Alcohol Free Spirits - Where to Start, What to Know
Botanicals, Aperitifs & One-for-One Replacements to Gin, Tequila, Rum, & Whiskey
Whether or not you are fully sober or just trying to be more mindful with your drinking habits, you can still be ‘triggered’ by your alcohol-free drinking experiences, especially when there are so many new products that are doing such an amazing job replicating the original taste and feel of traditional alcohol.
Because of this, I think it is important to highlight the variations in the different alcohol-free spirits now available and give a little more insight into these products and how you can use them.
The point of this article is to shed some light on some of the alternative spirits and -hopefully- make you feel a little more confident in knowing where to start or what might be the right fit for you.
Botanical Spirits
When it comes to alternative spirits, I cannot help myself but to be partial to the more botanical forward alternatives. I love how their bright aromatic flavors can lift and elevate a cocktail with sophistication. They may be distilled with juniper and other ingredients to mimic some traditional spirits, but they are far more focused on including a well-rounded and balance profile of flavors that are rich, decadent, and pleasing to the palate.
For me, alcohol was an acquired taste and wasn’t something I ever really enjoyed outside of bourbon and whiskey. With botanical alternatives, however, I find that they don’t remind me at all of the traditional products and can be enjoyed without that ‘triggering’ effect. You could certainly include the popular, Seedlip, but I would love to highlight some brands that I think deserve a little extra love.
My Favorite Botanical Spirits:
Born out of a true love of plants, and hailing from the United Kingdom, Bax Botanics stole my heart from the start. They are an award-winning brand not just for their incredible taste but for their eco-friendliness and sustainability. They offer two incredible spirits (and two ready-made canned cocktails) with two very distinct flavors.
Lemon Verbena - Bright, refreshingly herbal, and vibrant, the Lemon Verbena will awaken your senses with citrus, menthol, anise, and subtle florals. On the nose it is immediately herbaceous and clean. To taste, it is dry and zesty with a long zingy finish.
Sea Buckthorn - Rich, complex, and bittersweet, Sea Buckthorn just like its counterpart is named for its key ingredient. Organic and ethically grown herbs such as rosemary and thyme create real depth that blends perfectly with the Sea Buckthorn berries and orange citrus.
Bax Spirits were made to mix. I can recommend them both with tonic but even that can feel very close to the ‘real thing’. If you are looking to make a truly new cocktail and something special that won’t remind you of traditional gin, I recommend simple sparkling water with a little extra citrus and honey.
Amethyst Non-Alcoholic Botanical Spirits:
Amethyst is quite a bit different from anything else you will find on the market, and that is why I love them so much. They are unique but made with simple and easy to mix flavors that actually pack a little punch.
Without needing to list out their ingredients (because they’re right in the name) Amethyst comes in three flavors that speak for themselves! Lemon Cucumber Serrano, Blueberry Ginger Mint, and Grapefruit Basil. Using the power of these ingredients they were able to replicate some of that burn missing with many other spirits and surprisingly able to do it without making me think too much of traditional booze. However, because of that kick, you might feel slightly triggered.
Another thing I enjoy about Amethyst is that it already has some slight sweetness and can be enjoyed straight! You can also use more of the same ingredients on the label, mix with sparkling water and you’re all set.
Two Other Great Options:
Another award-winning brand of distilled botanical spirits, Optimist has created some truly fantastic products that can play well both as premium replacement to vodka, gin, and tequila but also as something entirely unique.
Bright - The key botanical ingredients of Bright are lemon, jasmine, green mandarin, lavender, turmeric, corn mint, orange, tangerine, fennel, myrrh, and cinnamon leaf. Drooling yet? Bright is citrusy and very obviously layered with incredible and robust flavors.
Smokey - Exactly what it says it is, the Smokey Optimist was made to replace Mezcal but made with ingredients like Lapsang Souchong, bitter red-orange, clove, ginger. Sage, bergamot, cinnamon leaf, habanero, geranium, oregano, Angelica root, Valencia orange, and corn mint.
Fresh - The gin replacement, Fresh is made with juniper, cilantro, lime peel, fennel, lovage, basil, Angelica, root, red thyme, tarragon, jasmine, habanero, oregano, and tangerine.
Pentire Botanical Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Going coastal, Pentire is another carefully distilled botanical spirit that was inspired by the coastlines of Cornwall, United Kingdom. Going beyond the inspiration of the coast, Pentire uses ingredients that are native to the land and will easily remind you of a beautiful day by the sea.
Adrift - Earthy with citrus and Cornish sea salt, Adrift is herbaceous and fresh and filled with vitamins. Once again recommended with tonic but easily mixes with soda water and citrus. Sweeten according to your taste.
Seaward - My favorite of the two, Seaward has grapefruit, Sea rosemary and buckthorn, and wild seaweed. I love this with sparkling grapefruit soda.
There are a few others that deserve some credit as a botanical but will be included below as Aperitif’s.
One-for-One Replacements
Seemingly quite a bit more popular than the botanical alternatives, the one-for-one replacement have really started making a name for themselves in the world today. Lyre’s, for example, has come out with everything from Dry London gin alternatives to rums, tequilas, triple sec, amaretto, absinthe and more!
There are a quite a few different options available now, many you can find easily at a the growing list of Alcohol-Free Bottle Shops all across the globe. I highly recommend that you check out my friend, Laura Silverman’s Zero-Proof Nation bottle shop directory, here. She is another amazing resource when looking for or learning about all things Zero-Proof.
