The best non-alcoholic spirits are way easier to find than they were just a few years ago. Back in the 2010s, you could perhaps find one or two bottles of non-alcoholic liquor at a store, but you were mostly relegated to drinking bitters and soda if you wanted to approximate a cocktail experience at home. These days there are full N/A spirits shops, devoted to non-alcoholic booze. And, while having options is great, it doesn’t mean you’ll instantly get the best non-alcoholic spirit by just picking a bottle at random. For that, you need experts (I’m talking about us, the taste testers at Sporked, we’re the experts). Here are all the best non-alcoholic liquors from our taste tests, so you can finally enjoy a booze-free cocktail hour.
- Clean Co Clean V
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It’s hard to make a non-alcoholic liquor that tastes like vodka since vodka really shouldn’t taste like anything and when it does taste like something that something is pure alcohol. But Clean Co created a good approximation for making booze-free takes on vodka cocktails like Cosmos or Moscow Mules. On its own, it’s tart and dry, so I wouldn’t recommend drinking it straight. But in a mocktail it adds just the right amount of oomph so you know you’re not just drinking cranberry juice or ginger beer.
Read the full ranking of the best non-alcoholic vodka
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Free Spirits the Spirit of Bourbon
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Though we still haven’t tasted a booze-free bourbon that really captures bourbon’s oak-aged quality, this one from Free Spirits comes close. It’s a little bit apple-y and a lot spiced. You get the sensation of an alcoholic burn when you sip this non-alcoholic liquor. You could drink it on its own over ice, but it’s even better mixed with ginger ale or some mulled cider. Looking for a cozy nightcap? This is the best non-alcoholic spirit for you.
Read the full ranking of the best non-alcoholic bourbon
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- DHOS Gin
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Out of all the non-alcoholic booze we tried, the n/a gins were probably the best non-alcoholic spirits. They’re botanical-heavy and many were good enough to drink on their own—including DHOS, the best non-alcoholic spirit in the gin category. It’s packed with lots of juniper-heavy flavors. And it’s not too expensive! It’s definitely the non-alcoholic liquor for you if you’re missing G&Ts or even Martinis.
Read the full ranking of the best non-alcoholic gin
Credit: Liv Averett / Drizly
- Clean Co Tequila Alternative
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Finally, you can make a non-alcoholic Margarita that doesn’t just taste like limeade. This N/A tequila is made with real agave so it really tastes like tequila. It’s zesty and grassy and tasty—overall, one of the best non-alcoholic spirits we tasted. Plus, the bottle looks incredible. This is one of those rare cases in which form lives up to function.
Read the full ranking of the best non-alcoholic tequila
Credit: Merc / Amazon
Best N/A Vodka
Best N/A Whiskey
Best N/A Gin
Best N/A Tequila
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!