According to Abby Ehmann, proprietor of the alcohol-free club Hekate in New York City, this is the greatest time in history to be sober. According to sobriety coach Casey McGuire Davidson, who provides classes on her website Hello Someday Coaching, this is because more people than ever before are identifying as sober inquisitive, which means they’re analyzing their connection with alcohol and trying not to drink. The market for nonalcoholic beverages is expanding along with the number of consumers searching for alternatives to wine, beer, and spirits. Seltzer and a dash of cranberry juice used to be your only options, but that’s no longer the case, Ehmann adds.
What are nonalcoholic spirits, therefore, and how can you sort through the wide variety of options? Along with some recommendations from the NBC Select staff, I spoke with experts about how to choose nonalcoholic drinks that suit your palette and compiled a list of their favorites.
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Best nonalcoholic ginMonday Zero Alcohol Gin
$undefined$35.99Amazon
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Best nonalcoholic rumRitual Zero Proof Rum Alternative
$undefined$32.95Amazon
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Best nonalcoholic aperitivoGhia Berry Ap ritif
$undefined$38.00Amazon
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Best nonalcoholic digestifThe Pathfinder Spirit
$undefined$39.00Boisson
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What are nonalcoholic spirits?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines nonalcoholic spirits as those with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 0.5% or less. Like nonalcoholic wine, nonalcoholic spirits can be divided into two categories: those that mimic the taste of traditional spirits and those that contain botanical ingredients like fruit concentrates, teas, and spices. According to experts, what you enjoy is a matter of personal preference and neither is superior to the other. However, the flavor profile and application of each variety vary, so it’s critical to know what they are before making a purchase.
Imitation spirits
According to Nick Bodkins, co-founder and CEO of Boisson, a nonalcoholic retailer with stores in New York and California, imitation spirits are analogs of traditional alcoholic spirits, which means they replicate the flavor of their alcoholic counterparts. According to Chris Marshall, owner of Sans Bar, an alcohol-free bar in Austin, Texas, they usually don’t have a strong enough flavor profile to drink neat or on the rocks. Rather, in cocktail recipes, the majority of imitation spirits are intended to be used directly in place of full-strength spirits. For instance, you can use your preferred nonalcoholic beverage in place of full-strength tequila when creating a nonalcoholic margarita.
Two of the most popular methods are among the several that producers might use to create fake spirits. The first method produces alcoholic whiskey, rum, tequila, and other products by fermenting sugar to produce alcohol. After that, spirits are de-alcoholized, producing drinks (also known as alcohol-removed spirits) that taste, smell, and finish similarly to full-strength spirits. In the second method, fermentation is halted early to avoid the formation of alcohol, and the resultant liquid is diluted with water. According to experts, these fake spirits taste comparable to their alcoholic counterparts but don’t have as deep of a flavor as the alcohol they are made from.
Botanical beverages
However, botanical drinks cannot usually be used in place of alcohol in traditional cocktails because they are not a straight alternative for full-strength spirits. According to Marshall, they typically have no direct rivals and no alcoholic counterparts. They’re doing something different. Some botanical drinks can be consumed by themselves or combined with juices and soda water. If you dislike the flavor of alcohol-removed spirits, they’re a fantastic substitute.
According to Marshall, brands employ several techniques to create botanical beverages, which contain components originating from plants such as concentrates, teas, spices, and fruit and vegetable extracts. Certain companies, for instance, rely on distillation, while others employ a procedure known as compounding, which is combining the compounds produced from plants with water.
How I picked the best nonalcoholic spirits
“Experimentation is key to finding nonalcoholic spirits you like,” adds Ehmann. She believes that you should approach the shopping and tasting process with interest because you won’t know what you like and don’t like until you try a lot of possibilities. Recognize that finding your preferences involves a learning curve as well.
