Alcohol-free gin - the perfect alternative

If you want to do without alcohol and therefore also gin, but not the unique, typically resinous taste of it, you don't have to. Non-Alcoholic Gin has enjoyed great popularity for years when you want to stay sober or stay away from alcohol for health reasons and still want to enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic or one of the other numerous combinations with gin. You can also drink this non-alcoholic spirit alone.

Non-alcoholic gin is a non-alcoholic alternative to traditional gin that has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Alcohol-free gin is often made from a combination of herbs, spices, citrus fruits, and other natural ingredients that are also used in making gin with alcohol.
Alcohol-free gin can be used neat or as a base for cocktails and offers an alternative for people who want to give up alcohol for health or personal reasons.
Non-alcoholic gin comes in a variety of flavors, from classic juniper flavors to floral and fruity notes.
Alcohol-free gin is often more expensive than regular gin, but prices vary by brand and region.

Alcohol-free gin - a correct term?

Strictly speaking, this designation is somewhat misleading, since this drink is made with the same plant as real gin - a cypress plant called juniper - but can only be legally described as gin if it has a corresponding alcohol content. The juniper drink must have a content of at least 37,5%. During production, however, water is used as the basis and distilled instead of alcohol. Alcohol-free gin is actually an alternative to real gin, but that doesn't mean that you have to give up the taste of gin. There are now numerous excellent gin alternatives from a wide variety of manufacturers to choose from.

Brand	Name	flavor	Price (per bottle)	alcohol content
seedlip	garden 108	Flowery, herbal	25€	0%
Caleno	Light & Zesty	citrus, ginger	20€	0%
Liotta	White	citrus, juniper	25€	0%
Siegfried	Wonderleaf	juniper, lavender	20€	0%
Stryik	not gin	juniper, citrus	25€	0%

How is non-alcoholic gin made?

Water is distilled with certain botanicals. These botanicals consist of juniper and other selected herbs, which vary from brand to brand and each have a different-tasting gin alternative as the end product. After the distillation process, which brings the water and spices to a boil, the liquid is cooled again in a specially designed installation. Some manufacturers then add flavors to steer the final taste in a certain direction or to generally intensify it.

What should you look out for when buying gin without alcohol?

If alcohol smack is an important part of enjoying mixed drinks for someone, the lack of it could be a disadvantage here. The sometimes, but not often, higher price of non-alcoholic gin is another potential downside. While it is more laborious to make, the lack of alcohol tax often offsets the higher cost of the manufacturing process, which is why the more expensive counterparts of real gin tend to be rare. What you should not forget, however, is the shelf life of gin alternatives, as they do not contain alcohol as a preservative. Alcohol-free gin usually lasts around eight weeks if stored in the refrigerator or otherwise cool enough. If you're past the expiration date, it's a good idea to smell and taste test your drinks before consuming them in large quantities.

How do you enjoy non-alcoholic gin?

You can drink this gin alternative just like you drink normal gin. The most common use is in mixed drinks, such as combinations with tonic water, long drinks or as an ingredient in various cocktails. Probably the best known and most popular drink is the gin and tonic. The ingredients are easy to read from the name: gin and tonic water in preferred proportions to each other, with the latter offering a choice of different flavor variations. You can also add lemon or cucumber slices. If you don't like the taste of tonic water, you can simply use cola to mix it up and you have a Gin Cola & Lime. Alcohol-free gin can also be used as an ingredient in any cocktail that normally contains real gin. A martini, for example, is a popular classic cocktail. It usually consists of gin and dry vermouth, although you have to make sure that the vermouth is also alcohol-free if you want to avoid alcohol completely. Of course, a non-alcoholic gin alternative can also be drunk on its own or as an accompaniment to a delicious dinner.