Unlike the vast majority of college students, alcohol doesn’t hold any allure for me. The brief buzz isn’t worth the assault on my taste buds every time I down a shot or sip a crude combination of juice and vodka. However, easily mingling with strangers and dancing provocatively on tabletops (my recipe for a good time) isn’t possible without at least a few ounces of liquid courage.

If your palate can’t stomach the thought of alcohol, here’s a list of cocktails you can make that are sweet and savory enough to pass the taste-test, yet potent enough to guarantee a good time. So grab your shaker tins, drink up and party on.

Queens Park Swizzle

  • Prep Time:3 mins
  • Cook Time:3 mins
  • Total Time:6 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 4-6 mint leaves
  • 1 Demerara Cane Sugar cube
  • 2 oz Caña Brava Rum
  • Crushed ice
cocktail, juice, ice, mint, lemon, alcohol, lime, sweet
Jackie Fu
  • Step 1

    Add sugar cube and simple syrup to a shaker tin. Thoroughly muddle (bartender speak for crush) sugar cube with a pestle or blunt object.

  • Step 2

    Add mint leaves and press gently on leaves about 3-4 times, enough to release the mint aroma but not the bitter chlorophyll.

  • Step 3

    Add the rum and a few pieces of crushed ice into the shaker tin. Shake for 6-8 seconds or until tin is cool, then pour into chilled glass.

  • Step 4

    Top with crushed ice and Angostura bitters. Garnish with a mint sprig (slap it a few times to activate the aroma) and serve with a straw.

Moscow Mule

  • Prep Time:1 min
  • Cook Time:2 mins
  • Total Time:3 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 6 oz ginger beer
  • 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
rum, tequila, milk, vodka, liquor, ice, alcohol, juice, cocktail
Jackie Fu
  • Step 1

    Squeeze lime juice into glass.

  • Step 2

    Add ice.

  • Step 3

    Top with ginger beer and add a ginger cube on a toothpick if you’re feeling extra festive.

Penicillin

  • Prep Time:3 mins
  • Cook Time:2 mins
  • Total Time:5 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 3/8 oz honey
  • 3/8 oz ginger syrup
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 2 oz blended scotch
coffee, liquor, ice, juice, alcohol, cocktail, tea
Jackie Fu
  • Step 1

    Add all ingredients to shaker tin with ice. Shake well.

  • Step 2

    Strain into a double rocks (short) glass and add ice.

  • Step 3

    Garnish with a ginger cube on a toothpick.

Pimm's Cup

  • Prep Time:5 mins
  • Cook Time:3 mins
  • Total Time:8 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 1/2 inch thick cucumber slice
  • 1/2 inch thick lemon slice
  • 2 oz Pimm's No. 1
  • 4 oz Sprite
  • 2-3 raspberries
  • 2-3 blackberries
mint, juice, cocktail, ice, strawberry, berry, sweet, smoothie
Jackie Fu
  • Step 1

    Muddle the cucumber, lemon, raspberries and blackberries in a highball (tall) glass.

  • Step 2

    Add Pimm’s No. 1 and Sprite. Stir gently.

  • Step 3

    Fill glass with ice and garnish with a half-moon lemon slice and a blackberry.

French 75

  • Prep Time:2 mins
  • Cook Time:2 mins
  • Total Time:4 mins
  • Servings:1
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 1 oz gin
  • 3 oz champagne
sweet, cocktail, cream, coffee, milk
Jackie Fu
  • Step 1

    Add ice, simple syrup, lemon juice and gin to shaker tin. Shake well.

  • Step 2

    Strain into champagne glass.

  • Step 3

    Top with champagne.