Methodology

I feel there are two main questions to answer when evaluating these products:

• How does the product compare to the “real thing”?
• How does the product compare to its competitive set?

If you’re like me, you are probably most curious about which products come closest to the real thing. And I do think that’s an important question to answer. But the further I got into this I realized the second question is equally important: how the products rank against their competitive set, irrespective of the full proof version.

In addition to the fact that our opinion of what’s closest to the real thing is built on personal bias, not everyone who is interested in a spirit-free cocktail has the frame of reference that an alcohol drinker does. As I was abstaining from alcohol over the summer, I found that the farther along I got the less I compared alcohol-free beverages to their spirited counterparts. They weren’t in my recent memory for quick access. If a guest is not someone who regularly consumes alcohol, then they are likely comparing the product to the last alcohol-free product they enjoyed (maybe even the soda they had planned to order), not the full-proof version they had however long ago, if ever. My point is, it’s cool to offer a free-spirited version of something that tastes like the real thing, but if it still leaves you wanting that doesn’t mean someone else won’t find it enjoyable.

Lastly, maybe the biggest thing to keep in mind, especially when it comes to alcohol-free spirits and cocktails, is that there isn’t one cure-all alcohol-free gin or whiskey or whatever – it entirely depends on the cocktail and application of the product. I’m sure some would like to simplify by saying “oh just make it with Lyre’s” and call it a day, but in my experience, while a Lyre’s Dry London Spirit is delicious in a spirit-free Negroni, it gets totally lost in a spirit-free Gin & Tonic. This is no dig on Lyre’s or any other brand, though – the same could be said for full-proof spirits. A reposado tequila is better in a Paloma than a blanco, a G&T is better with Hendrick’s gin but not so much in a Negroni, and the list goes on and on. That’s why back bars are full of so many brands within each spirits category. The same is true for alcohol-free spirits. While considering how these brands compare to the real thing and their competitive set, also consider (and test) which do best in the cocktail recipe you plan to use them in (using Spirits as the primary example).