Mocktails vs. Non-Alcoholic Cocktails – What’s the Difference?

Not all non-alcoholic drinks are created equal. If you’ve ever ordered a mocktail, you probably got something that looked the part, maybe a bright pink drink with a sugar rim, lots of juice, and a splash of soda.

By definition, a mocktail is meant to mimic a traditional cocktail but without the alcohol – a virgin piña colada, a no-rum mojito. But too often, they’re overly sweet, unbalanced, and missing the depth that makes a great cocktail worth sipping.

A non-alcoholic cocktail, on the other hand, is built like a proper cocktail, balanced, layered, and complex. At Tilden, we spent two years crafting our first two non-alcoholic cocktails with carefully sourced botanicals—no added sugar, no preservatives, no mind-altering ingredients—just depth, complexity, and flavor that holds its own.

When I quit drinking four years ago, I didn’t want something that just replaced alcohol, I wanted something that made me feel part of the moment. Something I could sip on at a dinner party or a celebration and actually enjoy. No more one-note juice bombs. No more making do. Because choosing not to drink shouldn’t mean settling.

What are you sipping tonight: mocktail or non-alc cocktail?