How To Have The Hangover-Free House Party

It turns out, the most radical thing you can serve on New Year’s Eve isn’t 18-year-old whisky anymore—it’s a mocktail with taste, texture and a touch of theatre. Or a non-alcoholic wine.

The new sober-curious playbook is rewriting the rules of the house party, furnished with clean spirits, cool glassware and razor-sharp flavour profiles that still manage to pack a serious punch.

Here’s everything you need to know about hosting such a party and simultaneously entering Dry January like a pro...

Start With A Zero-Proof Welcome Drink

Always, always start strong; nothing sets the tone of a sober-curious New Year’s Eve quite like handing guests a tall, cold, wildly photogenic drink the second they walk through the door, something with presence and personality—a hibiscus spritz the colour of a good sunset, a yuzu highball that hits with bright, clean citrus, or a spiced ginger cooler that wakes the palate without drowning it in sweetness, because New Year’s Eve deserves kick, not syrup, and your guests deserve the pleasure of sipping something that feels intentional and sophisticated.

Build A "Dry Bar" That Looks Better Than A Real Bar

Make the setup the star; line your counter with beautiful mixers, sharp tonics, jewel-bright cordials, piles of herbs, twists of citrus, a vault of ice and glassware so fancy that it looks like it has a publicist. A luxe, layered, tactile bar spread instantly shifts the mood from basic “mocktails” to mature entertaining. Add little bowls of peppercorns, pomegranate arils, fresh berries, rosemary spears, edible flowers—a sort of interactive garnish game that makes even the most dedicated drinker forget about ABV and remember that half of cocktail elegance is theatre; keep everything cold, organised, easy to reach and let guests play—it’s chic, it’s communal, it’s strangely empowering.

Keep The Party Moving

The biggest mistake at any house party, sober or not, is letting the night lose its rhythm, so pace the evening with micro-rituals that feel fun and slightly orchestrated. At 10pm, announce a make-your-own spritz moment (give them options: hibiscus, cucumber, kaffir lime, ginger spice); at 11pm switch to a round of espresso coolers served in icy glasses with a whisper of vanilla; and at midnight, gather everyone for a ceremonial pour of zero-alcohol bubbly with tall flutes, good lighting, maybe even a countdown playlist that climbs, because people don’t remember the ABV, they remember the theatrics and the crescendo with which they’ll say hello to 2026!

Don't Announce That It's A Non-Alcoholic Bash

Seriously, don’t do it; just serve great drinks, perfectly chilled, perfectly balanced, beautifully garnished, and watch the room relax into the vibe. The point is not to lecture anyone about wellness or willpower, it’s to host a party so stylishly executed that no one even thinks to ask why they feel so good. Support the drinks with smart hosting details: keep little bowls of savoury snacks around (chilli-salt cashews, truffle popcorn, citrus-marinated olives), serve easy finger-food that feels luxe but moves well (tartlets, skewers, bite-size flatbreads with ricotta and honey), followed by a lavish dinner if that’s your vibe. Curate a playlist that evolves. Start soft and bassy, glide into disco, sprinkle in global house, and then land somewhere celebratory but not chaotic. Dim the lights, add candles, scent the room lightly (citrus, cedar, something slick), and let the atmosphere do what the alcohol usually does—lubricate conversation, heighten the mood, and make everyone feel like the best version of themselves. Go on, you can do it!

THE BEST BRANDS TO STOCK FOR A ZERO-PROOF NYE

These labels make zero-alcohol hosting easy, stylish and legitimately delicious:

Svami Drinks—For Tonics, Sodas and Zero-Proof G&Ts

Clean, modern, bar-grade. Their 0% Gin & Tonic and non-alcoholic Rum & Cola are party saviours.

Sepoy & Co.—For Elegant Mixers

Think refined tonics, grapefruit sodas and ginger ales that elevate any mocktail instantly.

Coolberg—For Beer Buffs (Minus the Alcohol Content)

Coolberg steps in as your overachieving local hero when it comes to beer—pouring malt, cranberry, peach and ginger like it’s auditioning to be the new face of sober glamour—while Heineken 0.0 and Budweiser 0.0 provide the international credibility your guest list will absolutely pretend not to care about, so stock up on those too.

Jimmy’s Cocktails—Zero Series

Ready-to-pour non-alcoholic cocktails that actually taste like a bartender made them. The Mint Mojitos. Margarita cocktail mixers and Cranberry Beers are hits.

Tea Trunk For Botanical, Tea-Based Infusions

Jasmine, hibiscus, matcha, spiced teas—perfect for building zero-proof drinks with depth.

Bubbles and Sparkles—The Brands that Have Your Back

For the wine drinkers who claim they “only sip Champagne on New Year’s,” the zero-proof roster is more than ready to humble them: Jacob’s Creek and Carl Jung bring international polish, while Vega Rica and DAIVIK ORGANIC hold it down locally, and VINADA, Giesen, Valentino, French Bloom and Pure Heaven round out the lineup with sparkling Golds, Rosés, red grapes and apple fizz—essentially everything you need to keep the bubbles flowing while quietly pulling off the most soberly glamourous NYE party ever attended.

SIX SIGNATURE ZEROPROOF COCKTAILS FOR YOUR PARTY

Midnight Yuzu Spritz: Svami Yuzu Soda + lime cordial + basil leaves + crushed ice.

Hibiscus Highball: Tea Trunk Hibiscus Tea (cold brew) + tonic + dehydrated orange.

Ginger Tamarind Cooler: Fresh ginger syrup + tamarind water + soda + chilli salt rim. Shockingly addictive.

Zero-Proof Paloma: Jimmy’s Zero Paloma + Sepoy grapefruit soda + rosemary sprig.

Kombucha Royale: Bored Beverages kombucha + berry syrup + mint + crushed ice.

Citrus & Spice G&T: (Minus the G) Svami 0% Gin & Tonic + star anise + lemon wheel + cracked black pepper.

To read more stories from Esquire India's December 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.