For our review: Any non-alcoholic bottle we review is compared to other non-alcoholic spirits. Therefore, our ratings system does not translate to alcoholic spirits. For example, an 8 out of 10 for a non-alcoholic bottle is not going to be a one-for-one replacement for an 8 out of 10 alcoholic spirit.

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative: The Story

There really hadn’t been many whiskey alternatives that we had heard of prior to doing our ‘Best whiskey alternative for an Old Fashioned’ test. Which is why we didn’t even bother to blind test it; we had no preconceived notions as to what was ‘good’ and what was ‘bad’. And we know not to judge the product inside the bottle based upon what it looks like on the label or bottle design.

That said, we had at least heard of Ritual. That’s because they seem to be one of the more prominent players in the zero proof spirit world. Right now it seems there aren’t many, so it is a smaller pool. But credit where it’s due – they seem to be talked about more than the others.

Before each version of the Old Fashioned on our test, we tested each bottle on its own – just to see what it had to offer. So let’s take a look at what Ritual’s Whiskey Alternative brought to the table, shall we?

Nose

We get some honey syrup, lemon and tea aromas.

Palate

Bitter upfront (citric acid) like lemon water with some honey and vanilla mid-palate.

Finish

Mesquite, smoke and pepper on the finish, with some sweetness returning late via a spiced apple juice note.

Verdict

Ultimately, we like this one. The amount of sweet and spice is fairly well balanced and the touch of smokiness near the end adds some intrigue. When you’re looking for an alternative to spirits, it’s no easy thing and there’s simply no perfect substitute (at least not yet). But this isn’t too far off. Against other whiskey alternatives, Ritual gets high marks from us.

We think a fair rating for Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative is 7.7/10. Cheers!