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

Рет қаралды 115,335

Күн бұрын

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Non-alcoholic whiskies have become increasingly popular, so today we’re tasting five examples to see what all the hype’s about! I’m new to the world of alternative booze. I like to make NA cocktails from scratch, and honestly, spirit alternatives aren’t cheap. They cost about the same as a bottle of liquor, so when given the choice I tend to go for the real deal. However, in the spirit of Dry January, I figured it was time to give them a shot! We’ll compare them neat and mixed into mocktails to see if any can capture the essence of whiskey. Cheers!
I haven’t been avoiding spirit alternatives, but I haven’t gone out of my way to try them either. First of all, they’re not cheap. The cost will run you in the ballpark of a bottle of booze - so when given the choice, I tend to go for the real deal.
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TIME STAMPS
Intro: 0:00
CookUnity: 1:08
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The Lineup: 4:05
Neat: 5:37
Mixed: 9:49
Input from Az: 14:02
Final Thoughts: 15:05
THE NON-ALCOHOLIC WHISKIES
Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative: amzn.to/48G5kQb
Spiritless Kentucky 74: amzn.to/3tStloe
Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon: amzn.to/4b1kuRH
Clean Co. Clean W: amzn.to/427H2wf
Lyre’s Highland Malt: amzn.to/3vEcMg9
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Пікірлер: 323

@AndersErickson 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@craftedworkshop 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

@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 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

@@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 5 ай бұрын

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

@conormurphy4328 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

its hit and miss

@tsawy6 4 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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!

@kathyperantie5160 5 ай бұрын

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

@pandapanda8954 5 ай бұрын

Yes Yes! Please do one on fake GIN!!

@Rwebs 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@devbot8426 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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.

@Danny-qi4lp 5 ай бұрын

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

@KoraLajoie 5 ай бұрын

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

@Dr_Bombay 5 ай бұрын

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!

@kabel9357 5 ай бұрын

thanks for taking one for the team.

@allenhouse4662 4 ай бұрын

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 4 ай бұрын

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

@FalkiPL 5 ай бұрын

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

@SFguy415 5 ай бұрын

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

@pipernyle871 5 ай бұрын

Super interesting. Thanks Anders.

@KeithGrant 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@davidgarcia9308 5 ай бұрын

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

@thenacpa 4 ай бұрын

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! 🍻🍹🍸

@jakedavis8776 5 ай бұрын

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!

@studiolusk 5 ай бұрын

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.

@joshuacaulfield 5 ай бұрын

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!

@znachkiznachki5352 5 ай бұрын

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.

@rafaelmartinez5452 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

Happy Birthday!

@rafaelmartinez5452 5 ай бұрын

@@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 5 ай бұрын

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

@rafaelmartinez5452 5 ай бұрын

@@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 5 ай бұрын

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

@ryanlahr4783 5 ай бұрын

Great video! I would definitely be into seing something similar with gin. I love making your cocktails for friends, but I would live to have options for including those that are not drinking.

@jmb03m 5 ай бұрын

The consistent disdain on Anders face is awesome

@sarahbettany7546 15 күн бұрын

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.

@devbot8426 5 ай бұрын

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.

@alecfotsch3533 5 ай бұрын

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.

@ventusobscuro2579 5 ай бұрын

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.

@EricB24 5 ай бұрын

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

@AndersErickson 5 ай бұрын

Well done! Cheers

@ashtonshelton8584 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

why?

@MrVincelarson 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

Only one I like.

@Matt-ff7wk 5 ай бұрын

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!

@billchandler9162 5 ай бұрын

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!

@ranidan 5 ай бұрын

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.

@andrewbelzer1983 5 ай бұрын

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!

@hammerth1421 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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.

@kathyperantie5160 5 ай бұрын

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

@thirdlooprules 5 ай бұрын

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

@jeremyeckhause1747 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@TheDougOfTheNorth 5 ай бұрын

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 ✌

@eldsprutandedrake 5 ай бұрын

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.

@HViitanen 2 ай бұрын

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.

@jschoenack 5 ай бұрын

TO THE BAR! ➡️🥃 Welcome back!

@AndersErickson 5 ай бұрын

Cheers!

@sharoncruz9901 5 ай бұрын

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. ❤

@timoncellobar 5 ай бұрын

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

@Lasciatemi_Guidare 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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.

@irishsausage6 4 ай бұрын

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.

@JohnnyDoom 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@user-rc3em2mq2g 5 ай бұрын

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.

@jcrewguy123 5 ай бұрын

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. :)

@vizzcayya45 5 ай бұрын

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!

@Konqy 5 ай бұрын

Oz rocks!

@Phlucious 5 ай бұрын

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

@schelzel 5 ай бұрын

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

@jaydub2971 5 ай бұрын

You've got this!

@lisamcallister6534 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@onlinewhy 5 ай бұрын

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!

@peadar-o 5 ай бұрын

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.

@christinecamley 5 ай бұрын

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!

@BaneWilliams 5 ай бұрын

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.

@twistedpancreas 5 ай бұрын

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

@benjaminlichtenstein6747 5 ай бұрын

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

@jferioli1 5 ай бұрын

Great video! Just what I needed for dry January. Could you follow up with a tequila video? Thanks!

