Tasting 5 NON-ALCOHOLIC whiskies! Are they any good?

[@AndersErickson]

It’s good to be back! Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals - go to cookunity.com/anders and use my code ANDERS50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video!

[@paslowcb]

Thanks for doing this video. I look forward to similar videos. Cheers!

[@craftedworkshop]

My wife tried some of these while she was pregnant and most were definitely a letdown. The gin variations were definitely better since most of the flavors are from the botanicals.

[@conormurphy4328]

Yea I’ve definitely seen more advertisements for the gin versions making me think they do a better job at capturing the flavour you want.

[@richmosley2519]

@craftedworkshop You have a really great channel man! As a woodworker and beverage maker, I tend to spend A LOT of time here. Cheers!

[@3MPIREOFDEATH]

I got a bottle of the Clean gin so I could make some cocktails for my pregnant sister in-law. It basically tastes like pine sol and I had to dump the bottle.

[@craftedworkshop]

@@richmosley2519 hah, thanks man! I love Anders' videos and have considered making some cocktail videos of my own on a second channel. Could be fun!

[@ZerMetKi]

You do know they still have a small amount of alcohol, right? Like .5%, but still, they have.

[@conormurphy4328]

My main problem with non-alcoholic spirits is the price as you said at the beginning of the video. As somebody who is slowly building a home bar every bottle counts. So when it comes to choosing between an established bottle of rum or whiskey that I know will at least be quite good or a non-alcoholic spirit that I’ve at best heard as “good enough for a cocktail” but never “just as good” as the spirit it’s mimicking it’s always hard for me to justify adding it to my basket.

[@ZedsDeadZD]

And not only the price but you also have to use them up quite fast or they go bad. They also need to be in the fridge. I have non-alc gin but id rather do a mocktail with regular stuff for this reason.

[@ashleycarroll5337]

its hit and miss

[@tsawy6]

Like... alcohol is really expensive, and we all know this. As kids we accept this cuz it gets us drunk (and hey, certainly remains a reason), but at a certain point you know you're paying for both the craft and well, taxes. At least in australia, duty runs on a 700 dollar bottle of 37.5% spirit is 35 bucks. If all the non-alcoholic spirits just were 35 dollars cheaper, I would be profoundly more likely to buy them. I think the producers don't want to let that standard go, though, they're trying to pin them to the price of real liquor and it just rankles.

[@travelingman45]

Could we get more mocktails this month too? I actually consistently made a couple of the mocktails from last year throughout the entire year for different reasons. I absolutely loved the bitter one. It was so good!

[@kap5160]

Agreed! The cherry zip was a great one that I made several times.

[@pandapanda8954]

Yes Yes! Please do one on fake GIN!!

[@Rwebs]

Yes! Second this, they don’t even have to have an NA spirit, I just want some non-alcoholic drinks that taste good or mimic the experience of making a cocktail.

[@Michael253]

I like the Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits (they have many varieties). But I do half-and-half cocktails with them just to enjoy lower APV drinks.

[@jeffpowanda8821]

Good idea. For that reason alone I'm tempted to get a bottle of Lyre's.

[@allenhouse4662]

I work in a Michelin Star restaurant with an extensive NA beverage program. We make “NA Whiskey” by putting dried corn, wheat berries, oak chips, and vegetable glycerin into a vacuum-sealed bag and cooking it in a sous vide water bath and then diluting it with water. I don’t know if that’s the process these brands are using, but our product tastes quite a bit like real whiskey.

[@americraft2948]

Do you use any of the non-alcoholic spirits or scratch build all of them.

[@QueensfightanxietywithMsT]

Where are they located? And the name?

[@devbot8426]

I love making drinks, and have some friends who don't drink. This is an option to have on the table, but like you, I think mocktails made from scratch are a lot better. Would love to see more content for mocktails!

[@literaturegeek1570]

How fitting. I tried the Lyre's American Malt one yesterday. Without having watched the video yet: my own impression was, it is very watery on it's own. It was great and very enjoyable in the Whisky Sour we made. The description fits really well! "If water tasted like whisky." 😂 Can second that for my Lyre's experience.

[@jakedavis8776]

Lyres is where it’s at. My wife had a mocktail from one of my favorite bars in Lakeland, Florida- Revival. It was honestly astonishing how much it tasted like the gin cocktail they were trying to imitate. They even have apertifs and absinthe alternatives. Highly recommend!

