Artisan Spirits With No Alcohol: How to Choose

Pentire Drinks

Fancy the ritual of a proper drink, without the alcohol? Artisan spirits with no alcohol are small-batch, flavour-first drinks designed to be mixed like spirits. They aren’t just posh squash. The best ones bring aroma, bite, and a long finish, so a serve feels grown-up and satisfying.

People pick them for all sorts of reasons: driving, training, better sleep, medications, or simply curiosity. Some are sober, some are sober-curious, and plenty just want options.

Always pop ring-pulls back over cans before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped. Bin citrus peel, as acids could harm compost creatures.

Due to quinine, avoid tonic water for pregnancy/nursing and certain medical conditions (liver failure, blood thinners, antibiotics and anti-depressants). Avoid grapefruit and rhubarb tonic waters, if on certain medications (check paper inserts).

What makes an alcohol-free spirit “artisan”?

A basic soft drink tastes complete on its own. An alcohol-free spirit alternative works differently. It’s built to share the stage with ice, mixers, and garnish, the same way gin or vermouth would. That means the flavour needs structure, not just sweetness.

Think of it like cooking. A good stock isn’t meant to be sipped like soup. It’s designed to add depth once you build the dish. In the same way, a spirit-style bottle often tastes intense, bitter, or sharp neat, then softens and opens up with dilution.

Texture matters too. Alcohol gives weight and warmth. Without it, producers have to create a sense of body in other ways, otherwise the drink can feel thin. Aroma is another big piece. Your nose does half the tasting, so a well-made bottle will smell alive the moment you pour it.

If a “spirit alternative” tastes fine neat but disappears in a mixed drink, it’s not doing its job.

Botanicals, blending, and small-batch thinking

Most artisan alcohol-free spirits start with botanicals and flavour sources you’d recognise from classic spirits and aperitifs. Juniper is common in gin-style bottles. Citrus peel adds lift. Herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil) bring savoury freshness. Spices (pepper, coriander seed, cardamom) add edges and warmth. Many makers also use teas, flowers, and roots (like gentian-style bitterness or ginger heat).

Good producers design a flavour journey. First you get top notes (bright citrus, pine, mint). Then mid notes arrive (herbs, spice, floral tones). Finally, you want a finish that lingers (dry bitterness, gentle heat, earthy depth). That finish is where cheaper options often fail, because sweetness is easy but length is harder.

How producers get big flavour without booze

Different producers use different methods, often in combination:

• Steam distillation of botanicals to capture aroma without alcohol.
• Maceration or infusion to pull flavour from herbs, peel, and spice.
• Cold brewing (often tea-based) for tannin, dryness, and colour.
• Hydrosols (aromatic waters) to boost nose and freshness.
• Blending natural extracts to fine-tune intensity and finish.

Most products aim for 0.0% ABV, but some may be up to 0.5% ABV. If you need strictly alcohol-free, always check the label.

Choose a good one (avoid expensive disappointment)

Price doesn’t guarantee quality. The easiest way to avoid regret is to buy with a serve in mind. Ask yourself one simple question: “What do I want to make with this?” A gin-style bottle that shines in a G and T might fall flat in a Negroni-style drink, and the reverse is also true.

Also, remember that alcohol-free spirits often need more support than alcoholic ones. That’s not a flaw, it’s just how the category works. The best bottles still need good ice, a decent mixer, and a garnish that fits.

Pick a style that fits how you like to drink

Use your usual order as the shortcut:

• Gin-style: juniper, citrus, pepper, herbs, clean finish.
• Aperitif-style: bitter orange, herbal notes, dry bite, often red or amber.
• Dark “spirit” style: spice, vanilla, roast notes, sometimes smoke or oak hints.
• Agave-style: green, peppery, earthy, sometimes saline.
• “Not rum” style: molasses-like sweetness, tropical notes, warming spice.

Sweetness, acidity, and how long it lasts

Before you buy, scan for clues. Sweetness is the big one. Some bottles are syrupy, which can work in long drinks but can ruin a stirred serve. Drier bottles often feel more “spirit-like”, but they can taste sharp if you don’t balance them.

