11 Non-Alcoholic Elixirs For Sober Curious Sipping
Mocktails For A Brighter Morning-After
There are lots of reasons you could be refraining from drinking alcohol (and they’re all valid): You’re sober. You’re sober curious. You’re doing a Dry January (or a Sober October). You’ve had the worst hangover and are “Never. Drinking. Again!” (We’ve been there.) You’re prioritizing your health, you hate the way alcohol makes you feel, or simply how it tastes. Maybe you’re pregnant! Like we said, the list could go on and on.
Whatever the reason you might be abstaining, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the ritual of winding down with a special beverage. Whether you reach for a rocks glass or a stem glass, there are a handful of drinks that are making us rethink spirits and how delicious an alcohol-free drink can taste.
More than sparkling waters and flavored sodas, these non-alcoholic beverages are using natural plants, herbs, fruits, and flowers to benefit you in a different way. Happy sipping!
Looking for more sober things to do? Try these 99 sober activities for your weekend.
1. Curious Elixirs
Features | Organic ingredients
Where to Buy | Online
Price | $35–$45 for four 12 oz/355 mL bottles or cans; subscriptions available
Handcrafted in the Hudson River valley, Curious Elixirs uses organic juices, spices, herbs, roots, barks, and botanicals for its elixirs. Whether you opt for the floral blend boosted with ashwagandha or the carbonated concoction cooled with ginseng, the drinks are best enjoyed on the rocks with your favorite garnish. Fair trade and free of added sugar, gluten, dairy, and nuts, your curiosity will surely be rewarded. Still not sure? Read our Curious Elixirs review!
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2. Ghia
Features | Natural & botanical extracts, sustainable packaging
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $38 for 18.1 oz/535 mL bottle; $60 for 12-pack of 8 oz cans; subscriptions available
Non-alcoholic apéritif Ghia is inspired by the Mediterranean tradition of aperitivo—the traditional pre-meal drink intended to whet your appetite and prepare your stomach. It’s full of botanical extracts from ginger, gentian root, and rosemary, but the star ingredients are natural nervines (like lemon balm), which are herbs that support the nervous system. Ghia uses no caffeine, artificial flavors, or added sugars, and its packaging uses only biodegradable or recyclable materials. You can also grab a sparkling version, Le Spritz!
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3. Wooden Spoon Herbs
Features | Certified organic herbal blends, plant-based, gives back
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | Starting at $18 for 1oz herbal elixir; subscriptions available
Wooden Spoon Herbs was founded in an effort to make nature-based medicinal approaches to our everyday stresses easy, approachable, and pleasurable. With a background in studying herbalism at the Appalachian Center for Natural Health, founder Lauren Haynes takes her knowledge of cellular biology, folk healing, and phytochemistry to these organic tinctures, elixirs, and blends, each designed to target a specific and common concern. Make this Booze-Free Heavenly Herbaceous Mocktail using their Elderberry Elixir and Quick Wits tincture for a tasty beverage that supports mental clarity, cognitive function, and overall immune health. Tinkering with tinctures is encouraged! Tailor your bevvy to your needs by adding or substituting blends to suit your exact desires.
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4. Kin
Features | Organic & plant-based ingredients
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $30 for eight-pack of 8 oz/237 mL cans; $39 for 16.9 oz/500 mL bottle; subscriptions available
Kin wants to change the way we connect after dark. Crafted for nighttime—whether you’re socializing or slumbering—the “euphorics” combine plant-based ingredients (like hibiscus, orange peel, and cinnamon extracts) with cognition-supporting nootropics and natural adaptogens (like melatonin, reishi mushroom, and rhodiola rosea). Take your pick from the herbaceous High Rhode, spiced Dream Light, smooth Lightwave, or premixed citrus spritz—all vegan and free of gluten, dairy, or nuts.