[@kabel9357]

thanks for taking one for the team.

[@tom_123]

Video starts at 5:55

[@znachkiznachki5352]

So far, for the most part, I've been less than impressed with non-alcoholic replacements that I've tried. But there is one exception. That is The Pathfinder. It's more amaro in nature, but very tasty on its own, or in cocktails.

[@SFguy415]

Well, thanks for taking one -- or five -- for the team.

[@KeithGrant]

so glad you did this... I've been curious to try some of these. The gin alternatives are intriguing, too (not-gin and tonic maybe?)

[@AndersErickson]

I was intrigued by the gin-alternatives too. Maybe down the road

[@davidgarcia9308]

I've been curious as well, seems like the spiritless 74 would have been a close second?

[@KoraLajoie]

I loved this video, and would love to see more for other types! It's nice to see what brands you enjoy for anyone who wants to cut back a little, or people who are pregnant and want to feel like they're endulging with friends

[@ventusobscuro2579]

Hi Anders, greetings from Germany. Im personally non-alcoholic, but I like the Cocktail-Craft-Art and therefore Im looking for ways to make it work for me. I really like your comparison videos. At least in Germany, the Whisky alternatives are relativly rare, but there are tons of zero-abv gins, so maybe you go for them another time. Im looking forward to your next vid.

[@thenacpa]

Somehow haven't tried Lyre's before, but I am psyched to now. In a space where the question is "why bother?" with n/a drinks, appreciate your politeness and open-mindedness - thanks for not totally beating up the drinks! Love your videos, even as a guy who's been sober for about 6 years now. Keep 'em coming! The extraness you bring with the history and on camera pizazz is awesome. Cheers! 🍻🍹🍸

[@Dr_Bombay]

all of your videos are interesting, and somehow this one was even moreso! the both of you had facial reactions that were priceless, and said everything that needed to be said for some of them. i'm now SUPER intrigued to try the Lyre's Highland Malt now, just because you both were so emphatic about that one. the foaminess of all of them was definitely a bit odd, though!

[@MrVincelarson]

Anders, try the Ritual Tequila Alternative in a margarita- seriously. The viscosity and flavor profile are the best I’ve found for alcohol free mocktails

[@numanuma20]

Only one I like.

[@andrew949forlife]

Haha it’s like a chef tasting vegan alternatives! I don’t do dry January, Lent takes care of that for me. Reverse Osmosis is how they make these things and why it’s still kind of pricey. I’m a winemaker and we use RO in the industry for alcohol adjustment or sweet spotting often. A great riff on a real whisky sour is using meyer lemons instead of regular Lemon. It lets you taste the whisky in your sour instead of the SOUR dominating!

[@danpost4755]

I commend anyone choosing to limit their alcohol consumption for whatever their reason. Personally, I choose to abstain occasionally rather than try to replace. It just never works for me. I have tried and been let down. Just my 2 cents. I really do enjoy your channel. Keep up the great content!

[@ashtonshelton8584]

I’ve been wondering about non-alcoholic whiskey alternatives! I got the Ritual rum substitute for my girlfriend, and I thought it tasted like garbage as a rum. It was good, but not rum at all, so that made me nervous to try the whiskey. I’m glad it didn’t have to be me by your reactions😅

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

why?

[@farshnuke]

Okay as someone who can't smell this was fascinating to watch because there are two things that can be smelt without an olfactory bulb, mint and alcohol, given how much of the flavour of the alternatives was smells that obviously are not alcohol I'm intrigued how they would taste to someone that can't smell.

[@ranidan]

As others have mentioned, I prefer the gin ones (currently have an open bottle of the Clean gin), but I also have one more suggestion. Try them in a long drink instead of a spirit forward one; they do better when they aren't quite as center stage. I find it makes a passable Tom Collins. I am curious to try maybe a zero proof rum in a tiki drink, might try that next.

[@jmb03m]

The consistent disdain on Anders face is awesome

[@Lasciatemi_Guidare]

I’m a big fan of Seedlip Garden, particularly because the vegetal flavors differentiate it from the typical gin botanicals. It’s clearly not gin and not trying to be, which IMO makes it more successful than products like the ones in this video. Also as someone who likes the creativity of craft cocktails but can’t regularly drink alcohol, I’m pleased to see more cocktail bars offering low- and no-ABV drinks.