@hammerth1421 5 ай бұрын

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.

@meridithmock2036 5 ай бұрын

Anders, thank you for your sacrifice for my entertainment.

@AnAardvark 5 ай бұрын

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.

@alecfotsch3533 5 ай бұрын

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

@rafterwhomestead 4 ай бұрын

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.

@frann.8879 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@andrew300169 5 ай бұрын

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

@Hubajube 5 ай бұрын

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.

@cdoconn 5 ай бұрын

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.

@VirginiaRThomas 5 ай бұрын

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!

@pimpernel666 5 ай бұрын

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

@danielqcallahan 5 ай бұрын

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.

@farshnuke 5 ай бұрын

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.

@ItsMe-fs4df 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for this. I've tried the Lyres dark rum (when I was on antibiotics 😂) and was quite disappointed with it. It was like a spiced honey water? It was expensive too and has a short shelf life... I mean, it wasn't bad... Just for the price, it's not for me I think shrubs are definitely the way to go for alcohol free things, and also random tea leaves

@Mark723 5 ай бұрын

Emily Cooper! Well done our Anders - thank you for bringing a bit of lit to those of us who don't want to get lit.

@scottfromoahu2896 5 ай бұрын

Im interested in what happens if you mix kentucky 74 (for charred oak and vanilla) and free spirits spirit of bourbon (for corn sweetness and creamy mouthfeel). Sounds like it would get closer to a bourbon or maybe a rye than either individually.

@sethb516 5 ай бұрын

I've tried a lot of spirit-alternatives and the only one I really like is Pathfinder. It's very much an amaro, but holds up really well as the star of the show in a cocktail. I'd love to see what you could come up with it

@znachkiznachki5352 5 ай бұрын

Agree. It's the only one I've liked so far.

@ejbear8403 5 ай бұрын

These look interesting. The one non-alcoholic alternative that I want to try is Danny Trejo's Non-Alcoholic Tequila. It is pricey, but reviews I've seen of it are good--and after spending 30+ yrs in Arizona, I developed a taste for Margaritas. And now back in rural South Dakota it's challenging to find quality spirits. But I am lucky that my small Hometown has a small Bourbon Distillery with excellent products.

@jimklemens5018 5 ай бұрын

I tried it and it is completely nasty.

@Funky_Frankie_1 5 ай бұрын

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.

@comingoutofthedark 5 ай бұрын

Which of these would you use for an old fashion?

@campergal6140 5 ай бұрын

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?

@gillh9 5 ай бұрын

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.

@CBrown-qm5gh 5 ай бұрын

Are there any great mocktail recipe books out there? I’m a lover of all booze and have an extensive library of books about regional spirits and recipes. My daughter, however, is not and whenever I make drinks at home for friends, she asks me to make her something so she can be involved socially. I’ve gone at making shrubs before, etc., but, I’d love a solid mocktail reference I can pull off the shelf, thumb through and create from.

@adrianjenkins2447 5 ай бұрын

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.

@CivBase 5 ай бұрын

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.

@Torso6131 5 ай бұрын

I'd be suoer interested to see if a rum based one would be possible. I'd love to whip up a non alcoholic Mai Tai, daiquiri, or even a rum and coke lol. I suspect the market, limited as it already is, would probably be leaning towards a spiced rum though.

@mattterzi3016 5 ай бұрын

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.

@chimarleywai 5 ай бұрын

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.

@FrostyFrostySnow 5 ай бұрын

Interesting to know the Lyre's is decent. I often see it around here in Australia and haven't known what to think

@conormurphy4328 5 ай бұрын

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

@AndersErickson 5 ай бұрын

Yeah she knows how to hustle

@synthetadyne 5 ай бұрын

I know it's not whiskey but I'd be curious what your thoughts are on Lewis Hamilton's NA Tequila, Almave.

@stonent 3 ай бұрын

I would be curious if you added a neutral spirit like Vodka to it, would it fully taste like whiskey. My thinking is any out of place flavors would really stand out more with the alcohol back in.

@samuelcho820 5 ай бұрын

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

@chandaharkins4418 5 ай бұрын

I tried the Ritual rum and tequila. They were strange and expensive in my opinion. P.S. Az, your haircut looks great!

@jenniferstancil8433 5 ай бұрын

Can you taste and compare non alcoholic gins?

@krisyallowega5487 4 ай бұрын

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

@seannelson29 5 ай бұрын

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.

@tracyg1557 5 ай бұрын

What about aloe juice as a sub for alcohol in a mixed drink. Was at a restaurant that had a mock tail menu that used it, did not try but was curious…

@juliac6256 5 ай бұрын

i worked for a company that sold stuff like this but i never got the chance to try the liquor alternatives. the n/a wine and beer were interesting…

@jasonjames-eyers6207 5 ай бұрын

In an effort to rationalise my alcohol intake somewhat, I tried the Clean Co rum some time ago. God, it was awful! I really wanted to like it, but as Az said, it was kind of like water that vaguely tasted of rum. Couldn’t even use it in a cocktail. Sorry, think I’ll have to stick to the real stuff, but just less often!😂

@danpost4755 5 ай бұрын

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!