Tomatini Fizz & 4 Easy Low‑Sugar Mocktails: My Tiny Obsession#

So, um, confession time: I did not expect to fall in love with a tomato mocktail. Like at all. I’m the person who ordered sugar-bomb iced lattes and bubble tea up until, what, last year? But here we are in 2026, everyone’s talking about “mindful drinking”, non‑alcoholic bars are popping up in every major city, and suddenly I’m that friend who shows up to dinners with a jar of homemade Tomatini Fizz. Who even am I.

If you hang out anywhere near the food side of TikTok or Insta right now, you’ve prob seen this whole wave of fancy NA drinks, canned adaptogenic mocktails, probiotics in everything, functional sodas with prebiotics, kombucha on tap, all that. Even big chains are in on it: Starbucks has their whole refreshers/low sugar thing going stronger than ever, Panera got roasted for those Charged Lemonades and now everyone’s hyper aware of how much sugar is in drinks. And yeah, people are reading labels now — like, actually reading them.

Somewhere in that chaos, I stumbled into what is now my favorite little ritual: making a bright, bubbly Tomatini Fizz at home and a couple other low‑sugar mocktails, so I can sip something fun without getting that 4pm sugar crash where your brain just… logs out.

The Night I Accidentally Ordered a Tomatini (And Fell for It)#

I still remember the first real Tomatini I had. It was last summer in London, when the whole “dry nightlife” thing really started to blow up. I’d been reading about this new zero‑proof cocktail bar in Shoreditch that opened in early 2026 — they were pushing seasonal mocktails with cold‑pressed juices, shrubs, and house‑fermented stuff like it’s some kind of art form. And honestly, it kinda is.

Me and him went there after a long day walking (aka eating) across half the city. I was fully set on getting something safe, like a yuzu spritz, but the bartender was like, “You look like someone who’d appreciate the Tomatini.” Which, rude??? But also accurate. It came in a chilled coupe, this pale blush color with a little foam on top and a tiny cherry tomato that looked way too pretty to actually eat.

I took one sip and straight up forgot there was no alcohol in it. It was bright, tomato‑y but not in a Bloody Mary way, kinda herbal, tiny bit salty, bubbly, and the best part — it wasn’t sweet. Just this little whisper of sweetness. I asked what was in it and the bartender shrugged in that bartender way and said: “Fresh tomato, basil oil, a bit of verjus, and zero sugar tonic. Oh, and saline. Always saline.”

That was the moment I realized: I didn’t actually miss alcohol. I just missed drinks that feel like an event.

What Even Is a Tomatini Fizz?#

Okay, so technically, a “Tomatini” started as a cocktail — usually vodka, muddled tomatoes, maybe some basil, sometimes a bit of simple syrup, shaken and served up. But 2026 mocktail culture has basically stolen it and made it better, in my very biased opinion.

My Tomatini Fizz is the NA, low‑sugar version I make at home. It’s:

  • Fresh cherry tomato juice (so it tastes like summer, even when it’s not)
  • A hit of citrus — usually lime, sometimes lemon if that’s all I have rolling around the fridge
  • Something bubbly, but low‑sugar: think unsweetened sparkling water, or those 1–2g sugar tonics that have been everywhere the last year
  • Herby notes: basil or thyme or even a lil rosemary if I’m feeling dramatic
  • A couple drops of saline or just a tiny pinch of very fine salt — this is the secret, don’t skip

You end up with this drink that’s super refreshing, savory‑ish but still bright, and it doesn’t spike your blood sugar the way a 40g sugar mocktail will. Which, by the way, is not a random number — some of the bottled “healthy” drinks still sit at like 30–40g of sugar per bottle. I checked last week and almost dropped the bottle in the aisle.

Tomatini Fizz Recipe (My Home Version That I Keep Tweaking)#

Alright, let’s do the actual recipe before I go off on another tangent. This serves 1, but honestly, just double or triple it. You’ll be annoyed when it’s gone too fast.

