The Search for The Perfect Non-Alcoholic Gin & Tonic
You. Guys.
I've been drinking non-alcoholic spirits for a few years now. So far, I've found that the gin substitutes have been the best in the market, with a large variety depending on what your flavor preference is. I like herbal and bitter, to make it a sipper instead of a drink that disappears in minutes. What's really funny is that I couldn't stand alcoholic gin when I was drinking, so the fact that I've so enjoyed all the alcohol free options is just too fun for me.
Keep reading to find out what I've tried over the years, my personal opinion of each bottle, and which I prefer for mixed gin drinks vs for a clean gin & tonic.
All of the gins that I've tried in chronological order:
Seedlip Garden
Still one of my favorites to date, and it remains in my bar as a staple. Very garden-forward. I love it in a martini.
Ritual Gin Alternative
Cucumber-forward. I didn't love it in a gin & tonic as much once I found other options, but it was amazing with Som Thai Basil Vinegar and La Croix Hibiscus.
Lyre's Dry London Spirit
Not for me. Much too light in flavor in general.
Pentire Adrift
This was up there for me to make martini's with for a while, but I found out that I don't drink martini's as much as I thought I would and it stopped being a staple in the bar after that.
Ceders Classic
Also too light for me. Could barely taste it mixed.
Dhos Gin Free
Ok this one is tough because I love how botanical it is, but the menthol back was a little hard to mix with sometimes. I've gone back and forth on keeping it as a staple in the bar.
Pearsons Botanicals Hibiscus & Rose Gin
This was a big no for me. I thought I'd enjoy the florals but I really didn't.
Free Spirits The Spirit of Gin
This was a great citrus-forward crisp gin. I ultimately decided I preferred the bolder, more herbal tastes of other brands.
Noroi Esprit De London Gin
Also on the lighter side for me. Nothing specific stood out about it for me to keep buying it.
Alphonse Gin Floral
Nothing specific stood out about it for me to keep buying it.
Alphonse Gin Orange Blossom
Nothing specific stood out about it for me to keep buying it.
CleanCo Clean G
This was a great citrus-forward crisp gin. I ultimately decided I preferred the bolder, more herbal tastes of other brands.
Monday Zero Alcohol Gin
One of my favorites. I've had one bottle go bad (this is about when I switched to storing all my alcohol free bottles in the fridge), and another randomly lost it's taste towards the end of the bottle. But flavor is definitely in my top 3 favorite non alcoholic gins.
Tanqueray 0.0
Hands down my absolute favorite. Though difficult because it isn't being distributed in the US yet (as of when this was published). I've found 2 online shops that will ship to the US but the cost is pretty high. I think it's worth it, and I have to control myself to not *just* drink this and nothing else. This & fever tree tonic is absolute magic. I was gifted a bottle for Christmas, and loved it so much that I haven't had the heart to drink it mixed (southside, gimlet etc).
Cut Above Gin
Currently, my favorite for mixing. Holds up really nice in a cucumber southside and all the flavors play together really nicely.
Please note that I'm in no way saying any of the ones that I didn't end up keeping for my bar weren't good, they just weren't for my flavor preference.
The bottles that have become staples in my bar are:
Seedlip Garden (martini's)
Cut Above Gin (general gin cocktails)
Tanqueray 0.0 (gin & tonics)
As you can see, I've invested some time and money into this search. I find that with most of the spirits, I haven't found one bottle that hits the spot for all of the cocktails that I make. I wasn't much of a connoisseur before I stopped drinking alcohol, but I've heard that this isn't unusual for spirits. Of course, tastes also change as time goes on, so I've circled back on a few bottles here and there as well.
Are there any alcohol free gin's that you've tried and that you don't see on this list? I will always try any bottle once, and love exploring and discovering new things, so if you recommend any please do let me know!
