Vinegar Spritzers Are The Non-Boozy Cocktails To Serve At Your Next Party

Social occasions can be exciting and deeply fulfilling. Often they also involve alcohol. From a full-blown rager to an intimate gathering of friends, you may be looking for a beverage that rises to the occasion without spirits. Luckily, there is a booze-free cocktail that's perfect for your next party, big or small: the vinegar spritzer.

While this may sound a little unorthodox, vinegar spritzers are the next best thing to happen to your beverage roster. They usually incorporate seltzer water, a vinegar on the fruitier side, a citrus, and a sweetener like honey. The flavor of vinegar can be highly dynamic across varieties and brands while reliably delivering a balance of sweetness and acid. For a vinegar spritzer, try starting out using champagne vinegar or white balsamic, whose flavors are on the more delicate side, offering notes that range from fruity and buttery to delicate and tangy. A simple combination of a cup and a half of seltzer or sparkling water and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar of your choosing is all it takes to get this mocktail started. A drizzle of honey or simple syrup may be a good idea for those who prefer a more subtle vinegar taste, and to top it off, a citrus garnish is the perfect way to brighten up the mixture.

The hard part is over: You've decided to be adventurous and try a vinegar spritzer. Now you can experiment with this mixture, making it a true booze-free cocktail. When thinking of ways to play with the spritzer, try considering what flavors might pair well with the tangy sweetness of ingredients like vinegar and balsamic. Peaches and berries are a common pairing with balsamic, for example. Try out a berry or stone fruit-flavored seltzer in your spritzer to play on this. You can also push the citrus to the forefront. Waterloo is one of our favorite sparkling water brands; try mixing the top-rated lemon-lime variety for a more citrus-forward mix.

Another avenue is to venture into the territory of infusions. Herb-infused vinegar is not only the perfect way to reduce waste, but also an excellent opportunity to get creative with the flavor profile of your vinegar spritzers. Or if you're truly starting from square one and need a little education before you embark, do a deep-dive into balsamic and read up on 15 different kinds of vinegar: You'll be ready to start whipping these up at social functions in no time.