It’s not that the herbal extracts are necessarily unsafe, according to Sassos; rather, it’s unethical to test these ingredients on pregnant subjects. Since the research isn’t present or extensive, most medical professionals advise their patients from partaking. If you are pregnant or have other medical concerns, it’s best to consult your doctor before consuming these products. Today’s most exciting nonalcoholic options aren’t trying to be replicas of the real thing; they’re delicious in their own right.
An unusual, slightly spicy, heady spirit that’s better mixed
Nonalcoholic versions of brown spirits are tricky; it’s tough to replicate the complex flavors that alcohol extracts during barrel aging. But Ritual has managed it somehow, using only a mix of botanicals infused in water. This is a truly alcohol-free product, with no ethanol involved in any stage of the process. Ritual’s Whiskey Alternative is a good substitute for bourbon specifically, with a pleasant burn, a little smoke, and plenty of caramel and vanilla. It shines in mixed drinks, especially in a classic Old Fashioned. Ghia is proof that you don’t need alcohol to make a “for-adults-only” drink.
Complex, savorable cocktails
Everything about this tastemaking, innovative brand is sophisticated, from the herbaceous, floral flavor profile to the gorgeous branding. Ghia’s original apéritif comes in a concentrated form meant for mixing (it’s a knockout in cocktails), but this set of premixed canned drinks gives you a range of flavors with zero mixological effort required. The high-octane martini seems like a cocktail that would be difficult to recreate in zero-proof form, but this is the perfect solution, and that’s why it’s one of our favorite nonalcoholic spirits. Monday’s gin is firmly in the classic London dry style, with a big punch of juniper backed up by citrus, coriander, and a little coriander. It’s intense enough that you can substitute it one-for-one in any cocktail; try a gin & tonic or gimlet. The latest flavor from Ghia’s line of canned nonalcoholic spritzes is sumac and chili.
- One of the more unique NA spirits we’ve tasted, Arise keeps you pondering as you sip, and it mellows into a refreshing, compelling drink when mixed.
- Their production process closely resembles craft beer methods to create brews that taste true to their inspiration.
- Sera was similar to Como, with layers of warming spices and herbal notes.
- Crafted with an apothecary’s-worth of botanical ingredients, this bottle from Three Spirit is designed to energize and make you feel good.
A solid swing at negroni-ness, booze-free
Pentire’s Coastal Spritz was juicy and drinkable but not especially interesting. If you’re looking for an aperitif with similar notes of blood orange and herbs, we recommend Wilfred’s, which packs a more compelling bitterness and stronger herbal notes. Casamara Club’s Italian Amaro Leisure Sodas might be more accurately called botanical seltzers, as they don’t taste all that similar to an amaro and aren’t nearly as concentrated in flavor as a soda. But we liked their refreshing subtlety, and we could see ourselves drinking a few over the course of a day at the beach or pool. With lychee and grapefruit juices, rooibos tea, and Champagne vinegar among its ingredients, Très Rosé is an easy-to-drink but still complex aperitif.
The Best Nonalcoholic Drinks, According to Bartenders and Our Editors
And, yes, you will definitely taste those two ingredients but that’s against an aromatic backdrop of yuzu juice, white grape juice and elderflower. There’s also gentian root for some pleasant bitterness along with lemon balm and the 14 best nonalcoholic drinks of 2024, by food & wine lemon verbena for botanical intrigue. FYI, many nonalcoholic drinks on the market contain herbal extracts, which help give these beverages their flavor and structure. “In general, the safety of these ingredients has not been established for pregnant women,” says Stephanie Sassos, MS, RD, Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Director.
Inspired by the French ethos of pleasure and restraint, De Soi’s range of sparkling non-alcoholic apéritifs is full of natural adaptogens. Botanicals like ashwagandha and reishi mushroom help mellow your mind and boost your mood, so you can enjoy a more considered happy hour. And they don’t sacrifice taste — I tried out their Golden Hour and their seasonal Spritz Italiano, both of which were tasty and complex enough to scratch that cocktail itch.
Even our tasters who favored more bitter drinks said that the bitterness of For Bitter For Worse Eva’s Spritz was a bit much, and we found the clashing sweetness off-putting. Everleaf’s aperitifs were overly subtle, leaving us searching for flavor. Everleaf Forest smelled better than it tasted and gave us the great idea of making a saffron simple syrup to create our own NA bevs. Everleaf Mountain was the most complex of the three, with notes of jasmine, green tea, and strawberry—it reminded one taster of flavored vodka. Burdened by unnecessary “adaptogens,” this drink has a slight health-food-store aroma and medicinal aftertaste. A splash of seltzer mellows that out and amplifies the carbonation.
Check out 14 of our collective favorite nonalcoholic drinks below. Grab your champagne flutes and prepare your speech—French Bloom is the toast-ready NA bubbly you’ve been searching for. Made with de-alcoholized organic wine, organic grape juice, and French sparkling Gensac spring water, this female-founded brand allows you to celebrate elegantly sip after sip. Started in 2015, Bravus in Anaheim, California, is North America’s first nonalcoholic craft brewery. Their production process closely resembles craft beer methods to create brews that taste true to their inspiration.
- Inspired to create an alternative, and combining his love of nature with his family’s farming background, Branson founded Seedlip to deliver distilled spirits sans artificial flavors.
- Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo halted our testers with its bitterness; our tasters suspected that the formula is too heavy on gentian root, and they likened the flavor to cough syrup.
- Curious likens the drink to a cross between a dark and stormy and a spicy pineapple margarita, and the beverage’s salt content provides a savory edge that we found delectable.
- Pentire Seaward tastes like bitter grapefruit pith, with some light salinity and a hint of juniper.
St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni
Created by biologist turned bartender, Paul Mathew, bittersweet Everleaf Forest makes for a great spritz base (just top up with non-alc fizz or tonic). And even if you do plan to indulge in your favourite alcoholic tipple (no judgment here), you can still enjoy one of these delicious booze-free options in between and give your liver a night off. The Recess Happy Hour Sampler of canned mocktails had flat, perfume-y, artificial-tasting flavors that failed to evoke the source cocktails. Melati Classic is deeply earthy, with notes of pomegranate, beets, and grape. It reminded us of medicinal elderflower syrup, and we struggled to drink it.
There are nonalcoholic drinks meant to simply substitute for their boozy counterparts, while others are intended to be their own unique experience. Some are made only to mix in cocktails, some are for enjoying solo, and some can go either way. If you’re unfamiliar with a product, look for a signature recipe or serving suggestion on the brand’s website as a good place to start, and then expand your horizons from there.
It’s even made on the day of the Full Flower Moon and is infused with ruby, known for promoting passion, pleasure, and self-love. The brand’s original blend has a similarly mild flavor, making it great for winding down in the evening sans alcohol, with adaptogens like rhodiola and schisandra berry. All their beverages are sugar-free, calorie-free, and are best enjoyed chilled. For more, check out our full review of non-alcoholic wine alternatives here.
Most places have a varied selection, including alcohol-free spirits, wines and beers in bottles, if not on tap. Low-alcohol or alcohol-free drinks are great for occasions when you don’t want to drink, and you don’t want to feel left out sipping on a glass of OJ. ‘Low-alcohol or alcohol-free drinks are often marketed as having fewer calories and less sugar than the full-alcohol alternative, and therefore can help to support a healthy lifestyle,’ says Dr Wallace. ‘However, this is not a guarantee and it depends entirely on the type of drink, the brand, any mixer used, and the amount consumed. Offering tame bitterness and light botanical flavors, these sodas are like a cross between bitters and soda and hard seltzer.