[@drengillespie]

It is fun to drink in front of your boss out of a paper bag. It is 0.00 and there is nothing they can do about it.

[@Matt-ff7wk]

Thank you for trying out the non-alcoholic whiskeys. I have been doing a lot of sports and decided to cut down on alcohol as it had a negative impact on my body and training. I've cut out alcohol altogether and have been enjoying non-alcoholic beer lately (which is actually pretty good here in Austria). I've also found a solid replacement for my go-to Aperol Spritz - the already mixed Amalfi Spritz. But I haven't tried non-alcoholic versions of Whiskey, Gin or Rum yet because they’ll go bad faster than the originals. Would be great to also see you testing non-alcoholic Gin and Rum! Thanks a bunch!

[@rafaelmartinez5452]

Welcome back Anders!! We missed you these past couple of weeks. Interesting drinks Ive never considered partaking in Dry January as it is my birthday month and I rarely make myself a drink.

[@AndersErickson]

Happy Birthday!

[@rafaelmartinez5452]

@@AndersErickson Thank You Anders! May you and Az have a great prosperous year ahead of you. I can't wait to see what you have in store for this my favorite channel. Hoping you put out your very own book soon.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

What is "Dry January". More importantly....why?

[@rafaelmartinez5452]

@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits Dry January is when you start of the first Monty of the year not drinking any alcohol as to take a break from drinking. Everything in moderation is good to do.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@rafaelmartinez5452 Ah, sounds strange, but ok. Ya hear of something new every day. LOL Well, happy dry Monday. LOL

[@JohnnyDoom]

I'm having a dry January because I just haven't gone to the store yet. I love seeing this content though. Although, for the money I think I'd just prefer nothing over the mocktail.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

what is dry january and.....WHY?

[@TheDougOfTheNorth]

Thank you Anders! Personally, I feel if I'm having a non-alcoholic drink, then I'm having a traditional non-alcoholic drink. That said, I have friends who gave up booze and am always interested in the options and the science. Thanks for the research and info ✌

[@alecfotsch3533]

Something we've found is thay making drinks with the amaro, bitter orange and triple sec seems to be the best way to enjoy N/A cocktails. We also enjoy many of the Lyres itens for low abv cocntails.

[@schelzel]

Awesome timing! 17 pounds down since Jan 1. Thanks for not tempting me!🎉

[@jaydub2971]

You've got this!

[@lisamcallister6534]

4:26 4:26 Too fast. Expect some of it to return. And drinking not good for alcoholics, I'm sure they've told you at AA.

[@schelzel]

@@lisamcallister6534 thanks for your thoughtful reply. I do care what you think!

[@onlinewhy]

Awesome! Keep it up! As I'm sure you've read, don't be discouraged if your metabolism balances out and some of it returns. I've dropped almost 50 pounds in the last 7-8 months and its been hard at times, but so worth keeping at it!

[@hammerth1421]

As a chemistry student, I‘m wondering if there’s any true substitute for ethanol that also isn’t terribly toxic. The best thing I‘ve come up with so far is the basically non-toxic DMSO but that tastes like garlic and not spicy and fruity like ethanol.

[@derricksteel819]

Anders! I'm so glad you did a mocktail video. I've been experimenting with them for about a year and glad you are helping navigate it. I've tried a half dozen gins (they are all over the map on taste) and yet to be satisfied with one. But I've found some great no-alcohol aperitivos (Martini & Rossi), and the Ritual tequila is amazingly close to the real thing. I've been making low alcohol negronis and getting some great refreshing tastes without getting hammered. I usually keep real Campari because I like that bitter bite to it. But I thing I'll experiment with nonalcoholic Campari substitutes. Its fun.

[@kap5160]

Try Wilderton’s bittersweet aperitivo. It’s very good. I use it and the M&R Floreal and tea for a Negroni.

[@thirdlooprules]

The Ghia aperitif is pretty good, I haven't actually tried it as a Negroni but I think the flavor profile would work.

[@fuzzzone]

The price has always been the sticking point for me. It's one thing for a booze-less gin to cost about the same as real gin, but whiskey needs significant aging which is a serious cost to the producer. To frankenstein together something whiskey-like concoction out of flavor and aroma concentrates bought from the big food additive production houses, mix them together, put them directly in a bottle and then charge me the same as a producer who barrel ages a whiskey for 3-10 years? That's bullshit.

