This Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer is an easy non-alcoholic cocktail that can be served any time of year. It’s also easily made into an alcoholic cocktail by simply adding your favorite spirit.

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I love cocktails (obvs) but every now and then, I ditch the alcohol and enjoy a good ol’ mocktail. Actually, I frequently drink mocktails during the day but those are typically super easy (fresh juice + sparkling water). But when I make a mocktail at night, I want it to ~feel~ like a cocktail. Just a non-alcoholic cocktail.

There’s actually a bit of a push these days in the beverage world to stop saying “mocktail” and use the term “alcohol-free cocktail” or “non-alcoholic cocktail” instead. People claim that the word mocktail has negative connotations, that it makes a drink sound inferior and even childish. I can see where they’re coming from. A non-alcoholic cocktail does sound a bit more upscale, I suppose. But regardless of which term you like to use, this Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer is a dang one.

This booze-free beverage was actually inspired by my young daughter. You see… she loves sparkling water. I mean loves. Actually, obsessed may be a more fitting term. I can’t crack open a can of anything without her running from the other room to ask for some. Now, she’s totally content with just sparkling water. But I wanted to make it a little more fun for her. Then I remembered I had some Paloma mix that a company had sent me in the fridge.

I poured some sparkling water into my toddler’s glass and then added a splash of the Paloma mix, turning it a pretty pale pink color. She oohed and ahhed and had seriously chugged it by the time I had put the Paloma mix back into the fridge. She immediately asked for “more peas” (more please) so I poured in some more sparkling water. Well… That was met with a sharp “No” and an enthusiastic gesture towards the fridge. I pulled the Paloma mix back out and she squealed–squealed!— with glee. Oh boy.

If you’re familiar with my cocktails preferences or if you’ve read this post, you know I always say to use fresh citrus when you can. This Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer does use fresh grapefruit juice; however, when making mocktails or non-alcoholic cocktails, it’s often a challenge to find ingredients to attribute to the overall volume of the drink. Mixers help fill up the glass and are a great way to introduce more flavor to a recipe.

This recipe is actually the perfect one to serve a crowd because it can easily be made into a cocktail by adding your liquor of choice. You could even display a few and let people choose which spirit they’d like to add to their Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer. It tastes amazing with tequila, vodka, rum, and gin! I’ve never tried it with whiskey, but that could be good, too.

And if rosemary’s not your thing, you could serve it with thyme or even mint or basil. It really is a versatile drink that’s sure to please just about anyone.

If you try the boozy version or the non-alcoholic cocktail version of this Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer, be sure to tag me on Instagram and let me know how you liked it in a comment below. Cheers!

Ingredients for a Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer

• 3/4 oz grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 oz Paloma mixer
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• fresh rosemary
• 1/4 oz rosemary sage simple syrup (here’s the easy recipe)
• 2 + oz grapefruit sparkling water

How to Make a Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer

Add the grapefruit juice, lime juice, and rosemary to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the rosemary with a muddler to release the flavor of the herb. Then add the Paloma mixer, rosemary sage simple syrup, and ice. Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the glass with the grapefruit sparkling water. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a sprig of rosemary.