Brilliant mocktails in Doha

When it’s hot outside, keep it cool inside. Or at least that’s my mantra slash excuse to keep slurping on something tall, sweet, and frosty. My exuberance for mocktails knows no bounds; I view them as a subtle culinary art. The real experts, mixologists as they’re called, experiment with a host of ingredients – fruits, flowers, and smoke e

Charlie Parker
Opal by Gordon Ramsay, QR40
The St. Regis Doha, West Bay Lagoon, open daily noon-4pm, 6pm-11pm (4446 0105).
Move over, lemon mint – Charlie Parker is in town and he is here to stay. Fresh cucumbers are added to this Middle Eastern favourite, and lemons are substituted with limes. The troika of vegetable, fruit, and herb is nothing less than a green powerhouse to get the taste buds tingling.

Beijing Special
Tse Yang, QR35
6 La Croisette, The Pearl Qatar, open Sat-Thu noon-11:30pm; Fri 1pm-11:30pm (5539 5025).
A nod to the restaurant’s Chinese kitchen, the drink blends just two core ingredients to tremendous effect. Lychee juice and freshly brewed tea are shaken with ice to join forces and create a fruity mix that’s one part exotic and one part delightful.

Marsa Malaz Temptation
Café Murano, QR45
Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl Qatar, open daily 8am-10pm (4035 5011).
The hotel tempts, and it’s difficult to resist. Three freshly squeezed juices come together in harmony – orange, passion fruit, and grapefruit – with a splash of ginger ale for some fizz. A winning accompaniment to a book, pool deck chair, or both as you wile away a few hours and relax in fruity splendour.

Passion Fruit Virgin Mojito
Megu, QR35
6 La Croisette, The Pearl Qatar, open daily noon-2:30pm, 7pm-11:30pm (6611 2115).
The tropics in a glass. The pulp of fresh passion fruit adds character and crunch to this modified summertime staple. Instead of lime and soda water, lemon juice and Sprite provide the bubbly base – all rounded up with plenty of mint leaves to make the most of the mojito.

Le Tout Framboise
La Varenne, QR25
Tornado Tower, West Bay, open Sun-Thu 7am-10:30am, 11:30am-3pm, 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 8am-4pm, 7pm-10pm (4499 0680).
You could just imagine sipping on this beauty in Saint-Tropez as the sun sets on the Riviera, but instead you are supping away on floor 28 with epic views of West Bay. The combination of fresh raspberries, orange juice and soda water results in an incredibly smooth brew. Full-bodied, sophisticated, and intriguingly addictive, you could be forgiven for ordering another one.

Grapefruit Lemonade
Spice Market, QR35
W Doha Hotel & Residences, West Bay, open daily noon-4pm; 5:30pm-11:30pm (4453 5135).
A play on the popular Arnold Palmer – half lemonade and half iced tea – this creation uses fresh grapefruit for its citrus. Add a hint of jasmine to the tea and you capture the flavours of the Far East that puts the fusion in this infusion.