[@jeremyeckhause1747]

Great insights, Anders. My wife and I are doing dry(ish) January, so very helpful. These strike me as very unappealing between the weird taste and, as you, point out, high cost. What we've been doing is 1) alcohol free beer (I find the Bitburger 0.0 particularly good), 2) non alcoholic "champagne" which is pretty good and convincing and 3) mildly alcoholic cocktails. In the last category, 0.5-1.0 oz of (15% abv) Size and 4 oz tonic and a big squeeze of lemon is nice, at basically no alcohol. You can also do a kir royale with a small amount of low abv cassis and the alcohol free 'champagne' , though I found that less good without real booze. Anyway, I'm glad my wife suggested this break. I feel like I will consume more conscientiously once this is over. Cheers!

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

What is dry january and .......WHY?

[@christinecamley]

It's very interesting! Younger people are not drinking nearly as much as your generation or mine - I'm 59! Any research I read in this area speaks to far less alcohol use for Gen X. I think there is quite a boom in business in these products but I have found most to be duds. I don't drink a lot (once a week - usually a dram of excellent single malt scotch) and if I want a nice mocktail I create a nice beverage and I don't care if it tastes like a spirit. A product would have to taste very good for me to pay the equivalent cost of an alcoholic spirit. It's very difficult to create a drink that tastes convincing! I much prefer to make mocktails from scratch! I have less of them actually! On days when I don't feel like a cocktail or a dram of fine single malt scotch I just have water, tea, whatever comes to mind at the time! Terrific video Anders! Cheers!

[@sharoncruz9901]

I love this idea ❤ I just like to have cocktails but don’t always want the effects of alcohol. I hope you do a review of non alcoholic gins. I’ve heard there are some really good ones. And my friend and I are looking for nice alcohol free wines as well. ❤

[@hammerth1421]

The last time I tried buying non-alcoholic spirits, the bottle was a whole year out of date and had become alcoholic but not in a good way in the meantime. Be careful in that regard, especially if they’re standing right next to actual nearly imperishable spirits, the people stocking the shelves are not used to checking „spirits“ for expiry.

[@eldsprutandedrake]

Do any of them come in smaller bottles? With the expiration date that would make sense. And I don't know if it's just me, but I tend to assume there is some "If you want to try it you have to buy a big bottle, we need to make as much money as possible from you on the first purchase since we already know you wont be a repeat costumer"-tactic to stuff like this otherwise. Having smaller packages to try really shows faith in your product, to me at least.

[@joshuacaulfield]

I am now going to ask every time I smell an alcohol, including wine and beer: Is that yellow dent corn? This was an excellent and very fun video. Thanks for taking one for the team!

[@BaneWilliams]

Lyres stuff is hands down the mocktail content of choice - I think in almost 100% of cases when I've tested non alcoholic beverages, Lyres has come out on top. although in my area some local small batch places do good work also.

[@rafterwhomestead]

Yellow dent corn is just the common field corn that is grown in masses across the united states, typically used for ethanol production and animal feeds.

[@peadar-o]

I've never had non-alcoholic wine or whisky, but I have had non-alcoholic gin. The complexity of the botanicals makes for a nice non-alcoholic gin cocktail. Also, the Italian aperitif Crodino (non-alcoholic) is quite nice. It's bittersweet and doesn't have to pretend to be something that it's not.

[@chimarleywai]

I have a feelin that the reason why most wont like to highlight the production process is that in essence, they are fancy flavoured waters, for which you cannot justify the high price. Especially in the uk where there is no alcohol duty taxes on them.

[@Danny-qi4lp]

Happy New Year! Glad you are back, on the channel.

[@Hubajube]

Prickly ash = Sichuan peppercorn. If you haven't had that, it has a tingle to it that's not capsaicin. There's actually an interest amaro that uses this from Baltimore--Baltamaro Szechuan.

[@HViitanen]

Nice to see some non-alcoholic alternatives. I've tried some myself but I find it's hard to not expect the taste of the alcoholic base spirit and then get a bit disappointed, you kind of need to have the mindset that it'll be different but still good. The ones I've tried from Lyre's have been a pleasent surprise though, especially their Amaretti.

[@EricB24]

Can't wait to watch this since I'm doing Dry January yet still feel compelled to watch my favorite bartender videos haha.