You’ll need:
- 6–8 ripe cherry tomatoes (or 2 small cocktail tomatoes)
- 1 small basil sprig (4–5 leaves) + extra for garnish
- 20 ml fresh lime juice (about 1 small lime)
- 10 ml verjus or apple cider vinegar with the mother (very trendy, also actually tasty)
- 1–2 drops liquid stevia or 1 tsp allulose/erythritol blend (optional, low‑sugar but not 100% sugar free)
- 2–3 drops saline solution or a pinch of fine salt
- Ice
- 100–120 ml chilled plain sparkling water or low‑sugar tonic
- A tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (trust me on this)

How I make it (with my usual chaos):

  • 1. Chuck the cherry tomatoes and basil into a shaker or jar. Muddle them pretty aggressively. You want juice, not chunky salad.
  • 2. Add lime juice, verjus (or ACV), the drops of stevia or your sweetener if using, plus the saline or pinch of salt.
  • 3. Fill with ice, close it, and shake like you’re trying to forget that one text you sent at 2am. Around 10–15 seconds.
  • 4. Double strain (that’s through a cocktail strainer OR just a little kitchen sieve) into a chilled coupe or a small wine glass. You don’t want big tomato seeds in your teeth. Learned that the hard way on a Zoom call once.
  • 5. Top slowly with sparkling water or low‑sugar tonic, give it a gentle stir so you don’t kill the bubbles.
  • 6. Finish with literally a few drops of good olive oil on top and a basil leaf. It smells insane, in the best way.

Flavor wise, it kind of lives between a spritz and a tiny, polite Bloody Mary that went to culinary school and learned about restraint.

Why I’m So Fussy About “Low Sugar” Right Now#

Quick tiny rant because this keeps coming up when friends ask for mocktail recipes: “low‑sugar” doesn’t mean “sad diet drink from 2004”. It just means we’re not dumping syrup in like we’re making hummingbird food.

A bunch of 2025–2026 surveys showed what we’re low‑key feeling anyway — people still want fun drinks, but they’re trying to cut down on sugar and alcohol without feeling like they’re being punished. Super big soft drink brands launched those 1–3g sugar per serving sodas with real fruit extracts, NA spirit brands are everywhere, even some fine‑dining spots are doing zero‑proof drink pairings that don’t rely on sugar. It’s kinda cool. Finally.

Also, personally, the less sugar I drink, the better I sleep. Might be placebo, might be real, but I’m not risking it. I like waking up actually hungry instead of feeling like I drank frosting the night before.

4 Easy Low‑Sugar Mocktails You Can Actually Make on a Tuesday#

Okay, onto the rest. I promised 4 easy mocktails (plus the Tomatini Fizz makes it 5 total). These are all ones I’ve made a ridiculous number of times during movie nights, random Tuesdays, or when I’m trying to pretend my tiny apartment is one of those fancy hotel bars that keeps showing up on my explore page.

1. Cucumber Citrus Cooler (My "I Need to Feel Like a Spa Person" Drink)#

This one is basically the unofficial drink of 2026 wellness TikTok. You’ve seen variations of it everywhere — cucumber, citrus, a bit of mint, maybe electrolytes if you’re that person. I sort of mashed up a few versions and landed on this one.

You’ll need:
- 4–5 slices cucumber
- 2–3 mint leaves (don’t overdo or it tastes like toothpaste)
- 25 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml fresh orange or yuzu juice (or one of those new low‑sugar bottled yuzu drinks, they’re all over Asian groceries now)
- 1–2 tsp erythritol/allulose blend or a few drops of monk fruit
- 150 ml sparkling water
- Ice

How:
Mash the cucumber and mint lightly in a glass, add citrus juices and your sweetener, fill with ice, top with sparkling water, stir. That’s literally it. If you wanna be extra, salt the rim lightly. It gives this margarita energy without alcohol or sugar overload.

This is my go‑to when I come home from eating way too much hotpot or ramen and I need something that doesn’t feel heavy. Also amazing with a splash of unsweetened coconut water if you have some hanging around. I never finish a carton so this is how I use the last bit.

