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The world of nonalcoholic drinks has come so far we can no longer lump the wine proxies and the canned mocktails together in one short, simple list. Gone are the days when the sober and the sober-curious had to sidle up to the bartender and whisper their Roy Rogers order in hopes of passing it off as a rum and Coke. Nonalcoholic drinks have gotten so good that you no longer have to sacrifice the taste of your favorite cocktail or a great food and wine pairing to be the designated driver in your friend group.
As someone who has been living on the sober-curious spectrum for the past eight years, I’ve tried a lot of N/A beverages—and so have a lot of other BA staffers. These are the best nonalcoholic drinks our team has tried, including a suspiciously convincing Negroni dupe and craft beers that deliver on complex hoppy flavors without the buzz.
The Best Premade Mocktails
When you want a fun drink without having to work too hard, premade nonalcoholic cocktails are the way to go. These are the ones that we keep stocked in our fridges at home and in the office:
Ghia makes one of the original best nonalcholic drinks, and we still love this one (and the new berry-flavored edition) for concocting our own beverages. But the real star of the Ghia line, apart from the hazelnut spread we’re all obsessed with, is its collection of canned spritzes. It comes in four flavors, including a spicy sumac & chili and lime & salt that has big margarita energy. If you’re not sure where to start, go for the brand’s bestsellers bundle so you can find your favorite.
The Phony Negroni was already perfect, but the brilliant minds at St. Agrestis had to take things a step further. Now you can also get premade nonalcoholic espresso Negronis and a delightfully smoky, complex mezcal Negroni. If you’re more sober-curious than fully sober, popping one of their amaro-soaked cherries in the mezcal Negroni will kind of blow your mind. They also make a large format Amaro Falso if you prefer to experiment with your own mixology.
If you like a little mystery and surprise in your mocktails, Curious Elixirs should be your new go-to. The company make eight different booze-free “elixirs” with tasting notes like smoked cherry chocolate and lemon lavender elderflower. I regularly break these out when I’m hosting, and my guests are always shocked by the complex flavors. If you find yourself reaching for these all the time, consider subscribing to their cocktail-of-the-month club.
The Best Nonalcoholic Wines
When buying a nonalcoholic wine, the first thing to consider is whether you want alcohol-removed wine or a wine proxy. Alcohol-removed wines are exactly what they sound like: They used to be wine, but they’ve had the alcohol taken out while retaining all the original flavor. Wine proxies, on the other hand, are another type of nonalcoholic that achieves a wine-like flavor by layering ingredients like fruit juices, botanical extracts, and teas. When you’re looking for something to pair with a nice dinner, these are your best bets.
The Best Nonalcoholic Spirits
You don’t have to give up on the dream of an enviable home bar cart just because you’re chilling out on alcohol. Nonalcoholic spirits have arrived at a place where they really can mimic the real thing—and some have unique flavor profiles that will encourage you to experiment. These are the ones BA staffers keep on deck:
Seedlip is the OG N/A spirit, and it’s still one of the best. It comes in three different flavors—Garden 108, Spice 94, and Grove 52—all of which have their own tasting notes. “It shines without needing to fuss with too many add-ins or garnishes: “I like it with some tonic water and basil for a crisp, simple nonalcoholic drink (jazzed up with a cucumber ribbon), but a spritz of lime or any herb you have on hand can make for a refreshing pick-me-up,” says associate cooking editor Antara Shinha.
I have a massive sweet tooth and that translates to my cocktail preference. I love the flavors of an amaretto sour or a whiskey and Coke, and Lyre’s N/A spirits are pretty much indiscernible from what I’d order at my local bar.
If you love the artsy romanticism and licorice flavors of drinking absinthe, but don’t love how absinthe makes you feel, Gnista makes an intense, nuanced floral wormwood nonalcoholic spirit that I love to drink neat from a fancy glass after dinner. They also have a bourbon-like barrel-aged oak spirit that mixes especially well.
Everleaf’s botanical spirits are inspired by the natural world, which is why they have names like Mountain and Marine. Designed to be paired with effervescent mixers, these make a perfect summer spritz.
Liqueurs are great for after-dinner drinks and sweeter cocktails, but they’re also really good for baking. Giffard’s N/A offerings fill this niche, with delicate flavors like elderflower and ginger. These are best used as components of a nonalcoholic cocktail rather than the main event, but they add a lot of nuance when paired with the right N/A Champagne or spirit.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Beer
When I first stopped drinking, the thing I missed the most was craft beer. Then I discovered Athletic Brewing, and I didn’t miss it anymore. If you love beer for the flavor, their offerings will surprise you with just how perfectly they mimic actual beer. And for something a bit lighter, I am obsessed with Hopwtr’s classic flavor, which tastes like seltzer and an IPA had a baby.
