Food & Drink, WELLNESS

The Mocktail Revolution: 0% ABV Drinks You Can Find on the Shelves

Have you joined the sober (or sober-curious) revolution? Whether you’re living a 0% ABV lifestyle completely, ramping up your wellness journey, going through a sober streak, are “California sober”, or any other reason you may be reaching for a non-alch beverage, we got you.

Did you know there’s a store (online, and in person for Torontonians) to shop 100% alcohol-free?! Sobr Market was created from the belief that choosing a non-alcoholic beverage should not compromise social connections. As Canada’s largest distributor of non-alcoholic drinks, they aim to provide consumers, restauranteurs, and retail partners with the best alcohol alternatives from around the globe.

Founded in 2022, Sobr Market operates stores in Winnipeg and Toronto and ships nationwide at TheSobrMarket.com.

Sobr Market has three locations in Toronto – 511 Richmond Street West (flagship), Harbourfront Centre (summer pop-up), and our newest permanent location at 298 Markham Street. Sampling is available at all three shops.

We’re here to share some awesome brands serving up all the 0% ABV bevvies and mocktail ingredients for those looking to dive in.

Ready-To-Drink

options are a great place to start for simplicity. Ghia has a line of botanical aperitif cocktails that are very complex in flavour. A team favourite is the Ghia Salt & Lime.

Negroni lovers, or those looking to get into Negronis without the alcohol content. St. Agrestis – Phony Negroni is non-alcoholic with nuanced juniper, citrus, and floral notes, the St. Agrestis Phony Negroni drinks with the same bitterness drinkers of the classic cocktail expect, sans alcohol. With added carbonation to help mimic the bite that alcohol typically provides.

Non-alcoholic beer

With so many non-alcoholic beer options now available, the team at Sobr Market often suggest trying the craft route. They love the taste and design of Mash Gang.

Another option is Athletic Brewing Co. They’re dedicated to crafting delicious non-alcoholic beer you can enjoy anytime and anywhere, with no worries and no hangovers. Unlike other non-alcoholic beer, Athletic’s beers are crafted with a proprietary process that allows them to maintain full flavour.

Wine

Wine can be challenging, so the team recommends starting with something bubbly as the carbonation helps with mouth feel. Prima Pave offers single-serve bubbly options for those wanting to try a few different ones without committing to a full bottle.

For wines and elixirs, discover Three Spirit. Trying to decide where to start or want the best of the plant elixir and alt-wine worlds? Try each of these award-winning bottles. Each Three Spirit has a unique stack, combining functional plants and ingredients to shift you in different directions. Choose your mood. Up, down and sideways. Experience each of the indulgent non-alcoholic spirits and alt-wines. Developed by world-class bartenders and plant scientists, their award-winning liquids were created with depth, texture and mouthfeel in mind.

Tequila: Seven Giants 0.0 Premium Blue Agave

Made with Highland spring water, glycerine, natural flavourings (Organic Blue Agave syrup, herbs, spices and botanical extracts), these three different flavour profiles aren’t far off your typical Tequila drink.

Añejo

Full bodied and fiery yet tempered with warmth and sweet notes.
Distinctive and complex with a richly intense, spiced honey finish.

Blanco

Savoury herbs and fiery pepper dance with the natural sweetness of the blue agave, tempered with touches of vanilla and sweet oak.

Reposado

Spicy and peppery blue agave with a savoury edge.
The salty herbal tang and fieriness mingles with Manuka honey and dark Columbian coffee.

Vodka: USKO

Inspired by the rugged beauty of Nordic landscapes, made-to-mix USKO Original boasts the aroma and flavor of high quality single grain alcoholic vodka – without the liquor. Trust your instincts.

USKO is an elegant and versatile spirit, which is ideal for alcohol-free cocktail creations. Pairing smoothly with other aromas, enhancing the taste of your drinks and allowing you to blend with your favourite mixer or use in any cocktail.

Gin: Tanqueray 0.0

Four botanicals are perfectly balanced to give Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free a citrus style and juniper led profile, with a delicate botanical complexity behind it. Tanqueray 0.0% allows you to discover the definitive experience from Tanqueray, just without the alcohol. Serve with your chosen tonic and garnish over ice, then sip, savour and appreciate! Tanqueray’s four quality botanicals are individually immersed in water, heated, and then distilled to give a complex, delicious flavour.

Tanqueray 0.0% is best enjoyed with plenty of ice, premium tonic water, and garnished with a wedge of lime, but it also makes the perfect base for a wide range of alcohol-free cocktails.

Non-Mimicking Options

Perhaps if you’re first exploring the non-alcoholic world, you may be looking for something that doesn’t remind you of an alcoholic beverage. We immediately turn to Crossip for anyone who says this!

There are five varieties of this macerated spirit out of the UK and lots of recipes on Crossip’s website. Crossip is bold in flavour and focuses on creating a drink experience rather than trying to taste like an alcoholic spirit.

Keep it simple

Consider bitters and water to keep it simple. Many traditional bitters contain up to 40% alcohol by volume, which many people don’t realize. All The Bitter is a line of alcohol-free bitters that can elevate cocktails or can be enjoyed by adding to sparkling or still water.