A Toast to December: A 24-Day Mocktail Advent Calendar

December has a way of inviting us inward—toward soft light, slow moments, and tiny rituals that make the season feel meaningful. This year, I wanted to create something playful and intentional, a way to savor each day without the rush.
So I put together a 24-day Mocktail Advent Calendar, handcrafted with the same spirit I pour into my origami, watercolor, and tiny treasures—a celebration of color, creativity, and mindful delight.

Each day from December 1st through Christmas Eve features a different alcohol-free drink made with my favorite spirits: Lyre’s Amaretti, Kava Haven, Pathfinder, and Monday Mezcal. Some are simple, some a little extra, all delicious.

To keep this advent calendar beautifully organized and space-savvy, I grouped the recipes by spirit—giving you a small, curated series of drinks to explore with each one before moving on to the next. It’s a gentle way to discover the flavors, moods, and possibilities of Lyre’s Amaretti, Pathfinder, Monday Mezcal, and finally Kava Haven, without overcrowding your counter or your to-do list. And because December tends to gather its own whirlwind of busyness, the calendar ends with a handful of Kava-based mocktails—thoughtfully placed at the finish line to offer a little grounding, relaxation, and stress relief as you ease into the calm of the holidays.

None of these recipes are my own originals—they’re a collection of drinks I’ve gathered over time, thoughtfully curated into one festive advent list for you to enjoy.

So grab your favorite glass, open the tiny “door” of the day, and sip along. I’ll be sharing a new mocktail image each day over on Instagram at @LeemoAF, so you can sip along and enjoy the advent magic in real time.

Day 1:
Amaretto Mule
(Recipe from Disaronno)
2 oz Amaretto
1/4 oz Lime Juice
Ginger Beer to top

Select and pre-chill a mule cup.
Pour amaretto and lime juice over ice in a mule cup and stir.
Top up with ginger beer.
Garnish with lime slice.

Day 2:
Dolce-Amaro
(Recipe from Difford's Guide)
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1 oz Italian Red Bitter Liqueur
2/3 oz Amaretto

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
Stir all ingredients with ice.
Strain into ice-filled glass.
Express orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Day 3:
Amaretto Spritz
(Recipe from Disaronno)
3/4 oz Amaretto
5 oz Soda Water
Fresh Lemon Juice

Select and pre-chill a wine glass.
Pour amaretto over ice, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and top up with soda water. 
Stir and garnish with lemon zest.

Day 4:
Almond Old Fashioned
(Recipe from Difford's Guide)
2 oz Tequila
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/6 oz Agave Syrup
2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
Stir all ingredients with ice.
Strain into a glass with a block of ice.
Express orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Day 5:
Amaretto Sour
(Recipe from Difford's Guide)
1 1/2 oz Amaretto
1 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/6 oz Demerara Syrup
1/4 oz Aquafaba

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Prepare garnishes of  lemon zest twist and skewered maraschino cherries.
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker.
Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify.
Fine strain into ice-filled glass.
Express lemon zest twist over the cocktail and discard.
Garnish with skewered cherries.

Day 6:
Godfather
(Recipe from Difford's Guide)
2 oz Scotch Whiskey
2/3 oz Amaretto
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of  orange zest twist.
Stir all ingredients with ice.
Strain into a glass with a block of ice.
Express orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Day 7:
Killer Cocktail
(Recipe from Difford's Guide)
1 1/2 oz Amaretto
1 oz Dry Gin
1/3 oz Italian red Bitter Liqueur
1/3 oz Passionfruit Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist (cut like a shark fin) and grenadine.
Shake all ingredients with ice.
Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice.
Express lemon zest twist over cocktail and use as garnish.
Garnish with drops of grenadine on lemon twist (for bloody shark attack).

Day 8:
Aparetti Sour
(Recipe from Lyre's)
1 oz Amaretto
1 oz Italian Bitter Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Select and pre-chill am old-fashioned glass.
Rapid shake with ice and strain over fresh ice.
Garnish with lemon wedge.

Day 9:
Mexican Sour
(Recipe from Disaronno)
1 oz Amaretto
1/3 oz Mezcal
1/3 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Agave Syrup

Select and pre-chill a margarita glass.
Shake all the ingredients and pour the liquid in a margarita glass.
Garnish with a lemon slice.

Day 10:
Pathinder Negroni
(Recipe from Some Good Clean Fun)
2 oz Pathfinder
2 oz Bitter Aperitif
2 oz Gin
4 Dashes ATB Aromatic Bitters

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Combine ingredients with ice and stir with a bar spoon to chill.
Strain into glass with fresh ice.
Peel a thin strip of orange peel off an orange with a peeler (make sure not to get too much white underneath or it's too bitter).
Twist the orange peel strip over your glass to express the orange oils, and then drop it into your glass (or hang it over the side as a garnish).

