A Guide to Zero Proof Spirits
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Zero Proof Spirits
What are they? What can they be used for? What do they taste like? How do you make a proper drink with them? And most importantly, are they worth buying? I’m going to answer all those questions and more.
Things are happening in the world of non alcoholic spirits! It seems that every day there is a new zero proof spirit on the market, and shops that exclusively sell them. I am lucky enough to have one such store in my neighborhood, and have been collecting some of these non alcoholic spirits here and they- as they can get quite expensive.
Luckily, I do happen to be a brand ambassador for Ritual Zero Proof Spirits, and they have kindly gifted me with their entire line. With that being said, this is not a sponsored post, so I will be reviewing them honestly.
With Dry January here, I thought now would be the best time to talk about these zero proof spirits. I first heard of non alcoholic spirits back in 2019. I was pregnant at the time and obviously not drinking alcohol so my friend Diego at Blacktail made me a zero proof cocktail using seedlip. It was the most adult mocktail I’d ever tried. It was really complex and delicious. Not overly sweet or acidic like most mock tails tend to be. It also helps that Diego is a supremely talented bartender. Since then I’ve noticed the market for these spirits explode with delicious options coming from makers all over the world.
Now, I know some of you are thinking that these spirits are just overpriced infused water and you’re not entirely wrong. However a great deal of your alcoholic spirits are made up of mostly water too. Many of these non alcoholic spirits are made by blending hydrosols or natural essences with water. Some are actually distilled from a spirit. Others are made using glycerin to extract flavors of the herbs and botanicals. Some need to be refrigerated after opening, some are shelf stable.
When building your non alcoholic bar, you’ll want to include the same staple spirits you would stock your regular bar with. Tequila, Whiskey, Gin and Rum. I actually have a couple different brands of each on hand that I will review in this post, along with some of my other favorites that don’t necessarily fall into these categories.
Mockingbird Tequila Alternative is a UK based brand. It’s made with Mexican blue agave. This one isn’t my favorite. It just tastes like sweetened water with a hint of cinnamon. It would be completely lost in a margarita.
Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative is US based company. This is probably my favorite non alcoholic spirit. It’s spicy, it has that earthiness from the agave, its not sweet. And most importantly, it makes an excellent margarita- I use this tequila with my non alcoholic triple sec, lime juice and a muddled jalapeño or Serrano pepper for a great weekday margarita.
I’m going to use Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative to make a zero proof version of my Paloma supreme that I made in my 10 Campari cocktails video awhile back. I’ll be using my homemade non alcoholic Campari for this. I will have a video and blog post for this soon- stay tuned!
For this cocktail, I’m using 2 ounces of the Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative
1 ounce of freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice, and 1 ounce of my homemade non alcoholic Campari.
Shake with ice for 10 seconds. Add soda water to my glass with ice, pour my shaker in there, then top with more soda water and a grapefruit slice. This is so refreshing. The spice from the tequila alternative and the bitterness from the non alcoholic Campari make this a really complex non alcoholic cocktail.
Whiskey
Spiritless Kentucky 74 Whiskey alternative - this one is made in Kentucky by 3 women with roots in hospitality and bourbon production. This is the first distilled non alcoholic spirit. They actually start this product with a full proof spirit and use reverse distillation to remove the alcohol. It has all those classic flavors of bourbon, oakiness, caramel, vanilla, and smoke. There’s even some spice in there to mimic the burn of alcohol.
Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative. This one is made by the same company as the tequila. It tastes a bit sweeter than the spiritless whiskey alternative, you get the oak, and vanilla, and a bit of spice. It works well in cocktails, but on its own it tastes a little disjointed. The flavors are all there, but they aren’t particularly married together like in the Spiritless whiskey, especially if you are trying it straight from the bottle- Which is not the best way to try them as they are made to be mixed in cocktails.
I’ll be making an old fashioned with the Spiritless Kentucky 74 Whiskey Alternative. I like using Demerara simple syrup in my old fashioned. I think it compliments the caramel and vanilla notes of the spirit. I use a half ounce of Demerara simple syrup, 3 dashes of angostura bitters, and 2 ounces of the spiritless Kentucky 74 whiskey alternative. Stir for 25 seconds and strain over a large ice cube. Then express and orange twist over the glass. This is a really tasty old fashioned. I don’t think it would fool bourbon drinkers, but it makes a great substitution for non drinkers who want a sophisticated non alcoholic nightcap.
