Quick Answer
Yes — the good ones do. Free Spirits spirits are crafted to match the complexity, body, and burn of traditional spirits. That means you can make an authentic cocktail with real backbone, minus the alcohol.
Unlike flavored waters or extracts, our non-alcoholic spirits are reverse-engineered from traditional bourbon, gin, and tequila to recreate every layer you'd expect: juniper and citrus in The Spirit of Gin, oaky vanilla in The Spirit of Bourbon, agave heat in The Spirit of Tequila. It's not a close-enough copy. It's the same cocktail experience — just redesigned for more control.
And yes, there's a bite. That's intentional. It's what makes your Margarita snap, your G&T pop, and your Old Fashioned feel like the end of a day done well.
If you thought your mocktail was missing something, it probably was. This is what brings it back.
What Do Non-Alcoholic Spirits Taste Like?
Like spirits. Without the alcohol.
Pour The Spirit of Bourbon and you'll taste oak, spice, and caramel warmth. The Spirit of Gin delivers juniper's dry snap and bright citrus. The Spirit of Tequila leads with grassy heat that actually lingers. The Spirit of Aperitivo Milano brings bitter orange, herbal complexity, and that distinctive crimson bite. These aren't flavored drinks trying to fake it — they're built with the same backbone and complexity as full-proof bottles.
You'll feel the burn, the right weight on your tongue, enough depth to hold up mixed or neat. So whether you're building a G&T or sipping something straight, the taste doesn't compromise. Bold, balanced, and ready to do the job in your glass.
Where Does the Burn Come From?
The warming effect in a cocktail isn’t just taste; it’s physical. Traditional alcohol creates it with ethanol. At Free Spirits, we replicate it using capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers.
It’s not hot sauce heat. It’s the lift and tingle at the back of the throat that mimics a spirit-forward pour.
Some people say it’s strong at first, like their first full-proof bourbon. Others say it’s the first time a non-alcoholic spirit actually felt like a pour. We’re always refining that burn to work for more palates, including the spice-sensitive.
What’s Missing from the Flavor?
Just the ethanol.
We use a process called Distillate Reconstruction to rebuild the structure of classic spirits. We use ingredients like American White Oak, juniper, and agave. Everything you expect in body and aroma? It’s there.
Do Non-Alcoholic Spirits Work Neat?
Most don’t. Free Spirits does.
We designed ours with real backbone, so they hold up on their own. Whether that’s in a rocks glass with a twist, or split 50/50 with a full-proof bottle to dial it down, it works. You don’t need to bury it in mixers to make it make sense.
Where Non-Alcoholic Spirits Shine (and Where They Don’t)
- ✅ Negroni? Holds its own.
- ✅ Half-proof Margarita? Seamless.
- ✅ Neat pour? Surprisingly satisfying.
- ❌ Expecting a 1:1 clone of 100-proof whiskey? That’s not what we’re building.
It’s not juice. It’s not soda. It’s not tea.
It’s a spirit — just built differently.
TL;DR 🔎
Q: Do non-alcoholic spirits taste like real alcohol?
A: The good ones do. Free Spirits are crafted to give you all the complexity and bite of full-proof spirits, without the alcohol.
The Bottom Line
If you’re expecting an identical replica, you’ll miss what it actually is.
But if you’re looking for a pour that delivers the cocktail experience without the compromise, Free Spirits is built for that. It’s not pretending. It’s showing up differently — and doing the job.