Day 11:
Scrimshaw
(Recipe from VinePair)
2 oz Pathfinder
⅝ oz Clarified + Acidified Grapefruit Juice
¼ oz Elderflower Syrup
5 Drops Saline Solution

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Combine all drink ingredients and stir gently.
Garnish with grapefruit peel.

Day 12:
Cherry Espresso Martini
(Recipe from Some Good Clean Fun)
1 ½ oz Espresso
1 ½ oz Pathfinder
1 ½ oz Tart Cherry Juice 
Pinch of Salt

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
In a mixing glass, mix all ingredients with a large ice cube until chilled.
Strain into glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with a cherry.

Day 13:
Wandering Path
(Recipe from Jeffrey Morgenthaler)
2 oz Pathfinder
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
¾ oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
Aquafaba

Select and pre-chill a coupe or nick and nora glass.
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well until cold.
Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve without garnish.

Day 14:
Similar Triangles
(Recipe from All The Bitter)
1 ¼ oz Three Spirit Nightcap
1 oz Pathfinder
¾ oz Tenneyson Black Ginger
3 Drops Salt Tincture
1 Dash ATB Orange Bitters
2 Dashes ATB Aromatic Bitters

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 15-20 seconds.
Strain into glass with one big ice cube.
Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Day 15:
Paper Plane
(Recipe from All The Bitter)
1 oz Whiskey
¾ oz Bittersweet Orange Liqueur
¾ oz Amaro
¾ oz Lemon Juice
2 Dashes ATB Orange Bitters

Select and pre-chill a coupe or nick and nora glass.
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice, and shake until chilled
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist, expressing the oils over the drink.

Day 16:
Smoldering Cherry
(Recipe from Drink Monday)
2 oz Mezcal
½ oz Lime Juice
¼ oz Orange Juice
¼ oz Grapefruit Juice
¼ oz Agave Syrup
1 Barspoon Cherry Juice (From Maraschino Cherries)
2 Dashes ATB Orange Bitters

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Combine all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 
Shake until cold. 
Strain into a salt rimmed short glass over fresh ice. 
Top with fresh lime zest.

Day 17:
Mezcal Negroni
(Recipe from Drink Monday)
1 oz Mezcal
1 oz Italian Bitter Liqueur
1 oz Lyre’s Italian Orange

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Combine in a mixing glass with ice. 
Stir vigorously until cold. Strain to glass over one large ice cube. 
Mist with orange essence. Garnish with long peel of fresh orange.

Day 18:
Winter Margarita
(Recipe from Some Good Clean Fun)
2 oz Cranberry Juice
2 oz Mezcal
½ oz Orange Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
Salt, to rim
1 oz Soda Water

Select and pre-chill a margarita glass.
Run the lime wedge around the rim of your glass, and dip into salt.
Shake all but soda water until chilled and pour into margarita glass.
Top with club soda.

Day 19:
Kavaloma
(Recipe from Kava Haven)
1 ½ oz Kava Haven
3 oz Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup

Select and pre-chill a collins glass.
Fill glass with ice cubes.
Add Kava Haven, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup to the glass.
Stir well to combine all the flavors.
Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Day 20:
Lemon Drop Sour
(Recipe from Drinks With Danica)
1 ½ oz Kava Haven
1 oz Lemon Juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup
Fee Foam

Select and pre-chill a coupe or nick and nora glass.
Add Kava Haven, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously without ice. Add ice, then shake until chilled.
Strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel, and enjoy!

Day 21:
Kavarita
(Recipe from Kava Haven)
1 ½ oz Kava Haven
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Orange Juice
½ oz Agave Syrup
Salt, to rim glass

Select and pre-chill a margarita glass.
Rim glass with salt by moistening the rim with a lime wedge and dipping it into a plate of salt. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
In a shaker, combine Kava Haven, lime juice, orange juice, and agave syrup.
Shake well to mix all the ingredients.
Strain the mixture into the prepared glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

Day 22:
Kava Mule
(Recipe from Kava Haven)
1 ½ oz Kava Haven
1 oz Lime Juice
4 oz Ginger Beer

Select and pre-chill a mule cup.
Fill  with ice cubes.
Add Kava Haven and lime juice to the mug.
Top it off with ginger beer.
Stir gently to combine the flavors.
Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.

Day 23:
Sleepy Girl
(Recipe from Mocktail Mom)
4 oz Tart Cherry Juice
1 ½ oz Kava Haven
Sparkling Water

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Add Kava Haven and cherry juice over ice to glass.
Top with sparkling water.

Day 24:
Kava + Tonic
(Recipe from Hummingbird Heart Co Non-Alcoholic Bottleshop)
2 oz Kava Haven
2 oz Tonic Water

Select and pre-chill an old fashioned glass.
Combine ingredients over ice and stir to combine.

Whether you stir these up with friends, share them during quiet evenings, or enjoy them while wrapping gifts by the twinkle lights, I hope this Mocktail Advent Calendar brings a spark of wonder to your December.