Gin
Ritual Zero Proof Gin Alternative- this is again the same brand as the tequila and whiskey alternative. It’s a bit more subtle than the other spirits in their line. I don’t really taste much of the juniper in there, it’s definitely more citrus forward with a tint hint of spice to mimic the burn from alcohol. Its nice with tonic and lime, but it falls a little flat as a 1 for 1 substitute in gin cocktails.
Monday Gin Alternative- this one is definitely more juniper forward. It’s got more of a gin profile than the ritual. What’s interesting is that its not clear, its a bit cloudy because of the way the extract the oils from the botanicals. This has more of a London dry flavor profile. It’s really nice in a gimlet.
Seedlip Garden- I’ve used this one before in my Peased to Meet You cocktail. It’s very subtle. Lots of vegetal notes. It’s nice mixed with soda. But when using in cocktails it needs help as it doesn’t have much staying power. I also find that the Seedlip spirits fall flat after a week after opening them, which is a bit disappointing for the price.
To showcase the Monday Gin, I will make a French 75. For my non alcoholic French 75, I’m using half an ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 an ounce of juniper simple syrup and 1.5 ounces of Monday gin alternative. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe and top with non alcoholic sparkling wine. This is a great cocktail to kick off dry January. It tastes almost like a real French 75. It’s definitely a great celebratory drink.
Rum:
Ritual Zero Proof Rum- This is the newest spirit from Ritual, and I have to say - it is excellent. I used it in my coquito this past Christmas and nobody believed me that I didn’t use real rum! It has that warm vanilla and toasty spice notes of an aged rum.
Seedlip spice- I’m not sure if its fair to consider this a rum, but it has a nice spice character that I think lends itself to tropical drinks. When compared to the ritual rum alternative, it’s certainly lacking, but it really tasty with pineapple juice and soda.
For my non alcoholic rum cocktail, I’ll be using Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative to make a classic Daiquiri. For this non alcoholic Daiquiri I’m using 1/2 an ounce of Demerara syrup, 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice and 2 ounces of Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative. The Demerara syrup and the lime really play nicely with the vanilla, spice and orange notes of the ritual rum alternative.
Outside of the spirit replacements, there is another category of non alcoholics that I really like. I’d classify these as aperitivos. One of my absolute favorites that I drink all the time as an aperitif is Ghia. Ive used this in a couple of my non alcoholic cocktails: my non alcoholic paper plane and my blizzards and bikinis cocktail.
Rasavada is another great bitter apertitivo. I also like that its made in NY. It’s a bit pricey, but they use a lot of rare and unique ingredients in their blends. It’s really nice mixed with sparkling wine or kombucha, even just drank on its own. I’ve only tasted their Ruby Artemisia variety. They also make a Rose Bergamot and Black Ginger style.
This last non alcoholic aperitivo is called Figlia and is also from New York. It’s a bit less bitter than the other two. It tastes of clove, bitter orange and roses. It’s really nice on its own served over a large ice cube with an orange twist.
Another category of non alcoholic beverages are the Euphorics. Essentially Euphorics alter your mood to make you feel either euphoric or incredibly zen. They use different herbs and roots call nootropics that stimulate your brain. There’s even some anecdotal evidence that they improve memory and brain function- though these claims have not been verified by the FDA. So far I’ve only tried the ones meant for relaxing. I have definitely noticed I fall asleep faster and sleep more peacefully after having one of these as a nightcap.
Kin Dream light- The kin concentrate has a really nice woodsy flavor to it. It’s a bit tannic, so I like to drink it with club soda and a squeeze of lemon.
Three Spirit Night cap is delicious on its own. I typically have this served over ice with an orange twist at night before bed.
I will update this post once I try out the “uppers” of this category. They do typically contain caffeine which is something I try to stay away from in the evenings.
I hope I was able to shed some light on this category of non alcoholic beverages and what they can offer. I think its really great that they exist for people who can’t or choose not to drink for a myriad of reasons and therefore, definitely worth it to pick up a bottle or two. Everyone should have access to a quality cocktail, even if it’s booze free.
If you are interested in trying any Ritual Zero Proof Spirits, use my code THEWEEPEARL at checkout for 10% off.
