A few years ago, ordering a non-alcoholic drink meant club soda with a sad wedge of lime. That era is over. The best non-alcoholic drinks now hold their own next to anything on a real cocktail menu, and the shelves at your grocery store have quietly filled up with beer, wine, and spirits that leave the alcohol out without leaving the flavor behind.
The problem is that the category has grown so fast it is genuinely hard to know where to start. Some of these products are excellent. Some are overpriced water with marketing. We drink a lot of this stuff, both at home and out at the alcohol-free bars we cover, so here is our honest breakdown of what is actually worth buying in 2026, sorted by what you are in the mood for.
Disclosure: Many of the product links below go to our partner Better Rhodes, a non-alcoholic marketplace we trust. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Better still, you can use code DOWNTOWN_DRY at checkout for a discount on your order. We only link to things we would actually drink.
First, What Counts as a Non-Alcoholic Drink?
A quick bit of housekeeping, because the labels can be confusing.
In the United States, a product can be called non-alcoholic if it contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). That is the same trace amount you would find in a ripe banana or a glass of orange juice, and it is not enough to have any meaningful effect. Products labeled “0.0%” have had essentially all alcohol removed and are the safest bet if you want zero for medical, religious, or recovery reasons.
So when we talk about non-alcoholic beer, wine, or spirits, we mean drinks built to taste like the real thing while keeping you fully clear-headed. Now let us get into the good stuff.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Beer
This is the most mature corner of the whole category, and honestly the easiest place to be pleasantly surprised. Modern non-alcoholic beer tastes like beer. Full stop.
Athletic Brewing is the brand that changed the game and still sets the standard. Their Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn golden ale are the two we reach for most, and they are widely available at this point, from grocery stores to stadium concession stands. If you buy one thing off this entire list, start here.
Guinness 0 deserves a special mention for pulling off something people said was impossible: a non-alcoholic stout with the roasted, creamy character of the original. Poured cold, most people cannot tell the difference.
Heineken 0.0 is the reliable default. It is everywhere, it is consistent, and it tastes clean and crisp. When you are at a restaurant that only stocks one option, this is usually it, and that is fine.
A personal favorite worth calling out: Peroni 0. It is a crisp, clean Italian lager that drinks remarkably close to the full-strength version, and it has quietly become the one we reach for most at home.
For everyday drinking on a budget, the big domestic brands have caught up too. Budweiser Zero, Coors Edge, and Corona NA Lager are all solid, especially ice cold on a hot afternoon. And if you want something with more of a craft edge, look for Partake, Best Day Brewing, and Bero, the brand actor Tom Holland launched in 2024.
Our pick for most people: Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA. Best value all-rounder: Heineken 0.0.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Wine
Wine is the trickiest category to get right, because removing alcohol from wine also strips out a lot of body and aroma. The bad versions taste like grape juice. The good ones have gotten genuinely impressive, especially in the sparkling category, which tends to work best without alcohol.
Start with sparkling. Bubbles cover a multitude of sins, and this is where non-alcoholic wine shines brightest. French Bloom is the luxury option, an organic sparkling made in France that would not look out of place at a wedding toast. For something more affordable and easy to find, Giesen 0% out of New Zealand makes a genuinely good sparkling brut, and their Sauvignon Blanc is one of the better still whites out there.
For still reds and whites, the technology is improving but manage your expectations. Fre is the most widely available brand in American grocery stores and a reasonable everyday choice. Oddbird and Surely both make more refined options if you are willing to order online. Ariel has been around the longest and their Cabernet still wins awards.
One more thing worth knowing: non-alcoholic wine is a popular choice during pregnancy, but because a small amount can still contain trace alcohol, look specifically for 0.0% labeled bottles and check with your doctor. We cover this more in the FAQ below.
Our pick for most people: Giesen 0% sparkling for value, French Bloom when you want to impress.
The Best Non-Alcoholic Spirits
Here is where things get fun. Non-alcoholic spirits are not trying to be alcohol. They are built to give you the botanical complexity, the bite, and the ritual of a proper cocktail without the buzz. Poured over ice with a good mixer, the best of them are indistinguishable from the real thing in a mixed drink.
Ritual Zero Proof is our go-to for versatility and value. Their tequila, whiskey, and gin alternatives all mix beautifully, and they are among the easiest to find. A Ritual margarita or paloma is a genuinely great drink.
Lyre’s out of Australia makes the widest range of any brand, with more than a dozen spirits covering everything from an amaretto to an aged rum alternative. Their flavor accuracy is remarkable, and their pre-mixed cans are a great way to try before committing to a full bottle.
