Christmas is a time when a great deal of alcohol is served and consumed, but there are many — including designated drivers, recovering alcoholics, and those into healthy living — who enjoy a drink, but without alcohol. Of course, lemonade, fruit juices and sodas always fill the bill, but something a little more fancy is a nice way to surprise and delight them.

MELON LIME COOLER

4 ½ cups cubed honeydew melon (about 1 small)

1 ½ cups lime sherbet

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Fresh strawberries

Cover and freeze melon cubes in single layer until firm (approx. 30 minutes). Using knife blade in food processor, process all ingredients except strawberries until smooth. Pour into glasses, and garnish with strawberries. Serve immediately. Yield: 5 cups.

HIBISCUS HO-HO-HO

Syrup

5 cups sugar

4 cups water

4 cups hibiscus flowers

Heat sugar and water in a large saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add flowers and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently until volume of liquid is reduced by one third. Remove from heat and strain. Chill until cold before proceeding.

To make the drink

¼ fresh cut lime

2 parts hibiscus syrup

2 parts fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 parts cranberry juice

1 part fresh lime juice

ice

shaker

chilled martini glass

Cranberries for garnish

Fill shaker with ice and muddle it with the fresh lime. Vigorously shake syrup, orange juice, cranberry juice and lime together until ice cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Drop cranberry in for garnish and serve. Yield: 6 servings.

RHUBARB PUNCH

4 cups fresh rhubarb cut into 1-inch pieces (or frozen and thawed)

4 cups water

1 ½ cups sugar

? cup orange juice

¼ cup lemon juice

2-litre bottle ginger ale

Cook rhubarb in water until soft, strain out pulp in cheesecloth, reserving liquid and adding back to pan. Add sugar and heat until dissolved. Remove from stove and orange and lemon juice. To serve, add ginger ale. *Syrup can be frozen to serve later before adding ginger ale.

WASSAIL

1 64-oz. bottle cranberry and Granny Smith apples juice blend

¼ cup sugar

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon whole allspice

Garnish: orange slices and clover

Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer 5-10 minutes. Strain heated punch into punch bowl. Garnish with orange slices and clover.

CRANBERRY COCKTAIL

6 tablespoons frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed, divided

6 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, divided

Garnish: 12 whole fresh cranberries

6 orange slices, folded in half

6 bamboo skewers

Place 1 tablespoon cranberry concentrate and 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate in each of 6 champagne flutes. Top with sparkling non-alcoholic wine. Gently stir. Thread 1 cranberry, 1 orange slice and another cranberry onto each skewer. Place a skewer on top of each glass. Yield: 6 servings.

CIDER SPARKLER

1 small sugar cube

Several drops angostura bitters*

Sparkling non-alcoholic apple cider, chilled

Place sugar cube in champagne flute and sprinkle with bitters. Top with chilled sparkling cider.

*Note: Angostura bitters contain a small amount of alcohol, but only 1-2 drops are used in each drink.

SLOW COOKER CRANBERRY PUNCH

2 cups cranberry juice

2 quarts apple cider

½ cup sugar

1 orange studded with 6 whole cloves

2 3-inch cinnamon sticks

Garnish: orange slices or cinnamon sticks.

Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in slow-cooker. Simmer, covered, on low setting 1½ hours. Serve in warmed mugs. Garnish each with orange slice or cinnamon stick. Yield: 10 servings.

TROPIC TASTER

6 ounces Pina Colada mix

1 ounce pineapple juice

1 ounce strawberry preserves

Ice

Garnish: pineapple wedge

Combine all ingredients and ice in blender. Blend until desired consistency. Pour into glass and decorate with pineapple wedge. Add more pineapple for a more fruity taste.