A holiday drink without the alcohol? Organizations from around the county responded to that challenge with sweet success at Thursday’s Zero-Proof Mix-Off at Lorain County Community College.

The alcohol-free drink contest, sponsored by the Lorain County General Health District, provided guests with ample inspiration for upcoming holiday parties. These alternative beverages forgo vodka and rum, and instead focus on festive flavors such as cinnamon, coconut or citrus.

Here’s a taste of the recipes, beginning with the award-winners:

Winner, best overall drink — Frosty’s Meltdown

Hot Buttered Mix (makes 100 1 tablespoon servings)

• 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cider

• 64 ounces apple cider (half gallon)
• 32 ounces cranapple juice (half a bottle)
• 23 ounces pineapple juice (half a can)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1½ teaspoons whole cloves

Cream butter in a large bowl. Blend in sugars. Mix well. Mix in ice cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into plastic container; seal and freeze. Put liquid in percolator. In percolator basket, place brown sugar, cinnamon sticks and clove. Perk cider like coffee. In a coffee mug, measure 1-3 tablespoons of Hot Butter Mix, then fill with hot cider. Stir well and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Mixed by: Ohio Highway Patrol

Winner, best presentation — Snow Storm Punch

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 2 (2-liter) bottles of Squirt
• Vanilla ice cream

Combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil. Remove from heat and add one 12-ounce can evaporated milk and 1 tablespoon almond extract. Cool. (Mixture will fill 1 quart jar). When ready to serve, combine 1-1/3 cups milk mixture with 1 2-liter of Squirt in a large punch bowl. Add a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and top with the other bottle of Squirt. All ingredients should be very cold.

Mixed by: Lorain County Engineer’s Office

Winner, best name — Drink Me My Rights

• 1 gallon of your favorite lemonade
• 6 whole fresh mint leaves
• 1 freshly squeezed sweet tangerine juice
• 6 sliced strawberries

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in refrigerator for an hour. Stir before serving over ice or as a hot beverage.

Mixed by: North Ridgeville Police Department

Winner, best tasting — Holiday Shimmer

• Cream soda
• Vanilla ice cream
• Caramel sundae topping
• Whipped cream

In a large punch bowl, add ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream.

Pour 1 2-liter bottle of cream soda over ice cream (use more or less to suit taste).

Add ½ bottle of caramel sundae topping.

Stir until blended. Ladle into punch cups and top each cup with whipped cream; drizzle with additional caramel topping.

Mixed by: Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office

Winner, best student drink — Nuclear Nightcap

• ½ cup of lime juice
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 cups carbonated water
• 3 drops green food coloring
• Maraschino cherries
• Ice to suit

Add all ingredients (except cherries) in a 7-cup smoothie blender.

Following manufacturer’s instructions, blend until a smooth consistency.

Dispense into cups.

Place cherry on top. For a holiday effect, place a snowy rim of salt around the edge.

Serves 6.

Mixed by: Gamma Tau Sigma, student alumni organization of Lorain County Community College

The Happy Elf

• 4 ounces white grape juice
• 8 green grapes
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 4 ounces lime-flavored sparkling water
• Lime or raspberry sherbet (optional)

Freeze green grapes. Pour grape juice into blender. Add frozen grapes. Add 2 drops green food coloring. Blend for 15 seconds. Add sparkling water and garnish with scoop of sherbet.

Mixed by: Lorain County Board of Developmental Disabilities — Early Intervention Program

Galactic Punch

• 12 ounces frozen orange juice
• 2 (46-ounce) cans red fruit punch
• 1 (46-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 (48-ounce) bottle cranberry juice
• 1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale
• 4½ cups water

Combine thawed orange juice and water. Mix well. Stir in fruit punch, pineapple juice and cranberry juice. Freeze in a large container. Remove from freezer 3½ hours before serving, stirring occasionally while mixture thaws. Stir in ginger ale just before serving. Yields 2¼ gallons.

Mixed by: Oberlin Police Department

Student Senate Super Sweet Sangria

• Orange juice
• Grape juice
• Sprite /Sierra Mist
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Limes

Combine orange juice, grape juice and Sprite/Sierra Mist into giant container or punch bowl. Slice fruit thinly and place inside.

Use twice as much Sprite/Sierra Mist as you do juice.

Mixed by: Lorain County Community College Student Senate

Creamy Bubble Boboa

• Club soda
• Tapioca pearls
• Lychee coconut jelly
• Cream
• Large straws
• 20-ounce cups

Flavored syrup

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups juice (lychee or any juice or liquid)

To make flavored syrup, on the stovetop cook together 1 cup of white sugar, 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 cups of juice (lychee or any juice or liquid). Once syrup begins to boil, remove from heat immediately. Let it cool. Store it in refrigerator.

Club soda and flavored syrup should be cold. Boil the tapioca pearls, following the directions. Put lychee coconut jelly into a cup (about 2 ounces). Once the tapioca pearls are ready, put them into the cup with the lychee coconut jelly and then add the syrup (should be about 1 to 2 ounces for every 16 ounces of club soda) and mix well. Then add some cream to fill the rest of the cup and mix well. Use a wide straw to drink.

Mixed by: Lorain County Community College Multicultural Club

Creamy Thin Mint Juliette

• ½ box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies*
• 6 cups of vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 can of whipped cream

Mix cookies, ice cream and milk in blender. Blend until desired thickness. Serve in tall milkshake glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with crumbled cookies.

Makes 2 servings.

*Girl Scout Thin Mints: Thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolate coating. Made with natural peppermint.

