February: New & Noteworthy Non-Alcoholic Spirits

/

There are hundreds of non-alcoholic spirits on the market now, and along with that growth comes zero-proof innovation. The ability for producers to recreate your favourite gin, whiskey or aperitivo in a zero ABV format has gotten better and better since the start of the movement in 2020. Here are a few new (or new to me) options I tried over the past month and my thoughts on whether they’re worth the hype…or not!

THUMBS UP

  1. Almave Non-Alcoholic Tequila

The Lewis Hamilton founded brand hit the ground running, winning over cocktail and mocktail enthusiasts alike with it’s brand partnerships and marketing promotions. Celebrity-founded brands don’t always mean quality but in this case, just like the Trejos Tequila, Lewis Hamilton can put his money where his mouth is. Almave comes in two styles: a Blanco and a Reposado.

Blanco tequila is like a fresh bite of agave straight from the field—bright, crisp, and full of bold citrus and peppery notes. Almave Blanco is pure and vibrant, full of bright, fresh agave, with a hint of minerality and spice. It would be a great option for a non-alcoholic scratch margarita. Reposado, on the other hand, is softer and has a nice warmth. The Almave Ambar has notes of brown sugar, toasted wood and allspice with subtle hints of cacao. Balanced with agave, acidity, subtle sharpness and a touch of bitterness. This works so well in non-traditional flavoured cocktails like a passionfruit or strawberry margarita. Our non-alcoholic Lone Ranger recipe is dynamite!

AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. VIA AMAZON

Shop via Almave.com from the U.K. or Canada.


2. Amethyst Non-Alcoholic Spirit - Cucumber Lemon Serrano

I adore Amethyst spirits already and am obsessed with their Watermelon Lime version, which you can drink pretty much straight. The cucumber lemon serrano version is also dynamite. It’s crisp with a tonne of heat, but balanced out with a natural sweetness that isn’t sickly or overpowering. The cucumber adds freshness to the acidity of the lemon. It tastes incredible on its own or you can mix it with some seltzer and a limoncello or in my case, I added some kava haven for an adaptogenic mocktail and it was just perfect.

Available in the U.S. only.

3. NKD Distillery Whiskey 

This new non-alcoholic whiskey was a surprise hit. It’s headed right to the top of our best non-alcoholic whiskey list because it’s absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t believe how well NKD duped a real whiskey and dare I say, it’s one of the first n/a spirits that truly drinks like a whiskey. HP Single Malt was the first to really nail this, but NKD is quite a bit better so HP moves to second place now. At first whiff, the aroma of NKD Whiskey is oddly light and has none of that ‘whiskey’ tell tale nose. It’s the flavour that really hits home though. It burns clean just like a Crown Royal whiskey, and it’s not just an overload of capiscum which is what so many n/a alternatives use to mimic alcohol. There’s a subtle smokiness and a touch of sweetness - almost like vanilla bean. It’s worth the investment, whether you like simple mixed drinks like jack and coke or whiskey ginger, or whether you are aiming to make a more complicated non-alcoholic cocktail. 

Not available in Canada.

Thumbs Down

4. Clean Co Non-Alcoholic Vodka

This isn’t new, by any means, but it’s new to me and I don’t know what all the fuss is about, as I found this vodka dupe to be just as bad as all the other vodka dupes out there. There is a Finnish liquere called Minttu which combines pure alcohol with fresh peppermint for that ‘just got off the ski slopes’ taste. Not going to lie, but Clean Co vodka, with its peppermint flavour, is more of a dupe of that spirit than it is real vodka. Vodka is not supposed to taste like mint in any way, so it’s off putting to say the least. On the plus side, it would be an awesome option for a holiday candy cane martini mocktail, or a chocolate martini mocktail but don’t try and make a cosmo with it as you’ll be disappointed.

How about you?

So, what are you drinking? I’d love to hear from you if you have any hot tips about new products, review ideas or if you have any non-alcoholic products you want me to write about. Drop me a line !

 

Sarah Kate is the founder and editor of Some Good Clean Fun. She’s a a thought-leader, public speaker and creator, and has been writing and creating content about the sober curious lifestyle and non-alcoholic drinks since 2021.