[@AndersErickson]

Well done! Cheers

[@sarahbettany7546]

Oh my goodness! This has been so helpful! I became intolerant to alcohol about a year and a half ago and I miss my whisky! I made one gamble at finding one and it was an expensive failure - I had to pour it down the sink (kept the bottle, that was the nicest thing). I am British so I should be able to find the Clean Co.s Whisky version (their gin is everywhere, but I was never a gin drinker), I'll look out for the other one though.

[@irishsausage6]

I tried a few of the ritual alternatives a couple years back and I felt the tequila worked decently in a margarita and the gin was ok but not strong enough for what I want in a G&T. This year I had some of the Lyre's premixed drinks and those were super tastey! I think Lyre's is at the top of the list when it comes to alternative spirits, but they are also the most expensive. I guess it takes a lot to craft good alternatives.

[@andrew30m]

Almost a year now alcohol free, I do miss my whiskey but when it hits 3 bottles a week it’s time to evaluate your choices. The spirits and wines left me wanting the real deal as it were, but the beers are so good as to be unnoticeable. It did open non alcoholic cocktails some of which were better than the alcohol versions as a refreshing drink in hot climes

[@jcrewguy123]

Props for the test, as this whiskey/bourbon/scotch drinker is 19 days into Dry January with 2 of the 5 you sampled, and to your point, drinking them neat is a no-go and making a cocktail is barely drinkable. Looking forward to February when I go back to sipping the real stuff. :)

[@Whuditlooklike]

Came here expecting they would suck. Glad to be validated in my prediction.

[@twistedpancreas]

It could be interesting to mixing and matching to get more 3 dimensionality, or maybe cooking them off to concentrate the flavor/make it stronger. color me intrigued

[@devbot8426]

This was super helpful! A while ago I tried ritual's zero proof bourbon and thought it tasted like apple juice and dish soap. Will have to check out Lyre's now I guess.

[@TaylorJohnson1]

I went sober for 84 days and while I saved money and had no official hangovers, it was the most dull time of my life. Literally thought about it everyday. I’m glad to be back a better consumer.

[@mrsdiss]

with 24 years of sobriety under my belt, i'm really celebrating the emergence of alcohol-free spirits. haven't seen any alcohol free whiskies on the shelves here yet, but now i know what to look for!

[@FalkiPL]

Loved this vid! Now I know (sort of...) what to expect 😊

[@studiolusk]

Loving your videos and education around cocktails. I would enjoy seeing a tour of how your studio space is set up with storage, fridges, etc. Just a thought... Thanks.

[@timoncellobar]

Never had the Highland malt, but I did try the Lyre’s American Malt and I gotta say it has so much similarities with real bourbon when smelling it or mixing it in a cocktail

[@dad102]

One time I took my buddy to Mother's Market in Orange county, because I wanted to turn him onto this great German non-alc beer I found. While there, we moseyed on over to the juice bar, where I treated him to a shot of wheatgrass. On our way out of the store, he said, "I remember when a brew and a shot a grass meant something very different."

[@Odintorr]

Cocktail time with Kevin Kos goes into making zero proof spirits from scratch if you were looking for a process other than the reverse distillation. As a recovering alcoholic who still enjoys cocktail culture, I appreciate the KZbinrs making content like this, thanks dude.

[@gillh9]

The non-alcoholic amari usually taste better, or the NA gins (although I don't really like the NA gins, prefer just regular gin cocktails). Jeff Morgenthaler made a drink called The Wandering Path that uses Pathfinder, it's really good. But I agree with you, I'd rather do an orgeat+lemonade for people who don't have alcohol, or give them NA beers which are often much closer to the real thing.

[@CarltonNoles]

I don't care for the taste of whiskey so who knows I don't drink all that much on the first place but non-alcoholic alternatives are always welcome for say the DD and such.

[@krisyallowega5487]

Ghee, I remember not long ago we were accused of watering down drinks. Now they bottle it and sell it at a premium.

[@MarianLaughlin-y7e]

Thanks for interesting, exploratory content. Wondering if you would consider delving into fat washed cocktails. I tried yogurt washed tequila. Interested in other applications and comparisons.

