Ritual Zero Proof, Best Non-Alcoholic Replacement in 2023?

Choosing not to drink is a very personal decision, whatever the reason. While some prefer to abstain from anything related to alcohol or drinking culture, others enjoy non-alcoholic beers, cocktails, and wines.

We support everyone navigating the waters of sobriety; however, they choose to accomplish it. But, in this post, we’re addressing the latter camp of people who like to enjoy a good non alcoholic version of their favorite drink.

Why Did We Try Ritual?

We’re reviewing Ritual Zero Proof spirit alternatives for those that want to enjoy their favorite cocktails without the buzz. So, whether you’re sober for physical health, mental health, pregnancy, because of a court order, you’re the designated driver, or any other reason, you can still have a cocktail you enjoy.

You should always be able to find something that tastes good at a bar, wedding, or home. Delicious drinks are the perfect complement to a good time. Being drunk often isn’t. We’re holding tasting sessions of the most popular booze replacements to find out which ones best replicate the “real thing,” and which ones mix the best with standard cocktail ingredients.

What is Ritual Zero Proof?

Ritual is a lineup of replacements for commonly used spirits. The company was started by three friends who wanted to have a cocktail and still be able to function the next day when necessary. One of their creators says Ritual “isn’t an or – it’s an and…” But if you’re using it as an “or,” or an “instead of,” that’s great, too.

Ritual is intended to be mixed with your favorite mixers. The spirit alternatives are perfect complements to citrus, tonic, syrups, and juices used in traditional mixed drinks. It imparts the flavor of traditional spirits without the alcohol content.

How Is Ritual Zero Proof Made?

The liquor alternatives were painstakingly crafted to be a one-to-one replacement for the spirits in a cocktail recipe. If you want to use this NA product, you don’t have to adjust for extra dilution or throwing off ratios in your favorite cocktail.

Some cocktails are fickle. Even an additional quarter of an ounce of one ingredient can completely throw off the drink’s balance, so Ritual’s emphasis on easy substitution is lovely.

The creators of Ritual Zero Proof created the ingredient in a cooking process, not distillation. They sought guidance from master chefs and did painstaking research to ensure that there was never alcohol involved in the process of making them.

What Does Ritual Zero Proof Offer?

Ritual’s lineup includes four replacements for commonly used spirits: rum, gin, whiskey, and tequila. Each expression uses a combination of botanical ingredients, including those used to make the true spirit, to capture the essence of the liquor they’re replicating.

So, their gin tastes like juniper, and the tequila tastes like Weber blue agave. 

We ordered their Bar Cart Bundle, which was 10% off and included a nifty canvas tote bag along with all four expressions:

• Ritual Rum Alternative
• Ritual Gin Alternative
• Ritual Whiskey Alternative
• Ritual Tequila Alternative

Ritual For the Health Conscious

Nuts are not used in the recipe, and the product is gluten-free, so people with these common allergies can enjoy this non-alcoholic product.

The low-calorie recipes ensure these NA spirits are friendly for pretty much any diet. The spirits Ritual substitutes run anywhere from approximately 90 to 120 calories per shot, so a calorie-free option is appealing.

Especially if it also means you can avoid the hangover. 

Ritual ZERO PROOF Calories (1.5 oz serving)

• Gin alternative: 0 calories
• Tequila alternative: 0 calories
• Rum alternative: 10 calories
• Whiskey alternative: 10 calories

Standard Spirit Average Calories (1.5 oz)*

• Gin: 110 calories
• Tequila: 97 calories
• Whiskey: 105 calories
• Rum: 97 calories

*all amounts are approximate, as THE brand, type, and ABV of each spirit will determine actual calories per serving.

What Do the Ritual Zero Proof Spirit Alternatives Taste Like?

Before we tried these booze-less spirits in mixed drinks, we first had to try them neat. This obviously isn’t how these are intended to be consumed, but we think it’s nice to understand the flavors of any cocktail base.

Ritual Rum Alternative

This was our first NA rum experience, and it was a pleasant surprise. The Ritual rum smells and tastes like Jamaican rum with light overripe banana characteristics and warm vanilla and toasted spice notes.

