Winter Immunity Mocktails: When Your Fridge Is as Bare as Your Holiday Budget

Written By Angie G

Let’s be honest - winter’s the season for catching colds and catching up on missed episodes, not for forking out on pricey juice cleanses or imported dragon fruit. At Terps & Co, we reckon you can boost your mood (and maybe your immune system) with what’s lurking at the back of your fridge, a splash of Terps, and a little imagination. Here are three regionally-inspired immunity mocktails - one for Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch—designed for empty shelves, not empty spirits.

August in Auckland: The Vitamin Sea Escape

Recipe:

  • 50ml Terps Tequila

  • 60ml orange juice (or anything citrusy)

  • 15ml lime juice (bottled? Go for it)

  • Dash of passionfruit syrup or the dregs of last summer’s cordial

  • Top with soda water or lemonade

  • Garnish: slice of whatever’s not past it

Directions:
Pour everything over ice in the fanciest glass you own (or just the cleanest). Sip while staring wistfully at a rain-soaked window. Congratulate yourself on dodging scurvy.

Winter in Welly: The Beanie & Botanicals

Recipe:

  • 50ml Terps Gin

  • 80ml cloudy apple juice (or any fruit juice in arm’s reach)

  • Drizzle of honey (or a sugar packet liberated from a café)

  • Squeeze of lemon (bottled counts)

  • Sprig of rosemary, or a bit of the houseplant if it’s looking robust

Directions:
Stir everything together in a mug. Wrap yourself in three blankets and listen to the wind howl. Pairs well with existential thoughts and jazz.

Cold as F*ck in Christchurch: The Southerly Survivor

Recipe:

  • 50ml Terps Rum

  • 60ml pineapple juice (tinned, fresh, or a mystery tetra-pak)

  • Dollop of coconut yoghurt or coconut cream

  • Pinch of grated ginger or a shake from a dusty jar

  • Dash of cinnamon (optional, but bold)

Directions:
Shake it all up in a jam jar (lid on—learned the hard way). Pour over ice, close your eyes, and imagine a beach. The heating bill can wait.

Your Turn: The Best Immunity Ingredient You’ve Used?

Got a survival hack or a mystery ingredient that’s saved your winter? Drop it in the comments. We’re all about real rituals, wild improvisation, and a little bit of luck.

Angie G
Next

Margarita