4 Standout Mocktails (With Recipes) from The Barista League Montréal

Recreate cold brew mocktails from the event with these four creative recipes.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of The Barista League

The Barista League’s most recent North American stop in Montréal brought together coffee pros, creativity, and a whole lot of cold brew. Competitors were tasked with building mocktails using Toddy-brewed concentrates of two coffees—a fruit-forward Colombian natural process coffee and a balanced Guatemalan coffee.

The drinks were judged not just on taste, but on how well the coffee itself shone through, complemented by other ingredients, with extra points for appearance, creativity, and service. The result? Four wildly different takes on what coffee mocktails can be: warming, playful, nostalgic, and elegant. Here are the recipes for you to try.

A Warm Coffee Ceremony (By Team Los Typicas)

Recipe (single serving):

• 4.73 oz. Colombian natural cold brew
• 0.22 oz. 1883’s cane sugar syrup
• 1.01 oz. Dona’s Grayscale black tea (80ml infusion, steeped 3:40 min.)
• 8g tonka bean infusion
• 1.01 oz. coconut milk

Method:

Mix everything together in a pitcher, gently warm to about 50°C, and serve in a ceramic cup.

Why it works:

Instead of leaning into iced drinks, Los Typicas flipped expectations with a comforting warm mocktail. The natural Colombian’s complexity finds grounding in black tea tannins and tonka bean’s aromatic depth, while coconut milk adds body and sweetness. Think spiced café ritual, perfect for cooler months.

Tsukimi Mocktail – A Japanese-Inspired Blend (By Team Mame Tomo)

Recipe (single serving):

• 2 oz. Colombian natural cold brew
• 0.25 oz. grape juice
• 1.5 oz. amazake
• 0.175 oz. lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. 1883’s cane sugar syrup
• 8 dashes vegan foam
• 3 drops salt water
• 1 drop coconut bitters

Pairing:

The team served this drink with handmade mochi, made simply from rice flour and water, boiled until cooked—a chewy, textural contrast that underscored the drink’s Japanese inspiration.

Why it works:

Drawing on Japanese flavor traditions, this layered mocktail balances the roasty depth of cold brew with amazake’s creamy sweetness, while citrus and grape add brightness. A touch of salt and coconut bitters amplifies complexity. Paired with mochi, the drink becomes an immersive flavor and texture experience—and it ultimately earned the title of Best Mocktail of the Night!

Cold Brew Old Fashioned (By Team Got MOJO?)

Recipe (single serving):

• 2 oz. Colombian natural cold brew
• 0.25 oz. 1883’s Blood Orange Syrup
• 5 dashes Angostura bitters

Method:

Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with orange zest and a dried orange wheel.

Why it works:

A coffee-forward riff on the Old Fashioned, this mocktail keeps things classic but elevated. The Colombian cold brew stands in for whiskey, with bitters and blood orange syrup adding depth and brightness. A simple yet sophisticated template that cafés can easily replicate.

Watermelon & Rose Cold Brew (By Team Ka-Pi DNA)

This vibrant mocktail layers refreshing fruit with floral elegance, showing just how far cold brew can stretch as a creative ingredient.

Recipe – Vegan Milk-Washed Watermelon Juice:

• 6.8 oz. watermelon juice
• 1.7 oz Pacific Barista Series soy milk
• 0.25 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. 1883’s cane sugar syrup

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 5 hours. Strain through a coffee filter.

Recipe – Rose Foam:

• 10 oz. water
• 2g methylcellulose
• 2g xanthan gum
• Pinch of salt
• 2.7 oz. 1883’s rose syrup

Cook the water, methylcellulose, xanthan, and salt together. Blend with the rose syrup. Chill, transfer to a cream dispenser, and charge with two nitrous oxide cartridges.

Assembly (per drink):

• 1.7 oz. vegan milk-washed watermelon juice (~50ml)
• 1.2 oz. Toddy Colombian natural cold brew (~35ml)
• 2 ice cubes
• Top with rose foam
• Garnish with a slice of watermelon dusted with plum powder

Why it works:

The milk-washed watermelon delivers clarity and sweetness, while Colombian cold brew adds depth. Rose foam lends a delicate perfume and luxurious texture, with the watermelon garnish giving a playful finish. It’s a show-stopper both visually and in flavor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work.

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