The Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits To Serve At Your Next Party
From weddings to parties, and birthdays to a fun weekend at home, there's always a great excuse for your favorite cocktail. However, for whatever reason — health, budget, designated driver, mood — you might not be drinking alcohol. In the past, your options may have been limited to water or soda, but non-alcoholic spirits have come a long way over the past decade, along with non-alcoholic beer brands and the non-alcoholic wine brands you can buy.
Mimicking everything from gin to vodka, and tequila to whiskey, these days you can make all your favorite drinks with non-alcoholic spirits. From martinis to mojitos, you can enjoy the taste, flavor, and experience of drinking, without any of the downsides. Sip them neat, mix them with cola or tonic, or turn them into fun and exciting mocktail recipes everyone will love. At your next get-together, responsible partygoers and anyone who's not drinking can join in all the fun with these great non-alcoholic spirits.
Seedlip
Seedlip was founded in the U.K. in 2013. It's an alternative to botanical spirits, making it a great substitute for gin or vodka. It can be drunk neat or on the rocks, but it's more commonly used in many classic cocktails.
There are three flavors of Seedlip available: Seedlip Garden 108 has floral notes and includes peas, hay, and garden herbs in its recipe; Seedlip Grove 42 is more zesty and citrussy, and includes three varieties of orange, along with ginger, lemongrass, and lemon peel, with some heat from Japanese Sancho peppercorn; and Seedlip Spice 94 is, as the name suggests, a bit spicy, and made using allspice berries, cardamom, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, oak, and cascarilla bark.
If you're looking for an alternative cocktail idea, perk up your party with an Espresso Martino. Mix 1.5 fluid ounces of Seedlip Spice 94 with 1.5 fluid ounces of cold brew concentrate and 0.5 fluid ounces of sugar syrup. Shake hard and strain into a coupe glass. Don't forget to garnish with three coffee beans. If you want to keep it simple, use any Seedlip variety instead of gin in a Seedlip and tonic.
Monday Gin
A gin and tonic is such a classic flavor profile that has been enjoyed for generations. However, if you're not drinking, you might still want to enjoy that refreshing taste. The great news is, you can still kick back with this traditional drink with one substitution — use Monday Gin in lieu of traditional gin. This non-alcoholic spirit is manufactured in Southern California and — according to The Zero Proof – is well regarded in the London Dry category. It is also the award-winning flagship spirit of Monday and is created in small batches with natural ingredients.
You can also try using Monday Gin in a martini. The end result still gives you the traditional juniper flavor of real gin, with the bonus that you can drink them all night (unlike a classic martini!). Alongside the juniper, Monday Gin has notes of bitter lemon, grapefruit, and a hint of coriander.
Gnista Floral Wormwood
Non-alcoholic drinks writer and podcaster Jonathan Lambrianidis said Gnista Floral Wormwood "gives you that feeling that you are drinking something that is actually similar to a fine spirit," and it was the first non-alcoholic spirit that made him swear for the right reasons.
With deep flavors of citrus, raisin, and wood, Floral Wormwood finishes off with a bite of ginger heat. According to Tipple Zero, this spirit will be appreciated by those who like barrel-aged drinks and intense Cognacs, and can be served neat or used in a mocktail like a Moscow mule. If you prefer simple, straightforward, and neutral spirits, Floral Wormwood might not be for you. This complex drink is aromatic, bitter, citrussy, and spicy.
Gnista is handmade in Sweden. Founder Erika Ollen suggests serving Floral Wormwood over ice with tonic, on its own as an aperitif, or as a base for non-alcoholic cocktails. Its flavor profile includes its namesake wormwood, along with orange peel, and green herbs.
Ghia
Ghia is a popular non-alcoholic aperitif loved by fashionistas and the sober-curious. Founder Melanie Masarin used to work at makeup brand Glossier and after giving up alcohol, decided she wanted to make a drink that reminded her of childhood summers spent near the Mediterranean, where everyone enjoys aperitivo.
With a base of Riesling white grape juice, a variety of herbs, fruits, and spices are added, including orange peel, elderflower, yuzu, ginger, rosemary, and lemon balm. Ghia can be enjoyed by itself over ice, with club soda or tonic, or turned into a mocktail. Each bottle comes with a cocktail book for you to have some fun with, too.
The Zero Proof calls it a great substitute for an Aperol Spritz, Prevention Magazine says reviewers have called Ghia a "game changer" when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, and Vice says it's perfect if you "want to feel like an adult with a complex, satisfying drink in your hand."
Kin Euphorics Dream Light
Kin Euphorics is an ideal drink for anyone who just needs to chill out after a tough day. According to Wine Enthusiast, Derek Brown, owner of Washington D.C.'s Columbia Room says Kin Euphorics Dream Light can be mixed with hot water to create a non-boozy take on a hot toddy with its earthy, oaky, smoky, and spicy flavor profile. It can also be added to oat milk, almond milk, or ginger beer for a smooth and soothing drink.
What makes Kin Euphorics so relaxing? It actually contains melatonin, adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics like reishi mushroom, and L-Tryptophan, meaning not only will you avoid the pitfalls of alcohol consumption, but this drink might help you with deeper sleep. Reviewers say it gives a "down shift before bed," and that it "calms, soothes, and keeps me asleep."
