Best Zero-Proof Gin Alternatives

The easiest spirit style to buy if a G&T already sounds good.

Gin alternatives have a much easier path than whiskey alternatives because the drinks around them are already simple. Tonic helps. Citrus helps. Ice helps. A zero-proof gin does not need to carry the whole glass on its own. It just needs enough herbal bite and dryness to keep the drink from turning into flavored tonic.

Best first pick: Monday Zero Alcohol Gin

Monday Zero Alcohol Gin is one of the easiest bottles to start with because the first drink is already obvious: gin and tonic. It is also a good fit for soda with lime, a light spritz, or one simple patio drink that should feel a little more grown-up than sparkling water.

Best drinks to make

The cleanest tests are gin and tonic, soda with lime, a simple spritz, and one tall drink over ice.

What separates the better ones

A good gin alternative should still bring herbal character, dryness, a little bite, and enough flavor that tonic does not less livelyten everything. The disappointing ones drift too floral, too perfume-y, or too faint once the mixer goes in.

How to buy well in this category

These bottles usually work best when you buy for a specific drink, not for every possible use. Gin for G&Ts. Tequila for margaritas and palomas. Whiskey alternatives for one or two familiar serves at home.

That is usually the better way to spend here. Buy the bottle that fits the drink you already want to make, then see if you want it again.

Bottom line

Start with Monday for G&T duty and simple patio drinks. Gin is still one of the easier spirit styles to buy because the drinks around it already do part of the work.