Nonalcoholic beverages, occasionally dubbed alternative spirits, witnessed a breakout moment in 2024. Attributed in no small part to Dry January and a trending interest in mocktails, these drinks have gathered enough steam to mimic just about every product on the market. What began as a trend toward zero-proof wine and liquor has quickly expanded into all manner of aperitifs, "social mixers," adaptogenic elixirs and — dare we say it — nonalcoholic White Claw.
Unfortunately, a lot of these products stink. We don't mean to be the old man shaking his fist at the sky, but the truth of the matter is that the industry hasn't quite figured out how to effectively replicate alcoholic flavor in zero-ABV form. A peppery finish too often becomes a stab of synthetic prickles, a smooth mouthfeel replaced by a cloying blast of syrup. Don't even get us started on that bourbon alternative we tried to stomach last week. If the category is in its experimentation phase, then it's churning out Frankensteins more often than it is Fabergé eggs.
But that doesn't have to be the case.
Tasting through a variety of products that came across our desk, we found four brands that defy expectations by leaps and bounds. No two are quite alike, and they all clock in at $30 or well under. If you're hoping to enjoy hangover-free festivities this holiday season, this is the way to go:
Few drinks have captured the craft cocktail zeitgeist quite like the Negroni over these past few years. At this point in the cycle, the cocktail has become one of those things that transcends from "recipe" to "concept" much like the martini; so long as you've got the right tint and a splash of red bitters, anyone can join the bandwagon. There's the Mezcal Negroni, Cynar Negroni, Negroni Sbagliato, Boulevardier, Gloria, Negroni Swizzle and the inevitable if slightly questionable Cold Brew Negroni. So why not nonalcoholic?
Lapo's has tackled the idea with a deft touch by way of two excellent beverages. The Atlanta-based company begins with its rendition of Campari, a standalone product dubbed Lapo's Aperitivo. Unlike Campari — which is blended with a proprietary mix of herbs, fruits and spices — Lapo's is fairly open about the process. Each bottle of the faux-liqueur contains a mix of gentian root, black currant juice, bitter orange, hibiscus and cloves, the last of which does well to mimic the bite of an alcoholic beverage. Despite this, the overall effect is noticeably less bitter than the average amaro. There's a juicy, toothsome bite to the mouthfeel that brings to mind a freshly blended smoothie, an influence that feels right at home next to gentle hints of rhubarb and cinnamon. The flavors worked so well on their own that we didn't even think to use it as a mixer.
On that note, we find Lapo's Negroni. The 8-ounce canned cocktail contains pretty much everything that the Aperitivo does, albeit with a lighter effervescent touch. The only major change is a wallop of bitter orange, a fun imitation of the iconic orange rind garnish you'll find in many a Negroni. Notes of crisp apples, blackberries and a light astringency make appearances as well. All said and done, it does a fantastic job of replicating a recipe that hinges exclusively on alcoholic ingredients. The same does not go for many products in the NA cocktail genre.
Lapo's Aperitivo and Non-Alcoholic Negroni can be picked up online at $31 and $20, respectively.
It was only a matter of time before the celebrity-backed tequila craze turned into the celebrity-backed nonalcoholic craze. Though we haven't reached the true tipping point just yet, we now find a variety of up-and-comers popularizing the category with their star power. "Spider-Man" star Tom Holland grabbed headlines earlier this year with the launch of BERO, a zero-proof beer venture headed up by an alum of Angry Orchard and Samuel Adams. Before that, we saw character actor Danny Trejo foray with Trejo's Spirits, an umbrella brand that plans to roll out nonalcoholic tequila, gin, rum, mezcal and American whiskey in years to come.
One of the best to emerge from this trend is F1 racer Lewis Hamilton's Almave. Unlike most nonalcoholic tequilas, which synthesize agave flavor with a concoction of chemicals and additives, Hamilton's brand is made with the real stuff. Almave begins with Blue Weber agaves that are harvested, crushed, cooked and distilled using all the same techniques that you'd find inside a regular 40% ABV tequila. The only thing missing from the equation is the fermentation process. In theory, this means that Almave qualifies as a true nonalcoholic spirit — a distilled product that revels in everything the name entails minus the booze.