Kin Euphorics is co-founded by Jen Batchelor, who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, and supermodel and activist Bella Hadid.
Optimist Botanicals
According to Restaurant Clicks, Optimist Botanicals created a way for those abstaining from alcohol to still be trendy and social. Today it has three different varieties: Bright, Fresh, and Smokey.
Bright is an ideal substitute for vodka and apparently tastes like "citrus, sherbert, salty sunshine," Fresh is a great replacement for gin and tastes like "wild herbs, anise, fresh canyon air," and Smokey is like a smooth tequila and tastes like "bonfire, bittersweet, spice." That means all three can easily be used to make non-alcoholic cocktails. One example? The Professor Plum — Optimist Bright mixed with a plum, a piece of lemon peel, Indian tonic, and a couple of sprigs of oregano. The Zero Proof said, "overall, we were impressed by Optimist," and that it's a "nice and interesting addition to the growing world of non-alcoholic spirits."
Optimist Botanicals is based in Los Angeles, and was founded by Tommy Johnstone and Lisa Farr Johnstone. A small percentage of sales go to providing access to mental well-being services for underserved youth across the state, including Safe Place for Youth, based in Venice, California.
Salcombe Distilling Co. First Light
Salcombe Distilling Co. is known for its gin and rum, but it also has a range of non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs called New London Light. First Light is the company's gin alternative, and was the first product in the range. It contains juniper, ginger, orange, sage, habanero chili, and other botanicals, and tastes aromatic, warming, with a long and smooth finish.
It can be used to make a non-alcoholic gin and tonic, or used in mocktails like the award-winning Shore Elevation, which combines First Light with strong green tea, sage syrup, lemon juice, aquafaba, and sage leaf. First Light itself has won awards too, including a Conscious Spirits gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute, and an award in the Mindful Drinking category at the People's Choice Spirits Award.
Salcombe Distilling Co. is based in Devon, England, in the small town of its namesake. It's one of the only distilleries in the world directly accessible by boat. In the 1800s, the small fishing port of Salcombe was known as a haunt for smugglers, but was later transformed and had a thriving shipbuilding industry. For every bottle sold, Salcombe Distilling Co. donates 1% to the Marine Conservation Society to help protect and regenerate precious ocean habitats.
Free Spirits The Spirit of Milano
The Spirit of Milano, produced by Free Spirits, is designed to rival Italian aperitifs. It's a complex and bittersweet blend of citrus, cinnamon, clove, and rhubarb, and also contains vitamin B and amino acids.
You can use it in any way you'd use a traditional spirit or aperitif, drinking it straight, or mixing it into a non-alcoholic or low-alcohol cocktail. The Spirit of Milano works well as a cocktail mixed with The Spirit of Gin, warm spice syrup, lemon juice, fresh ginger, lime wheels, Topo Chico, and garnished with rosemary, sage, an orange slice, and cranberries, in The Winter Cup.
Reviewers say they "LOVE the Milano aperitif," and that "Free Spirits is like a dream come true for people who want to preserve the taste and experience of an alcoholic cocktail, without the hassles that go along with them."
Despite its Italian look and feel, Free Spirits is actually located in Marin County in Northern California. As well as its aperitif alternative, the company also has a non-alcoholic gin, tequila, and bourbon.
Kentucky 74
From Spiritless, Kentucky 74 is a winning response to those seeking out a non-alcoholic whiskey. It was created by three women who love bourbon and food, but wanted a better option for a non-alcoholic drink. It's an award-winning option, too, with a gold medal from the L.A. Spirits Awards for the best non-alcoholic spirit in the bag.
According to Master of Mocktails, Kentucky 74 doesn't quite nail the taste of an authentic bourbon, but is a worthy substitute with its sweet and smokey flavor. Some people like to split Kentucky 74 with a traditional bourbon to cut calories and alcohol content, while others go completely alcohol-free, drinking it neat or mixing with it. Some drinks to try include a whiskey sour, old fashioned, or mint julep mocktail.
During the holiday season, the company also creates a cinnamon flavor that tends to sell out pretty quickly. Be on the lookout for Kentucky 74 Spiced when the leaves start to change. According to reviewers, it's great mixed with hot cider and reminds people of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. You could also try adding it to these great mocktails to craft for the holiday season.
Everleaf
Everleaf founder Paul Mathew spent years working as a conservation biologist. From there, he took a career turn and bought his own bar. After realizing the options for non-alcoholic drinks were limited, he started work on Everleaf. Fortunately these days, there are loads of great non-alcoholic drinks to order at the bar.
There are three Everleaf flavors available: Forest, which is bittersweet, featuring ingredients like saffron, vanilla, and honeyed orange blossom; Mountain, which is more aromatic, featuring cherry blossom, strawberry, and rosehip; and Marine, which is on the crisper end of the scale, featuring kelp, bergamot, and sea buckthorn.
Everleaf suggests serving all three with tonic water, or mixing into a range of cocktails, from short sours to long spritzes. Wine and drinks expert and presenter Olly Smith said Everleaf Mountain on its own over ice is "so scrumptious," with "depth, complexity," and other reviewers say it's a "delight," as well as "very flavorful and grown up."
While this brand started life in London, it recently became available in the U.S. through various online vendors. Due to its relatively limited availability, you'll likely be bagging an exciting exclusive for your next party.