7 Ingredients to Add to Your Dry January Cocktails for Maximum Health Benefits

Dry January is here again, and with it the hunt for cocktail alternatives. Fortunately, delicious cocktail recipes are not in short supply in 2025. With the right ingredients, you can even convert soft drink in a kind of elixir, also known as a functional drink. These types of drinks have health benefits beyond hydration — and taste a lot better than plain water.

We’ve compiled a list of mocktail ingredients that can maximize the health benefits of your drinks. Whether you’re going to give up alcohol for January or you are sober year-round, these soft drink components can potentially help everything from your immune system to your stomach.

1. Ginger

Ginger has several health benefits, especially for the gut. Gingerol, a component of fresh ginger, helps your body digest food faster and can provide relief from nausea. Johns Hopkins Medicine states that ginger can also reduce the amount of bloating and gas you experience. In addition, ginger contains many anti-inflammatory compounds.

Of the more than 400 natural compounds in ginger, some of them prevent oral bacteria from multiplying. While a ginger shake can’t replace mouthwash, using this ingredient may be better for your teeth than many sugar-rich mixers.

Ginger is used to flavor mule drinks, but it can also be combined with many ingredients. Consider adding some ginger to your mocktail along with some of the following:

• Hibiscus
• Lyme
• A lemon
• Cucumber
• Mint
• Cranberry

2. Elderberry

Elderberry is a dark purple fruit that grows on several continents. Before adding them to your mocktail, it’s important to know that they shouldn’t be eaten raw. They should be boiled to reduce toxic compounds called cyanogenic glycosides that can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems, dizziness and weakness. However, once your elderberries are cooked and safe to eat, they offer a number of potential health benefits and a tart flavor profile.

Mount Sinai says elderberry can help with congestion and is often used to treat cold and flu symptoms. It may also be susceptible to upper respiratory health. These berries are full of everything from vitamin C and vitamin A to potassium and fiber. If you don’t want to buy and cook the actual fruit, you can also take elderberry in the form of liquid, syrup, capsules or gum.

Elderberries are tart, but can be countered with other ingredients to mask the flavor. These fruits are often combined with:

• Blueberry
• Litchi
• Mint
• ginger
• Apple juice
• mint

3. Coconut water

Coconut water comes from the center of the coconut. Not only is it sweet and perfect for a cocktail, but it’s also very hydrating. It’s coconut water full of electrolytesincluding sodium and magnesium. These electrically charged minerals help your body retain water and can rehydrate you after a workout or if you’re sick.

While data is currently limited, some older studies show that the potassium found in coconut water may be enough to help you manage high blood pressure. Potassium also helps your body removing excess sodium and reducing pressure on blood vessels.

Coconut water would be great in a cocktail with other ingredients such as:

• Pineapple juice
• Orange juice
• Mint
• Lyme
• Raspberry
• basil

4. Pure cranberry juice

Pure cranberry juice is different from cranberry shake because it does not contain any added sugars. Although this makes the drink quite spicy, it has several health benefits that make it a good addition to your next cocktail. On the one hand, pure cranberry juice is good for the urinary system. Cleveland Clinic says that while cranberry juice can’t cure a UTI, it can help prevent one in the first place. Cranberry stops E. coli from binding to the bladder, which often leads to a more serious infection.

In addition, type A proanthocyanidins found in pure cranberry juice can reduce harmful microbes in the colon and improve digestive health. This type of juice can also prevent bacteria from forming in your mouth.

The next time you’re whipping up a new cocktail recipe, consider combining your pure cranberry juice with some of the following:

• Orange juice
• Mint
• Rosemary
• Elderberry color
• Apple juice
• ginger

5. Raw honey

If you’re looking for a sugar-free way to sweeten a cocktail, consider raw honey. This is honey that is taken directly from a beehive, filtered and bottled. It does not go through the pasteurization (heating) process that regular honey does. While raw honey may contain bacteria, it remains safe for most healthy adults, and there is plenty of it greater nutritional value than regular honey.

Raw honey is full of vitamins and mineralsincluding calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium and riboflavin. This is a good source of antioxidantswhich help protect your body’s cells from free radical damage. Raw honey also has some antibacterial properties.

You may want to add raw honey to your drink along with these additional ingredients:

• Tangerine
• sage tea
• agave
• Blackberry
• Mint
• A lemon

6. Green tea

As it turns out, green tea isn’t just good for breakfast. You can also add it to a cocktail anytime and enjoy a caffeine boost along with a host of potential health benefits. According to Cleveland Clinicgreen tea can help with everything from inflammation to high cholesterol. The amino acids found in green tea may even help with brain health, improving memory and concentration.

Green tea is rich in L-theanine, which may help some people prevent type 2 diabetes. This amino acid is also known to reduce stress and anxiety, making your mocktail experience even more relaxing.

If you are I don’t drink at the momentgreen tea is a great base for various cocktails. The refreshing drink can be combined with ingredients such as:

• Passion fruit
• Coconut water
• basil
• Pineapple juice
• honey
• Blueberries

7. Cherry juice

Tart cherries don’t taste as good as sweet cherries when eaten raw, but they can be made into a healthy, nutrient-packed juice. Tart cherry juice contains iron, zinc and calcium and also has anti-inflammatory propertiesthanks to its anthocyanin compounds.

If you decide to make yourself a post-workout shake, adding tart cherry juice can help you recover faster. It can reduce muscle pain and help blood flow. You may also want to treat yourself to a cherry-flavored cocktail in the evening. Tart cherry juice has been proven increase sleep time by increasing melatonin production.

You can combine tart cherry juice with sweet ingredients to balance its sharp taste. Try adding some of these to your next drink, too:

• honey
• Maple syrup
• Pineapple juice
• Vanilla
• Orange juice
• Chamomile tea

The bottom line

Mocktails offer a way to socialize or relax at home without alcohol consumption. They allow you to recreate some of your favorite cocktails with nutrient-dense ingredients, and you might even create something better than your favorite Paloma. The healthy ingredients on this list are just the beginning. You can play around with countless whole grains, ranging from grapefruit juice to blueberry scrambles, until you find the perfect recipe.