Four Best Non-Alcoholic Whiskey or Bourbon Options in Canada
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This article was updated by a staff writer on August 31, 2023.
Non-alcoholic whiskey and non-alcoholic bourbon have come a really long way, and in the past few years there has been an onslaught of zero proof options for anyone who is a fan. From California to Quebec, producers have created their own spin on what the essence of a whiskey is without the addition of alcohol. So whether your vibe is country or city, there will be a non-alcoholic option to suit your taste buds and mocktail of choice!
The round-up below has our top picks for non-alcoholic whiskey. We rank products in this category based on several things:
Can you drink it on the rocks?
How does it work in an old fashioned?
How does it mix into multi-ingredient cocktails?
Of the nine or ten non-alcoholic whiskies available on the market in Canada, only a few really meet the criteria of what we’re looking for - a great experience! Enjoy our brief review of four stellar non-alcoholic spirits and where to buy them.
Our Top Pick: HP Juniper Single Malt Non-Alcoholic Whiskey
A Canadian product is at the top of our list, because it’s a fantastic non-alcoholic single malt whiskey. The aroma and the taste are excellent dupes of the real thing, with a nice peaty, wood-smoke aroma and a slight burn on the tongue. It doesn’t taste watered down, but rather has that delicate balance of thin but viscous that a scotch sometimes has. This bottle stands out because it’s one of the few you can sip straight on the rocks, and it stands up really well in an old-fashioned. While earlier non-alcoholic whiskies were made specifically to mix into a cocktail, HP Juniper is actually better on it’s own and can get lost in a multi-ingredient cocktail. Despite that, it’s a great example of how far non-alcoholic spirits have come! Worth investing in a bottle for a fireside tipple.
Find it through: https://hpjuniper.com/en/
2. Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon
Spiritless Kentucky 74 is one of the non-alcoholic brands that has been around the longest, and has fine-tuned their product to perfection. Their distilled non-alcoholic bourbon is a great dupe for a Kentucky bourbon. The aroma has a nice sharp peppery bite, and on the palette you have gentle bittersweet notes mixed with a slight medicinal tang. It’s not as sippable on the rocks as some other options, but it mixes really well into mocktails and cocktails including an old-fashioned.
For U.S. - available at all non-alcoholic retailers.
For Canada - find it at the TheSobrMarket.com
3. Free Spirits Non Alcoholic The Spirit of Bourbon
Free Spirits non-alcoholic Spirit of Bourbon is a beautiful and elegant spirit that has all the best parts of bourbon, but no alcohol. It has lovely malty, caramel notes on the palette and a gentle burn that complements the mellow flavours. You could absolutely sip this on the rocks and have a great bourbon experience, but it also stands up really nicely in cocktails, as you can see from the bourbon maple sour up above. In an old-fashioned, it’s nice and mellow and meshes nicely with the sugar and bitters without overwhelming. Free Spirits packs a nutritional punch with B12 and other nutrients, so you’re getting some positive health benefits from every drink.
Where to buy Free Spirits non-alcoholic bourbon in Canada:
Sobr Market
dryvariety.com
P/S Alcohol Free
Sansorium.com
4. Undone No 9 American Malt
Undone is a non-alcoholic spirits brand from Germany. Their non-alcoholic whiskey is one of almost a dozen zero-proof products, and is unique and flavourful with an unexpected depth for a zero proof product. It’s a great option for simple ‘whiskey cola’ style drinks.
