• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Shutter + Mint
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail

    December 10, 2023 by Lauren 11 Comments

    This post may contain affiliated links. If you click a link and make a purchase, assume we make a commission.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is a mocktail that you can drink right before bed and doze off into cool, cozy sleep! This Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail is one of my absolute favorites!

    Overhead hero image of a tart cherry juice mocktail with a lime wedge.

    First, I’m not a doctor and none of these claims are actual health advice, only my opinions.  But, I am a busy mom, who has trouble sleeping and relaxing, so perhaps I know a thing or two about how to create a relaxing mocktail :). 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients + substitutions
    • More mocktail recipes to try
    • Variations
    • Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail
    • Pin it for later + connect?!

    I’m not a super crunchy granola-Mom type of girl, but I don’t like alcohol (anymore).  It seriously interrupts sleep, causes a ton of adverse health issues, and it’s just not necessary.  

    Now that I’m (well) into my 30’s, mocktails please…

    Especially this one.  I love to drink it before bed, because it is actually quite relaxing! Let’s discuss why, and go over the ingredients.  

    The reason that this mocktail is relaxing is because it contains hibiscus tea and tart cherry juice.  Hibiscus tea has been credited to lowering blood pressure levels, stabilizing your blood sugar, and reducing blood lipid levels.  And tart cherry juice has been said to also lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve sleep because it contains melatonin.  

    I’d say both of these ingredients are quite relaxing, although hibiscus tea isn’t typically what you reach for when you’re looking for a sleepy-time blend…but it should be!

    Ingredients + substitutions

    Labeled ingredients needed to make a relaxing tart cherry juice mocktail on a sheet pan.
    • Passion (or hibiscus tea): I used Tazo’s Passion Tea (you can get it here) for this recipe. I love the blend and the colors, but you can use hibiscus or a rose-hibiscus blend if you’d like! Hibiscus, the main ingredient, has a ton of potential benefits (such as lowering blood pressure and cooling your body), therefore making it an ideal “relaxing” tea, and main ingredient in this mocktail! 
    • Honey: for just a touch of sweetness.  You could use a pinch of white sugar or swap the honey for agave, if you’d like! 
    • Tart cherry juice: if you haven’t tried it, run to the grocery store and pick some up! This juice is delicious! Not only is it pretty awesome tasting, but it has been suggested that due to the tryptophan and melatonin present in tart cherry juice, it’s the perfect (natural) night cap.   
    • Lime juice: for a touch of citrus flavor, this gives it more of a “real cocktail” flavor.  You could swap the lime juice for fresh orange juice. 
    • Sparkling water: for bubbles.  If you don’t like bubbles feel free to leave it out or just add a little more juice. 

    The process

    Process shot, strongly brewed hibiscus tea in a pyrex.
    Process shot: pink glass with ice on a gold plate.
    Process shot: hibiscus tea and ice in a pink glass.

    Making this mocktail couldn't be simpler! Just gather your ingredients and follow these steps:

    • Strongly brew ¼ cup of Passion or hibiscus tea.  Stir in 1 tsp of honey.  Allow it to steep for 3-5 minutes.
    • Fill a glass with ice and then pour the tea into the glass. 
    • Add the tart cherry juice, lime juice, and top with a splash of sparkling water.  
    • Garnish with a lime wedge if you’d like!

    It should only take about 5 minutes tops!

    Overhead image of a tart cherry juice mocktail in a pink glass with a lime wedge.

    More mocktail recipes to try

    If you love mocktails that taste like actual cocktail as much as I do, but aren't filled with a ton of sugar or syrup-y sodas, give these a try!

    • Rose Mocktail Spritz
      Rose Mocktail
    • Hero image of an orange passion mocktail in a short glass on a gold plate.
      Orange Passion Mocktail
    • Passion Fruit Mojito Mocktail
    • Strawberry mojito mocktail in a short glass with strawberry and mint garnish.
      Strawberry Mojito Spritz Mocktail
    Mocktail in a pink glass with a pink background.

    Variations

    • Magnesium Tart Cherry Sleepy-time Mocktail: I’m sure you’ve heard of Calm Magnesium Powder by now, if not, it’s a great powder supplement that you can dissolve in water.  Add ½ tsp of this powder to your tea while it’s steeps and proceed with the recipe.  You can get Calm Magnesium Powder here.  
    • Passionflower Sleepytime Mocktail: simply swap out the hibiscus tea for passionflower (another herb known for aiding in peaceful sleep).  
    • Valerian Sleepy-time Mocktail: swap the hibiscus tea for Nighty Night Extra Valerian tea.  I do this occasionally and it really does help you fall asleep!
    Angle shot of tart cherry mocktail in a pink glass on a gold plate.
    Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Sleepy Mocktail in a pink coupe glass with a lime garnish.

    Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail

    This is a mocktail that you can drink right before bed and doze off into cool, cozy sleep! This Relaxing Tart Cherry Mocktail is one of my absolute favorites!
    5 from 70 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Beverage, Mocktail
    Cuisine Alcohol-free
    Servings 1 person
    Calories 25 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup brewed Passion tea
    • 1 tsp honey
    • ¼ cup tart cherry juice
    • 1 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
    • Sparkling water just a splash

    Instructions
     

    • Strongly brew ¼ cup of Passion or hibiscus tea. Stir in 1 tsp of honey. Allow it to steep for 3-5 minutes.
    • Fill a glass with ice and then pour the tea into the glass.
    • Add the tart cherry juice, lime juice, and top with a splash of sparkling water.
    • Garnish with a lime wedge if you’d like!

    Notes

    *This recipe makes one mocktail.  
     
    Nutrition facts are automatically calculated.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.04mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Pin it for later + connect?!

    Be sure to Pin this recipe (click on the image below) and follow me on Pinterest!

    Pinterest pin with text overlay and an image of a mocktail in a pink glass.

    More Beverage

    • Protein soda on a pink background
      Dirty Coke Protein Soda
    • Simple syrup for mocktails in a mason jar.
      Super Simple Syrup for Mocktails
    • Dirty Vanilla Coke with a pink background.
      Dirty Vanilla Coke
    • Mocktails with mango and kombucha.
      Mango Kombucha Mocktail

    About Lauren

    Lauren is the freelance writer, photographer, and recipe developer behind Shutter + Mint. Thanks for stopping by!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janice Wise

      January 11, 2024 at 8:40 pm

      Any recipe for liver cancer anything helps

      Reply
      • Lauren

        January 11, 2024 at 9:09 pm

        No, I don't have anything for that, but I hope you enjoy the alcohol-free mocktails. I'll pray for you and your family <3

        Reply
      • Hayly

        April 01, 2024 at 9:10 pm

        5 stars
        Such a great cocktail replacement. I often want something to sip on while I’m cooking and this drink did a great job of replacing wine. I think the tart flavor imparted by the Passion tea is what really drove this one home for me. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Lauren

          April 04, 2024 at 6:03 pm

          Thank you so much Hayley! I'm SO GLAD you liked it!

          Reply
    2. Helen CW

      January 13, 2024 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      I just found this recipe and plan to try it tonight! This is the exact unsweetened tart cherry juice I drink and it is delicious. I don't mind paying the cost because it has numerous benefits to the body.
      You really don't miss the sugar. It has such a delicious and delightful flavor I have just a small amount daily and look forward to it.
      I have all the ingredients and know it's going to be amazing!
      Thank you for these wonderful recipes.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        January 13, 2024 at 7:05 pm

        Thank you so much, Helen! I agree, you really don't need anything to sweeten it up, but I do like to use a touch of honey! I couldn't agree more, something about Tart Cherry Juice is totally addicting, in a good way! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sor

      January 20, 2024 at 6:47 am

      Can you explain how there’s only 6g of sugar in a serving when 1 cup of tart cherry juice has 25g of sugar?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        January 20, 2024 at 12:57 pm

        Nutrition facts are automatically calculated and may not always be entirely accurate. Also, cherry juice sugar content varies by brand. Definitely double check if it's something that concerns you! Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

        Reply
      • P

        January 10, 2025 at 12:58 am

        Maybe because the recipe only calls for a fourth of a cup?

        Reply
    4. Tammy

      March 07, 2024 at 4:48 am

      I think this would make a great warm/hot drink before bedtime, without the sparkling water.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        March 07, 2024 at 11:47 am

        Of course, that sounds great as well! You can definitely leave the sparkling water out if you're not a fan of bubbles 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lauren! Shutter + Mint is a food blog I created to help you create easy, practical recipes at home. Thanks for stopping by!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Hero image of boursin chicken and potatoes in a dutch oven.
      Boursin Chicken and Potatoes
    • Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Sleepy Mocktail in a pink coupe glass with a lime garnish.
      Relaxing Tart Cherry Juice Mocktail
    • Dutch Oven Meatballs in Sauce.
      Dutch Oven Meatballs with Marinara
    • Creamy Ranch Chicken and Potatoes in a dutch oven. In a staub Cookware braiser.
      Dutch Oven Creamy Ranch Chicken and Potatoes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Meta

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact + Services

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Brunch Pro Theme