It's a fascinating experiment. The nose is loaded with cooked agave and citric acid alongside a decidedly candied touch we can liken only to blue raspberry. We have no idea where that comes from, but we can attest it appears nowhere in the palate or the finish. Instead, the flavor leans hard into those aforementioned agave notes, more akin to an agave syrup than the roasted flavor of a traditional tequila. Hidden within you'll also find lingering notes of rose petals, lime and gentle none-too-sweet vanilla. Perfect for a sober margarita.
Bottles of the brand's Blanco retail for $36.
ISH Alcohol-Free Cocktails
[caption id="attachment_92453" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: ISH Spirits)[/caption]
Denmark's ISH Spirits has tasked itself with recreating everything. In addition to zero-ABV rum, gin and agave (retitled "Caribbean Spiced," "London Botanical" and "Mexican Agave"), the brand produces a laundry list of nonalcoholic wines in Merlot, Chardonnay, Espumante and Sparkling Rose varieties. There's even a limited-edition Zinfandel Reserve. For holiday festivities? A mulled wine known as "Gløgg."
We opted to taste our way through ISH's portfolio of pre-mixed cocktails, all of which are made using their in-house nonalcoholic spirits plus a few extra ingredients. Assembled next to each other on our desk, these brightly colored cans looked like Starbursts in cylindrical 250-milliliter form. Enticing stuff. There's a Spritz, Paloma, G&T, Daquiri and Mojito — they're all vegan, GMO-free and clock in at around 100 calories.
Were we to recommend just two, we'd easily go with the Daquiri and Paloma. Whatever ISH has done with its nonalcoholic rum works quite well within the former; there's a blend of apple, brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg that calls to mind all the right notes you'd look for in a sugar cane spirit. Combine that with a healthy serving of lime and an unexpectedly spicy finish (apparently from the addition of chili seed shells) and you've got a nice package. The Paloma, meanwhile, provides all the grapefruit you'd expect. In lieu of tequila, or even faux-tequila flavor, the palate brims with intriguingly nutty hints of roasted barley, oak, bay leaf and resin. This one misses the mark on its intended cocktail influence but comes out pretty great as a standalone product.
Individual cans of ISH Alcohol-Free cocktails can be picked up online at 25 kr ($2.26). The brand also offers a five-pack containing all flavors at around $11.
De Soi St. Moritz Mule Sparkling Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
[caption id="attachment_92454" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: De Soi)[/caption]
Our last entry on the list goes to Katy Perry's De Soi, pronounced with an elegant touch as "de•swa." The pop star partnered with non-alc master distiller Morgan McLachlan in 2022 to bring this bite-sized concept to market. In addition to botanicals like cardamom, date syrup and cranberry, the cocktails lean heavily on the language of adaptogenics. In this case, were talking about a recipe of lion’s mane (“to soothe stress”), reishi mushroom (“brain boosting”) and L-theanine (“to enhance cognition”).
Whatever your opinion on adaptogens may be, De Soi has assembled some tasty treats. We had a chance to sample the brand's limited-edition St. Moritz Mule earlier this month and were honestly blown away by the results. Described by Perry as a spiced twist on the Moscow Mule, the palate provided rich Christmasy flavors of rosemary, cardamom, coriander and tart cran-apple juice. On the finish, a punch of pomegranate seeds is followed by ginger and nutmeg. It's a refreshing change of pace from nonalcoholic cocktails which, even at their best, often come across as one note.
If that sounds like your jam, De Soi also sells drinks in Spritz Italiano, Purple Lune, Champignon Dreams and Golden Hour varieties. Each cost around $20 per 4-pack.
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(Photo: Almave)[/caption]
(Photo: ISH Spirits)[/caption]
(Photo: De Soi)[/caption]