I've toured the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and love an Old Fashioned, but now I'm exploring the world of non-alcoholic drinks. Free Spirits stands out from the crowd — they present their products as alternatives for those seeking occasional breaks from alcohol while maintaining the drinking experience.
My wife, Erin, and I recently tried all the brand's bottled spirits and canned mocktails. We have years of experience tasting both alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits, and I have interviewed countless spirit experts. Erin no longer drinks alcohol and has become a mocktail connoisseur.
For more details, check out my guides to the best bourbons and the best non-alcoholic whiskeys.
Our top picks from Free Spirits
Free Spirits non-alcoholic spirits
The Spirit of Milano
This is a non-alcoholic alternative to Italian aperitifs like Campari, Cappelleti, or Aperol and can be used in traditional cocktail recipes, including Spritzes and Negronis. We tasted a flavor profile of clove, bitter orange, rhubarb, and cinnamon.
Erin's go-to mocktail was the Spirit of Milano with La Croix and a cherry garnish. The spirit has a pleasant bitterness balanced with a subtle sweetness. As with their other spirits, the brand recommends refrigerating the Spirit of Milano after opening it and finishing it within three months of opening.
The Spirit of Bourbon
Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon is one of the best non-alcoholic whiskies we’ve tested. It offers a nice complexity, combining anise, a hint of citrus, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with graham cracker.
Free Spirits' The Spirit of Bourbon earned a top spot in my testing of the best non-alcoholic whiskeys. When I crafted an old-fashioned, the spirit had additional dimensions. The drink evoked chai notes for Erin, while a friend with 20 years of sobriety detected cider undertones with a distinctive bite. While the sweetness somewhat overshadowed its complexity in cocktails, delightful gingerbread notes emerged.
The Spirit of Vermouth Rosso
Its base includes Pinot Grigio grape tannins and wormwood, which offers bitter, hoppy, and floral notes. The flavor profile also features stewed fruit and spices. It’s designed to mix traditional sweet vermouth cocktails, like Manhattans, Boulevardiers, and Negronis.
Erin and I found the Spirit of Vermouth Rosso delivered good flavor when consumed neat and had a notable bite. I also noticed a slight resemblance to prune juice in the finish. We mixed it with equal parts of the Spirit of Milano and the Spirit of Gin to make a non-alcoholic Negroni, which was amazing. The Negroni was the best of all the mocktails we made with the bottled spirits.
More non-alcoholic spirits
We sipped the Spirit of Tequila to find pronounced smoky notes and a significant burn, effectively capturing the essence of its alcoholic counterpart. As a gin enthusiast, I found the Spirit of Gin departed from the traditional gin profiles. Surprisingly, it excelled in a Negroni, offering smoothness, subtle fruitiness, and a pleasant, authentic-feeling burn.
Free Spirits canned mocktails
Free Spirits currently offers four canned mocktail options, available in 4 or 12 packs. They're a little pricey at about $4 a can, but you can save by buying in quantity or setting up a subscription. The ready-to-drink cocktails are especially great on the go and at parties where you want to look like you're drinking the real stuff.
Canned Margarita
This mocktail combines roasted agave, lime, oak, tangerine, and pepper flavors with the brand’s Spirit of Tequila. It can be served directly from the can or over ice with traditional margarita garnishes.
The ready-to-drink margarita mocktail impressed us with its balanced profile. It avoided the common pitfall of commercial margaritas: Free Spirits has an appropriate tanginess without excessive sweetness. An unexpected effervescence provides a champagne-like sensation, earning it a spot among Erin's favorites.
Canned Kentucky Mule
While the classic Moscow Mule features vodka, the Free Spirits’ Non-Alcoholic Kentucky Mule uses the company’s Spirit of Bourbon, Meyer lemon, and ginger to approximate the classic cocktail. The drink features Meyer lemon, ginger, and oak notes.
The Kentucky Mule grew on us more with each sip. The canned mocktail revealed complexity through distinctive floral notes in its pleasant aftertaste. Erin especially enjoyed it, noting its convincing similarity to its alcoholic counterpart. She even asked, "Are you sure there isn't alcohol in this?"
More canned mocktails
The canned Espresso Old Fashioned (containing 60 milligrams of caffeine) successfully blends coffee and cocktails. It features a smooth coffee taste complemented by chocolatey undertones and an authentic old-fashioned bite.
The canned Negroni was the only significant disappointment in the RTD lineup. It fell short of our homemade one crafted with Free Spirits' individual components (the Spirits of Gin, Vermouth Rosso, and Milano). Despite the harsh aftertaste, Erin found it acceptable as a backup option thanks to the alcohol-like flavoring.
What are your alternatives?
My personal expertise is in non-alcoholic whiskey, and Monday Zero Alcohol Whiskey is the only non-alcoholic whiskey that's as good as Free Spirits' Spirit of Bourbon. Neat, its sweetness was evocative of Tootsie Rolls, but with a pleasant bitterness and finish that lingered. In an old-fashioned, we noted maple and prune aromas. Monday has a variety of zero-alcohol bottled spirits, including rum and mezcal.
My favorite canned mocktail is Lyre's Malt & Cola, a non-alcoholic alternative to the popular Jack and Coke. I went through a four-pack pretty quickly because I liked how the bite complemented the cola flavoring.
The bottom line
Free Spirits focuses on creating non-alcoholic options that closely mimic iconic spirits, with products containing about 0.2% ABV. The drinks effectively recreate familiar alcohol profiles, even prompting us to double check that these were non-alcoholic. On the same note, we'd steer clear if you're seeking zero-alcohol options or wanting to avoid liquor-like flavors. Ultimately, Free Spirits is our faovrite choice for taking breaks from alcohol while still wanting the traditional drinking experience.
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