Calories aren’t the point of these drinks, enjoyment is. Still, sugar level changes how often you’ll reach for the bottle, so it’s worth knowing your preference.

Storage matters as well. Many alcohol-free spirits taste best in the weeks after opening, and some need refrigeration. Aromas can fade over time, especially in lighter, citrus-led styles.

Quick serves you can remember (no shaker needed)

• Artisan G and T (alcohol-free): Add 50 ml gin-style alternative to a glass packed with ice. Top with 150 ml tonic (light or bitter). Finish with lemon peel or a slice of grapefruit.
• No-alcohol Negroni-style: Add 25 ml bitter aperitif alternative plus 25 ml botanical spirit alternative. Add 25 ml alcohol-free vermouth, or swap in strong chilled black tea with a squeeze of orange. Stir with ice, then serve over fresh ice with orange peel.
• Dark and Stormy-style (alcohol-free): Add 50 ml dark alternative to ice. Squeeze in a lime wedge, then top with 150 ml ginger beer. Stir once, then add a lime wheel.
• Sour-style (alcohol-free): In a glass, combine 50 ml spirit alternative, 25 ml lemon juice, and 15 ml sugar syrup (or honey syrup). For a foamy top, add 20 ml aquafaba and stir briskly, then add ice and stir again. Serve very cold with a lemon twist.

Pentire Drinks (botanical drinks from Cornwall)

Pentire Drinks makes lovely no-booze botanical drinks, on the Cornish coast (there’s even a Cornish Margarita!) All sold in sustainable packaging.

Made with unique coastal plants and Cornish sea salt, the range includes:

• Pentire Adrift (serve with lemon peel or rosemary)
• Pentire Seaward (serve with a slice of grapefruit – check medication)
• Pentire Coastal Spritz (a nice alternative to Italian negroni)
• Pentire Margarita (garnish with lime wedge and a slice of chilli)

Everleaf: No-Alcohol Artisan Aperitifs

Everleaf is a brand of award-winning no-alcohol aperitifs, ideal for making mocktails (no drink can be 0% alcohol, as even fruit has a little booze). Just mix one part with 3 parts mixer over ice, then add a garnish, for summer in a glass.

Choose from:

• Forest (saffron, vanilla, orange blossom)
• Mountain (cherry blossom, bittersweet rosehip)
• Marine (sea buckthorn, bergamot, kelp – avoid for thyroid issues)

This brand was founded by a conservation biologist, who spent years learning how to observe and learn from the natural world. All ingredients are sustainably-harvested, and the brand gives back to conservation causes worldwide.

Wilfred’s: An Orange and Rosemary Aperitif

Wilfred’s Aperitif is an artisan aperitif, made without alcohol and free from honey. Natural botanicals are blended with bitter orange, aromatic rosemary, clove and a hint of rhubarb. Created by an engineer after 100 experiments! His site has simple mocktail recipes.

For a sweeter end to your meal, Gibson’s Organic Liqueurs are made in the Cotswolds, and include:

• Elderflower – a floral taste of an English summer
• Blackberry (add a splash to bubbly, or drizzle into vegan ice-cream or crumble)
• Raspberry (add to vegan ice-cream, crumble or trifle)

Caleño (a Latin-inspired drink from Bristol)

Caleño (Bristol) is a Latin-inspired tropical drink in light and zesty version (nice with tonic and pineapple) or a dark spicy version (good with ginger ale and lime).

Designed for people who like to party, but without the alcohol. This is free from the sickly sweet artificial ingredients in similar brands.

Colombia has more bird diversity than anywhere on earth, and is the world’s second most biodiverse country for wildlife (after Brazil). One tenth of all the world’s species live in one of the world’s happiest countries.

A third of the country is made up on rainforest, where pink dolphins leap out of the water. The locals don’t drink the spirit above. Their national drink is made from sugar cane, that is very much not alcohol-free!

Clean Co (no-alcohol spirit alternative drinks)

CleanCo offers no alcohol alternatives to gin, whisky, rum, vodka and tequila. This brand invests in flavour profiles to create like-for-like alternatives to alcohol spirits. For age 18 and over, as they replicate spirit drinks.

