Twelve nonalcoholic drinks we tried, ranked, with a 2026 availability check.

Most nonalcoholic drinks fall into one of two categories. They are either trying very hard to impersonate alcohol, or they taste like juice that has been given a stemmed glass and a marketing budget.

Every once in a while, one works on its own. It feels finished. You would choose it again rather than merely accept it as the sober option.

This is the ranking from when we tried them, updated in August 2026 to confirm which brands and products still exist. Taste rankings are personal. Formulas, flavors, and store inventory change.

#1 (tie): TRIP Elderflower Mint Mindful Blend

Light, floral, minty, and more complete than expected. The product is still sold in the United States, including through TRIP's own store. The current U.S. version is marketed as a functional sparkling drink containing magnesium and botanicals. Check the can you are actually buying because formulations can differ by country and change over time.

#1 (tie): Hiyo Blackberry Lemon

The original list called this simply "Hiyo lemon." The current flavor is Blackberry Lemon. It is bright and citrus-forward, and Hiyo still describes the sensation from its blend of botanicals, adaptogens, and nootropics as "the float." That phrase belongs to the brand; it is not a medically defined effect.

#3: Mingle Mocktails

Fruity, easy, and crowd-friendly. Mingle is still selling canned nonalcoholic cocktails and functional beverages. Flavor matters here, so ranking the whole company at number three is less precise than ranking the can we actually tried.

#4: A zero-proof espresso martini

Mocha-leaning, smooth, and surprisingly convincing. This was a drink, not a clearly recorded brand, which makes it impossible to verify or recommend responsibly now. We are leaving it in the ranking because we liked it and adding "write down the label next time" to the editorial process.

#5: Ghia

Bitter, citrusy, and grown-up. Ghia still sells nonalcoholic aperitifs and canned spritzes. It is a good example of a drink that does not need to taste exactly like liquor to feel intentional.

#6: Athletic Brewing

Clean, simple, and reliable. Athletic still makes a wide range of nonalcoholic beers. Its products are generally labeled below 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is legally nonalcoholic in the United States but is not the same as 0.0%. That distinction matters for anyone avoiding alcohol completely.

#7: Michelob ULTRA Zero

The original article said "Michelob Ultra 0.0." The actual product name is Michelob ULTRA Zero. It launched nationally in 2025 and is labeled 0.0% ABV. Watery in the particular way that works if what you want is a very light lager.

#8: De Soi

Herbal and slightly elevated. De Soi continues to sell nonalcoholic botanical aperitifs. As with every functional drink, read the current ingredients instead of assuming "nonalcoholic" means ingredient-free.

#9: Seedlip-based drinks

Seedlip is a base rather than a ready-made verdict. The finished drink depends on what the bartender adds. Subtle can be good; subtle plus twenty dollars can also feel like sparkling water with excellent posture.

#10: Kava drinks

This category should not have been ranked with the throwaway line "effective, but a tradeoff in taste and feel." "Effective" is too vague, and kava is not risk-free. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says various kava products have been linked to rare but sometimes serious liver injury. Kava can also interact with medicines and should not be combined casually with alcohol or other sedating substances. This is now an ingredient warning, not a recommendation.

#11: Generic canned NA spritzes

Some are excellent. Some are sweet carbonated compromise. The category is too broad to rank without names, which is another way of saying the original tasting notes needed better recordkeeping.

#12: Juice in a fancy glass

Still last when it is priced like a cocktail and presented as if mint alone completed the assignment. Still perfectly good when what you wanted was juice.

ONE LABEL NOTE BEFORE YOU BUY

Nonalcoholic does not always mean 0.0% alcohol, and "functional" does not automatically mean safe for every person. TRIP and Hiyo products may contain ingredients such as magnesium, ashwagandha, L-theanine, mushrooms, or other botanicals, depending on the current formula. Ashwagandha may not be appropriate during pregnancy or breastfeeding and can affect the thyroid, liver, and certain medications. Anyone managing a medical condition or taking regular medication should check the current label and ask a pharmacist or clinician when an ingredient is unfamiliar.

The shift away from alcohol is not about finding a perfect duplicate. It is about having drinks that feel considered enough to choose on purpose.

Next tasting, we are photographing every can.