Cinderella Is the Best Mocktail to Impress

The Cinderella is a drink/formula to entertain any group that needs impressing. It’s a mocktail blueprint that’s so malleable yet beginner-friendly, anyone could look like a professional while making it. Now, the name “Cinderella” may bring about images of pompous gatherings, bright colors and girls’ nights. But the appeal and appearance of this alcohol-free beverage stretches beyond that narrative. It’s great for anyone in a setting where “non-alcoholic” is a requirement. So, whether it’s for a meeting, get-together or date, remember the Cinderella formula.

A Cocktail Formula That’s Originally a Mocktail

Unlike most mocktail recipes that are adapted from alcoholic cocktails, Cinderella is a formula that originated as a mocktail. But notice I use the word formula. There’s a part of this recipe that can have a multitude of combinations. Cinderella is just three different juices mixed with ginger beer, grenadine syrup and sometimes bitters.

Most fruit combinations do well together. That’s why Cinderella is so beginner-friendly and customizable at the same time. I give my personal favorite blend of orange, passion fruit and pineapple juice in this recipe. But the best flavor-related advice I could give regarding this mocktail is on ingredient quality.

Using the Best Non-alcoholic Ingredients

When possible, use freshly squeezed juice. Any ingredient will taste better if you freshly squeeze it. If that’s not an option, make sure your juice is not sweetened. Otherwise, that will mess with the grenadine syrup’s sweetness. The juices are supposed to cut that sweetness with more acidity. But most juices in the supermarket are as sweet as soda.

USDA organic ingredients often have more of the traits you would look for in Mixology. They tend to be more sour, flavorful and colorful when used in drinks. So try to look for that label when finding fruits in the produce aisle. The same goes for the sugar-free juices I mentioned before.

Sometimes local ginger beers can taste better than the nationwide ones. Try a local, or even just a hippie-looking ginger beer. You may be surprised by what you find. If I absolutely had to list a brand, I’d recommend Goya. Here’s a link. As for bitters and grenadine syrup, just try not to buy anything off the black market, and you should be fine. 

How Should I Garnish? Depends

Garnish varies tremendously with Cinderella mocktails. Is it for a guy or a gal? What juices did you use? What’s the color of the body? What glass did you use? All of these questions can influence how you garnish.

Let’s say you use a high-ball glass. It’s for your girlfriend. You used orange juice, and the body is orange. I’d garnish with dried orange and black cherry. And that’s the exact image you see below. It’s made in good taste and not too showy. The dried orange’s color seems almost matt and mixes well with the body––not blending in fully and maintaining some contrast. 

Play around with what aesthetic you like. Make your theme related to what’s relevant. That can be based on both aspects of the drink and who’s drinking it.

Slight Variations Maketh the Man

Variations are what is going to impress your company. Ask your guest to choose their favorite juice and make it into a Cinderella. Just tell them it’s called the “Cinderella.” That’s one way to make an impression. The automatic assumption is that you just made one mocktail out of thousands that just happens to have their favorite juices. It’s like David Blaine went bartender.

I previously mentioned that some like adding bitters too. It’s also a disgustingly easy medium for injecting depth of flavor––something heavily associated with class that also tends to impress. If someone coming over wants a spritz, just add a dash or two of bitters. Now your Cinderella mocktail has an Aperol flair. And even if you don’t have bitters, using grapefruit juice can give the same effect.

Cinderella mocktail is so versatile. And I can only hope that what I’ve said here helped you further utilize that versatility. If you make this recipe, let us know how it went in the comments. Also try tagging us on our social media (@cocktail_web). For more mocktail recipes like this one, click here. Cheers!

Ingredients

 

Directions