Just 2 to 3 calories per single measure. Made in Manchester, drinks are packed in recycled glass bottles with Flexi-Hex compostable packaging. Once opened, drink within 3 months.

Unlike many independent no-alcohol drinks, this one has not sold out, and is now the largest independent no-alcohol spirit brands in the world. It’s great when we hear of rags-to-riches stories.

But sometimes it’s just as uplifting to hear of rich people with good business acumen, who use their skills, education, experience and connections to create something good, to help others.

Use these drinks as you would normal spirit drinks (with mixers or in cocktails, not neat).

Live tonight, thrive tomorrow. Company motto!

The range includes:

• Clean G – to replace gin. Made with notes of juniper, lemon, orange, rosemary and lavender for a fruity herby finish.
• Clean R – to replace rum. Ideal for a no-alcohol mojito. With notes of caramel, apricot, vanilla, star anise, orange, pimento and cinnamon.
• Clean T – to replace tequila. Ideal for a no-alcohol margarita. With notes of green agave, sweet melon, black pepper and cedarwood.
• Clean W – to replace whisky. With notes of oak, vanilla, spice, fresh apple and fig. A good knock-on advantage is that unlike most whisky, this is not destroying peat bogs (home to endangered butterflies and helps to prevent floods).

You can find Clean G drinks in shops, or shop online (regular shoppers get loyalty points, depending on the club you join – the host, the bartender or the mixologist!)

Try Some Clean G Cocktails

If you fancy some mocktails (no-alcohol cocktails) there are many simple recipes to try, using Clean G Drinks including:

• Strawberry Daiquiri
• Ginger Mojito
• Gin Spritz
• Dark & Stormy
• Pina Colada

Usually, no alcohol can really be 0% booze, as even fruit and bread contains a little alcohol. But 0.5% is as low as you can get. But Clean G has recently formulated their drinks to actually be 0%. It’s officially safe to drive (but still best to avoid for pregnancy/nursing).

Who Founded Clean G Drinks?

The brand was founded by Eton-educated Spencer Matthews. If you think you know him, it’s because he was one of the original stars of Made in Chelsea, a documentary focusing on the lives of affluent young men and women in London.

He had a reputation as a bit of a party boy, then decided to give up drinking. Offered water, sugary soft drinks or juicy ‘mocktails’, he missed a cheeky G & T and margarita, so decided to invent his own, without the booze.

One of Spencer’s older brothers died age 22, just 3 hours short of reaching the summit of Mount Everest. He  took part in a documentary where he also climbed the mountain, to try to find his brother’s body to return home for burial).

He did not find him, but did find the body of a local sherpa (and as the family could not afford it, mounted an operation to bring his body back to his family for burial).

In an interview at Alcohol Change, he writes that ‘I wouldn’t be friends with the drinking Spencer of years ago’. He says he was dishonest and unproductive while drinking, and told lies to cover up the extent of his drinking. He thought his time on Made in Chelsea entitled him to everything, and he would blame others for anything that didn’t go right.

All that has now changed, since going alcohol-free. He says he used to sweat ‘tying his shoelaces’, but recently ran 30 marathons in 30 days, to raise money for men’s suicide prevention charity James’ Place.

He says that giving up the booze not only dropped excess weight, but literally turned him into a better person.

If you are somebody who is drinking a lot, you owe yourself the understanding of also just being sober for a while, in my opinion. You will be very pleasantly surprised, if you’ve not done it before.

Try replacing your alcohol drinks with a Clean Co cocktail and see if that does the trick. No one’s really going to bother you with ‘why aren’t you drinking?’, because it looks the same, feels the same and can help you fit in. Spencer Matthews 

The brand has recently welcomed on board Ben Stokes OBE, a former cricketer who campaigns for men’s mental health. Also previously a bit of a drinker, he knows that giving up alcohol is a good step in the right direction, for men suffering from anxiety and depression.

Just like its awful reports on the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, The Sun newspaper showed it had not learned, when publicly reporting on a family tragedy in Ben’s family, which he condemned as ‘the lowest form of journalism’. His family took legal action, with the paper having to pay damages to Stokes and his mother, to cover legal costs and the immense stress and heartache caused.