This pretty pink Raspberry Kiddie Cocktail is my go-to party drink for kids! It's fizzy, fruity, and super simple to stir together, and a sparkly sugar rim makes every glass feel extra special. It's the perfect kiddie cocktail recipe for birthday parties, sleepovers, and New Year's Eve countdowns.
A kiddie cocktail is simply a fun, alcohol-free drink served up like a grown-up cocktail. Think fancy glasses, a garnish, and a little sparkle. Kids love feeling like they're part of the celebration, and this one only takes about 5 minutes of hands-on time.
How to Make a Kiddie Cocktail
If you've ever wondered how to make a kiddie cocktail that looks as good as it tastes, it really comes down to three things. A cold, fruity base, something bubbly added at the last minute, and a fun finish like a sugared rim or frozen fruit. That's it!
For this one, you'll stir raspberry drink mix into cranberry juice and water, chill it, and then top it off with sparkling water right before serving. Frozen raspberries go in the glasses and act like little ice cubes that you can eat. The full recipe is in the card below.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Raspberry drink mix. I use half of a pitcher packet of Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade, the kind that makes 2 quarts. Any raspberry or pink lemonade drink mix works great here. If yours is sweetened, start with a little less and taste as you go.
- Cranberry juice. This gives the drink its pretty pink color and a little tartness. Cranberry juice cocktail keeps it sweet and kid-friendly, while 100% cranberry juice is much more tart. Cran-raspberry juice is a yummy swap too.
- Sparkling water. Plain or lemon-flavored sparkling water adds the fizz without extra sugar. For a sweeter drink, use lemon-lime soda or ginger ale instead.
- Frozen raspberries. They keep each glass cold and look so pretty floating in the drink. Frozen strawberries or a mixed berry blend work too.
- Pink sparkling sugar. Totally optional, but it's what makes this feel like a party! I like India Tree Cherry Pink Sparkling Sugar, though any pink sanding sugar or even crushed pink sprinkles will do.
- Fresh mint. A little sprig on top adds a fresh pop of green. Skip it if your kids aren't fans.
Helpful Tips
Dissolve the drink mix completely. Whisk the powder into the juice and water before anything else goes in. Little undissolved clumps can make the drink taste uneven, so give it a good stir.
Chill everything first. The base needs at least 1 hour in the fridge, and the sparkling water should be cold too. Cold ingredients keep the bubbles longer and mean you don't need much ice.
Add the bubbles last. Stir in the sparkling water right before serving and stir gently. If you add it too early, the drink goes flat by the time the party starts.
Rim the glasses ahead of time. Dip each rim in a shallow plate of water, then into the sparkling sugar, and let the glasses sit for a few minutes so the sugar sets. You can rim them an hour or two before guests arrive and line them up on a tray.
Use sturdy glasses for little hands. Stemless wine glasses or short tumblers look fancy and are much harder to tip over than champagne flutes. Plastic ones are great for younger kids!
Variations
- Strawberry kiddie cocktail. Use a strawberry or strawberry lemonade drink mix and drop frozen strawberries into the glasses.
- Shirley Temple style. Swap the sparkling water for lemon-lime soda and add a maraschino cherry to each glass.
- Raspberry lemonade. Replace the cranberry juice with lemonade for a sweeter, lighter pink drink.
- Party punch. Double or triple the recipe in a punch bowl and float a scoop of raspberry sherbet on top. So fun!
- Grown-up version. For the adults, top a glass with prosecco or sparkling wine instead of sparkling water.
Serving Ideas
This drink is a hit for New Year's Eve. Pour it into plastic champagne glasses so the kids can join the midnight toast while the grown-ups sip something bubbly. It's also a nice treat for an early "kids' midnight" countdown before bedtime. Hosting over the holidays too? My Christmas Mocktail is another festive drink the whole family can enjoy. Set out a hot chocolate charcuterie board for later in the night, too!
For kids' birthday parties, sleepovers, and baby showers, this pink drink fits right in. Add pink striped paper straws like these ALINK paper straws and serve it alongside unicorn donuts, birthday cake popcorn, or lemon cupcakes with lemonade frosting. For something savory, chicken pinwheels are always a crowd pleaser.
It's also lovely for Valentine's Day, Easter brunch, or any time you want to make an ordinary dinner feel like a celebration.
Make-Ahead & Storing
You can mix the drink base (the drink mix, cranberry juice and water) up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, then stir in the cold sparkling water just before serving. That makes party day so much easier!
Once the sparkling water is added, the drink is best served right away. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a day, but they'll lose their fizz. I don't recommend freezing the finished drink. Instead, you can freeze the base in ice cube trays and use the cubes to chill future drinks without watering them down.
More Mocktail Recipes
If you loved this kiddie cocktail, here are a few more fun alcohol-free drinks to try:
Recipe
Raspberry Kiddie Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pitcher packet raspberry drink mix such as Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade (a packet that makes 2 quarts)
- 1 cup cranberry juice cold (cranberry juice cocktail or 100% juice)
- 1 cup water cold
- 2 cups sparkling water chilled
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons pink sparkling sugar for rimming the glasses, optional
- fresh mint sprigs for garnish, optional
- ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Place the raspberry drink mix powder in a small pitcher.
- Pour in the cranberry juice and water. Whisk until the powder is completely dissolved.
- Refrigerate the pitcher for at least 1 hour, until very cold.
- To rim the glasses (optional), pour a little water onto one small plate and the pink sparkling sugar onto another. Dip the rim of each glass in the water, then in the sugar, turning to coat. Let the glasses sit for a few minutes so the sugar sets.
- Just before serving, gently stir the cold sparkling water into the pitcher.
- Divide the frozen raspberries and a few ice cubes among 4 glasses. Pour the drink over the top, garnish with a sprig of mint and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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