We uncorked 3 non-alcoholic alternatives to whiskey and 1 bottle of Seedlip Spice 94 to see how they compare to traditional whiskey and how they hold up in an Old Fashioned mocktail.
This is still a relatively new category of product, and each one had its own unique approach to mimicking alcoholic whiskey. Some used capsaicin pepper to recreate the alcoholic burn sensation, some took a more abstract approach. They each brought their own twist, and with a little creatively, they all could be used to good effect in cocktails.
We felt the Kentucky 74 was the most similar to traditional whiskey and also worked the best in an Old Fashioned as a result.
We were split on Free Spirits and Ritual, one had a more intense burn, while the other had an almost tobacco scent, taking an abstract approach.
Seedlip was the furthest away, but it also was the only one not branded as a whiskey. It had the most intense spice and reminded us of a tonic syrup without the bitter quinine or sugar. We felt it could be used to great effect in mocktails.
If you've tried any other non-alc spirits, let us know what you thought of them in the comments!
Sections:
0:00 Intro
0:21 Free Spirit Tasting Notes
2:22 Kentucky 74 Tasting Notes
4:18 Ritual Whiskey Tasting Notes
5:59 Seedlip Spice 94 Tasting Notes
6:59 Ranking on Taste
7:54 Free Spirit in Old Fashioned Mocktail
9:16 Kentucky 74 in Old Fashioned Mocktail
10:06 Ritual Old Fashioned Mocktail
10:46 Seedlip Old Fashioned Mocktail
11:42 Best Whiskey Alternative Old Fashioned
11:58 Final Thoughts