Just to go ahead and highlight a few brands, I have enjoyed ISH, Monday, Spiritless, Mixoloshe and Free Spirit regularly, but you really just have to taste and try these things for yourself! Many bottle shops, like Killjoy or Sechey do free tastings all the time!
To give an example of a great One-for-One Replacement, let take a look at the Cut Above Spirits:
Cut Above Zero Proof Spirits have a line of four different alternatives including a two tequilas, a gin, and a brand new whiskey.
It is important to note, that even though I separate out the One-for-One Replacements from the more Botanical-Forward Alternatives, most NA products are made from ingredients sourced straight from nature like herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, and other plants. I separate them out simply because of how they are trying to truly replicate the original taste, style, and feel of traditional spirits.
Cut Above, just like the rest, can be used to make lovely Low ABV cocktails by simply cutting the quantities of each in half.
Agave Blanco: With the same depth of flavor and smoothness of traditional Blanco Tequilas, Agave Blanco uses peppers, lime, and other bitter natural flavors to recreate an alcohol-free version of this well-loved spirit.
Mezcal: Going smokey, Cut Above’s Mezcal infuses smokey flavors in with the other peppers and spices to give a multi-layered experience for those who don’t want to give up those traditional flavors.
Gin: Turkish rose, Mexican lime, Californian Lemon, and Italian bergamot mix well with juniper to rival any of your favorite traditional gins.
Whiskey: Doing it right, Cut Above went back to the master distillers of Louisville to create their Whiskey. Giving you lovely oaky notes mixed with hints of cherry, I recommend you try making an Old Fashioned with All the Bitter and sugar.
My Favorites! Rum, Gin, Whiskey, & Tequila
My favorite Rum is by Caleño Tropical NA Spirits, but I love tropical drinks! If you were ever a Malibu coconut rum fan, Caleño Tropical Spirits is for you. If not, and you want spicy, give ISH Spiced Cane Spirit a try.
My favorite Gin has typically been either Cut Above or ISH, but Monday is great too if you like a little more citrus. I have recently tried the new Mixoloshe Gin and was very impressed!
My favorite Whiskey out of the one-for-one replacement is Spiritless or Cut Above but I prefer them mixed with All the Bitter and made as a mixed drink, not to be sipped.
My favorite Tequila… This one is a little more difficult, just because each one I have tried have varied quite a lot. Cut Above has both a Blanco and a Mezcal but Ritual Tequila certainly makes a pretty darn good Margarita. Spiritless Jalisco 55 and Free Spirit are both lovely too. Grab one, give it a try, make some margaritas. You won’t be disappointed.
What About Vodka You Say?
Vodka, usually distilled with either potatoes or rice, is a difficult alternative spirit to get right. However, I always recommend Amethyst NA Spirits as a replacement but the Optimist Bright can always work quite well.
Aperitifs & Digestifs
Originating in Italy, aperitifs are usually to be consumed before a meal like an appetizer, and then there are digestifs to be enjoyed after your meal. Some of the most commonly enjoyed aperitifs include vermouth, champagne, gin or dry sherries. They are meant to build up your appetite while digestifs are meant to settled your stomach and help you digest your food. Digestifs have been known to include fortified wines like ports and other dessert wines but also include other distilled spirits like tequila, whiskey, etc.
All of my favorite Aperitifs are made with botanical ingredients and are super versatile with the ability to be mixed and built into incredible cocktails that can be drunk morning to night (yay alcohol-free)!
Everleaf: Another great spirit coming from the United Kingdom is Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitif’s. They carry three great botanical spirits that are sustainably sourced and celebrate nature. Nature-lover that I am, I was hooked right away).
Forest: Capturing the rich and enticing flavors of saffron, Madagascan vanilla, and honeyed orange blossom, all the Everleaf drinks mix well with tonic, but I personally love Forest with grapefruit juice and honey.
Mountain: Floral and fresh, this Mountain sings with cherry blossom, rose-hip, and strawberry. I love it with ginger ale and fresh strawberry slices - a bit of muddled mint and lime never hurt anyone either.
Marine: Back on the seaside, Marine mixes umami soaked kelp, bergamot, and sea buckthorn. I love Marine with agave syrup in place of honey for sweetness and either mixed with lime or grapefruit.
Wilfred’s Bittersweet Aperitif: Warm spices, zesty orange, and herbal aromatics, Wilfred’s is bold but balanced. This is my go to Campari replacement. It finishes with clove, and rhubarb and makes an incredible spritz when mixed with bubbles but I love it with an alcohol-removed sparkling white wine.
Figlia: Made with an incredible list of beautiful ingredients that include bitter orange, clove, ginger, lemon, rose, rosemary, elderflower, black currant, and more, Figlia is floral, bitter, and aromatic.
Root Divino: Based on the roots of the ancient herbal remedies of Greece and Hippocrates wine, Roots Divino are aperitifs classified as non-alcoholic vermouths. The Rossi is bitter orange, gentian, and wormwood while the Bianco is made with rosemary, thyme, and wormwood.
Taste, Try, and Play
With so many options available (I certainly couldn’t share them all) my best advice when starting to drink alcohol free spirits is simply to find your favorite flavors and start playing around. Each brand has a website with tons of recipes that are easy to follow and vary from simple to complex.
Some other wonderful benefits of these spirits is that they are low to no calorie and sugar and can also be used to created low ABV cocktails as well for those simply looking to extend their night. Whether you’re sober or sober-curious, alcohol-free spirits can be a real game-changer. I hope this helps get you started.
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