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5. Three Spirit
Features | Plant-based, vegan, recycled packaging
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $39 for 16.9 oz/500 mL bottle or $27 for 25.4 oz bottle
We love Three Spirit for their plant-based alternatives to alcohol that “celebrate what you put into a drink, rather than what you take out.” Curated by plant scientists, bartenders, artists, and herbalists, the original three booze-free drinks they’re known for—Livener, Social Elixir, and Nightcap—are now joined by their new not-wine collection, Blurred Vines! Each drink is crafted with its own personality and supplemented by ingredients like valerian root or guayusa. Blended and bottled in the UK, you can also find them in the US online or at select stockists.
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6. De Soi
Features | Gluten-free, non-GMO, no artificial colors or flavors
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $25 for 750ml bottle or four 8oz cans; subscriptions and mixed sets available
Inspired by the French ethos of pleasure and restraint, De Soi (pronounced de-SWA) has a range of sparkling non-alcoholic apéritifs full of natural adaptogens. Botanicals like ashwagandha and reishi mushroom help mellow your mind and boost your mood, so you can enjoy a more considered happy hour. Founded by Morgan McLachlan and Katy Perry (yes, that Katy Perry!), De Soi is available in three signature flavors: Champignon Dreams, Purple Lune, and our editorial team’s personal favorite, Golden Hour.
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7. Acid League
Features | Vegan, gluten-free, recyclable packaging
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $59.50/month for a 3-pack of 750ml bottles; one-time tasting sets available
Founded by food scientists, Acid League started as a way to reinvent vinegar for people who loved acidity but were bored with current flavors. These relentless experiments resulted in bold, gut-healthy flavors, and soon the company was turning to the rest of the pantry, looking to reinvent everything from vinaigrettes to hot sauces to wine. Their Wine Proxies are layered blends of fruit, teas, bitters, and more, and are designed to pair with food. These reds, whites, and rosés don’t taste like any specific wine, but they have all the qualities that make wine-drinking pleasurable: texture, tannin, spice, and of course, acidity. Sip and swirl from your favorite stemware, savoring the experience of wine without the impairment.
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8. hiyo
Features | Non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, organic
Where to Buy | Online and select retail locations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Texas
Price | $45 for a 12-pack of 12 oz cans; subscriptions available
The founders of hiyo wanted to make an alternative to alcohol that was as delicious as it was healthy. Enter their mindful social tonics. These sparkling beverages are blended with organic adaptogens to counteract the effects of stress on the body and nootropics to support healthy brain functions. Choose from three tasty flavors–peach mango, watermelon lime, and blackberry lemon– with key ingredients for your perfect non-alcoholic buzz.
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9. Proteau
Features | Botanical extracts
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $24.70 for 25.4 oz/750 mL bottle
John deBary researched vermouths and Italian amaros for years before creating Proteau. After most recently serving as the Bar Director for the Momofuku restaurant group, he wanted to prove alcohol wasn’t an obligation for a food-friendly experience. Described as botanical drinks, the Ludlow Red and sparkling Rivington Spritz make use of plants from all over the world—hibiscus and chamomile flowers, rhubarb and black pepper, blackberries and strawberries—to deliver sips that can be enjoyed solo or with a meal.
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10. Seedlip
Features | Natural distillates & extracts, sustainable packaging
Where to Buy | Online or at stockists
Price | $32 for 23.7 oz/700 mL bottle
Seedlip was born after founder Ben Branson was given a “sickly sweet pink mocktail” at a restaurant one night. Inspired to create an alternative, and combining his love of nature with his family’s farming background, Branson founded Seedlip to deliver distilled spirits sans artificial flavors. The blends include lemongrass mixed with ginger, allspice berries with oak bark, and pea with spearmint. Simply serve with tonic or mix to create your own mocktail. These elixirs are sugar- and calorie-free, too.
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11. Rock Grace
Features | Organic extracts, non-GMO
Where to Buy | Online
Price | $22–$39 for 25.4 oz/750 mL bottle
If you’re looking for a wine or champagne alternative, try the rosé-resembling Rock Grace. Using organic extracts from schisandra berry and rhodiola, plus rosewater and organic raspberry juice, the blush pink elixir is both fruity and floral, and best enjoyed chilled. (It also won two titles at the 2019 World Beverage Innovation Awards.) The calorie-free, non-GMO beverage is crafted without sugar, sweeteners, sulfites, preservatives, or allergens. Find recipes here!
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