Non-Alcoholic Alcohol

[Steve Freides]

From a company called Ritual. My wife likes some of what they have but only some. Label below is from their “whiskey alternative.” For her, it’s a calorie reduction thing, and she still drinks normal stuff some of the time, something like this stuff during the week and the real thing on the weekends.

Thoughts?

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

I'd be curious to try their fake Campari, because it seems like removing the alcohol wouldn't change the flavor that much, and Campari isn't very high proof.

Although at $35 it's more expensive than real Campari.

I'm skeptical of 0 alcohol for much higher proof whiskey or gin tasting right, though.

 

[Ege]

Does it taste like whisky? Probably I would get most use out of it if someone serves me it without my knowledge otherwise I am afraid I would choose a Scotch over this one, every time and all the time

 

[Steve Freides]

Does it taste like whisky?

My wife drinks whiskey/bourbon with water on the rocks. Like that, she says it's a fine substitute. Straight up, no, according to both of us.

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

My wife drinks whiskey/bourbon with water on the rocks. Like that, she says it's a fine substitute. Straight up, no, according to both of us.

-S-

Yeah, that was going to be my guess, that it might work in diluted cocktails.

I can't imagine a gin martini tasting right, though, with zero alcohol.

 

[offwidth]

Wouldn’t be for me, any more than decaffeinated coffee…

If I wanted a calorie reduced beverage I would go with water.

 

[Steve Freides]

Wouldn’t be for me, any more than decaffeinated coffee…

If I wanted a calorie reduced beverage I would go with water.

They call their company Ritual, and for my wife, that's what it is, a ritual drink with dinner.

-S-

 

[Denys Carthusian]

I'm wondering what Vicks Vap O Rub tastes like as a competing over the counter alternative.

 

[silveraw]

I can't imagine a gin martini tasting right, though, with zero alcohol.

Now you have me wishing La Croix made a juniper flavor. Add some lime and you would have a nice G&T alternative

 

[John DeStefano]

My wife and I have tried a NA gin and tequila. Not for us. They make OK mocktails, but ended up not being worth it to us. Also read that NA whiskeys are too cinnamon-y, and decided to just skip it. Not worth the money and would rather go without any special beverage.

We do like some NA beers. Guinness especially, and Heinekens are decent.

 

[Anna C]

We do like some NA beers. Guinness especially, and Heinekens are decent.

I appreciated O'Douls when I was pregnant in 1995. Not much of a beer drinker anymore.

 

[conor78]

Guinness now offer a zero option. Wouldn’t normally drink it but if I had to drive it’s a decent option.

 

[watchnerd]

Now you have me wishing La Croix made a juniper flavor. Add some lime and you would have a nice G&T alternative

Just dump some juniper essence in a glass, then pour in the tonic water:

Amazon product ASIN B07JMSGS8R
Amazon product ASIN B01MPWHRJ0

 

[Dann]

I've been in the search for alternatives, unfortunately my poison has always been straight bourbon and nothing I've found gives the bite and burn of the real thing. Kin and trukava have been helpfull but not quite satisfying.

 

[djm]

Tbh, I'd rather just not drink.

 

[C. Schwartz]

I'm a big fan of non-alcoholic beer, particularly particularly when it's brewed to be alcohol free as opposed to extracted. When I lived in Australia, there were some excellent brands and these were becoming regular at pubs (Heaps Normal being the obvious one and a very Australian name). There are some really good standards out there that are available in France too, e.g., Kehrwieder ü.NN IPA alkoholfrei 0,33l | Kehrwieder.Shop.

 

[Hrungnir]

Athletic Brewing is a great NA beer brand. There seems to be a bit of a surge in demand for NA beverages, my NA beer sales are much higher and every distributor is pushing a NA spirits option.

 

[watchnerd]

I'm a big fan of non-alcoholic beer, particularly particularly when it's brewed to be alcohol free as opposed to extracted.

How does that even work?

Alcohol is a natural by-product of brewer's yeast, so.....?

Are they making beer with dry bread yeast?

 

[Hrungnir]

How does that even work?

Alcohol is a natural by-product of brewer's yeast, so.....?

Are they making beer with dry bread yeast?

Dry bread yeast also creates alcohol, it’s the same species as wine and brewers yeast.

You start with a lower gravity wort, ferment under pressure, then kill the yeast either with sulfites or cold crash (if Homebrew). NA beer has less than .5% alcohol, not alcohol free.

 

[LukeV]

I’ve ever liked alcohol enough to drink it without the alcohol. Even the finest wine or the most refreshing beer is only worth it due to that pleasant after-feeling. Have you noticed that the non-alcohol alcohols seem just as expensive as the alcohol alcohols even though they’re not subject to the same tax? What’s that all about?