2. Ginger Pom Highball (For When You Want Something Kinda Fancy)#

So, pomegranate has low‑key become the star of a lot of 2026 drinks because it gives color, tang, and antioxidants (if you care about that) without needing much sugar. You see it in those new functional sodas and kombuchas too. This one’s like a grown‑up soda situation.

You’ll need:
- 30 ml unsweetened pomegranate juice
- 10–15 ml fresh lime juice
- 2–3 slices fresh ginger OR 15 ml sugar‑free ginger syrup (lots of brands do this now)
- 1–2 tsp sweetener of choice if your pomegranate juice is super tart
- 150–180 ml chilled soda water
- Ice
- Optional: a tiny splash of NA aperitivo (a ton of new ones launched 2025–2026, super bitter and very low sugar)

How I do it:
I muddle the ginger slices in the bottom of a tall glass, add pom juice, lime, and sweetener if using, fill with ice, top with soda water, and give it a big stir. If I have an NA aperitivo open (right now I’m finishing a bottle from an Italian brand that uses herbs and no sugar, kinda obsessed), I’ll float a spoonful on top.

It’s bright, zingy, and has that slightly bitter grown‑up bite that makes you sip slower. Also, it looks super pretty in photos because of the color so, content.

3. Coconut Matcha Fizz (Yes, I Put Matcha in a Mocktail)#

Matcha isn’t even new anymore, but 2026 really leaned into this whole “matcha plus bubbles” trend. There are canned matcha sodas now with barely any sugar, and they’re kinda good. So I started making my own hybrid mocktail that tastes like a beach vacation but also like you have emails to answer. Hard to explain.

You’ll need:
- 1 tsp ceremonial or at least decent matcha powder (don’t use the old gray stuff in the back of your pantry)
- 20 ml hot water (not boiling, around 80°C)
- 40 ml light coconut milk (from a carton, not the super thick canned one, or it gets weird)
- 5–10 ml sugar‑free vanilla syrup OR a few drops vanilla and a bit of sweetener
- 120 ml unflavored sparkling water
- Ice

How:
Whisk matcha with hot water till no clumps (I use a cheap little electric frother because my bamboo whisk died in the dishwasher, RIP). Add coconut milk and vanilla syrup or combo, stir. Fill a glass with ice, pour your matcha–coconut mix over, top with sparkling water, gently stir again.

It’s light, foamy on top, slightly creamy but still refreshing, and very low‑sugar if you keep the sweetener minimal. I had a version of this at a café in Seoul that opened a new branch early 2026 — they were doing all these matcha drinks with different textures, like foams and gels and jellies, but this one was my favorite because it didn’t need sugar to feel special.

4. Smoky Lime Paloma‑ish (The One That Fooled My Tequila Friends)#

Everyone I know who’s trying to drink less still misses that whole tequila–lime–grapefruit vibe, so I wanted something that kind of lives in that world but doesn’t rely on syrup or actual booze. Enter this smoky Paloma‑ish thing.

You’ll need:
- 60 ml fresh grapefruit juice (if all you can find is bottled, look for the 100% juice, no sugar added one)
- 20 ml fresh lime juice
- 1–2 tsp agave light or a low‑sugar agave blend (I keep it under ~5g total)
- 2–3 drops liquid smoke or a splash of NA mezcal alternative (yes these exist now and yes they’re wild)
- Pinch of salt
- 120–150 ml soda water
- Ice

How:
Salt the rim of your glass if you’re feeling it. Add grapefruit, lime, agave, smoke or NA mezcal, pinch of salt, and stir with ice. Top with soda water, quick stir again.

The smoke tricks your brain into thinking there’s something stronger in there. I made a pitcher of this for a small party when a couple of us were doing Dry January (which has now basically turned into Dry Whenever for half my friend group) and one friend legit asked, “Are you sure there’s no tequila in this?” I took that as a win.

