Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktails

As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious

Women drinking in the sun
Sunshine drinking
(Image credit: Getty Images/izusek)

"More of us are swapping sambuca for sobriety," said Cosmopolitan. Zero-proof drinks and mocktails are on the rise as we move into an "era of 'dry' partying".

Gen Z are apparently behind the non-alcoholic drinks boom, with sales "poised to grow five times as fast as conventional ones", said Bloomberg. That means there are plenty of delicious options arriving on the market.

For a summer tipple, said Good Housekeeping magazine, Talonmore Non-Alcoholic Spirit is "a great Scotch alternative" with "bags of root ginger and cinnamon, along with malty, earthy notes from Assam tea". The £25 bottle is from a family-run firm in Edinburgh. Team it with tonic or use it to make a non-alcoholic ginger mojito and you'll never guess you're flying sober.

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Good Housekeeping picked Lyre's Amaretti Non-Alcoholic Aperitif as its best non-alcoholic amaretti of 2024. This "rich, nutty" digestif – inspired by "classic amaretto liqueurs" – has notes of "almonds and creamy vanilla". Pair it with "fresh lemon and bitters to make a booze-free amaretti sour". Perfect for long, summer nights. And if you're in the mood for more, the Lyre's range is so extensive, you'd "easily be able to replicate a fully stocked bar, without any booze in sight".

You've probably heard of Seedlip – you'll have spotted it behind every British bar you've been in over the past eight years. It kickstarted the non-alcoholic spirits category when it launched in 2015 but it tastes fresher than ever. Its "unique botanical-forward products won't remind you of any traditional booze you've tasted", said Food and Wine. Yet, "they work extremely well in classic and modern cocktails".

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