Erin Elizabeth
Alcohol is incredibly ingrained into our social rituals. We drink when we’re happy and when we’re sad. We drink when we celebrate milestones. We drink to survive hardships. We even drink just for fun.
Drinking is such a large part of the way we socialize that choosing sobriety for an evening or life can feel like you’re isolating yourself from society.
Luckily, several entrepreneurs have decided that no one should choose between physical well-being and social connections. These courageous innovators have developed avant-garde ways for adults to drink ritualistically in social situations while staying sober.
For this reason, I’ve made a list of the best non-alcoholic spirits available on the market currently that are perfect for making nonalcoholic drinks and mocktails.
Best Alcoholic Free Spirits
I’ve ensured that every classic spirit has a non-alcoholic alternative available on this list to remain inclusive. Whether you’re not drinking alcohol for dry January or you live an alcohol free lifestyle, try these best nonalcoholic spirits.
Seedlip
In the world of non-alcoholic spirits, Seedlip is a pioneer. Seedlip is the first non-alcoholic Spirit in the world.
The founder, Ben Branson, started Seedlip after stumbling upon A 1651 manual on making distilled herbal remedies.
He recognized the potential for the home-distilled concoctions to be used as high-quality, sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages.
Currently, the beverage is available in three flavors. Grove 42 is a sophisticated, bright, citrusy blend of Mediterranean oranges, ginger lemongrass, and lemon peel. Spice 94 is warm and aromatic, with allspice oak green cardamom grapefruit and lemon.
Garden 108 is fresh and floral, made with rosemary, thyme, spearmint, hops, hay, and peas.
Seedlip can be enjoyed on its own, as a cocktail, or with a tonic. I thought Seedlip was a very sophisticated drink with a lot of depth. It’s a great drink to experience in a toned-down setting.
Kin Euphorics
Kin Euphorics is another company making big waves in the non-alcoholic drink space.
The company was founded by Jen Batchelor, an international supermodel, and activist Bella Hadid.
Kin Euphorics isn’t just a non-alcoholic beverage. The beverage is infused with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals that elevate mood, boost energy levels in focus, and ease stress.
Kin Euphorics come in various drinks with a variety of use cases.
Kin Spritz Is gently caffeinated and contains Rhodiola Rosea, 5-HTP, and GABA to elevate your social energy. Dreamlight is non-caffeinated with Rishi mushrooms, melatonin, and L-tryptophan for relaxation.
Lightwave is infused with Rishi mushrooms, L-Theanine, and L-tryptophan to help find inner peace. Lastly, High Rhode is made with Rhodiola Rosea, 5-HTP, and GABA to help you release your pent-up social energy.
In my opinion, Kin Euphorics is a great tasting option for people who drink for socializing and relaxation but want to cut down on their alcohol consumption.
Ghia
For an apéritif without the booze, Ghia is your go-to. Ghia specializes in making social tonics.
The founder, Melissa, was inspired by her Mediterranean roots and her deep appreciation for aperitivo culture.
Every Spirit and aperitif offered by Ghia is made with potent natural extracts of herbs and botanicals that help soothe and stimulate. Ghia promises to jump-start your energy while calming your mind to bring out the best version of you.
Ghia aperitif is best served chilled or mixed with one part Ghia and one part a bubbly mixture of your choice. Ghia has a light scent of ginger with hints of citrus.
The aperitif has a complex flavor profile that consists of bitterness, tartness, and sweetness.
I find that Ghia works well with a tonic, but the Spirit shines when mixed with a ginger beer or seltzer. All in all, Ghia makes an excellent non-alcoholic apéritif.
Aplos
Aplos is a hemp-infused non-alcoholic Spirit that is designed to calm and uplift. It has a herbal citrus flavor profile with yuzu, rosemary, basil, cucumber, and dandelion notes.
Aplos were intended to be treated like a traditional spirit. It can be enjoyed neat on the rocks or in a cocktail.
The word Aplos means simple. The company was founded on the philosophy that pleasure and profoundness should be found in simple things around us.
With its product, Aplos strives to offer an escape of the senses – to ward off tension to build deeper connections.
Aplos uses active cannabinoids found in hemp to regulate mood. It’s designed to make you feel calm within 15 to 30 minutes of drinking.
It should be noted that the drink will not make you high as THC was priorly removed from the hemp extract. That being said, the beverage is not recommended to anyone under 18.
Ritual Zero Proof
Ritual Zero Proof offers some of the best non-alcoholic spirits in the world. The company’s goal isn’t to completely replace spirits like whiskey, gin, and tequila.
Instead, they wanted to offer alternatives for those moments when you want to continue the ritual of drinking without the negatives of having another drink.
Ritual Zero Proof has a fantastic line of non-alcoholic spirit alternatives such as tequila, rum, whiskey, and gin. Their tequila alternative was named the best non-alcoholic Spirit in the world.
Like other popular non-alcoholic spirits, Ritual Zero Proof is made by distilling potent botanicals to extract unique and sophisticated flavors.
However, Ritual Zero Proof went above and beyond for their spirit alternatives. Their spirits even have a burning sensation reminiscent of an alcoholic spirit.
Their award-winning tequila alternative has “grassy flavors, smoky aroma and bright fire of tequila without the alcohol or calories.”
Their rum alternative has a classic dark rum profile, with toasted spices and warm vanilla notes. Ritual zero proof whiskey alternative has over notes of vanilla and oak, notes of Stone fruit and caramel, and a light burning finish.
The gin alternative is crisp, bright with lively botanical notes, and can be used as an alternative to vodka as well.
Optimist Botanicals
Optimist botanicals are another company that strives to change our social landscape with the help of non-alcoholic beverages.
