When I set out to write the Talk Nerdy to Me series, I knew I wanted to include drink recipes in each book. But, as I thought about it further, I realized I didn’t know how to develop a cocktail recipe, since I don’t really consume liquor.

Then, I had a great idea that allowed me to create drink recipes, but that also made sense for the series. In the books, bartender extraordinaire, Jamie, talks about how she doesn’t drink because alcohol famously lowers inhibitions and her wild self needs no help in lowering inhibitions (I love her!). As a result, she creates a mocktail menu for Nerdvana. Every one of Jamie’s mocktails are revealed in each book, and the recipes are dished here and on my social media.

I first shared about the Nerdgasm, a cran-apple fizzy drink in an Instagram Reel last summer when I was heavily promoting the book it appeared in, book two, Nerdy Thoughts. In that version of the mocktail, I made it with cranberry juice and a pear apple zero calorie bubbly water. The summertime version is tasty and it goes well with the lower calorie, lower sugar things we tend to consume in the warmer weather.

I recently revised the recipe slightly, to be more fitting for fall and winter. Since this is the time of year where we gather with friends and loved ones and lift a glass or two, I thought the mocktails in the Talk Nerdy to Me series are perfect for the holidays. After all, just because you have a lot to celebrate doesn’t mean you have to imbibe alcohol if it’s not your thing. Also, these mocktails are a great way for underage folks at social gatherings to feel like they get to partake in something special.

For the fall version of the Nerdgasm, I combined cranberry juice with sparkling pear-apple cider. This iteration of the mocktail is obviously sweeter than the summer version, but the core flavors remain the same, cranberry, apple, and pear, three fruits that I think compliment each other so well.

Here’s the official recipe, if you’d like to try the fall version.

Nerdgasm (Cran Apple Fizz) From Nerdy Thoughts

In a glass of your choosing, (hopefully a fun, pretty one), combine two parts sparkling apple cider to one part cranberry juice. If you’d like to up the aesthetic appeal of the drink, toss in some frozen cranberries to keep it nice and chilled. Enjoy!

If you make the Nerdgasm, I’d love to know what you think of it and of course, I wanna see photos (pics, or it didn’t happen, right?). Comment below or tag me on Instagram @thearielstorm and let me know how the Nerdgasm treats you this holiday season.