However, if you like a particular cocktail, find out what spirits are typically used to make it and buy the alcohol-removed versions, advises Bodkins. When it comes to botanical drinks, study the ingredients and flavor profiles on the label and decide if they generally suit your palette. It s also a good idea to try a few alcohol-removed spirits and botanical beverages to understand the difference between them, experts say.
The best nonalcoholic spirits to shop
If you re looking to stock your bar cart or liquor cabinet, I rounded up our experts favorite nonalcoholic spirits along with options NBC Select staff enjoy.
Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative
Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative
- Warm tropical flavor
- Good substitute for rum
- Sweet taste
Ehmann recommends using Ritual s nonalcoholic rum alternative to make cocktails like pi a coladas, mojitos, mai tais, daiquiris and rum punches. It has a spicy rather than sugary sweet flavor, giving beverages a little kick, she says. The rum alternative has notes of toasted spices, including cloves and star anise, ripe banana and burnt orange, according to the brand. Davidson is also a fan of this spirit, and says Ritual has easy-to-follow recipes on its website.
Type:imitation spirit
Seedlip Grove 42
Seedlip Grove 42
- Citrus flavored
- Has vanilla undertones
- Subtle herb taste
Seedlipwas the first nonalcoholic spirit I tried and I often see it on mocktail menus at restaurants and bars. I think it s a great starter nonalcoholic spirit because it comes in four flavors, so you re covered when you want to make various zero-proof cocktails or mixers. Seedlip sGrove 42is citrus flavored;Garden 108has notes of rosemary, thyme and spearmint;Spice 94is a warm blend of allspice, cardamom and citrus; andNotas De Agaves flavor profile include prickly pear, lime, agave and vanilla.
Type:botanical beverage
Monday Zero Alcohol Gin
Monday Zero Alcohol Gin
- Good for martinis
- Good on ice
- Best for mixing
Monday has one of the best NA gins I ve found, says Davidson. The beautiful, sophisticated art deco bottles also elevate any zero-proof drink you re making, plus I love the way it looks on your home bar. You can use the spirit, which has a juniper-forward flavor, to make cocktails like gin and tonics, Negronis, gimlets and martinis.
Type:imitation spirit
Amethyst Grapefruit Basil
Amethyst Grapefruit Basil
- Good with ice
- Good on its own
- Subtle herb taste
Amethyst s nonalcoholic spirits are some of the best to drink on the rocks because they have a bite to them, which the brand achieves by incorporating ingredients like spices and peppers into its mixture, says Ehmann. Amethyst s spirits come in a few different flavors, but Marshall particularly likes the brand s Grapefruit Basil beverage, which has a refreshing citrus flavor with an herby twist, he says.
Type:botanical beverage
Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo
Wilderton Bittersweet Aperitivo
- Vibrant color
- Good for summer drinks
- Bitter flavor
An aperitivo, also called an aperitif, is a light, often bitter beverage served before meals to stimulate your appetite, says Marshall, who recommends this one from Wilderton. It s made with a blend of grapefruit, orange blossom and herbs like rosemary, giving it a zesty flavor with a bittersweet finish, according to the brand. You can use it to make cocktails or simply add a few ounces to plain soda water.
Type:botanical beverage
The Pathfinder Spirit
The Pathfinder Spirit
- Good on its own
- Good over ice
- Can drink as a shot
- Somewhat bitter flavor
This is a must-try nonalcoholic digestif, according to Marshall, who says it s a stronger, sweeter beverage compared to an aperitivo and is made with herbs to support digestion after a meal. It s fermented from hemp and blended with orange peel, ginger, sage and saffron to create a flavor you can use as a substitute for full-strength amaro, whiskey and vermouth, according to the brand. Its bitter, oaky notes provide a captivating contrast to the typically over-sweet, sugary nonalcoholic drinks, says Marshall.
