Low fodmap cocktails & mocktails
Raise a glass (the gut-friendly way)! 🥂 We know the holidays and New Year’s Eve often come with a tipple or two, but for those with IBS, alcohol can be a real gut irritant. The good news? You can still enjoy the festive cheers without the digestive jeers. These six low FODMAP cocktail and mocktail recipes are designed to help fodmappers join in on the fun while minimising gut discomfort. So go ahead—celebrate, sip smart, and toast to feeling your best! 🌟
ps. if you’re interested in the impact of alcohol on your gut health, read our blog here 👉🏽
Moscow Mule
Serves 1
One shot (30ml) of vodka (we used gluten-free vodka from Australian company Ampersand Projects)
Juice of ½ lime
1 dessert spoon powdered sugar (pure icing sugar )
150 ml ginger beer*
lime wedge
mint leaves
3 ice cubes
Add ice cubes, lime juice, vodka and powdered sugar to a shaker and gently shake.
Pour into a tall glass. Top up with ginger beer and gently stir with stirrer or straw.
Garnish with lime wedges and mint leaves.
*Choose a ginger beer sweetened with good old cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup or agave syrup, which are high in FODMAPs. We used Bundaberg Ginger Beer.
Blueberry Mojito
Serves 2
1 cup (125g punnet) fresh blueberries
10-12 fresh mint leaves
½ lime cut into round wheels
2 tsp sugar syrup (I made my own)
1 lime, juiced (1 tbsp is the recommended Low FODMAP serving size)
60g vodka (optional)
Crushed ice
Sparkling water or soda
Divide and layer cut lime wheels, mint leaves and blueberries between two glasses.
Add the syrup, lime juice and vodka (if using) into the glasses and add ice, along with soda or sparkling water. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedges or blueberries and mint leaves.
If you want to achieve a really rich colour (as seen in the pic), soak the blueberries in the syrup, lime juice and vodka overnight and then proceed with the recipe.
Hibiscus & Cranberry Punch
Serves 4+
2 tablespoons hibiscus tea leaves
500ml (2 cups) boiling water
250ml (1 cup) cranberry juice (Low FODMAP up to 100ml per serving)
125ml (½ cup) pomegranate juice (Low FODMAP up to 125ml per serving)
500ml (2 cups) soda water or sparkling water
Fresh pomegranate arils (for garnish)
Lime slices and fresh mint leaves (optional, for garnish)
Ice cubes
In a heatproof jug, steep the hibiscus tea leaves in 500ml of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and let the tea cool completely. (ps. Don’t be tempted to let the tea steep overnight as the tea will eventually dull in colour and go grey-ish).
In a large pitcher, combine the cooled hibiscus tea, cranberry juice, and pomegranate juice. Stir well.
Just before serving, add soda water for a fizzy kick. Stir gently to combine.
Serve over ice in tall glasses, garnished with fresh pomegranate arils and lime slices.
Lemon Fizz
This is adapted from a recipe in The Savoy Cocktail Book first published in the 1930s. The same recipe actually appears three times under different names - Gin Fizz, Tom Collins and Southside Cocktail. We cut the gin down a little from a glass to two shots to suit modern tastes and sensitive tummies - and found it to be a winner.
Serves 1
Juice of half a lemon
Double shot of gin (we used an award-winning, Western Australian Gin - 1829 Gin from Old Young’s)
½ tbsp powdered sugar (pure icing sugar) plus a little extra to decorate the glass
Ice cubes
A spritz of soda water
Run the cut lemon around the rim of a chilled glass. Then dip the glass it in a saucer of icing sugar to create a ‘snowy’ edge.
Add the lemon juice, gin, ½ tbsp icing sugar and a couple of ice cubes to a shaker. Shake vigorously then strain into the glass.
Top up with a spritz of soda water and garnish with a lemon twist or a couple of mint leaves. Make the twist by using a vegetable peeler to remove a long strip of zest.
Raspberry Cocktail
Serves 2
2 shots (60 ml) gin
⅓ cup of raspberries - (plus 2 to serve)
2 glasses of white wine, not too sweet - an unoaked Chardonnay or a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc work well
Ice cubes
Spritz of soda water
Slightly bruise the raspberries and add the gin. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Strain the pink stained gin into a shaker.
Add ice cubes and 2 glasses of wine - shake - and pour through strainer pour into glasses.
Add a splash of soda water and a raspberry to each glass.
Summer Berry Punch
4 strawberries, hulled and halved (per glass)
3 raspberries (per glass)
1 cherry, pitted (per glass)
2 tsp sugar syrup (I made my own using white sugar and water)
Lemon slices (as much as you like)
Fresh mint leaves for decoration
Soda water (enough to fill your glass or punch jug)
Add the strawberries, raspberries and cherries, along with a generous handful of lemon slices to a large jar or pitcher.
Optional: Soak the fruit overnight in sugar syrup in the fridge to infuse the punch with vibrant colour and flavour.
Just before serving, pour in chilled soda water and stir gently to combine.
Serve in tall glasses with lemon wedges, strawberries, and mint for a festive finish.