Review: Non-Alcoholic Spirits and Cocktails of Spiritless

Spiritless is an Austin-based creator of non-alcoholic spirits, though it was founded in Kentucky by three moms looking to enjoy traditional spirits without the booze. The company produces a wide range of offerings, including whiskey and tequila alternatives, plus a variety of ready-to-drink cocktails.

We received a smattering for review, including a pair of those whiskeyish expressions, all with 0.5% abv or less. Bottles are 700ml.

Spiritless Kentucky 74 Review

A non-alcoholic spirit “for bourbon cocktails,” this includes “spiritless non-alcoholic oak distillate,” natural flavors, sugar, glycerin, and xanthan gum. N/A whiskey is always a dicey proposition and Kentucky 74 doesn’t much move the needle on that calculus. Here we have a gritty, very peppery product that is laden with raw wood notes alongside dried, unbrewed tea leaves. A pinch of brown sugar does little to make things more approachable, though there are times that echoing aromas of fruit, including figs, cherries, and raisins, threaten to cut through the tannic experience. The impact is fleeting, however, and the raw finish hits you like you’re chewing on a barrel plank. Strictly for mixing — preferably with actual bourbon. C- / $34 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Spiritless Kentucky 74 Spiced Review

This is Spiritless’s take on Fireball, and it definitely smells the part — heavy cinnamon, some sweetness, and just a hint of whiskey underneath. The nose is ultimately surprisingly enchanting and approachable, but the palate is marred by the same raw wood quality that musses the standard 74, tempering those lively notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and honey with a tannic punch that scrapes the back of the throat with notes of coarse black pepper and pencil shavings. Those pepper elements can get a bit lost in a cocktail, but so can some of 74 Spiced’s more engaging flavors. Your best bet may to mix this 50:50 with Fireball to create a lower abv experience that still provides what you’re looking for. B / $34 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Spiritless Espresso Martini Review

This is quite a pivot from the other options on this list, a bottled espresso martini. As with many a non-alc espresso martini, it comes across a lot like a canned coffee, though this one has some of the hallmarks of Spiritless’s woodsy flavor elements, which add both a dusty lumberyard quality and a curious fruitiness — raisiny and a bit pruny. The coffee itself isn’t wholly distinguishable, evoking a lighter roast with a slight mocha tone to it, but overall it’s fairly harmless experience that’s easy to drink. Note: It is caffeinated. B+ / $34 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Spiritless Old Fashioned Review

This is a canned cocktail made with Kentucky 74. The intent is to emulate an Old Fashioned, and that’s mission accomplished to the extent that Kentucky 74 is able to get it done. There’s brown sugar and a squeeze of orange peel, just as you would like, but that heavy black pepper and raw wood character easily pushes through all of it, at least when it’s fresh in the glass. Ice and meltwater are what do the heaviest lifting to temper the bite of the underlying NA spirit, so don’t be shy with the rocks — and letting them linger to get some cold water in the mix. It needs it. C+ / $12 per four-pack of 8.45 oz cans [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

The post Review: Non-Alcoholic Spirits and Cocktails of Spiritless appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.