Monday Gin: The Best Zero Proof Gin and Tonic Yet

If you've purchased any non-alcoholic gins before, you know they usually recommend mixing with tonic water.

The only problem is, when you add ice, tonic and a squeeze of lime... you completely drown out the flavor of the non-alcoholic spirit.

You're just getting the flavor of the tonic water with some citrus. The experience may make you wonder why you paid $30 to $40 for a non-alcoholic spirit that can't be enjoyed neat, whose flavor is drowned out by the mixer.

Enter Monday Gin, the West Coast's first zero alcohol gin.

The spirit comes in a beautiful, 750ml glass bottle.

The dark green and gold art deco label (not to mention the natural cork stopper) all point to a premium experience. And at $39.99, Monday Gin is one of the pricier options on the market (Seedlip, for comparison, costs $30 a bottle. As an aside, we spoke with Monday's founder, Chris Boyd, about the costs of making his beverage in a piece we wrote about pricing for non-alc products.

We first tried Monday Gin neat. The nose - mimicking an alcoholic gin - almost knocks you back at first whiff. This botanical drink definitely packs a punch. You pick up citrus, spice and strong botanicals on the nose.

The drink has a great mouthfeel (something difficult to achieve in the non-alc world). You get strong bitter and spicy flavors... the bitterness hangs with you.

In short, Monday Gin more closely resembles a real gin than any other product we've tried - and we've tried a lot of them.

Next, we mixed Monday with San Pellegrino Citrus Tonic, which is lighter than most premium tonics, with a sweet citrus note). We went light on the tonic (close to equal parts).

This non-alcoholic gin and tonic had great citrus and herbal notes and a nice bite that you'd expect from a mixed drink. Monday Gin doesn't get lost in the mix. And the herbal, bitter flavors linger after you sip.

After a few sips of our Monday Gin and Tonic, we wanted more - about the highest praise you can give a drink. And showing just how powerful the mind can be... after finishing the G&;T, we felt a slight head buzz. Also, the botanicals shine through. It also adds bitterness and richness to the tonic... again, like gin should when added to tonic.

The familiar flavor, it seems, tricked our minds into believing we were drinking, well, a G&T.

You can find Monday Gin on The Zero Proof Bottle Shop.