Tasting Nonalcoholic Spirits and Cocktails

This riff on the classic cocktail of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari impressed us. “They got the balance of syrupy sweetness, bracing bitterness, and slight citrusy finish just right,” one happy taster summarized. The dryness “mimics a real negroni,” noted another. Its light carbonation and bitterness were “delightful and refreshing,” making tasters feel like they were sitting in an Italian piazza on a sunny day.

Tasters loved the balance of “sweet and spice” in this “complex” beverage. Drinking it evoked sitting outdoors at a Mexican restaurant on a hot summer day, waiting for tacos to arrive. It had “that woodsy, spicy, herbal quality of real fresh ginger.” Many tasters noticed pineapple flavor. It was “thirst-quenching” with a lingering ginger aftertaste that made tasters want to take another sip.

The initial bitterness of this beverage gives way to “subtle sweetness and tartness.” Tasters also described the flavor as “herbaceous” and “floral.” It was “delightfully effervescent.” Our tasters imagined enjoying it on a breezy spring day, picnicking in a park with friends.

This “refreshing” faux gin and tonic was “very fizzy,” though our tasters didn’t think it mimicked an alcoholic gin and tonic very well. “It's not sweet at all in the way a gin and tonic has a slight sweetness,” said one taster. It had “a slightly bitter aftertaste, probably to make it seem like it has gin in it.” Tasters picked up on two ingredients we expect to find in a gin and tonic: quinine and juniper.

This “pleasantly bitter” and “astringent” drink reminded one taster of Red Bull. It was “kind of like a seltzer, but tastes like an adult beverage.” It’s “something to unwind with, not drink during the day.” It had notes of “anise,” “lemon,” “cedar,” and “cardamom.” It was “fizzy” with “tiny bubbles.”

Tasters liked this drink’s “rhubarb and hibiscus flavor.” It tasted “subtly floral, subtly vegetal” and had a “hint of a berry.” It was “very refreshing and a bit astringent, and only mildly fizzy.” One of our tasters said this drink was “like a better flavored seltzer;” another compared it to a “sophisticated Spindrift.”

Taster really liked “slightly sweet and slightly medicinal” flavor and notes of “orange” and “clove” in this aperitif. It reminded one taster “a little of aperol.” Tasters imagined enjoying this cocktail before dinner on a terrace in Southern Italy. When mixed with tonic, the drink was “slightly fruity, pleasantly bitter,” and one taster noted that “the tonic and orange slice lent it a bit of sweetness.”

Sipped plain, it had notes of “smokiness” as well as “lime, chili, [and] black peppercorn.” One taster liked that it had “a bit of a burn that mimics a real tequila.” When we used it to make faux margaritas, they were “bright, sharp, [and] citrusy.” This spirit did the best job of replacing its alcoholic counterpart. Our tasters thought this would be a perfect drink to enjoy at a backyard barbecue.

This “delightful” spirit had grassy and earthy notes from the pea and hay and was “springlike” and “citrusy and herbal.” When our tasters mixed it with ginger ale, some loved the “lemony” and “refreshing” combination. Tasters imagined drinking it while relaxing at a spa in incredibly fluffy robes, listening to rainforest white noise.

 Sipped plain, this spirit tasted a little “minty” and had notes of “caramel,” “light cola,” and “chicory.” It closely mimicked what we expect from rum. When mixed with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime to make a Dark and Stormy, “the acid from the lime [helped] balance out the sweet caramel notes” of the spirit. “The burn is great, and the texture is improved by the carbonation of the ginger beer,” said one happy taster.

Tasted plain, this nonalcoholic bourbon was “lightly bitter” with notes of butterscotch, “caramel”, and “vanilla,” which made tasters feel like they were having celebration drinks at a bar after recently being promoted. Whisky sours made with this tasted more balanced than when the spirit was sipped plain, though our tasters missed the alcoholic burn of traditional whisky. 

This spirit didn’t remind our tasters of any drink they’d previously had. When sipped plain, this spirit was “watery” with “herbaceous,” “citrus,” and “floral” notes, which reminded tasters of a spring baby shower. After mixing it with tonic, it tasted “briny,” “herbal, sweet, [and] refreshing.”

When sipped plain, this nonalcoholic gin tasted “sweet and piney” with an intense bitter aftertaste, but “it [didn't] have any of the bite” that tasters expected. Without the burn we typically associate with alcoholic gin, a gin and tonic made with this spirit “tasted like a soda.”

Plain, this tasted “complex and bold and interesting” with an intense bitterness at the end. It had notes of “lemon,” “grapefruit,” “ginger,” “black pepper,” and rosemary. When combined with equal parts seltzer, some of the bitterness was softened.

When sipped plain, it was “bracingly tart, with savory, vegetal notes” which reminded multiple tasters of a faux Bloody Mary. It was “really drying and astringent on the finish.” While you can drink this plain, some tasters preferred it mixed with seltzer. It was “much more pleasant with seltzer and lemon peel. The flavors have room to breathe and you can taste the astringency of the bergamot and the floral notes are dialed way down.”

This spritz was “pleasantly light and effervescent” and made for “easy drinking." Tasters imagined enjoying it at a fancy summer brunch with friends. It was “sweet with some savory, vinegary notes” and also had some “earthy, briny, vegetal” flavors. One taster noticed “rhubarb” and “hibiscus” too.