These Are The 4 Most Delicious Alcohol Alternatives We’ve Tried
None are gross or make us sad.
by The Candidly Team
We all know in our hearts that alcohol is sugar-riddled poison. And no matter what our feelings are about that reality, none of us love the way it makes us feel at 3AM when our eyes shoot open and we’re forced to doom scroll our own anxious thoughts.
Now that we’re north of 40, we feel the ickiness of alcohol almost right away: on our sleep, our skin, our energy levels.
But we do love a cocktail. The clink of the ice. The elegant glasses. The swirl of color. The careful presentation.
Unfortunately, most mocktails taste like cranberry flavored cornstarch. They lack that balance and that hidden depth that makes you sip instead of slug.
This immediate sensory experience of a cocktail, has little to do with the alcohol, which also straight-up tastes like poison. But getting it right in a mocktail does take some experimenting … and some imagination.
We spent the better part of the past few years (courtesy of countless new non-alcoholic drink options and one global pandemic) mixing and matching until we found 4 alcohol substitutes that satisfy on a martini at a dim-lit bar level. Or an Aperol Spritz in an adirondack chair level. Whatever the occasion calls for, we found the drink.
Here are the 4 easiest mocktails we’ve discovered that aren't just lazy replicas of Kool-Aid.
If You Want Something Crisp And Fresh Like A Mojito
This drink tastes just like a mojito but also feels like you’re hydrating off the most glorious cucumber water from an absurdly priced spa of a 6-star resort. Just refreshing on another level.
THE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Nojito Spindrift
1/2 cup of Fever Tree Sparkling Cucumber soda
1/4 of a fresh squeezed lime
1 tsp of THIS maple syrup (Optional for some sweetness. You can also use raw sugar or simple syrup)
1/4 of an English cucumber (the long, skinny ones with the skin that isn’t too tough or waxy)
1-2 sprigs of fresh mint
THE STEPS:
Muddle about 5 washed mint leaves with 1/4 of your sliced up cucumber and the juice from a quarter segment of lime (just squeeze by hand. If the lime isn’t super juicy, use another 1/4 section). p.s. Muddling just means mushing it all together in any fashion that suits you.
Pour 1/2 cup of Nojito Spindrift and 1/2 cup of Fever Tree Sparkling Cucumber soda over the mixture and stir for a good 45 seconds so all the flavors really seep in there
Pour over ice.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and a couple slices of cucumber
Calories: 38 (55 with syrup)
Sugars: 6g (11g with syrup)
If You Want To Feel Like You're Poolside Somewhere Tropical
We don’t have the time or patience to source 17 ingredients or prepare our own rosemary-infused simple syrup. However, because we keep things simple, the ingredients we do use matter a lot, and we can’t guarantee the substitutes will work as well. But fear not, every single ingredient is easily available, and we’ve linked for your convenience.
THE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Island Punch Spindrift - Don’t think prom punch, guys. This is like a tropical garden in a glass. Sprindrift uses real fruit and sparkly water so we find it to be the freshest and most natural of any flavored soda water, in general. But this flavor is special.
1/2 oz THIS passionfruit pulp - It’s from Costa Rica and tastes like the ripest of fruit - not at all artificial or gross.
1/4 section of fresh squeezed orange
Sprig of rosemary
THE STEPS:
Mix 1/2 cup of Island Punch Spindrift with 1/2 oz of the aforementioned magical passionfruit pulp over ice.
Squeeze in the juice from a 1/4 section of an orange and stir well.
Take a peel of the orange and twist it over the top of the cocktail. It gives it just that extra bit of bit of tanginess.
Garnish with a slice of orange and a sprig of rosemary, which makes it taste like an “adult drink.” If you don’t like rosemary, use mint or just skip.
Calories: 51
Sugar: 9g
If You're Daring And Love A Dirty Martini
Disclaimer: this drink, like half the menu at most cocktail bars, is not for everyone. It’s really only for those who adore olives and would drink a dirty martini daily if not for owning a liver.
But if you’re someone tends to think every cocktail is too sweet and prefers salt to sugar, this could be your new favorite thing. Or maybe you’ll get mad and want to throw it in our face. You’ll just have to roll the dice.
THE INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic - FeverTree makes the most amazing cocktail(ish) flavored sodas in the cutest little bottles that run about 35 - 70 calories each, though we only use 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottle per drink. Their Mediterranean tonic isn’t too sweet and sort of makes us feel like we’ve been transported to the Amalfi Coast.
1/2 oz of martini olive juice - Naturally, the olive juice you use matters. THIS one is our fav.
1/4 of a fresh squeezed lime
Olives (for garnish) - as many as you want, unlike at the stingy bar
THE STEPS:
We’d tell you to shake it, but it’s carbonated, so just stir it all together in any which order over ice. Add a dash more olive juice (if you’re a little insane, like us) or add a dash more lime if you like things tangy.
Serve over ice but in a stemmed glass to make sure you still get that martini feel.
Calories: 40
Sugar: 8.5g
If You Crave Something Creamy Like A White Russian Or Pina Colada
The biggest plus of this concoction is that with one tiny change, it becomes 4 different drinks. But the creamy, coconutty, rich vanilla base remains the exact same. Add a splash of espresso and it’s a bit like a White Russian. Blend it with pineapple or banana, and it’s a pina colada or a daiquiri respectively. Or just serve it up on ice with a dash of nutmeg, and it’s a lovely sub for eggnog come Christmastime.
THE INGREDIENTS:
Dash of THIS incredible bourbon vanilla extract
3-4 sprinkles of cinnamon
1 tsp of THIS maple syrup
For a White Russian: Add 1/2 oz of espresso
For a Pina Colada: 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
For a Daiquiri: 1/2 banana (frozen for maximum creaminess)
For an Egg Nog: 1 shake of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick
Cinnamon and raw or coconut sugar (for the rim)
THE STEPS:
Shake or blend the almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice until it’s incredibly cold and icy.
For The White Russian: Include 1/2 oz of espresso in your shaker or blender.
For The Pina Colada: Blend the base ingredients with a half a cup of pineapple.
For The Daiquiri: Blend the base ingredients with half a banana, preferably frozen.
For the Egg Nog: Shake or blend the base ingredients with ice, then add a sprinkle of nutmeg on top and a cinnamon stick before serving.
For the rim: Dip a favorite cocktail glass upside down in shallow water then follow by dipping it into a mix of cinnamon and raw or coconut sugar.
Calories: 56
Sugars: 7.5g
Bonus: The Ones You Can Enjoy With Absolutely Zero Effort
Most alcohol alternatives that are “designed” to taste like alcohol are, at worst, grotesque and, at best, medicinal tasting. But all of these are genuinely enjoyable and delicious.
If you like fruity: We recommend just going straight for Spindrift’s Island Punch or Nojito. But we’re also fans of Olipop, which has microbiome-boosting prebiotics, but tastes like happiness. We’re partial to Strawberry Vanilla and Watermelon Lime in particular. They do contain stevia, however, so if sweeteners aren’t for you, just go for Spindrift.
If you like herbal: We recently tried the Aura Bora sodas, and while their flavors are definitely for those who like going down the herbal trail of all the aperols and vermouths of the world, if that’s your speed, you might absolutely love it. It has no sugar, calories, or artificial flavors. Poured over ice, it’s a savor-able, albeit unique treat.
If you just want a decent mixer: We have many mom-to-be and non-drinker friends who swear by the discovery of THIS cocktail mixer brand. The flavors like hibiscus rose and key lime sour certainly capture the imagination and mix beautifully with simple things like sparkling water.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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