Mixed by: Girl Scouts of North East Ohio

Pink Cadillac

• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2/3 cup fresh or frozen lemon juice
• 1/3 cup cranberry juice cocktail, chilled

In large non-metal pitcher, combine all ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar. Serve over ice.

Makes 4 cups.

Mixed by: MaryKay Cosmetics

Tropical Thunder

• 1 cup ruby-red grapefruit juice
• 1 cup tropical fruit juice
• 2 ounces lemon juice
• 1 ounce cherry glaze
• 1 ounce whipped topping

Swirl cherry glaze around bottom and sides of cup. Mix first three ingredients in separate container. Whip the juices with the whipped topping. Pour the mixture into the cherry glazed glasses. Makes 4 servings.

Mixed by: Society of Professional Journalists

Angel’s Christmas Delight

• Pineapple juice
• Cream of coconut
• Ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Shredded coconut
• Chocolate syrup

Blend pineapple juice, cream of coconut and ice cream in blender until smooth. Pour in glass and top off with whipped cream, shredded coconut and chocolate syrup.

Mixed by: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County

Hawaiian Rainbow SnowFlake Float

• 2 gallons of rainbow sherbet
• 1 (2-liter) bottle of Sprite
• 1 (1-liter) bottle of Sunny Delight
• 1 (20-ounce) container of Hawaiian Punch
• 1 can of pineapple juice
• 2 bananas
• 1 container of strawberries
• Half pint of 1 percent milk

Blend sherbet, Sprite, Sunny Delight, Hawaiian Punch and pineapple juice in blender or large punch bowl. Add in two blended bananas. Cut up strawberries.

Blend again. Add milk gradually, and whip.

Mixed by: Communities that Care of Lorain County in partnership with Lorain Southview High School’s Career and Internship Placement Program

Recipe created by: Lorain’s Southview High School seniors: Rashay Earl, Charles Fletcher and Marisol Torres

Not-a-Colada

• ½ gallon vanilla ice cream
• 3 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 (8-ounce) can cream of coconut
• 1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
• 6 tablespoons rum extract
• 1 (2-liter) bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage

Thaw strawberries. Pour the cream of coconut, pineapple juice, rum extract and strawberries into blender and mix. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into punch bowl. Mix in the lemon-lime beverage. Add the softened ice cream and stir well. Serve immediately. Serves 30.

Mixed by: Rewards Program of Lorain County Juvenile Court

We Be Jellin’

• 3 boxes sugar-free cherry Jell-O
• 6 standard size (6-inch) candy canes, powdered
• 1 (12-ounce) can of cream soda
• 1 (8-ounce) carton of heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make the 3 boxes of cherry Jell-O according to the “Jell-O Jigglers” directions. Substitute the cold water in the Jell-O directions with 1 can of cream soda.

Let Jell-O set for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator, and sprinkle candy-cane powder on top. Leave at least half of the powder for use later. Let Jell-O set completely in the refrigerator.

Cream: Mix the heavy whipping cream, white sugar and vanilla together. Set aside in refrigerator.

Once Jell-O is set, cut into small squares in bottom of drink container.

Pour enough cream into bottom of drink container so the Jell-O square is almost covered. Sprinkle candy-cane powder over Jell-O and cream, to taste. Serve cold. Makes about 60 servings.

Mixed by: Elyria Print & Copy Center

Zero Tolerence

• 1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale
• 1 can frozen orange juice
• 1 tub orange sherbet
• 1 Luigi’s Italian Ice

Follow orange juice instructions. Add ginger ale. Stir. Add sherbet by spoonfuls. Add Italian Ice. Stir. Keep cold.

Mixed by: Lorain County Community College Police Academy

Power of Purple Punch

• 4 packages of grape Kool-Aid
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 quart water
• 2 (1-quart) bottles of ginger ale, chilled
• 1 (46-ounce) can of pineapple juice, chilled
• 1 pint raspberry sherbet

Mix Kool-Aid, sugar and water. Chill. Add pineapple juice. Stir in sherbet and ginger ale shortly before serving. Serves about 40.

Mixed by: EMH Relay for Life Team (American Cancer Society)

Confetti Cooler

• 1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2/3 cup strawberries, sliced (fresh or frozen)
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 tablespoon blackberry or raspberry seedless fruit preserves
• Cool Whip topping (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender.

Blend on high until smooth (about 10-15 seconds). Top with a dollop of Cool Whip if desired. Serves 3-4.

Mixed by: Lorain County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

Holiday Lights Punch

• 16 cups water
• 16 cups sugar
• 8 quarts strawberries, without sugar
• 4 cups peach nectar
• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 8 quarts club soda
• 3 quarts club soda, frozen in cubes

Boil sugar and water for 5 minutes or until a sugar syrup forms.

Cool and set aside. (You may or may not use all or any of this syrup depending on how sweet you want your punch.)
Put 3 quarts of club soda in ice cube trays and freeze.

Pour peach nectar, orange juice and lemon juice into the largest mixing bowl you have. As you stir, begin adding syrup until you get a strong sweet/sour flavor. You must have this base in order for the mix to stand up to being cut with the club soda.

When it is strong enough and yet carries a light lemon flavor, stop adding syrup.

Pour into containers and refrigerate.

At party time, pour 1 quart into the punch bowl and cut with 1½ to 2 bottles of club soda. Add a generous amount of frozen soda cubes.

Float about 2 quarts of berries in the punch for decoration.

Mixed by: Lorain County Metro Parks

On My Honor

• 3 parts pear nectar
• 1 part cranberry juice
• ½ part grapefruit juice

Combine all ingredients and shake. Pour into glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mixed by: North Ridgeville Boy Scout Troop 140

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