How Are Non-Alcoholic Spirits Made?
Non-alcoholic spirits have exploded in popularity over the past few years, offering the ritual, complexity, and flavor of traditional spirits without the buzz. But how exactly are they made? After all, if there’s no alcohol, how do you capture the depth and bite of a gin, whiskey, or rum? Let’s break it down.
1. The Starting Point: Flavor First
Unlike traditional spirits, which begin with fermenting sugars into alcohol, most non-alcoholic spirits start with botanicals, herbs, spices, and fruits. Think juniper, citrus peel, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or even coffee. These ingredients are selected for the same reasons distillers choose them for gin or amaro: to build layers of flavor.
2. Extraction Through Distillation or Steeping
There are two main methods used:
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Distillation: Just like in alcoholic spirits, botanicals can be distilled in water or a very low-alcohol solution (which is later removed). This process extracts aromatic compounds and concentrates them. Some producers use copper stills, the same equipment you’d find in traditional distilleries.
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Steeping/Infusion: Ingredients are soaked in hot or cold water to release flavors. This is a gentler process that works well for delicate botanicals like chamomile, mint, or floral notes.
Often, brands use a combination of both to balance strength and subtlety.
3. Layering Flavors for Complexity
One of the challenges with non-alcoholic spirits is replicating the mouthfeel and structure of alcohol, which naturally carries flavors and adds warmth. To achieve this, producers layer multiple extractions together—spicy notes for heat (like pepper or ginger), bitter notes for depth (like gentian or wormwood), and citrus or herbal notes for brightness.
4. Creating Texture and “Burn”
Alcohol has a weight and warmth in the mouth that water alone doesn’t. To recreate this, makers add natural ingredients such as:
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Capsicum (chili extract) or ginger for a warming “kick.”
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Glycerin or plant-based extracts to give body and roundness.
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Bitter botanicals to create the dry, lingering finish of a true spirit.
5. Bottling Without Alcohol
Finally, the finished liquid is blended, filtered, and bottled—without fermentation or distillation that produces alcohol. This keeps the ABV at 0.0% or below the legal threshold of 0.5%.
The Result: Spirit Without the Spirit
The end product is something you can mix into cocktails the same way you’d use gin, whiskey, or rum—just without the aftereffects of alcohol. Whether shaken with tonic, stirred into a spritz, or sipped neat over ice, non-alcoholic spirits prove that “grown-up” drinks don’t need alcohol to feel sophisticated.
Final Thought:
Non-alcoholic spirits aren’t about replacing alcohol 1:1—they’re about giving people more choice. By using distillation, infusion, and a lot of creativity, producers are opening up a whole new world of mindful drinking.