The company recognized loneliness and isolation as the root cause of many mental health issues and alcohol as barriers to socialization.
As a result, an optimist’s mission is to provide people with the freedom of choice and the freedom to experiment with drinking rituals while strengthening social connections.
Optimist Botanicals come in three varieties. Bright is inspired by Venice Beach and has a citrus sherbet and salty sunshine taste. It’s reminiscent of a citrusy vodka.
Fresh drinks like a botanical gin with flavors of wild herbs and spices.
Smokey has the essence of bonfires, bittersweetness, and spice, much like a smooth tequila.
Tost
Tost, pronounced like toast, is an all-natural, dry, sparkling, alcohol-free beverage made with white tea white cranberries, and ginger.
Subtle and taste with hints of crisp citrus, Tost aims to create a meaningful and refreshing experience for every occasion.
Toss is all about inclusivity. The drink was made by a team of beverage and culinary experts and designed to share characteristics often found in alcoholic beverages.
It was created to solve the consumer problem of what to drink that’s free of alcohol, besides sparkling water.
Tost is available as original and rosé. While the originally used cranberries in the mix, the Rose flavor uses elderberries. They can be purchased online on the tossed website, on their own, or in bundles.
Spiritless Kentucky 74
Spiritless Kentucky 74 is a distilled non-alcoholic spirit made for bourbon cocktails.
Unlike other non-alcoholic spirits on this list, Kentucky 74 isn’t distilled from botanicals and herbs.
Kentucky 74 starts as a high-quality spirit with the flavor of bourbon, which is distilled a second time to remove the alcohol. This gives the drink its authentic bourbon-like feel with all-natural ingredients and 0.5% alcohol.
As a result, Kentucky 74 doesn’t have the same burning flavor as a regular bourbon. However, the drink still has a bit of heat and can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a bourbon cocktail.
Kentucky 75 feels like a more authentic version of a non-alcoholic bourbon. The flavor profiles in the drink exemplify the core flavors found in A good bourbon, which are oak smoke, vanilla, and caramel.
Additionally, there’s a little pepper to mimic the heat of a regular bourbon. These touch peppers and the 0.5% alcohol give the drink a fantastic bourbon-like mouthfeel.
Amass Riverine
Amass Riverine is a 0 cal 0% alcohol beverage that contains traditional botanicals found in gin like Juniper coriander and orris root.
While not exactly being a gin, it is a nuanced and sophisticated spirit that can be enjoyed neat on the rocks with a splash of tonic or even in various cocktails.
The scent of Riverine begins with bright sumac but fades into a cool mint. The taste starts citrusy with sorrel and coriander but layers on moss and earthiness.
Riverine has a finish of deep Forest notes from juniper and parsley with an herbal finish imparted by rosemary.
Lyre’s
Named after the Australian mimicking bird, Lyre has been in the business of mimicking Spirits without alcohol since 2019.
Lyer’s offers an impressive number of alcohol-free spirits, including absinthe, American malt, Amaretti, Aperol, Bourbon, Coffee Liqueur, Campari, Gin, rum triple sec, and vermouth.
Lyre’s pervasive line of non-alcoholic spirits can be attributed to its ability to expertly deconstruct the nuanced flavors of classic spirits to develop their blends.
I found that Lyre is best enjoyed in mixed drinks or cocktails and not on their own.
Monday Gin
Monday is a company that has fully embraced the cultural shift towards self-care, staying sharp, and living life without compromises.
They believe that people shouldn’t choose between good health and great taste.
Monday zero alcohol gin is the first and original Monday spirit. The gin is made in small batches with natural ingredients in their Southern California distillery.
Juniper is primarily featured in the scent and taste of the gin, with notes of bitter lemon grapefruit and coriander. The gin has a long and complex finish with heat that develops over time.
Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits
- Seedlip
- Kin Euphorics
- Ghia
- Aplos
- Ritual Zero Proof
- Optimist Botanicals
- Tost
- Spiritless Kentucky 74
- Amass Riverine
- Lyre’s
- Monday Gin
What is the best alternative to alcohol?
There are lots of alternatives to drinking alcohol, from fruit juice to soft drinks to sparkling waters and other non alcoholic options. If you’re looking for something to mimic the taste of alcohol, these nonalcoholic spirits make delicious nonalcoholic cocktails so that you can experience your favorite drinks, alcohol free.
You can also try non-alcoholic beers and non-alcoholic wines if that’s your drink of choice.
What tastes like vodka but is non-alcoholic?
There are a few non-alcoholic vodka alternatives on the market, including options from both Optimist Botanicals and Ritual from our list above!
What is the most popular non-alcoholic drink?
The most popular non-alcoholic drink to order at a bar is a soda, often a club soda with a twist of lime to look like a cocktail. These zero proof spirits can also make delicious, complex drink that is booze free.
What tastes like whiskey but is non-alcoholic?
There are a few zero proof, no abv whiskeys on the market. One of the best non alcoholic spirit brands, Ritual, makes a whiskey alternative, and another favorite is Spiritless Kentucky 74.
Final Thoughts
In this article, I’ve walked you through the best non-alcoholic spirits currently available.
We’ve covered everyone from non-alcoholic pioneers like Seedlip to visionaries like Lyre’s and everything in between. You’ve been educated about the trendy, supermodel-backed Kin Eurphorics and the all-American Kentucky 74.
At this point, you should be well equipped to find a few options of non-alcoholic spirits that suit your taste. I encourage you to play around with the spirits and preparations. Maybe you can become a hangover-free mixologist!
If you’re more of a beer drinker, check out our favorite non-alcoholic beers as well.
