Rosemary Grapefruit Mocktail

Rosemary grapefruit mocktail / spritzer is perfectly refreshing on warm summer days where water just doesn’t cut it! You can easily make this a cocktail by adding vodka or gin too!

I like booze. There I said it. I’m a grown adult and can enjoy a good cocktail, glass of wine, beer, whatever libation strikes my mood really. Buttt – being pregnant last year really turned me onto the world of mocktails. I really wanted to feel like my normal self when we had friends over for dinner and drinks so, I started making myself alcohol free concoctions like this one.

I experimented with all kinds of juices and mixtures but kept coming back to this for its interesting mix of flavors, low calories, and overall refreshing taste. Cardamom and salt really pull through in making this a taste tantalizing beverage that feels like an indulgent cocktail.

I’m not normally one to count calories (especially pregnant!), but I like putting back liquids, booze-free or not. Having them be on the lighter side just means I can drink more of them. While counting calories regularly is no way to live in my opinion, it can be enlightening to actually look at the calorie load in what you’re eating/drinking.

If you’ve never done this before, I’m sure you’ll be surprised more than once by the calories in some of your favorites. It just makes you more aware so that you can start making more conscious decisions about what you choose to eat and drink.

I did this with an app on my phone years ago and was astounded at how many calories I was drinking each day. I don’t even drink soda, yet somehow drinks and smoothies were a big chunk of my daily calorie intake. This is when I started making an effort to add protein to my smoothies so they could really serve as a meal and cut back on juices. I also started really enjoying the heavy foods I was eating more since I knew how much of a treat they were.

Anyhoo, I didn’t start this post intending to go on a tangent, so I’ll get back to the grapefruit mocktails at hand. While its true, they’re low in calories, tasty, and refreshing, with the perfect tart to sweet ratio, they’re also super easy to make.

No shaker or drink strainer needed and you don’t even really need to measure as you start dumping things into your glass. you won’t get any rewards for preciseness here since the drink is truly pretty forgiving.  

As I shared on my instagram stories, my sweet little babe kept interrupting this photoshoot for snuggles. I didn’t realize until much later that I forgot to put both the rosemary sprig and the straws into these drinks before snapping a few pics! My palm may have smacked my forehead a few times on that one. Sorry for the slip because these items are necessary.

Grapefruit Mocktail Ingredients

Why the rosemary? Well, you can certainly leave it out, no harm no foul, but it adds an earthy, herbal twist to an otherwise already delightful cocktail that I really enjoy.

The stir stick or straw is needed because the agave syrup will settle as you sip and you’ll need to mix it back in a few times. This is the price you pay for not having to use a cocktail shaker and strainer my friends. Less dishes = the need to stir your drink. But, a straw does the trick and doubles as, well, a straw, so you’re serving two purposes if you go that route.

And the one ingredient of this rosemary grapefruit mocktail that we haven’t touched on… the grapefruit! Of course, if you aren’t a fan, you can swap it out for any other citrus fruit.

Also, we haven’t really talked about the liquid that rounds out this mocktail recipe. I know everyone and their mom is drinking Le Croix these days, but there are tons of brands making sparkling water drinks that are absolutely wonderful! They’re completely calorie free and a great alternative to drinking plain water.

I got my sparkling water fetish in Italy last summer. Typically, I ask for still water, but decided to try carbonated one time, and never looked back. I am a water pounding fiend and still love my plain ‘ol water, but its fun to switch it up from time to time. There’s something about those bubbles that just feels like a treat.

While this is technically a grapefruit mocktail recipe, you can add vodka or your liquor of choice. I certainly won’t judge you one bit for it. I think we can all agree that some days call for something a touch stronger.