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Orange Mocktail With Thyme

Orange mocktail is a delicious non-alcoholic drink made with freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade orange thyme simple syrup, and sparkling water. It’s the perfect drink for dry January, special occasions, holiday gatherings, or as a brunch cocktail replacement. 

Looking for more alcohol-free drinks? Try my sparkling cherry mocktail with limegrapefruit paloma mocktail, or sparkling cranberry mocktail with ginger and orange.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Not too sweet – This orange mocktail recipe has bright citrus flavors and is packed with vitamin C for an added immune boost. And because the orange thyme syrup isn’t equal parts sugar and water, it’s not as sweet as simple syrups you’d buy from the grocery store.
  • No special equipment – No cocktail shaker is needed for this easy mocktail recipe.
  • No artificial flavors – This recipe is made with common ingredients and contains nothing artificial.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this orange juice mocktail:

  • Orange thyme simple syrup – orange juice, water, granulated sugar (I used organic cane sugar), thyme sprigs, and orange peels.
  • Fresh orange juice
  • Lemon juice
  • Ice
  • Sparkling water
  • Garnish – orange slices and sprigs of thyme.

How to Make Orange Mocktail: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

  1. Combine water, freshly squeezed orange juice, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add in the orange peels and thyme sprigs.
  2. Cook the infused simple syrup over low heat for 10 minutes then pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer. Let cool then store in the fridge for at least an hour before using.
  3. Mix orange juice, lemon juice, and orange thyme syrup in the bottom of a lowball glass until well combined.
  4. Add ice and fill the glass the rest of the way with sparkling water. Serve with orange wedges and a sprig of thyme. 

Helpful Tips

  • Use a handheld citrus juicer to get the most juice out of your citrus.
  • Avoid cooking the syrup over high heat as you can burn the syrup, which will ruin the flavor.
  • This syrup isn’t as sweet as simple syrups with a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio, so depending on how sweet you like your drinks, you may want to add another tablespoon of simple syrup to each mocktail.
  • Use a lowball glass. The photos are shot with a highball glass, but after retesting the recipe, I found the flavor to be better with a lowball glass.

Quick Tip: Serving this sparkling orange mocktail at a party? Make a larger batch and serve it in a large pitcher with fresh slices of orange and thyme sprigs.

Storage

Fridge: Store the orange thyme syrup in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Freezer: To make it last longer, pour the syrup into a silicone ice cube tray. Once frozen, pop them into a freezer-safe bag where they’ll last for up to 6 months.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this mocktail with orange juice using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

  • No fresh thyme? – use other fresh herbs such as fresh mint leaves or sprigs of rosemary.
  • No lemon juice? – fresh lime juice is great.
  • Switch up the simple syrup – such as basil or jalapeno. Get more ideas in my infused simple syrups post.
  • Variations – use another orange variety such as cara cara oranges or blood orange juice from blood oranges. It’ll add a beautiful color to your mocktail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use tonic water instead of club soda?

I don’t recommend using tonic water as it’ll make the mocktail too sweet.

Can I make the orange syrup sweeter?

Yes, if you like a sweeter simple syrup, add an extra 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. This will give you equal parts liquid and sugar.

Can I use store-bought orange juice instead?

I highly recommend using fresh squeezed orange juice over store-bought. The orange flavor comes through more when it’s super fresh.

More Non-Alcoholic Brunch Drinks

I hope you love this Orange Mocktail! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!

Orange Mocktail With Thyme

Orange mocktails in a tall ribbed glass with a fresh orange wedge and a sprig of fresh thyme.
Orange mocktail is a delicious non-alcoholic drink made with freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade orange thyme simple syrup, and sparkling water. It's the perfect drink for dry January, special occasions, holiday gatherings, or as a brunch cocktail replacement. 
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

Orange Thyme Simple Syrup

  • organic orange peel from 1 orange
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup organic cane sugar
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish

Orange Mocktail With Thyme

  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 3 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 ounce
  • 1 tablespoon orange thyme simple syrup ½ ounce
  • ice cubes
  • sparkling water

Garnish

  • orange wedges
  • thyme sprigs

Instructions

  • Scrub and dry the orange, then use a vegetable peeler to remove thin strips of peel. Set aside.
  • Combine water, freshly squeezed orange juice, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add in the orange peels and thyme sprigs.
  • Reduce to low heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the infused syrup through a fine mesh strainer. Let cool then store in the fridge for at least an hour before using.
  • Mix orange juice, lemon juice, and orange thyme syrup in the bottom of a lowball glass until well combined.
  • Add ice and fill the glass the rest of the way with sparkling water. Serve with orange wedges and a sprig of thyme. 

Notes

The orange thyme simple syrup makes 1 cup and will make 12 mocktails.
See the blog post for step-by-step photos, helpful tips, storage, and recipe FAQs.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No fresh thyme? – use other fresh herbs such as fresh mint leaves or sprigs of rosemary.
No lemon juice? – fresh lime juice is great.
Switch up the simple syrup – such as basil or jalapeno. Get more ideas in my infused simple syrups post.
Variations – use another orange variety such as cara cara oranges or blood orange juice from blood oranges. It’ll add a beautiful color to your mocktail.

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