Drinks for a Pregnant Lady

[xena1441]

I really REALLY miss my glass of wine a night. Don't get me wrong, i am very excited about babies....but I really miss my glass of wine. I'd appreciate any ideas you may have for pregnant lady "mocktails" I can sip on in the evenings. Especially anything with lemon....for some reason I enjoy anything sour right now.

[HappyHattiesburgr]

The nonalcoholic drinks from the John C. Meier Co. in Silverton, Ohio are wonderful & their bottles look like wine bottles. Their Nonalcoholic Cold Duck has the taste that I thought was the alcohol taste and it turns out it wasn't.

[DGresh]

I appreciated a virgin mary, with lots of spice, when I was pregnant. With enough flavor, you can (maybe) not miss the alcohol.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I've recently had Knudsen's Just Tart Cherry juice, which is unsweetened sour cherry (no white grape or anything). It's not astringent like unsweetened cranberry, just pleasantly tart. It's very nice mixed with sparkling water, and I bet it'd be great mixed into lemonade, sparkling or non.

[John E.]

Take a can of frozen lemonade concentrate, mix with one can of water and freeze in ice cube trays. Pour seltzer water over a few cubes of the frozen lenonade. Or, put some of the frozen lemonade in a blender with some skim milk, it sounds weird, but is sort of like a lemon sorbet slushy.

[xena1441]

Thank you all so much for these suggestions! They all sound delicious! And HillJ, thanks for that article. I plan on making that cherry drink tomorrow! Will let you know how it is:)

[awiley]

Crystal Light now makes "mocktails" - I've tried the mojito and margarita flavor. They aren't too bad (although the other suggestions here sound much better) especially for a quick fix with little prep.

[soupkitten]

i'm not a neonatal doc, but she may want to avoid any/all artificial sweeteners and "diet drinks" during pregnancy. still or sparkling water with a citrus twist is always a good plan for most of the day to keep well-hydrated. . .

[sandylc]

Second that. No artificial sweeteners!

[HillJ]

My pleasure, xena1441! That article sits on my mixology mini bar for handy reference. All of the drinks are a hit with my family & friends. I'm so glad to know you found it helpful. Take good care and I would enjoy hearing how you liked the Cherry mixer.

[iluvcookies]

When I am designated driver, I sip pomegranate juice and Pellegrino. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to your taste. Using a fancy glass (martini or margarita shape) adds to the fun!

[katecm]

Just a note: avoid anything with tonic because of the quinine in it.

You can make a really unusual limeade or lemonade if you have a food processor. Using one lemon or two limes (or any combination of the two), cut it into pieces and throw it into the food processor with a spoon or two of sugar. Process. Once it's all cut up, add some water and process like crazy until it's almost fully pulverized. Taste it and adjust for sweetness, then strain. Use that liquid as the base of an awesome lemonade or limeade, topping off with water or club soda.

[thimes]

I recently made my own "Ginger Beer" for a large party. Instead of fermenting it, I used a soda syphon to carbonate it. It was great. If you get into soda syphon stuff there are lots of things you can experiment with too.

Ginger Beer
-ginger juice (2oz) - I juice my own but I know they do sell it in some supermarkets
-lemon juice (4oz)
-simple syrup (6oz)
-water (20oz)

Mix - put in soda syphon (mine holds 32 oz - perfect fit) - charge with CO2 - done

[sarahjay]

Maybe look for recipes for shrubs? They're a drink made with a fruit, sugar, and vinegar syrup diluted with still or sparkling water. You could adjust the sugar to your liking.

[CanadaGirl]

Strawberry-watermelon-lemonade is very delicious.

1 lemon, juiced
2 cups cubes watermelon
1 cup strawberries
Sugar to taste

Whirr it in the blender and enjoy!

[soupkitten]

i like making a sparkling lemonade with basil in the summer. i can drink copious amoiunts of it. a variation with blood orange or other citrus and other herbs is good too. grapefruit/tarragon--mmmm.

[alitria]

Maybe you would enjoy a mojito without the alcohol. When I make mine at home, I tend to use far less sugar syrup and more of the mint and lime. I also like them with muddled berries to add the sweetness and lots and lots of lime! I also like diet sprite (my own dietary restriction - low sugar) with lots and lots of fresh lemon and lime wedges. I buy bags of lemons and limes at costco and use them in everything.

If you're looking for something a bit more exotic, you could use tamarind paste. Make a syrup by mixing boiling water and paste and then straining to remove seeds. Mix with club soda or a flavored sparking water. I happen to love the taste of tamarind but not everyone does. Also, if you look up Jamaica + aqua fresca you will find many recipes for a drink made with hibiscus flowers that is quite tart and a lovely color. You can adjust the strength, sweetness, or additions to taste. If you wanted it to be more cocktail like, mix with tonic or club soda and add in fresh herbs.

[HillJ]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/din...

I've kept this article for NYTimes about mocktails. So many good ones.
And, congrats!

[blue room]

I like alcohol just fine, but boy those mocktails sound refreshing & tasty, thank you!

An internet aquaintance has recently begun a small business selling bitters, he says they're great with just soda, but bitters *do* contain alcohol, so "Pregnant Ladies" should beware.

I see that the OP makes her own gingerale -- that sounds good too!

[IndyGirl]

Great article! thank you! I'm responding mainly so that this thread gets saved to my profile, although I definitely plan on using some of these.

[HillJ]

IndyGirl, isn't that article a keeper! I've copied it onto nice stationary and given it as gifts to my daughters friends that are expecting. Glad you found it fun and useful!

[greygarious]

I've never been much of a drinker, and now take meds that preclude alcohol consumption. I used to enjoy an occasional gin and tonic but find that tonic water with a wedge of lime is a perfectly acceptable alternative. You might enjoy plain carbonated bitter lemon mixer, and/or ginger ale. Instead of wine, cranberry juice, especially if you mix unsweetened (Trader Joe's has it) with sweetened.

[escondido123]

Can't help you on the cocktails, but I've been surprised at the flavor of some of the non-alcohol white wines--maybe with a twist of lemon?