Type:botanical beverage
Ghia Berry Ap ritif
Ghia Berry Ap ritif
- Strawberry flavored
- Luxe bottle
- Good with ice
- Subtle herb flavor
Ghia, one of our favoritewomen-owned businesses, has aperitifs made with botanical and herbal ingredients, and my favorite is the brand s berry beverage. Its fruity, juicy flavor is well balanced since it s equally tart. I like adding it to plain or fruit-flavored berry seltzer and find it especially refreshing to drink over ice in warm weather.
Type:botanical beverage
Figlia Fiore Nonalcoholic Aperitivo
Figlia Fiore Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo
- Good for making a spritz
- Floral falovor
- Good with orange
- Bitter flavor
This aperitivo from another one of our favorite women-owned businesses has a floral, bitter, aromatic taste profile, according to the brand. It s made with orange rind, rose extract, ginger juice and spices, and is best enjoyed over ice.
Type:botanical beverage
Tenneyson Black Ginger
Tenneyson Black Ginger
- Lemon balm flavor
- Good with ice or on its own
- Sharp flavor
One of Marshall s favorite nonalcoholic spirits is Tenneyson s Black Ginger botanical. It s made with plant-based ingredients like dandelion, lemon balm, bergamot, yerba mate, grape seed and gentian (a flowering plant), giving it a concentrated, robust taste that s spicy and zesty, according to the brand. You can drink it neat or on the rocks, as well as in mixed drinks.
Type:botanical beverage
Optimist Drinks Bright
Optimist Drinks Bright
- Luxe bottle
- Good with carbonated drinks
- Lemon-forward flavor
Nikki Brown, NBC Select SEO editor, says Optimist Drinks Bright beverage is one of her go-tos for mocktails. The flavors are fresh beyond words and the bottle is pretty enough to display, she says. It has citrus, floral and herbal notes, and you can use it similarly to a lemon vodka, according to the brand. Optimist recommends mixing it with tonic or soda water before drinking over ice.
Type:botanical beverage
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Frequently asked questions
Since they start out as full-strength spirits, alcohol-removed spirits contain trace amounts of alcohol after dealcoholization. Spirits with 0.5% or less alcohol by volume (ABV) are considered nonalcoholic, according to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, brands can only use alcohol-free language when beverages have no detectable alcohol, according to the FDA.
Each nonalcoholic spirit has different storage requirements to make it last as long as possible. Generally speaking, however, most nonalcoholic spirits are shelf-stable, similar to alcoholic spirits, says Marshall. You get the experience of being able to leave nonalcoholic spirits out on a shelf or bar cart like alcoholic spirits, he says. Once opened, Marshall suggests enjoying them for up to six months, but be sure to visit the brand s website or read the packaging to see if there s a specific “best by” date you should keep in mind.
Interest in nonalcoholic spirits tends to peak around Dry January and Sober October, months during which some people take extended breaks from alcohol. However, many people are incorporating these beverages into their lifestyles year round, prompting more retailers to carry them and offer them online. In addition to local stores in your neighborhood and their websites, some brands are available at large retailers likeAmazon,TargetandWalmart, in addition to alcohol-specific online delivery services likeDrizly. Nonalcoholic retailers likeBoisson,The New Bar(one of our favoriteLatino-owned businesses) andThe Zero Proofship beverages across the country, and you can also usegrocery delivery serviceslikeInstacartandGopuff.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
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Abby Ehmann
is the owner ofHekate
, an alcohol-free bar in New York City.
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Nick Bodkins
is the CEO and co-founder ofBoisson
, a nonalcoholic drinks retailer with locations in New York and California.
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Chris Marshall
is the owner and founder ofSans Bar
, an alcohol-free bar in Austin, Texas.
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Casey McGuire Davidson
is a sobriety coach who offers courses through her platformHello Someday Coaching
.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am areporterat NBC Select who writes about food and beverages, including recent stories onolive oil,honey,coffee subscriptionsandnonalcoholic wine. For this article, I interviewed four experts about how to shop for nonalcoholic spirits and rounded up their picks and included some of NBC Select staff favorites.
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