The Best NA Wines and Spirits to Gift

Type: Dealcoholized Wine 

Varietals: 60% Blaufränkisch, 20% Zweigelt, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

Finding the right dealcoholized red wine to give as a gift can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Joshua James, a career bartender turned NA drinks expert and owner of San Francisco’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop and wine bar Ocean Beach Café, feels that zero-proof red wine is the “the absolute hardest category to find for anything that is even remotely ‘good,’” but he’s been blown away by this dry, Old World-style red from Austria, which has notes of sweet dark cherry and oak spices. “It’s orders of magnitude better than anything I’ve ever tasted or smelled,” he says. “It is expensive though!”

$69.40
Zeronimo Wine

Type: Dealcoholized Wine

Varietals: Grüner Veltliner, Gelber Muskateller

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

This refreshing, dry white from Studio Null offers bright minerality and is another clear favorite of James, who calls it “complex, vintage- and vineyard-specific, and spot on.” 

It’s also a winner for Julia Bainbridge, the author of Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason, who says that “hands down, the best-in-class dealcoholized wines right now are being produced by Null. There’s actually some varietal character, which is very hard to retain, and both their reds and whites are good.” Plus, the bottles are chic. 

$32
Null Wines

Type: Dealcoholized Wine 

Varietal: Chardonnay

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

Bubbly wine is one of the most classic gifts in the book, and French Bloom’s Le Blanc does not disappoint. With a lively minerality and delicate pear and floral accents, this elegant sparkling white is made of a blend of dealcoholized organic French Chardonnay wines. (Bainbridge also recommends their elegant Le Rosé, which has flavors of rose and red fruit.)

$39
French Bloom

Type: Wine Alternative

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Ghia recently released their popular berry aperitif in bottled spritz format, and Bainbridge loves Le Fizz’s “surprisingly dry finish.” It’s juicy and a bit tart, with orange blossom and strawberry flavors. Plus the pretty bottle is absolutely gift-worthy. Bainbridge adds that Ghia founder Melanie Masarin “has great taste and has produced beverages so good that I am never without them in my fridge.”

$40
Drink Ghia

Type: Wine Alternative

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

This floral sparkling rosé alternative with delicate salinity and lingering tannins is a favorite of Jess Stewart, director of beverage at Trust Restaurant Group, who appreciates that it’s naturally alcohol-free and takes the wine-alternative approach instead of dealcoholization. “It has effervescence and is great on its own or can be added to a spirit free cocktail,” she says.

$30
NON1

Type: Dealcoholized Wine 

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

Made of 100% Pinot Noir, this fruity still rosé from Heringer Estates Vineyards in Clarksburg, California, is soft, delicate and enthusiastically recommended by James. “They are sommelier winemakers in Napa that have more experience dealcoholizing wine than anyone else in America,” he says.

$28
Drink Sovi

Type: Dealcoholized Wine 

Varietals: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Who doesn’t love a sweet gift? This bubbly rosé produced in Northern Italy makes a festive addition to the party, and it’s one of James’ favorite non-alcoholic sweet wines. 

$25
Prima Pave

Type: Wine Alternative

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Given that red wine is so challenging to dealcoholize (though we’re getting there!), many of the most flavorful, tannic zero-proof reds are wine alternatives—drinks that “try to approximate the flavor of wine or to somehow otherwise get at the wine-drinking experience by building the beverage from the ground up via a mixture of teas, herbal infusions, juices, vinegars, kombuchas, etc.,” as Bainbridge puts it. A spectacular addition to this category is Kally, whose organic verjus-based Early Cabernet is rich, tart and earthy, with dark cherry flavors and a hint of vanilla.  

$39
Kally

Type: Wine Alternative

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

Proxies is one of the main pioneers of the wine alternative approach, and this assortment of food-friendly best sellers includes bubbles, a crisp white, canned rosé and the recently released Big Red, a rich, full-bodied wine alternative with notes of black pepper, dark fruit “and a hint of Grandpa’s cigar box.” 

A lovely sampler set like this one makes a nice mindful drinking gift for the sober-curious people in your life as they figure out what they like. (“You’ll be seeing this category really expand pretty quickly,” says James. “Proxies are the original.”)

$96
Drink Proxies

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Non-alcoholic beers are getting better and better, and Stewart loves this widely available option from Best Day. “It definitely hits the spot,” she says. She also appreciates that their marketing is sober-positive and inclusive.

$12
Target

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

The process of making wine, then stripping the alcohol out is expensive. So, it’s tough to find great bottles under $15—which is why experts suggest going for NA beer, if you’re on a budget. This bittersweet, toasty IPA from Connecticut is what James calls “a deep cut, underground star” of the zero-proof craft beer scene.

$14
Total Wine & More

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Aplos makes complex, festive canned cocktails like ume spritzes, “kola fashioneds” and chili margaritas, boasting functional ingredients like adaptogens and hemp. “Aplos RTDs tick all the boxes: aromatics are insane, under sweet, complex adult flavors, pretty packaging—everything,” says James, who believes functional beverages “are the future of what we’re drinking.”

$66
Aplos

Type: Wine Alternative (Kombucha) 

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Bainbridge’s favorite approach to the wine-alternative category is “the kombuchas that are meant to be drunk like wine.” Unified Ferments’s amber-hued Snow Chrysanthemum is a personal favorite: with robust, juicy orange-wine energy, it’s “way more complex than you might think,” with “a weighty, almost oily texture that I think about a lot.” 

James also recommends Unified Ferments and is excited to see more of these types of beverages. “This is a category that I wasn’t so bullish on, but now with so many entrants coming in, I think it’s got some legs now,” he says.

$28
Unified Ferments

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Both Bainbridge and Stewart love this Italian aperitivo-style option from Lyre’s, which makes a fun gift for someone who likes mixing drinks or fantasizes about Italian vacations. “Lyre’s Italian Spritz hits the same bitter marks as Aperol or Campari and has that same robust color,” says Stewart. 

$38
Lyre’s

Alcohol level: 0.0% abv

Lively with fresh orange blossom, bitter grapefruit and aromatic botanicals, this gorgeous spirit is another perfect gift for the wannabe NA mixologist and aperitivo lover. It’s for “the real serious aperitif drinkers,” says James.

$37
Amazon

Alcohol Level: < 0.5% abv

Following red wine, whiskey is “the second-hardest” category to make in zero-proof formats, says James. He has found that, unfortunately, many options have “missed the mark.” He does, however, like this Kentucky bourbon–inspired, alcohol-free alternative from Free Spirits, which has a nice hit of smokiness.

$30
Free Spirits

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

Designed with cocktail-making in mind, this zero-proof gin is aromatic with juniper, citrus and botanicals. “This is my go-to right now for cocktails, and it has been for some time,” says James. Paired with some nice fancy tonic water, this bottle makes a lovely gift for the sober G&T enthusiast in your life.

$40
Amazon

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

For the margarita lover who is avoiding alcohol for whatever reason, this NA tequila is a dream come true. James considers himself a “certified agave aficionado,” and he feels that Cut Above has truly mastered the zero-proof tequila. His favorite is the mezcal, “but their agave blanco is spot on.”

$35
Amazon

Type: Wine alternative 

Alcohol Level: 0.0% abv

With cool minimalist packaging, this assortment of elegant apple cider-vinegar based drinks from Jukes includes sparkling versions of their herbal, citrusy white, fruity dark red and juicy rosé, all served in 8.5-ounce cans. You can mix and match your favorites or try one of each.

$75
Jukes Cordialities