The good news aboutnon-alcoholic spiritsis that it doesn’t matter your reason for going alcohol-free.
Here, I tried seven up-and-coming brands to help guide you in your first non-alcoholic purchase.
Ranked by taste from my least favorite to most, these are the seven non-alcoholic spirits I tried.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
And for more, check out the8 Worst Fast-Food Burgers to Stay Away From Right Now.
Aplos
Launched in early 2020,Aplosis a healthier alternative to alcohol.
The drink can be served neat, but I found the taste a bit strong on its own.
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I could see it being tasty with the right cocktails if you get creative with your non-alcoholic tastes.
(It’s not recommended for anyone pregnant or nursing.)
My personal favorite of the three was the Gin Alternative.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
When I first opened the bottle, it smelled just like gin.
The Whiskey Alternative smells like a smoky whiskey and has a peat quality to it when you taste it.
I mixed it with ginger ale, and it felt similar enough to a “regular whiskey” ginger.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
While the other two alternatives smelled like their alcoholic counterparts, the tequila had an indistinct smell.
If you love a good herbal drink or green juice, you will love this.
High Rhode was my favorite.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
By itself, it’s a bitter, but herby drink.
Kin provides lots of recipes to get the most out of the drink.
Now, for the euphorics.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
Because I was just sampling, I didn’t drink enough to notice a difference in my mood.
However, High Rhode is supposed to make you joyful or calmdepending on your mood before.
The company suggested mixing it with oat milk, which is exactly what I did.
Dalene Rovenstine/Eat This, Not That!
It was a cold drink but had warm flavors like cinnamon and clove… and it was quite delicious!
It’s important to note thatKin Europhicsare made with adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics.
They have more than 12 varieties, including a White Cane Spirit, Italian Spritz, and Coffee Originale.
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And in my opinion, they do just that.
I first tried the Italian Orange.
When I opened the bottle, it smelled similar to Campari or Aperol.
It had a strong citrus taste that had a bite.
I had an open bottle of champagne in the fridge and mixed it with that.
I next tried the Aperitif Rosso, which is like sweet vermouth.
The Lyre’s website recommended mixing it with the Italian Orange and adding tonic to create an Americano.
I did that, and it was quite good.
It reminded me a lot of having an aperitif at a restaurant (remember those??).
Finally, I tried the American Malt.
It’s very mild and almost like a watered-down, sweet whiskey.
I mixed it with the Aperitif Rosso and a dash of bitters to make a Manhattan.
It wasn’t exactly the same as a Manhattan, but it would do in a pinch.
That’s why I was probably most excited to tryMonday Zero Alcohol Gin.
It has a beautiful label with an intricate logo.
And I was incredibly impressed (see, the label method works).
Like many of the others, it smells like alcohol when you kick off the bottle.
I’m not sure how they all do that, but I’m intrigued.
Monday has that familiar juniper/botanical taste of a gin, but it also feels a bit floral.
It pairs beautifully with tonic, and I think it would hold up to the most complex cocktail recipes.
Overall, I think Monday was the closest one-to-one replacement for alcohol.
13 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers for Zero-Proof Drinking
Seedlip
And then, there’sSeedlip.
This was the only brand I had heard of before researching this article.
All three are great.
Garden 108 is bursting with botanical flavor.
The company says the most notable flavors are rosemary, thyme, and spearmint.
I can’t say I picked out those flavors, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless.
And I wasn’t disappointed then… or now.
The Grove 42 is a citrus blend of Mediterranean orange, lemon peel, lemongrass, and ginger.
Despite the simple drink, it felt like there were multiple layers of flavor.
It was almost as if I were drinking a handmade citrus soda.
I plan to mix Grove 42 to make mock margaritas.
And finally, Spice 94 is what Seedlip calls “aromatic,” a mix of allspice and cardamom.
I mixed it with ginger ale and drank the whole glass.
The three Seedlip flavors were my favorites.
All three are sugar-free, calorie-free, and suitable for vegans.
With all of the drinks on this list, I believe a lot is dependent on tastes.
I would recommend all of them depending on your preferences.
Now that I know my favorites, I’m excited to experiment withnon-alcoholic cocktail recipes.
