 small thyme sprig, clapped between palms
• Lemon peel, wide
• Ice

Thyme Syrup (Makes ~240 ml / 1 cup):

• 120 g (½ cup) sugar + 120 g (½ cup) water + 8 thyme sprigs; simmer 1 minute, steep 10, strain, chill.

Shine Like The Menorah

• Add lemon juice, thyme syrup, and olive oil to a shaker with one cube of ice. Shake 5 seconds—just to emulsify into a pale, glossy lemonade (it turns opalescent; that’s your cue).
• Strain over fresh ice into your glass.
• Top with soda water; lift gently once with a bar spoon to keep the tiny olive-oil droplets suspended like confetti.
• Express a wide lemon peel over the top, rub the rim, then clip the thyme sprig on the side.
• Batching (6 Drinks): 150 ml lemon, 90 ml thyme syrup, 60 ml olive oil. Shake the batch with 3–4 cubes 5 seconds just before service; pour 50 ml per glass over ice and top with soda.

Variations: Swap thyme for rosemary; add 2 drops orange blossom water to the shaker for perfume.
Fix-It Fast: Oil separating? Shake the individual drink 3 seconds again or add 10 ml aquafaba to stabilize.

5) Gelt Hot Chocolate With Tahini & Sea Salt (Dairy Or Dairy-Free)

• Style: Rich, sippable dessert
• Glass: Mugs (6–8 oz)
• Serves: 4
• Active: 10 minutes
• Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 ml (2½ cups) milk (dairy or unsweetened almond/oat)
• 30 g (¼ cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 85 g (½ cup) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 45 g (3 tbsp) tahini (well-stirred)
• 30 g (2 tbsp) honey or maple syrup (taste at the end)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt

Finish: Tiny pinch flaky salt + chocolate shavings

Steam, Whisk, Glow

• Warm milk in a saucepan over medium until steaming (not boiling).
• Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until fully melted and glossy.
• Stir in tahini, honey/maple, vanilla, and fine salt. Simmer 30–60 seconds for body; if it thickens too much, whisk in 30–60 ml milk to your perfect sip.
• Taste. Adjust sweetness by 1 tsp at a time—you’re aiming for “truffle, not candy bar.”
• Pour into warm mugs, finish with a tiny pinch of flaky salt and a few chocolate shavings.
• Batching (Thermos For 8): Double everything; preheat the thermos with boiling water; fill and cap. Holds heat 2–3 hours.

Variations: Add ¼ tsp cinnamon + 1 pinch cardamom; for mint lovers, steep 4–5 fresh mint sprigs in the milk 5 minutes, then strain.
Fix-It Fast: Grainy? Your tahini wasn’t smooth—hit the pot with an immersion blender 10 seconds and it snaps to silk.

Bar Cart Notes (So Service Feels Effortless)

• Ice Is An Ingredient: Use large, dense cubes for spritzes and mules. Pebble ice melts too fast for these recipes.
• Juice Same Day: Lemon and orange taste brightest within 6 hours of squeezing—store cold, sealed.
• Garnish With Intention: Clap herbs to bloom aroma; warm citrus peels between fingers before expressing.
• Label Pitchers: Sticky notes—“Spritz,” “Mule,” “Sour”—keep the traffic civil and the NA promise crystal clear.

Line up your glasses, light the candles, and let the kitchen glow do the rest. With these Hanukkah non-alcoholic drinks, you’ll pour confidently, laugh between refills, and keep the party bright from first sip to last song. L’chaim—save me a mug of that Gelt Hot Chocolate.