The nonalcoholic beverages you should absolutely be drinking this year
So many ways to drink well


Everyone likes drinking; not everyone likes drinking alcohol. Thankfully, the nonalcoholic beverages market grows stronger and deeper each year. These recommendations include canned cocktails with terroir-specific vibes and larger bottles that emulate the best of what wine and aperitifs can do.
Any-occasion warm-up:
Ritual Zero-Proof Aperitif Alternative
Aperitifs are, by design, low-proof beverages. They are meant to gently ease you into the evening or a meal. Well, Ritual has shaved off that slight boozy edge off for their aperitif bottle. Think of it like a straight-edged pal of Campari: great on its own or with (n/a) vermouth, or use it as one-third of a n/a Negroni.
Tropical-inflected canned cocktails:
Caleño
Light & Zesty; Dark & Spicy: These are the two spirit alternatives bottled by the Colombia-inspired beverage company. The first is a gin substitute flavored with pineapple and, of course, juniper. The second is a rum alternative flavored with kola nut and vanilla. Play with those Dark 'N Stormys and Tom Collinses.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mixed-fruit wine-ish beverage:
Zerozzante Cuvée Nr. 4 Grape Rhubarb
A good nonalcoholic beverage can be made from grapes alone. Still, a delightful synergy occurs when a producer mixes grapes with another fruit. The rippling edge of rhubarb adds ballast to this unpasteurized sparkling drink from Germany.
Southwestern desert–inspired drinking:
Parch
Love tequila but ready to come at agave from a fresh angle? These canned cocktails come in two iterations: Spiced Piñarita, a take on, yes, a Margarita with prickly pear juice and mole bitters; Prickly Paloma, spiky with hibiscus and grapefruit.
Kicky, hearty sodas:
Casamara Club Amaro Leisure Sodas
The inspiration for the four bottlings in this collection swerves from Sicily to the Alps. Each has strong botanicals to conjure the moodiness of a good amaro, plus the refreshing effervescence of a great sparkler or beer.
Beefy, quaffable red wine cousin:
Nuala by Muri
The style of chilled red wine called glou-glou has been a drinkers' warm-weather favorite for some time. Nuala, a stylistic nonalcoholic peer to glou-glou, was born in the fermentation hotbed of Copenhagen and is made with black currants, oak kombucha and pine kvass.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Scott Hocker is an award-winning freelance writer and editor at The Week Digital. He has written food, travel, culture and lifestyle stories for local, national and international publications for more than 20 years. Scott also has more than 15 years of experience creating, implementing and managing content initiatives while working across departments to grow companies. His most recent editorial post was as editor-in-chief of Liquor.com. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Tasting Table and a senior editor at San Francisco magazine.
-
5 cracking cartoons about broken nest eggs
Cartoons Artists take on plummeting value, sound advice, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Mental health: a case of overdiagnosis?
Talking Point
By The Week UK Published
-
The Canadian: taking a sleeper train across Canada
The Week Recommends Unique and unforgettable way to see this 'vast and varied' landscape
By The Week UK Published
-
Unlocking the wonders of Bhutan
The Week Recommends Exploring this Himalayan nation has never been easier
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
6 hotels with amenities that blow the usual gifts out of the water
The Week Recommends You can have a butler walk your dog and a guitar sent to your room. But you cannot have your guitar walked.
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
One great cookbook: 'I Am From Here' by Vishwesh Bhatt
The Week Recommends Where India meets the American South meets I-want-to-cook-it-all
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in April, including 'The Last of Us' and 'The Rehearsal'
the week recommends The zombie virus persists, Nathan Fielder investigates plane crashes and a cancer patient craves sexual discovery
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
5 tips for decluttering to get you through spring cleaning and beyond
The Week Recommends Organizing your space does not have to be quite so stressful
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in April, including 'A Minecraft Movie' and 'The Legend of Ochi'
The Week Recommends An all-timer video game gets a wacky adaption, Ryan Coogler makes a vampire flick and a new fantasy puts practical effects back in the spotlight
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Diana Henry picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The food writer shares works by Claire Keegan, Molly O'Neill and Richard Yates
By The Week UK Published
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published