“Alcohol-free spirits” sounds like an oxymoron — like “jumbo shrimp” or “working vacation.” While non-alcoholic wine and beer can be appreciated for their flavor, the whole point of liquor is that it packs a punch. 
But non-alcoholic spirits, which bring complexity and depth to craft beverages, are having a moment. Globally, fewer people are drinking. In 2000, 47.6 percent of the world’s population over 15 consumed alcohol, according to the World Health Organization (WHO); now, 43 percent do. Europe has witnessed a 10 percentage point decrease in the drinking population. Is now the time to put alcohol-free spirits behind the bar?
What are non-alcoholic spirits?
Unlike early experiments that were made with artificial flavorings, modern brands take an artisanal, all-natural approach. And, reviewers agree, they taste good!
Some companies try to mimic the distinct flavor of certain liquors for people who miss the taste of a gin and tonic or a rum and coke. Ceder’s “alt-gin” is made with Swedish water, juniper and South African ingredients, such as rooibos and floral fynbos. Strykk zero-alcohol spirits are all-natural, sugar-free alternatives to liquor. Flavors include Not Rum, Not Gin and Not Vodka.
Other brands create spirits with original, complex flavors. The best-known example right now is Seedlip, a brand of non-alcoholic spirits that was developed in the United Kingdom and is now available in the United States. Founder Ben Branson’s mission, he told BevNET, was “to solve the dilemma of what to drink when you’re not drinking.” Inspired by a 1651 book on non-alcoholic, distilled herbal remedies, Branson experimented with botanical ingredients in a copper still.
The result is three flavors of alcohol-free spirits. Spice 94 tastes of citrus (from lemon and grapefruit peel) and bitter oak and cascarilla bark. Garden 108 tastes like peas, hay and herbs. Grove 42 is crafted from oranges, ginger, lemongrass and peppercorn.
Ecology+Co, a New Zealand company, takes both approaches with its two alcohol-free spirits: one tastes like gin, with traditional botanicals, and one, called “Asian Spice,” is an aromatic blend of lemon, cardamom, black pepper and cassia.
Should you add non-alcoholic spirits to your bar program?
Artisanal zero-alcohol spirits can be expensive. The retail price for a 70cl bottle of Seedlip is £27.99 (around $37 USD). That may cause bar owners to hesitate, along with the big question: “Is anyone actually going to drink this stuff?”
Adding non-alcoholic craft cocktails to the menu can be a notable — and profitable — market differentiator, especially if you’re trying to attract millennial and Gen-Z customers. “Across the globe, it is young people who are embracing sobriety most enthusiastically, from Iceland, to Canada, to the UK, to Japan,” the Christian Science Monitor reports. For that reason, it may make sense to offer at least one thoughtfully crafted alcohol-free cocktail. (Don’t call them “mocktails,” Chicago bartender Julia Momose urges, because that implies that it’s not a real drink.)
Some possibilities:
- The Nogroni, made with Seedlip’s Spice 94
- Ceder’s Crisp and Cucumber
- A non-alcoholic Espresso Martini made with Stryyk Not Rum and cold-brew coffee
It’s perfectly possible, of course, to serve a refreshing zero-proof cocktail without the zero-alcohol spirits. A high-performance commercial blender makes quick work of frozen drinks, like the Frozen Yuzu Guava Kombucha. With a vacuum chamber sealer, bartenders can rapidly infuse simple syrups with herbs, fruit or spices to create beverages with garden-fresh flavor. Shrubs and drinking vinegars remain popular. And then, there’s the whole world of CBD cocktails made with cannabidiol… but that’s a topic for another time.
Do you have a winning recipe for an alcohol-free cocktail? Tell us about it! We’re always looking for restaurant and bar innovators to feature in this space.