The finish has a slightly earthy, sour flavor but is fleeting. A surprisingly accurate approximation of the alcohol burn lingered on the finish. It also has a nice caramel color like a nice light rum.\

Ritual Gin Alternative

Gin seems like it could be the most straightforward spirit to reproduce without the distillation process. Most of the ingredients are botanical and can be steeped into a tea. But it can still be challenging to balance.

The Ritual Gin Alternative has a strong mint and juniper aroma and tastes like a botanical gin. I couldn’t think of a gin to compare it to, but I was excited to try it mixed.

Ritual Whiskey Alternative

The first impression of this whiskey alternative is honey, both in flavor and aroma. You get hints of charred oak, wet dead leaves, and the same bite from peppers as the rest of the. There is a slight apple cider vinegar note, which could be off-putting for people who don’t like vinegar, but the honey flavor is dominant. 

As far as whiskey alternatives go, this is one of the better ones we’ve tried. Like the rum, the caramel color of this spirit adds to the overall experience of the spirit replacement.

Ritual Tequila Alternative

This tequila substitute smelled vegetal and vaguely of those freeze pops in the plastic tubes. On the palate, we could sense slight agave notes, and the peppers used to create the alcohol-like burn fit the peppery flavor of tequila.

But it doesn’t really taste like a direct tequila replacement when consumed neat or on a rock.

Our Favorite cocktails using Ritual zero proof

Coconut Daiquiri

• 2 ounces Ritual Rum Alternative
• .75 ounce Cream of Coconut
• .75 ounce Lime Juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin
2. Add ice
3. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds
4. Double strain into a coupe glass

This drink tastes like you’re going to be hungover tomorrow without the risk of actually being hungover. When combined with coconut and lime, the Ritual Rum Alternative makes a funky daiquiri that is probably the truest 1:1 replacement we’ve tried in all of our N/A experiments. It’s one to try. 

Ginless Gimlet

• 3 ounces Ritual Gin alternative
• 1 ounce Lime Juice
• 1 ounce Simple Syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin
2. Add ice
3. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds
4. Double strain into a Nick & Nora glass

The Ginless gimlet is a beautiful mocktail, perfect as an alternative to a traditional gimlet. Rhubarb and mint flavors are perfectly rounded and slightly more pronounced than the remaining botanicals in the N/A drink.

This recipe, found on the Ritual website, creates a drink that is easily crushable and would be a great introduction to gin for people who don’t like the spirit yet.

Whiskey Sour

• 2 ounces Ritual Whiskey alternative
• .75 ounce Lemon Juice
• .5 ounce Simple Syrup
• 1 Egg White

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin
2. Dry shake for 10 seconds
3. Add ice
4. Shake for 12 -15 seconds
5. Double strain into a Nick & Nora glass

This recipe from Ritual Zero Proof is an excellent alternative to a traditional whiskey sour. Without the bitters, the cocktail is entirely non-alcoholic, but adding a dash of bitters wouldn’t add a significant amount of alcohol if you wanted to include it.

would balance the cocktail, but overall it’s still a suitable replacement for a whiskey sour. Again, for people who do not like vinegar, this mocktail won’t be for you.

Also, using vanilla or demerara syrup might help balance out the vinegar and add the sweet notes often found in whiskeys.

Tommy’s Margarita

• 2 ounces Ritual Tequila Alternative
• .75 ounce Lime Juice
• .75 ounce Agave Syrup

1. Rim half of a double rocks glass with salt or tajin
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin
3. Add ice
4. Shake for 12 – 15 seconds
5. Strain over ice in a double rocks glass

To test the Ritual Tequila Alternative, we used it as a direct substitution for Tommy’s margarita. The resulting drink was a little lighter than a standard version of the cocktail, which is to be expected.

But, overall, with a Tajín rimmed glass, this is a great non-alcoholic cocktail. This Ritual product is a 1:1 substitution in the recipe, but we’d probably use darker agave syrup to add more body to the drink.

Final Thoughts

Ritual Zero Proof is at the forefront of spirit alternatives, especially when looking for direct substitutions in existing cocktail recipes.

If you’re looking to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, or just add a healthier alternative to alcohol on occasion, these products will allow you to enjoy craft cocktails still when you want them.