Similarly, some nonalcoholic beers and wines are dealcoholized, meaning manufacturers make them in the same way as traditional beer and wine and then remove almost all the ethanol (alcohol) (1). Traditionally, Matcha tea is made from green tea leaves that have been stone-ground into a soft powder by hand. This is sifted and whisked with a specialist tool with hot water to make the beverage. However, as the drink has become more popular over the years, everyone has started selling it in all its forms. Stop by your local coffee shop and you’ll it as one of the suggested healthy alternatives to coffee as it also contains naturally-occurring caffeine.

• Tasting of garden peas, cucumber, and thyme, Seedlip Garden 108 is vegetal and herby, inviting you through layers of green, grassy flavors.
• Kombucha should not be consumed by people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, who have alcohol use disorder, or who have compromised immune systems, as it is unpasteurized and contains caffeine and small amounts of alcohol.
• To make a simple syrup, McMordie recommends simmering one part water to one part sugar—or making a low sugar simple syrup using a cup-for-cup sugar alternative.

Alcohol-free beers and spirits

Other taste testers in my cohort, however, named this as their favorite gin and tonic replacement, so there’s a lot to say here about personal palate. Each one was refreshing and quaffable, but our favorite was the Havana Twist, which leaned heavily into cucumber, mint, and lime. Manhattan Berry’s blackberry and ginger flavors came through strong, while Capri Spritz impressed us with an unexpected cranberry-lemongrass combo.

The best alcohol-free beers

Tasted neat, it hit us with citrus, a jalapeño-esque burn, and notes of green banana peel, fried sweet plantain, paint thinner, and sugar-free candy. Some tasters were put off by good alternatives to alcohol a lingering vitamin mouthfeel that reminded us of chewing chalky Flintstones vitamins. We’ve tasted our previous picks again and tried over a dozen additional nonalcoholic beverages. We’ve updated our favorites, adding new picks such as Aplós Calme and Figlia Fiore Frizzante. This is certainly a bummer for oenophiles trying to cut back on their alcohol intake, but a real boon for anyone actually sober who’s looking for a cultured refreshment to enjoy alongside a meal. The bottles are also quite cute with minimalist branding and the flavor notes printed on the paper seal over the cap for quick reference.

Flavor

If you’re looking for a low-cost way to foray into the best nonalcoholic spirits market, Ritual’s gin alternative makes for a stiff mocktail. The sugar in the tonic adds the sweetness missing from the pea flavor, and the combination of Garden 108 and tonic creates a cucumber-like aroma and taste. It’s reminiscent of a gin and tonic made with an eccentric boutique gin. The flavor of the Seedlip is rather delicate, so you have to use more than you would use in a regular gin and tonic to get the full flavor experience. None of the products tasted much like wine, but each flavor offered a different experience. The red tasted more berry-forward, the white had an herbaceous, vegetal quality, and the rosé tasted like melon.

Wilfred’s packs enough of an alcohol-like sting and bitter edge to be compelling, and it has enough sweetness and spice to be balanced and welcoming. I tried both of its elixirs, but Dream Light is the one that stood out. It’s intended to help you relax and better fall asleep — truly a nightcap — after you mix it with oat milk, either cold or hot. I made myself a cup with warm almond milk and it tasted similar to a warm chai, albeit a bit smokier thanks to notes of clove, ginger, cinnamon, and chili.