The 6 Best Nonalcoholic Spirits Including Alternatives for Gin, Tequila, and Mezcal

Nonalcoholic wines and beers have been around for a long time, but the new generation of NA spirits has really shifted the conversation. With a focus on high-quality ingredients, and not just mimicking the flavors and aromas of their boozy counterparts but, in many cases, creating their own genres, today’s NA spirits show just how exciting and sophisticated alcohol-free drinking can be.

“The flavors are so much more complex [than they once were], and offer such a wide range of choices, that it makes it much easier to find something you’ll enjoy,” says Robin Cummiskey, founder of Wallace Dry Goods, a shop specializing in NA wines, spirits, and accompaniments in Ardmore, PA.

“This in turn is shifting the conversation and allowing room for choices outside of strictly drinking alcohol or not. Call it ‘sober curious’ or ‘flex’ or ‘mindful’ drinking: It’s taking the focus off of what is in your cup, and instead placing it on the experience of enjoying a cocktail, regardless of the alcohol content.”

These six are great nonalcoholic spirit alternatives for mixing up alcohol-free cocktails.

Amethyst Lemon Cucumber Serrano Nonalcoholic Botanical Spirit ($30)

The back-of-throat spice here is perfectly calibrated against bright hits of cucumber and lemon, all of which make it uniquely suited to cocktails. Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft in Ardmore, PA, stirs up a terrific nonalcoholic riff on a Martini with it called “You Only Live Twice,” using Amethyst together with Martini & Rossi Fiore and Champagne vinegar. It’s distractingly delicious.

Seedlip Garden 108 ($32)

Seedlip was one of the first gin alternatives to find widespread popularity among both bartenders and consumers. It makes sense: The freshness of peas, the zip of spearmint, the sprinkle of thyme and rosemary, all of it comes together harmoniously. This is good enough to sip on the rocks, but it really shines in n/a cocktails. Try it with Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa, an orange wheel, and a rosemary sprig garnish.

Cut Above Zero Proof Mezcal ($35)

The secret behind this non-alcoholic Mezcal is the judicious addition of smoke: It’s there, of course, but not as a defining characteristic. Rather, the harmony between extracts of chipotle, cubeba peppers, and lapsang souchong tea, as well as lime oil, oak, hops, and more, make this a delicately spicy treat. 

ISH Caribbean Spiced Spirit ($35 / 500ml)

Aromas and flavors of caramel and warm baking spices are framed in this rum-adjacent NA spirit by tea-like tannins; they linger with a subtle tingle when swallowed. It’s layered, not overly sweet, and good enough to sip on its own…though perhaps even better in an NA Dark and Stormy.

Almave Blanco ($36)

Tequila fans will appreciate that this is distilled in Mexico from blue agave, which lends each sip a lovely grassy and herbaceous character. Subtle spice perks it up even further, and it all sings in Palomas and pretty much any Margarita riff you can imagine.

Roots Divino Aperitif Bianco ($39)

As the label proclaims, this is indeed fresh and sour. But it’s also more than that: Rosemary and thyme are at the fore, and underlying notes of oregano are layered into this Greek gem. This is fantastic with tonic, and could also be the base of a delicious nonalcoholic riff on a Negroni.