Seedlip basically invented the modern category and remains the most elegant. It is a distilled non-alcoholic spirit meant to be treated like a fine gin, and it works best in simple, aromatic drinks like a Seedlip and tonic.
For whiskey specifically, Monday and Free Spirits both make credible alternatives for an old fashioned or a whiskey soda, which is no small feat given how hard whiskey is to imitate.
Our pick for most people: Ritual Zero Proof tequila. Splurge pick: Seedlip Garden 108.
The Best Functional Drinks and “Buzz” Alternatives
This is the fastest-growing part of the whole space, and it answers a question a lot of people are quietly asking: is there a non-alcoholic drink that actually gives you a buzz? The honest answer is that nothing legal and non-alcoholic will replicate being drunk, but a new class of functional drinks uses adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals to create a real, subtle shift in mood and relaxation. We wrote a full deep dive on what functional drinks actually do to your brain if you want the science.
The short version: these are the brands worth knowing.
- Kin Euphorics blends adaptogens and nootropics for a warm, social mood lift.
- De Soi makes aperitif-style cans, co-founded by Katy Perry, that are bitter, complex, and built for the cocktail hour.
- Ghia is a citrusy, gentian-based aperitif that scratches the aperitivo itch better than almost anything else.
- Three Spirit offers three distinct products for energy, socializing, and winding down.
- Hiyo makes organic sparkling social tonics that are widely available and easy to like.
If you miss the ritual of a drink in your hand more than the alcohol itself, this is the category to explore first.
The Best Canned Mocktails
Sometimes you do not want to build anything. You want to open a can and have a great drink appear. The ready-to-drink mocktail space has gotten very good, and these are the ones we keep in the fridge.
NOPE makes some of the most sophisticated canned mocktails available, with grown-up flavors like Strawberry Basil Smash and Rosemary Vanilla Lemonade that drink far closer to a craft cocktail than a soda. Busty Lush handles the classics well, including a genuinely good canned Grapefruit Paloma, and Pari leans Italian and aperitivo-forward for anyone who misses a proper spritz. For a celebration, TÖST is the move: a dry, sparkling white-tea-and-ginger toast that stands in beautifully for Champagne. And De Soi earns a second mention here because its cans work equally well as a functional drink or a straightforward, delicious mocktail.
If you would rather make your own, we have a whole guide to building a zero-proof bar cart and ten mocktail recipes that convert skeptics.
Where to Drink These Out
Stocking your fridge is one thing. Finding a great non-alcoholic drink when you are out is another, and it is exactly why we built DowntownDry. More and more bars and restaurants now keep a real alcohol-free menu, and a growing number of dedicated alcohol-free bars, sober bars, and mocktail bars are opening in cities across the country.
If you want to make a night of it, our city guides are a good place to start. We have rounded up the best spots in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with more cities on the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does non-alcoholic beer have alcohol in it?
Most non-alcoholic beer contains a trace amount, up to 0.5% ABV, which is the legal threshold for the “non-alcoholic” label. That is a tiny fraction of regular beer and roughly the same amount found in some fruit juices. If you want truly zero, look for beers labeled “0.0%,” which have had essentially all alcohol removed.
Is non-alcoholic beer bad for you?
For most people, no. Non-alcoholic beer has far fewer calories than regular beer and none of the downsides of alcohol, which is why many people use it as a healthier swap. It is not a health drink, since it still contains carbohydrates, but by nearly every measure it is easier on your body than the alcoholic version. If you are in recovery, some people prefer to avoid it because the taste and ritual can be a trigger, so it comes down to what works for you.
What non-alcoholic drinks give you a buzz?
No legal non-alcoholic drink will make you feel drunk. However, functional drinks made with adaptogens and nootropics, such as Kin Euphorics, De Soi, and Three Spirit, can create a subtle sense of relaxation or mood lift. The effect is gentle and builds with regular use rather than hitting all at once.
Can you drink non-alcoholic beer while pregnant?
Because non-alcoholic beer can still contain up to 0.5% ABV, most doctors recommend choosing 0.0% products if you drink it during pregnancy, and checking with your own physician first. There is no established safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, so the 0.0% versions are the safest choice.
Do you have to be 21 to buy non-alcoholic beer?
It depends on the store and the state. Because non-alcoholic beer can contain trace alcohol, many retailers set their own policy and will ask for ID, even though federal law does not require you to be 21 to purchase it. Rules vary, so expect some stores to card you and others not to.
Stocking up online? Use code DOWNTOWN_DRY at Better Rhodes for a discount on any of the drinks above.
Ready to find a great alcohol-free drink near you? Browse non-alcoholic bars, sober bars, and mocktail bars across the country on DowntownDry, and discover a night out that feels just as good tomorrow morning.
