Holiday Mocktail Recipe: Fizzy Rosemary Cider
Play it safe with a non-alcoholic drink to ring in new year

Play it safe with a non-alcoholic drink to ring in new year
When you raise your glass for that toast at midnight, make sure it’s filled with a drink that won’t leave you with a headache or break the calorie bank – especially if your New Year’s resolution is to make 2022 your year of health. Celebrate with a festive mocktail like this fizzy rosemary cider, which has all the bubbles but none of the booze.
“It’s important to limit your alcohol consumption over the holidays and to choose what you're drinking wisely,” says Caitlin Bradshaw, DO, a family medicine physician at Scripps Coastal Medical Center San Marcos. “Avoid drinks that have extra calories, especially extra sugar, and try to intersperse calorie-free drinks such as water, tea, or seltzer.”
Fizzy Rosemary Cider
Yields generous 1 cup
- 4 ounces apple cider
- 4 ounces seltzer or club soda
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free rosemary simple syrup (see below)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
Directions:
Combine cider, club soda or seltzer, and simple syrup in a highball glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig, if desired.
Sugar-free Rosemary Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar substitute
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar substitute is completely dissolved, about one minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.
Mocktail nutrition facts per serving
- Calories: 64
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugars: 14.5 g
- Sodium: 25.4 mg

This content appeared in San Diego Health, a publication in partnership between Scripps and San Diego Magazine that celebrates the healthy spirit of San Diego.