The Zero Proof’s 10 Best Non-Alcoholic Products of 2019

The Zero Proof tested a lot of non-alcoholic "stuff" in 2019.

We traveled around the country going to bars and restaurants trying their zero proof offerings. We got our bartender friends to create tasty mocktails (you can see a bunch of recipes here). We spent a fortune at grocery stores and liquor stores whenever we saw something new. And we were fortunate enough that a lot of the people behind our favorite products sent us samples from all over the world.

We'll have lots more products to share in 2020. But, for now, we present the 10 best non-alcoholic products we discovered in 2019.

Cherokee Moon Mixology Prickly Pear Sangria 

We met Almita and Nicole of Cherokee Moon Mixology in Athens, GA. Their company makes all-natural and organic sour mixes, shrubs and bitters.

And, in our humble opinion, Cherokee Moon's best product is the Prickly Pear Sangria. It's tart, tangy and excellent for heart health. Simply mix it with some soda water and you have a fantastic beverage. Or you can get creative and add it as an ingredient in your mocktails.

One warning... there's huge demand for Cherokee Moon's products. So if you're interested, act quickly before they sell out.

You can read more about our visit with Cherokee Moon Mixology here.

Casamara Club Capo Soda

We were sold as soon as we read the words "leisure soda."

That's how Detroit-based Casamara Club describes its sparking amaro sodas.

The craft soda market is booming these days. And there are lots of excellent players.

But a lot of soda out there is loaded with sugar (in addition to all of the natural ingredients).

Not Casamara Club... it's only got four grams of sugar and 15 calories per bottle. The flavors are subtle. But you definitely pick up the herbal notes typically found in amaro.

Casamara offers four flavors. And our favorite is Capo. It's citrusy, minty and bitter. Drink it on a snowy day at your house and pretend you're in the Swiss alps.

You can read our full review of Casamara Club here.

Figment Kombucha Prickly Pear Kombucha

The Zero Proof also met Jason Dean of Figment Kombucha in Athens.

We've had a lot of kombucha in our day... from the big makers to regional producers around the country.

And, without a doubt, Figment's Prickly Pear Kombucha was the best.

No, we're not uber fans of prickly pear. We just happened to try two, amazing products with the fruit this year.

This "booch" is limited batch (they picked the fruit from a local woman's front yard) and it's not sold outside of Athens (yet... come on, Jason!). But if you make a trip down south, go get a taste.

You can read more about Figment Kombucha here.

Seedlip Garden Margarita

Most everyone in the zero-proof world knows about Seedlip.

And, frankly, the reviews are mixed. Just take a look at the company's Amazon reviews to see what we mean.

Regardless of the reviews. Seedlip, the "world's first distilled, non-alcoholic spirit," is the giant in the space. Diageo recently bought a majority stake in the company (they also invested in Ritual Gin). And it's what you see at most restaurants with a serious zero-proof program.

You can use Seedlip in countless, different drinks. And while this isn't technically a "product," we love this simple and delicious margarita.

Here's the recipe...

• 2 oz Seedlip Garden 108

• 1 oz lime juice

• 1 oz simple syrup

• Top off with really fizzy club soda (try Q or Fever Tree)

• Salt the rim and garnish with lime!

Heineken 0.0

No, we're not turning you on to a little-known product with Heineken 0.0. But it still merits a spot on our list.

Why?

It's readily available, it's zero alcohol and it's a great-tasting non-alcoholic beer. Heinken 0.0 has been a mainstay in our fridge in 2019.

Per Se NA Negroni

No. 6 on our list won't be within everyone's reach. But Per Se, Thomas Keller's three-Michelin star restaurant in New York City, freestyled an outrageous, non-alcoholic negroni at our request one night at dinner.

The result was delicious. There are a lot of non-alcoholic negronis on the market today, including Seedlip's NOgroni. But, in our minds, Per Se's was the best (it doesn't hurt that the drink was served while we sat high above central park).

For the daring, you can try to recreate the recipe here...

Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 12

The non-alcoholic wine category is lagging beer. But there are still brave souls out there trying to make it work.

Most of the NA wines you see on the shelf are sub-par. But if you search a little harder, you'll come across some beauties - like Jörg Geiger Cuvée No. 12, a surprisingly complex bottle from Germany.

Delmosa imports this brand to the US. It costs less than $20 a bottle. And it went perfectly with our non-alcoholic Thanksgiving dinner.

You can buy a bottle here.

18.21 Bitters

Bitters may seem like a magic potion that only bartenders have learned to harness, but they can be an essential item in your non-alcoholic, home bar with just a little knowledge.

Because a few drops of bitters quickly and easily enhance just about any drink.

18.21 Bitters is based out of Atlanta. And their products are expanding throughout the US. Our favorite is Earl Grey. It adds a little English countryside elegance to club soda, plain tonic water or any shrub concoction.

Grab them while they're still available here.

Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA

Athletic Brewing makes some seriously impressive non-alcoholic beers.

They're one of a handful of NA brewers leading the "craft" charge in the space. And their Run Wild IPA is head and shoulders above the rest.

Pick up a six pack, and you won't even know you're drinking non-alcoholic brew (it sells out pretty quickly).

We've chatted with Bill, the co-founder of Athletic Brewing. And we're convinced that their unique production process and the fact that they are the only non-alc brewery to actually own their own facilities (we believe) means a near-perfect option for beer lovers.

BitterNote 0% Alcohol Amaro

Allow us to get a little snobby here. Before we quit drinking, we were big Amaro fans. It's a dark, herbal bomb straight from Italy that may be even harder to learn to love than single malt scotch.

However, once your taste buds learn to enjoy and savor the whole range of bitterness found among different Amaro's from Italy, you'll have a hard time not ordering one whenever you get the chance.

When we quit drinking, this was the one product we missed the most. The zero proof spirit brands (Seedlip, Monday, Ritual, etc) have been focused on gin and whiskey alternatives... and they're not very close to the real thing.

So when we got our hands on this product, straight from Italy, we were excited but had low expectations.

But the stuff tastes like amaro. Seriously. We were blown away.

Got a non-alcoholic beverage tip for us? Send us a note at founders {at} thezeroproof {dot} com