Let’s just go ahead and clear one thing up—I don’t drink. By choice. Honestly, I like to save all the room I have for food. While I love seeing a well-paired wine or curated cocktail on the menu, I’d rather use that real estate for dessert—or an extra appetizer. That said, I love a good mocktail moment. Especially when I’m with friends, traveling, or soaking up the sun at an all-inclusive resort (looking at you, Sandals).
If you’ve ever stared at a drink menu wondering which virgin drinks to order that still feel festive and fun, this list is your cheat sheet.Over the years, I’ve learned how to confidently order off-menu, get creative with bartenders, and keep a running list of mocktails I can ask for just about anywhere. Whether I’m sipping on something tropical beachside or sitting at a fancy dinner with a very curated drink menu, I always like to have a few non-alcoholic go-tos in my back pocket.
The top 10 mocktails on this list are my personal favorites—classic, crowd-pleasing, and super easy to order. The rest are a little more adventurous and might require a bartender with a shaker and a little imagination, but I’ve had amazing luck getting these at high-end restaurants and resort lounges.
Here’s my ultimate list of 20 fun and flavorful virgin drinks to order when you want something fancy and festive—without the booze.
Fresh mint, lime, mango puree, and soda water. I’ll order this either over ice or blended when I’m in the mood for something smoothie-like. It’s tropical, bright, and not overly sweet.
Same idea, different fruit. This one’s slightly more tart than mango and super refreshing. Bonus if they muddle fresh pineapple with mint and lime.
Half strawberry daiquiri, half piña colada—blended and layered. You can ask for this virgin almost anywhere tropical, and it’s the ultimate vacation drink.
Strawberry, mango, passionfruit, watermelon—whatever they’ve got. Ask for a salted rim (or Tajín if they have it) and enjoy that zingy lime slush without the tequila burn.
Same fruity options as a margarita, but often a little smoother. Order it blended and icy for a frozen treat you can sip poolside or with dinner.
Take your piña colada and level it up with mango. This combo is like drinking sunshine. 10/10 would recommend at any Sandals swim-up bar.
This one’s as pretty as it is delicious. Orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine layered to look like, well… a tropical sunrise.
Coconut cream, pineapple juice, orange juice—and if you add grenadine and mango at the bottom, it gives you a layered effect and a pop of extra flavor.
Fresh watermelon juice, lime, and basil over crushed ice. It's bright, a little herbal, and totally thirst-quenching.
Lime, mint, soda water, and coconut cream? Yes please. It’s basically a vacation in a glass.
These next drinks are a little more unique—you might not find them on every menu, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many bartenders are willing to whip these up, especially at luxury resorts, upscale restaurants, or even on cruises. Honestly, cruise bartenders are usually really good at mocktails, and half the time they’ll start throwing together random tropical combinations that somehow end up being better than the actual cocktail menu… in my humble mocktail opinion.
If a cruise is in your future, my Cruise Packing List: 31 Must-Have Items You Shouldn't Forget includes several things I never leave home without for pool days, beach stops, and sea days.
Aromatic, bubbly, and beautiful. Ask for lemonade with a splash of lavender syrup topped with soda water. Add edible flowers for ✨vibes✨.
This one is chef’s kiss if you want something with a spicy kick. Ask for muddled cucumber, jalapeño slices, lime juice, and a Tajín rim. You’ll feel like a mixology queen just holding it.
Mango puree, lime juice, add jalapeño slices for a spicy kick, and ginger beer. It’s like a tropical twist on a Moscow Mule, minus the hangover.
Is it a little 2002 of me? Maybe. But I love a crisp, tart, green apple mocktail in a martini glass. Feels fancy. I’m here for it.
Lychee juice, lime juice, and a splash of soda. I’ve had this at fancy Asian restaurants and it always hits. Exotic and lightly sweet.
Muddled berries, lemon juice, and soda water. This one’s tart, fizzy, and not overly sugary. Great for dinner.
Green tea, peach purée, mint. Feels like something you’d find at a spa menu and tastes like clean girl energy.
Guava nectar, lime, mint, and soda water. Guava always gives such a unique twist—this one feels super summery.
Blended coconut milk, lime juice, and ice. Creamy, tangy, and frosty.
Blackberries, mint, lemon, and soda. A gorgeous dark purple color and super refreshing.
Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just skipping alcohol for a bit, these virgin drinks to order prove that you can sip something just as fun and flavorful as the real deal. I’m always on the hunt for creative non-alcoholic drinks that feel like an experience—especially when I’m staying at dreamy resorts like Sandals, where the bartenders are usually game for anything.
Bookmark this list, screenshot it, or keep it in your Notes app so you always have an idea ready to go. And if you ever find a new one I need to try—DM me immediately. I’ll have my glass (and camera) ready.
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Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
I do not like seafood. 🐟 So when I booked a tasting menu at a restaurant built around aquarium walls at Atlantis The Palm, I was nervous.
Ossiano sits underwater fish gliding past the whole meal, moody lighting, the kind of room that makes you lower your voice without meaning to. It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. You’re paying for the entire experience.
Here’s the honest part: they have a vegetarian tasting menu, and I assumed it would be an afterthought. It ended up in my top five meals of all time. Course after course, the same care and precision as the seafood-forward menu everyone comes for. They even swapped in a steak for the main and it still felt cohesive with everything around it.
By course four you’re full. They bring out three more breads anyway. I ate all of it. No regrets.
Small detail that stuck with me my dress was black, so they swapped my napkin from white to black without me asking. That’s the kind of thing that tells you everything about a place.
Full breakdown of the menu, the vegetarian option, and what to expect linked in bio.
Dubai is all skyline until you drive an hour into the dunes and it goes completely silent. Bab Al Shams was that shift for us: slower, quieter, more intentional than anything we did in the city.
If you want nightlife or walkable everything, this isn’t your stop. But if you want a night that feels like a reset, it delivers, polished service, food I’m still thinking about, and a setting that never tries too hard.
Full review (and whether it’s worth adding to your Dubai itinerary) is linked in bio. 🏜️
I flew @emirates economy to Dubai fully expecting to just survive the flight. We booked seats by the exit row — @bradplummer1 got the legroom (he’s 6’7”), I got a normal seat right next to him, and it saved us money over booking two extra-legroom seats. Smart trick if you’re traveling with someone who needs the extra space and you don’t.
The food alone earned this post. Warm chicken, a Waldorf salad that actually tasted fresh, real butter on the roll, and a breakfast spread that put most airport brunches to shame. Add in the twinkling-star cabin lighting once dinner wrapped, and it felt less like a flight and more like the trip had already started.
Not everything was perfect — the wifi didn’t work for me at all, so if you’re planning to get work done in the air, download what you need beforehand. But that was the only miss in an otherwise excellent long haul.
If you’ve got Emirates lounge access in Dubai, use it. Showers, buffets, quiet corners to nap it makes the layover feel like a reset instead of a slog.
Full review seats, food, lounge, and the wifi situation is on the blog. Link in bio. ✈️
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