[@AnAardvark]

I've tried a few of these, and more of the gins. I find that the Lyre makes some nice coffee, vermouth, and amaro alternatives. There are two problems overall that I have with the mock spirits, which were touched upon in the video. First, the mouthfeel is all wrong, even when mixed. For a sour, I overcame this somewhat by using gum syrup, to give a thicker feel. I wonder if adding some food quality glycerine or other thickener would help. The other problem I have is whatever is used to give the alcohol "burn". This is usually either capsicum, or Sichuan peppercorn. The problem is that this burn still persists even when mixed, even in a highball, which is not the behavior of actual alcohol. I would prefer if they dialed this down.

[@billchandler9162]

Thanks for the review. I recently tried the Spiritless 74 and was disappointed. I think I will stay with a damp January. But another fun video!

[@benjaminlichtenstein6747]

I'm eyeing a NA Amaro Lucano in the window around the corner. Good to know the Lyre's is worth a try

[@CivBase]

I picked up the Lyre's Apertif Rosso (NA sweet vermouth), Italian Orange (NA Campari), and American Malt (NA bourbon) a couple months ago. I enjoyed the first two a lot, but I hated the Lyre's American Malt. It tasted strongly of sweet tea, which I do not like. I tried making a NA Boulevarider with them, but to my surprise and disappointment the American Malt completely overpowered the other two. I saved the bottle by adding half a dozen cinnamon sticks and half a dozen dashes of black walnut bitters. After that, it went well with ginger ale. But I don't think I'd buy that bottle again. Maybe their Highland Malt is better but I think it'll be a while before a work up the nerve to try it.

[@grexson2]

My wife and I are a bit more reasonable, and do a "Dry February". Yes, of course, because it's the shortest month. Even in this year, with the longest possible February. 😁

[@pimpernel666]

Wait, what? This is a thing? So fascinating!!

[@cdoconn]

One of the territory reps for Spiritless stopped in my bar a few years ago and the rep had some house made bottles coctails he brought in and they were pretty damn good.

[@coluichebevevinocoluichebe5352]

I tried non-alcoholic gin once, it tasted like tears of desperation… it was salty, very similar to the water you can drink in the ocean for free, but that bottle costed me 16 euros (a standard gin cost around 13 euros)

[@seannelson29]

A lot of these seem like making tea with extra steps (and pricier). It's probably better to just make lapsang souchang or a shrub, then just shake with some citrus.

[@Funky_Frankie_1]

I love you made a video on these... Having to make mocktails for my fiancee when she can't drink alcohol... I would rather make myself a Malort Old Fashioned or drink a quarter of Jagermeister.

[@Phlucious]

Try the 2 towns cider sidekick line if you can find them. Based in my hometown. They’re great!

[@VirginiaRThomas]

My favorite NA whiskey has been from NKD LDY. You're in Chicago so please go check out Bendición Bottle Shop/Dry Bar in Humboldt Park!

[@beng1642]

I wish some of these came in those little 50ml "airline" bottles. The investment into one of these full-size bottles only for it to not taste like I expect is the main deterrent from buying one.

[@conormurphy4328]

I see Freyja moved on from working for PupEx. Good for her I hear the expected overtime is really ruff.

[@AndersErickson]

Yeah she knows how to hustle

[@jschoenack]

TO THE BAR! ➡️🥃 Welcome back!

[@AndersErickson]

Cheers!

[@vizzcayya45]

thanks for making this video! i've been experimenting with NA spirits while i take some medication, and i totally agree on the tasting notes of the Ritual, wasn't a fan. i think Spiritless is decent, but now i know i'll have to look for Lyre's Highland Malt. i did try Lyre's Gin and i enjoyed it, as well as their Amalfi Spritz cans. overall, i think amari/aperitifs are the best category for NA alternatives. you should try the Phony Negroni bottles, those are very tasty! cheers!

[@campergal6140]

I’m a recovering Alcoholic- 11+ years Sober. However sometimes I do miss the flavor of the bourbon highballs I loved. I appreciate this video. I do wish you had done a straight, nonalcoholic whiskey comparison, however, as I feel that would have been a truer test. Question, when you say “you would prefer to make them from scratch” , how would you do that without the spiritless whiskey?

