This beautiful and absolutely delicious purple mocktail I’m calling the ‘Riff Ram’bler’ is an ode to my alma mater – Texas Christian University – and the oldest college football chant in the Southwest Conference.
Whether you’re headed to a tailgate or cheering on the Frogs from home, this purple mocktail recipe is on point.
But wait! This Recipe is for Everyone.
Yes, everyone. That means you.
7 Reasons to Say ‘Cheers!’ to This Purple Mocktail
- Simple to stir up and comes together in 10 minutes or less.
- Features easy-to-find ingredients.
- Ridiculously refreshing.
- Low in calories, big on flavor.
- Non-alcoholic mocktail for all ages.
- Perfect for cheering your favorite purple sports team … because winners wear purple (and drink purple mocktails, too!)
- Beautiful deep purple hue to celebrate birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, bachelorette parties and all of the other special occasions that call for a purple celebratory drink everyone will love, minus the alcohol and added calories.
The Ingredients
- Blue curacao – non-alcoholic syrup
- Grape juice – Opt for sugar-free, low-sugar or no-added-sugar
- Sparkling Ice – Grape Raspberry or Black Cherry flavor
- Turbinado sugar – For the glass rim
- Blackberries – Fresh or frozen, for garnish
- Rosemary or mint – For garnish
Quick Tip
The purple color in this mocktail can be tricky to achieve, so make a test round in advance to ensure you get the color exactly the way you want it.
How to Make a Perfect Purple Mocktail
Step 1.
Use a rimming dish, two small bowls or plates to rim two lowball glasses. Pour the turbinado sugar into your dish of choice and then add a thin layer of water or lemon juice to the second dish.
Dip the rim of each glass into the liquid and gently tap or shake to remove the excess liquid. Immediately dip the rim of the glass into the sugar, ensuring that the sugar thoroughly coats around the rim of the glass. Tap or shake off the extra sugar. Add ice cubes to each glass.
Step 2.
In a cocktail shaker, add the blue curacao and grape juice. Shake, shake, shake.
Step 3.
Pour the mixture into the lowball glasses and top with Sparkling Ice.
Step 4.
Garnish and serve!
Perfecting the Purple Mocktail
The purple color in this cocktail can be tricky to achieve. Test your first round in advance to ensure you get the color exactly the way you want it.
The first time tested this recipe, I muddled blackberry Don’t do that. I originally planned to make mocktail version of the traditional whiskey Rambler cocktail. The drink was delicious but the color was almost black and I lost the beautiful purple hue I was going for. Perfect for black Halloween-themed drink, just not for a purple mocktail!
Make Ahead + Storage
This purple mocktail is great for serving a crowd. To plan ahead, you can mix the juice and blue curacao up to 24 hours in advance, but you’ll want to add the Sparkling Ice immediately before serving – otherwise, you’ll lose the bubbles and your drink will be flat.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serving a Crowd
Speaking of planning ahead to serve a crowd, simply triple the recipe if you’re planning on guests. This mocktail is beautifully served in a large glass pitcher or a drink dispenser with a spigot garnished with fresh or frozen blackberries. Add sprigs of rosemary or mint for a colorful touch.
Serve this drink at:
- Tailgates and game watching parties
- Pool parties
- Bridal showers
- Bachelorette parties
- Birthday parties
- Graduation celebrations
- Baby showers
- ‘Sip and see’ gatherings
Speaking of serving a crowd …
Three Gorgeous Mocktails for Entertaining
Recipe FAQs
What is turbinado sugar?
Turbinado sugar is a natural brown sugar. You may have also heard it referred to as raw sugar, though it’s not actually raw. It maintains its natural color as its less refined than granulated white sugar. The golden brown color that makes turbinado sugar so beautiful as a rimming sugar is thanks to the natural molasses.
What can I use in place of turbinado sugar?
You can certainly use regular granulated sugar or find a specialty rimming sugar for craft cocktails if you’re planning a special gathering. The sugar rim is for decorative purposes more than anything, so feel free to omit it altogether.
Can I use a different juice than grape juice?
Sure! Cranberry juice is a tasty alternative, as is cranberry-grape juice or pomegranate juice. You’ll just want to ensure it’s a reddish-purple hue to ensure the mocktail retains its color.
Is there an alternative for Sparkling Ice?
You could use a diet grape soda or try a flavored sparkling water, such as raspberry or black cherry. Izze Sparkling Blackberry or Blueberry flavors are also tasty alternatives.
Can I make a non-carbonated version?
If you’re not big on bubbles, feel free to use another type of low-sugar or no-added-sugar juice.
The Ultimate Purple Mocktail
This purple mocktail is a ton of fun to make and drink (minus the alcohol and added calories)!
- Total Time: 10 mins.
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
- .5 ounce (1 tablespoon) blue curacao non-alcoholic syrup
- 1 ounce sugar-free, lower sugar or no added sugar grape juice
- 6 ounces Sparkling Ice, Grape Raspberry or Black Cherry flavor
- Turbinado sugar, for glass rim
- Blackberries and blueberries (fresh or frozen), for garnish
Instructions
- Use a rimming dish, two small bowls or plates to rim two lowball glasses. I used water, but you can use lemon juice, if you prefer. Pour the turbinado sugar into your dish of choice. Add a small layer of water or lemon juice to the second dish. Dip the rim of each glass into the liquid and gently tap or shake off the excess liquid. Immediately dip the rim of the glasses into the sugar, ensure the sugar coats the rim and gently tap or shake off the extra sugar. Add ice to each glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add the blue curacao and juice or vodka, based on whether you’re making a mocktail or a cocktail, and shake, shake, shake.
- Top off the glass with Sparkling Ice. Garnish and serve.
Equipment
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Torani Blue Curacao Syrup, Non-Alcoholic Flavoring
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Original Italian Drinking Glasses – 11 oz.
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Glass Pitcher with Handle & Lid – 60 oz.
Buy Now →Notes
- The purple color in this mocktail can be tricky to achieve, so make a test round in advance to ensure you get the color the way you want it.
- I muddled blackberry for a play on the more traditional whiskey Rambler cocktail. Delicious, but the drink turned out very dark in color. Instead, I used fresh blackberries and frozen blueberries for garnish.
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 0 mins.
- Category: Drinks
- Method: By Hand
Article originally posted January 6, 2023; Last updated August 13, 2025.
I see a pasta salad recipe, not the recipe for this yummy sounding mock tail, could you update the page?
Hi Jessica, Thank you so much for catching this glitch and calling it to my attention! The issue has been fixed and the mocktail recipe is back. I hope you enjoy it!!
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to enjoy this mocktail during the holidays 🙂
I can’t wait to make this one!
This drink looks good. Is there a version without sparkling water or soda, possibly another juice that would mix well?
Hi Marcia, So glad you’d like to try this recipe! My recommendation is to replace the Sparkling Ice with 4-5 ounces pure pomegranate (such as Pom Wonderful) or cranberry juice and increase the Sugar Free Grape Juice to 2-3 ounces. The grape juice has a very strong taste so if that’s your thing then go for the 3 ounces. Let me know how this works for you! I made this with sugar-free cranberry juice for a pool party and enjoyed it, but I love cranberry!