“The party isn’t over, it’s just different”
A friend
Have you ever had a hankering for a margarita, a gin and tonic, or maybe a daiquiri, but you didn’t want to drink alcohol and deal with a hangover the next day, or maybe you just want to live a healthy and sober lifestyle? Then, we have good news for you! Have you heard of alcohol-free gin? Non-alcoholic tequila? Rum without alcohol? Or other great non-alcoholic spirits? Mixed with your favorite syrups, juices and tonics, they will make delicious margaritas, gin & tonics, daiquiris, and other classics, only without the alcohol. What’s even better is that on days when you might feel a little adventurous and want to try something completely new, when you feel like trying something that doesn't mimic traditional spirits but stands alone, representing itself as something entirely new, there are several delicious alternatives for those moments too.
Traditional Spirits “Alternatives”
There are alternatives for the traditional popular spirits whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, and tequila. They are made to deliver the same sort of complexity, aroma, and warmth, mouthfeel, and flavor of those same spirits, only without the alcohol.
Other Types of Alcohol-Free Spirits
Some alcohol-free spirits aren’t made to taste like any traditional spirit at all, but instead, they have their own unique flavors. These types of alcohol-free spirits can be made with anything from roots to berries, to spices and flowers, and contain many of the same ingredients as the more mainstream non-alcoholic spirits alternatives mentioned above.
What are non-alcoholic spirits made of?
Non-alcoholic spirits can be made from a wide range of ingredients that are blended together to produce the taste notes, aromas, color, and “burn” that the producer strives to achieve. There’s a seemingly endless array of flavors for makers to choose from to flavor and color their alcohol-free spirits. The essence of these ingredients are extracted, transformed, and refined by various methods before blending and bottling. Non-alcoholic spirits include ingredients such as fruits, berries, herbs, flowers, barks, wood, nuts, seeds, grasses, roots and more.
How are non-alcoholic spirits made?
There are several basic techniques and processes that are used to make non-alcoholic spirits. Some of them go back a thousand years.
- Distillation: Distillation is the process of heating a liquid in order to create a vapor, and then capturing and condensing that vapor so as to return it to a liquid with new properties.
- Maceration: Maceration is a process by which ingredients are soaked in a cold liquid, to extract its flavor.
- Filtering: Liquids created during various stages of the process are run through filters in order to purify and uncloud them.
- Blending: Various distillates, macerations, and other filtered ingredients are mixed together to achieve a certain flavor, look, and mouthfeel.
As you can see, alcohol free spirits are made with careful, slow and precise techniques, requiring equipment and nuanced recipes. These techniques allow producers to experiment with and create specific, layered flavors. These techniques also change the texture of the drink, giving you a more complex and enjoyable drinking experience.
Want to experience some non-alcoholic spirits for yourself? Check out our high quality collection of alcohol-free spirits, aperitifs, and ready-to-drink mocktails by ISH Spirits, Gnista Spirits, Carlbaum’s, Franka Drinks, and Stockholms Bränneri. You should also check out our tonics and mixers, perfect for mixing mocktails. Let’s get the party going!