[@frann.8879]

Hi Anders, welcome back!….Interesting journey you took with the “non-alcoholic” beverages….since there’s no cost savings here really, I think the bang for my buck would be the “real deal” and therefore “no” dry January!🤣🤣🤣…..Have a wonderful weekend, STAY WARM and as always “CHEERS!”😁😁❤️❤️

[@AndersErickson]

Yeah I think I feel the same. Good to be back! Cheers

[@ltdwlbl]

I usually add more of the alcohol free alternative so they are tasted in the drink. However, that makes the price even more unappealing. Still, I hope the industry will innovate and improve! To me the biggest issue is the texture. If they would be fuller and not so water-ish I’d probably skip alcohol altogether 😂

[@meridithmock2036]

Anders, thank you for your sacrifice for my entertainment.

[@exohumer3486]

Even before I looked at the complete video I was sure it is going to be a desaster. I tried those 0% all myself. The only way to get a Cocktail that tasts of anything near a Cocktail is to not use those ready products, that are basically only flavoured water, but use sirup & citus. E.g. Grapefruit juice & coffee sirup. (Billows & Thieves). 'Good Drinks' from Julia Bainbridge is a good book to give you some ideas of Mocktails.

[@JustMe-fz5uc]

Well this was great. I think if I'm doing a dry time, I'm just going to drink something else. I do need to learn more mocktails for kids that want a fancy drink.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

why???? why a dry time

[@JustMe-fz5uc]

@lm6092 sometimes I like alcohol too much and when I get a little too comfortable having a drink, I stop for a while.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

@@JustMe-fz5uc Ah, I see. Thanks.

[@alecfotsch3533]

Ive had that Ritual stuff. You were very kind about that one. 😬

[@mattl4925]

As someone who enjoys neat whiskey, these do not do the thing. To me they taste like a not super flavorable wort. Not bad, but not great, and ultimately pretty overpriced for what they are (and not super long shelf lifes). I've enjoyed the N/A amaros and beers more, as well as The Pathfinder hemp "spirit" and various Negroni's you can find (including the Lyre's canned amalfi) have hit the spot for me when avoiding alcohol. I've found a mix of vinegar shrub, liquid smoke, and oversteeped tea to be easy to make at home and much cheaper to mimic the oakyness and burn of whiskey - liquid smoke works well for a NA "Mezcal" as well. I did find a use for my Lyre's "Scotch" in N/A hot toddy's

[@davidpaylor5666]

I remember nearly getting into a fight with the owner of a liquor store. He was charging twelve English pound for a bottle of non-alcoholic vodka and really didn't like me asking if it was, in fact, just a bottle of water.

[@AuntieEm]

There are so many ways to mix teas, tisanes, herbs, spices, and fruit juice, to make delicious and interesting drinks! I'd rather save money and get decent real whiskey for when I want it, and good tea and fruit when I don't🤷 Thanks for doing this!

[@FantusyFailure]

Non-alc beers are definitely better as a category. Also just bitters sodas for cocktails have been a much better cocktail replacement.

[@danielqcallahan]

I tried the Ritual one a couple of years ago, and my sticking point was the viscosity and sweetness. I made the mistake of trying to make an Old Fashioned with it; it was like trying to drink diluted syrup with a bit of vinegar in it. It’s like it’s thicker than soda but thinner than syrup which just puts it in a place where the texture is just odd. Maybe there’s a cocktail it works in, but I didn’t find it.

[@adrianjenkins2447]

Interesting Video, thank you. What would be interesting would be non alcoholic gins/rums/vodkas. My partner because of her size can’t drink too many cocktails because of the alcohol concentration, so making mojitos etc with non alcoholic rum would be interesting, if you are looking for video ideas. Thank you for a great channel, informative and yet fun.

[@Konqy]

Oz rocks!

[@4DCoach]

Hi Anders, please consider making a video about alcohol-free gin - I understand it's better than alcohol-free whiskey. Thanks

[@mattterzi3016]

I've tried a few of the gin varieties recently. They're ok, but the weirdest thing I've found is that they tend to "stay in the shaker" more after being shaken. For example, after making a Bees Knees with one of the alcohol-free gins, there seems to be more of the drink adhered to the ice in the shaker after straining into the coup when compared to the same drink w/ true gin. I'm assuming this happens as the drink freezes to the ice during shaking, where an alcoholic drink wouldn't do that. I ended up compensating by adding significantly more of the alcohol-free element, and it seems to have balanced out.

[@samuelcho820]

You should try Wilderton’s if you can get some! At our bar we mix all our zero proof cocktails with that stuff, I think it’s better than Lyre’s