This invigorating blend of ginger-infused sparkling water, fresh-squeezed lime juice and agave syrup creates a refreshing kick of a drink at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Fresh jalapeno and mint are frozen into ice cubes that slowly melt into the drink and make it bolder and bolder instead of more watered down. Genius!
This play on a peach tea and vodka cocktail by Georgia State University’s catering team is a Southern fruit spectacular with strawberries, blackberries, oranges, ginger syrup and iced tea, garnished with fresh sprigs of wasabi arugula and mint.
Another Southern classic made nonalcoholic at GSU is the herbal mint julep with orange syrup made from cooked-down oranges, herbal syrup and strawberries, garnished with mint and wasabi arugula.
If Jimmy Buffett ever drank a mocktail, it might look something like this. While there’s no booze in the blender, the tropical vibe is strong in this pineapple delight, created at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Island time begins with grenadine, pineapple juice, ginger ale and orange juice, infused with pineapple chunks, blueberries, strawberries and orange slices.
The spider is the mighty mascot at the University of Richmond, and the cute critter crawls into the spotlight at a campuswide event called Spider Day. Everyone on campus wears school colors (red and blue) and the blended beverage spider slush does the same. It’s a variation on a regular beverage menu item the strawberry refresher, made with strawberry puree, lemonade and ice in a blender. For the blue color, fresh blueberries are added to the dome lid, creating the look of a spider peeking out.
The classic bloody Mary is a brunch favorite for the ages. But for school events, Thomas Hearn, corporate regional chef with Flik Independent School Dining, has proven that the Virgin Mary can get all the same fun garnishes, like celery, salami cubes and cherry tomatoes.
At Yale University, the new concept Spa Water 2.0 is the evolution of a traditional spa water program. The mixologist approach comes in with herbs, scents and spices for customers to choose from, infusing their water with flavor and fun.
At Old Trail School in Bath, Ohio, the unofficial drink of the spring for special events is this newly created mocktail, made with short-ferment, ginger-infused kombucha from Chef Jay Williams’ own brew, rhubarb juice, honey from the schools’ honeybees, mint and acai berry juice, garnished with a stick of rhubarb speared through fresh berries and mint.
Created for a recent steampunk event at Binghamton University (SUNY), this blackberry fizz punch plays into the boozy punch trend—without the booze.
A craft mocktail by Coca-Cola, this spritzer is made with fruit-flavored water and lemon-lime soda mixed with hibiscus syrup and vanilla syrup for a tropical getaway in a glass.
This dramatic lemonade was developed by Chef Scott Samuel for the California Table Grape Commission. It starts with black seedless grapes, which are cooked down with tamarind paste (some say it’s a similar flavor to Dr Pepper) and palm sugar, then steeped with mint for a few minutes, then blended with lemon juice for an unexpected flavor combo.
With just four ingredients, this lemonade mocktail has a lot of complexity, thanks to the grilled citrus. The recipe was developed by award-winning mixologist Kim Haasarud for the National Honey Board.

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