Tea & Tonic | Simple Alcohol-Free Cocktail | Gin & Vodka Alternative

I’ll be honest: this non-alcoholic kratom tonic recipe is being written by someone who is not a fan of your average tonic drinks, like a vodka tonic or gin and tonic.

And to double down on the honesty, the cocktail recipe below won’t taste just like a gin and tonic (which, because of my aforementioned distaste for gin, is a big plus for me). That said, you can always add an ounce or two of a zero-proof spirit to replicate the flavor more closely.

But first, I’ll give a few more details about why (or why not) you might like trying an alcohol-free kratom tonic instead of a vodka tonic or gin and tonic.

Why Swap Gin or Vodka for Kratom in Your Next Tonic Cocktail

Short story long: Gin, which is a spirit infused with juniper berries and other botanicals, tastes horrible to me, and I don’t think plain vodka’s much different (no judgement to the gin- and vodka-lovers out there). Even with tonic water mixed in, I avoid gin at all costs. And I’m not someone who typically shies away from bitterness. Also, I’m currently rehabbing an injury, which means I’m avoiding all types of alcohol at the moment.

Long story short: it didn’t take much to convince me to try whipping up a tonic cocktail with tea instead of alcohol.

So if you A) can’t stand the classic liquor varieties in tonic drinks, or B) you love a vodka tonic or gin and tonic but want to cut out the alcohol, give this tea and tonic recipe a try.

The base is kratom tea, which means you can still get some of what you might have wanted from a gin cocktail, like relaxation and comfort, but without the word-slurring or dreaded hangover.

Worth noting: if you’re avoiding alcohol due to dependency, health concerns, medication interactions, or recovery, kratom may not be right for you, so it’s best to talk with a qualified healthcare professional before trying it.

Alcohol-Free Kratom Tonic Recipe

Prep time: 2 minutes

Steep time: 15–25 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 original kratom tea bags or 2 tbsp (6 grams) loose leaf kratom tea
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 cups ice
• 12 oz (1 can) tonic water
• Optional add-ins:
  • Lemon or lime wedges
  • NA bitters
  • Fresh mint
  • Tiny pinch of salt

Equipment

• Insulated thermos or small saucepan

Thermos Directions

1. Add tea bags or loose leaf tea to your thermos. Bring water to a boil and pour it into the thermos. Leave to steep for 15-25 minutes.
2. If using tea bags: Remove the tea bags. If using loose leaf: Pour your tea through a strainer into a heat-safe container.
3. Optional: If you want your tea to stay more concentrated, you can transfer it to a jar to chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
4. Divide tea between two glasses, add ice, and top each glass with tonic water. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges if desired.

Stovetop Directions

1. Add tea bags or loose leaf tea to your saucepan. Bring water to a boil on high heat, then immediately reduce heat to reach a low simmer.
2. Steep at a simmer for 15-25 minutes, then remove the tea from heat and allow to cool a bit.
3. If using tea bags: Remove the tea bags. If using loose leaf: Pour your tea through a strainer into a heat-safe container.
4. Optional: If you want your tea to stay more concentrated, you can transfer it to a jar to chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
5. Divide tea between two glasses, add ice, and top each glass with tonic water. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges if desired.

Notes

Sugar-Free or Low-Sugar Alternatives: Swap out the regular tonic water for any zero-sugar tonic water variety to make this tea & tonic cocktail sugar free. You can also find “light” tonic water varieties with less sugar from brands like Fever-Tree.

Flavor adjustments:

• Want your non-alcoholic kratom tonic to taste more like a classic tonic? Add an ounce of zero-proof vodka or gin to the mix.
• If the plain tea and tonic flavor is still a little too bold for you, you can soften the drink with add-ins like a splash of ginger syrup, a squeeze of lime, fresh mint, or a small pinch of salt.
• Bitters are also a fun addition to kratom cocktails; alcohol-free bitters are becoming more popular, and you can find a number of brands that offer them.

More Alcohol-Free Drink Recipes to Try

This non-alcoholic kratom tonic recipe is about as simple as it gets: strong-brewed tea, plenty of ice, tonic water, and a little citrus. It’s bitter, bubbly, and botanical. And importantly, it’s much easier to make than a full cocktail-style recipe with syrups, muddling, and dramatic bar tools.

Looking for more non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that are just as easy to throw together? Give these a try:

• Vanilla ginger kratom iced tea cocktail
• Not-so-dark and very stormy: kratom & ginger beer cocktail

Cheers!