How I Keep Mocktails Low‑Sugar Without Making Them Boring#

The boring version of “low‑sugar drink” is like… plain soda water with a sad lemon wedge. We’re not doing that. The trick I keep coming back to is layering flavor the way all these new 2026 NA bars and restaurant menus do:

  • Acid: fresh citrus, verjus, ACV, even a tiny bit of pickle brine if you’re feeling spicy
  • Herbs & spices: basil, thyme, mint, shiso, ginger, chili, cracked pepper
  • Bitterness: NA aperitivos, unsweetened tea, grapefruit, burnt citrus peels
  • Texture: bubbles, a bit of foam, maybe a dash of aquafaba or pasteurized egg white if you’re comfortable with that
  • Salt: saline drops, salted rims, a tiny pinch in the drink itself

Once you play with those, you don’t need tons of sugar. Honestly, if you get the acid and salt right, your brain kind of assumes there’s more going on than there actually is. That’s why the Tomatini Fizz hits so hard for me — it tastes complex without being this syrupy situation.

A Few Little Mocktail Fails (Because I Definitely Mess Things Up)#

Not gonna pretend everything I make is good, because lol no. Couple of recent disasters:

I once tried to do a “spicy tomato espresso fizz” after seeing this coffee‑tomato trend on a Japanese food blog. I thought, okay, people are putting espresso in tonic, and tomato with coffee might be… interesting? It was not. It tasted like someone poured salsa into your cold brew. 0/10, do not recomend.

Another time I got too excited about those new zero‑cal syrups and dumped way too much into a lime mocktail. It went from refreshing to weirdly chemical in like two seconds. So now I have a rule: start with HALF of the sweetener you think you need. You can always add more, you can’t really walk it back once it’s in there.

Where to Find Inspo: Restaurants & Bars Doing Low‑Sugar Right#

If you’re into this whole low‑sugar mocktail life, keep an eye on what new spots are doing. A couple trends I’ve seen in 2026 openings and menus:

  • A bunch of high‑end restaurants now list full NA pairing menus right next to wine pairings, and they’re not scared of savory flavors. Tomato, mushroom, roasted peppers, even miso syrups (often low‑sugar or made with date or coconut sugar in tiny amounts)
  • Zero‑proof bars in cities like London, NYC, Melbourne are leaning way more on herbs, ferments, and low‑GI sweeteners, not just fruit juice. One place I went to recently in New York was doing a salted tomato shrub with smoked tea and club soda that honestly inspired part of this Tomatini thing
  • Cafés have started offering NA “cocktails” in the afternoon — think espresso tonics with almost no sugar, cold brew spritzers with citrus, canned low‑sugar kombucha or kefir with fancy garnishes

I like going out, tasting what they’re doing, then coming home and reverse‑engineering a lazy version using whatever’s in my fridge. Low commitment, high reward.

Tips If You’re Just Starting With Low‑Sugar Mocktails#

If all of this sounds a bit much, honestly, don’t overthink it. Start stupidly simple:

  • Pick one fruit juice you like — grapefruit, tomato, pomegranate, whatever
  • Add citrus + salt. Taste. Already way better, right?
  • Top with bubbles. Taste again.
  • Only then add a tiny bit of sweetener if you really, really want it

And if you mess it up, it’s just a drink. Worst case, you pour it out and try again. I throw away more weird test drinks than I’d like to admit, but that’s kinda the fun of it. Kitchen chaos, in a controlled way.

Final Sips#

So yeah, that’s my current little love affair: a tomato mocktail that somehow became my signature drink, plus four easy low‑sugar buddies that make staying sober-ish actually fun. The Tomatini Fizz is the one I make when I wanna feel fancy, the cucumber cooler is my weeknight default, the ginger pom and smoky Paloma‑ish are my party tricks, and the coconut matcha fizz is what I drink when I’m pretending I have my life together.

If you end up making any of these, tweak them. Add weird herbs. Use that strange low‑sugar soda you impulse‑bought because some influencer told you it had prebiotics and brain dust or whatever. Cooking (and drinking) should feel playful, not like homework.

I’ve been saving a lot of my inspo and random drink experiments over on AllBlogs.in lately too — it’s kinda become my bookmarking rabbit hole for recipes, restaurant notes, and other people’s mocktail experiments. If you’re into this kind of thing, definitely give it a scroll sometime.