The Neil Patrick Harris Cocktail I'm Making for Every Holiday Party This Year

Over the past few years, I've noticed a shift in how people choose to celebrate and socialize. Some call it being 'sober curious,' while others want a drink that won't give them a headache for tomorrow's school drop-off. Whatever the reason, more and more people are choosing to include sophisticated nonalcoholic options in their lives.

This trend is deeply personal to actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka. Harris is a passionate cocktail enthusiast, while Burtka is sober. For years, their challenge was making sure Burtka had a drink that felt as complex, festive, and thoughtful as whatever Harris was stirring or shaking. That desire to make every toast inclusive is the premise behind their latest book, Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste.

I love how they frame the drinks as "siblings, not twins," giving each cocktail a similar, but individualized mocktail companion. The result is a collection of intentional, side-by-side cocktail and mocktail pairings. The two that first caught my eye were the Yuzu Gin Fizz and Yuzu Spritz. I love a frothy, sour drink, and these are citrusy, aromatic, and surprisingly adaptable–even if yuzu is impossible to find in the wild.

How To Make a Yuzu Gin Fizz and a Yuzu Spritz

To make the fizz, start by adding two ounces of your favorite gin, 1/2 ounce each of yuzu juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and an egg white to a cocktail shaker without ice—a dry shake—it creates a meringue-like texture inside the shaker. Shake vigorously until you can hear and feel the mixture getting thick and foamy. Add a handful of ice cubes and shake again.

This second shake, aka the wet shake, sets the foam and chills the drink. Lastly, strain everything into a tall glass (or, if you're me, a coupe glass, because why not make it cute?). If you want a bit of effervescence, top it with a splash of seltzer.

For the alcohol-free spritz, add two ounces of nonalcoholic gin (such as Lyre's), 1/2 ounce of honey syrup, and a dash of nonalcoholic orange bitters to a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain over fresh ice in a rocks (short) glass, and top with three ounces of yuzu soda. Garnish with a lemon twist.

How To Substitute Yuzu Juice

Yuzu juice can be tricky to find outside specialty stores, but you have options. There are opinions about what makes the best substitute, so it really comes down to personal taste. None of these will replicate yuzu's flavor and aroma perfectly, but they all offer similar profiles, work well in drinks, and taste delightful.

My go-to, which I landed on after a lot of very citrusy trial and error, is an equal mix of lemon and lime. It's not perfect, but it's a great swap. Another, similar option is a fifty-fifty blend of fresh lime juice and grapefruit juice, which mimics yuzu's tartness and complex, floral, slightly bitter undertones.

Alternatively, equal parts lemon juice and mandarin orange juice can add a bit of natural sweetness. Meyer lemons are also great because they're mellow and floral. If you can find bottled yuzu juice, it's worth stocking in your pantry for future cocktail and cooking adventures.

Why Add Egg Whites to Cocktails

The silky foam isn't just for looks. It gives the drink a necessary 'oh wow' moment when you take a sip. When you shake egg whites, the proteins break down and trap tiny air bubbles, creating a meringue-like texture. This foam helps smooth out any sharp edges in the drink and carries its aromas, making each sip feel balanced and lush.

If you're worried about consuming raw egg whites, you can swap in pasteurized liquid egg whites.

How To Make These Drinks for a Crowd

No one wants to miss their own party because they're trapped behind the bar. The foam in the fizz makes it tricky to fully batch, but you can prep a base concentrate ahead of time by mixing the gin, yuzu, lemon, and simple syrup in a pitcher. Multiply it by the number of servings you want and pop it in the fridge.

When you're ready to serve, pour 3 1/2 ounces of the chilled mix into your shaker, add an egg white, and shake it up. If you want it extra chilled, add ice and shake it again. Yes, you're still shaking individual drinks, but most of the work is already done, which speeds up the whole process.

The spritz, on the other hand, is super easy to batch. You just have to mix everything but the soda into a pitcher (again, multiplying by the number of servings) and keep it chilled. When guests arrive, pour 2 1/2 ounces of the base over ice in a rocks glass, top it with three ounces of yuzu soda, and garnish.

Whether you shake a fizz or pour a spritz, there's something really lovely about handing someone a drink that feels like it was made just for them. At the end of the day, that's what this book (and the drinks) get right: everyone deserves something thoughtful in their glass because the celebration hits differently when the whole table feels included.