Zero-proof spirits have grown up: the best ones are built like real spirits — an agave spirit from the Andes for margaritas, a pink, berry-led gin alternative from Australia, and a proper French aperitivo liqueur with the alcohol left out — so a Sober October drink still tastes like a drink. All three bottles below are in stock at Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned San Diego, California store, and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, from $28.99 to $36.99.
The three bottles that cover the home bar
- Manly Spirits Lilly Pilly Gin Zero Proof — $28.99. A pink gin alternative built on Australian botanicals including the native lilly pilly berry — bright, tart and unmistakably gin-shaped with tonic, soda and a wedge of grapefruit.
- Giffard Spritz Non-Alcoholic Liqueur — $29.99. From the French liqueur house founded in 1885: a grapefruit-and-bitter aperitivo in zero-proof form, made to pour over ice with soda or tonic for a true spritz ritual.
- Aqara Agave de Los Andes Refugio Zero Proof — $36.99. A non-alcoholic agave spirit made from 100% agave grown in the Peruvian Andes — the bottle that makes a zero-proof margarita taste like agave, citrus and place rather than lime juice and soda.
Between the three, the whole non-alcoholic spirits shelf covers the three drinks people actually ask for alcohol-free: a gin and tonic, a spritz, and a margarita.
Three drinks to make with them
Zero-proof spritz: pour Giffard Spritz over ice in a wine glass, top with soda or tonic, garnish with grapefruit. Andean margarita: shake Aqara Refugio with fresh lime and a touch of agave syrup, serve over ice with a salted rim. Pink gin serve: Manly Lilly Pilly over ice with tonic and berries. Each one keeps the ritual — the glass, the garnish, the second round — and skips only the alcohol. If your household also stocks the full-strength side of the bar, the same builds work across our tequila and aperitivo shelves on other nights.
Who zero-proof is for
Designated drivers, weeknight hosts, anyone doing Sober October or Dry January, and hosts who want every guest holding the same-looking glass. Zero-proof bottles also stretch a home bar: alternate one full-strength round with one zero-proof round and the evening lasts longer for everyone. They make thoughtful, inclusive gifts too — nobody has to explain a bottle of gin alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Do zero-proof spirits taste like the real thing?
The best ones taste like their own category rather than an imitation: Aqara Refugio is made from real agave, Manly Lilly Pilly is distilled with real botanicals, and Giffard Spritz carries the grapefruit-and-bitter profile of a classic aperitivo. Expect the flavor and the ritual, without the burn or the alcohol.
Are non-alcoholic spirits completely alcohol-free?
These bottles are sold as zero-proof / non-alcoholic spirits on our non-alcoholic spirits shelf. If you need a strict 0.0% guarantee for medical or personal reasons, check the individual product page and label before ordering.
What can I make with a zero-proof agave spirit?
A margarita is the headline: Aqara Agave de Los Andes Refugio ($36.99) with fresh lime and agave syrup over ice. It also works in a paloma-style build with grapefruit soda, or simply over ice with lime and soda.
Where can I buy non-alcoholic spirits online?
All three bottles in this guide are in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, a family-owned store in San Diego, California. See our shipping and return policy for delivery details, and more of the shelf on the Del Mesa blog.
Stock the zero-proof shelf before the next gathering — every bottle above is in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor today.