New Zealand’s top alcohol-free spirits, RTDs, wines, beers & ciders to try this summer

Looking for low and no-alcohol tasty beverages to see you through the summer? Whether you’re abstaining entirely or taking a hybrid approach – consider this list your go-to guide to sophisticated sippers minus the sting in the tail.

Spirit-style drinks

Full-strength spirit-like creations you can sip straight or mix as you please

Best for nature lovers

Launched on our shores exactly 10 years ago, Seedlip pioneered distilled non-alcoholic spirits with its range of complex botanical-driven blends Garden 108 – bursting with fresh green notes, citrus-forward Grove 42, and Spice 94.

Best for the pocket

Melbourne-based gin distillery Brunswick Aces calls its zero take on the spirit “Sapiir” and makes it in various flavour profiles, including the excellent Spades, redolent with notes of green cardamom, fresh herbs, citrus, lemon myrtle, and Tasmanian pepperberry. The price point seems to vary but you can often nab it for less than $40 for 700mL.

Best for choice

Best planty buzz

Hawke’s Bay-based Terps & Co calls on aromatic plant compounds called terpenes to rouse the booze-free spirit – these not only offer aroma and a resinous flavour, some studies indicate they can interact with brain cells to affect mood. The brand’s Gin-Like, Tequila-Style and Rum-Esque are blended to taste like the traditional versions.

Best for a lighter buzz with full flavour

Blenheim’s Elemental Distillers make Roots, one of the best gins you can hope to crack into – not just in my opinion (but let me tell you, it could be my number one), it has won big-time awards like the actual World’s Best London Dry Gin. They’ve just launched Roots Light, which at a much lower than average 14% ABV still tastes like your favourite London Dry thanks to groundbreaking tech developed with Callaghan Innovation called double vacuum distilled technology. A G&T made with RoLo clocks in at 2% but if I may suggest, try skipping tonic and instead adding soda along with a splash of Six Barrel Soda Co’s Rosemary & Cucumber Tonic Syrup – the result is less sweet with the full botanical spectrum of the spirit allowed to sing, particularly the Douglas Fir (a seriously invasive pest of pine here in Aotearoa) which Elemental uses in a clever pest-control-meets-palate-pleaser move. The company is also B-Corp certified, operating from a distillery powered by the Marlborough sun.

RTDs

Pull the tab and go. Cocktails, seltzers and grown-up sodas

Best for that tingly warm feeling

Best for a mood boost or chill

Terps & Co’s RTD range includes Margarita Muse and Gin-Like & Tonic – using its spirit-like bases, or if you prefer something lighter, try the brand’s Good Herb Soda, sparkling herbal infusions which contain the terpenes but not in the spirit-like base, in InZone or Unwind offerings.

Best for fancy flavours

Black Doris Plum Margarita… Grapefruit, Cucumber & Mint Spritzer… Yuzu, Hawke’s Bay Lemon, Gin & Tonic… local brand Finery’s zero cocktails and spritzers are built for sophisticates.

Low and no-alcohol wine

Whether wine made from grapes with the alcohol removed, or beverages made in the spirit of wine without a grape in sight, these are bottles you can confidently pop on a dinner table

Best for traditionalists

Alcohol balances acidity and bitterness and contributes to mouthfeel in traditional winemaking, so when it’s removed, producers often try to reintroduce its role with the addition of sugar or grape concentrate – and if you’re used to regular wine, you won’t be fooled and you will probably find the taste too sweet. Giesen has invested in “spinning cone” tech for dealcoholising, and its 0.0% range is a good one to explore, featuring sparkling brut, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, riesling, rosé and merlot.

Best for sophisticated tastes

Melbourne-born NON is crafted to offer an experience akin to wine, all about balance, complexity and texture, but it’s not made with grapes; the team of chefs combine ingredients like salted raspberry and chamomile to nod to rosé, and, in the newest creation, blackberry and plum which is oaked to create that signature mouthfeel. If you put NON on the table you are officially the coolest kid at it.

Best fizz

Anthea is made in Riverhead by a winemaker who turned his talents to the quest for making drinks just as complex and delicious as wine, without the alcohol. The up-and-coming brand so far has two spritzes in its bottled range – think of these as replacements for rosé and brut bubbles. Your pinky pal Blush is crafted from Schisandra berry (described as sweet, salty, bitter, pungent and sour – there’s complexity right there), rosemary, lemon balm and thyme, while Blanc features honeybush, chamomile and thyme and has a lovely crisp and dry finish.

Beer and cider

Without the blurry googles

Best for lager lovers

Most lagers don’t make my cut because of a telltale “malted barley sugar” note left behind by residual sugars. But Peroni Nastro Azzuro 0.0% is a decent pick, and so is Heaps Normal, which sells phenomenally well in its home country, Australia. A tasty local option is State of Play Golden Lager.

Best for hazy heads, without a next-day hazy head

While lager struggles to shake off its booze coat, there are plenty of products in the hazy and IPA categories with alcohol content of less than 0.5%, that nail the flavour profile:

Best for choice

All of State of Play’s beers are 100% alcohol-free, made in Hawke’s Bay using all-New Zealand Motueka hops and malt from Canterbury. The range features Golden Lager, Nectaron Hazy, IPA, Chocolate Stout and – perfect for summer – Sunbreaker Ale with ginger, lime and honey.

Best for fruity fiends

More and more zero ciders are popping up, and a few favourites are Zeffer’s Crisp Apple and Passionfruit offerings, Morningcider Crisp Apple, and Good George Black Doris Plum. If you’re after a crafty edge, try Peckham’s Apple Zero – it’s made the traditional way by fermenting heritage cider apples Kingston Black and Knotted Kernel and has the alcohol removed using swish technology. It has the characteristic barnyard funk flavour cider aficionados will love.

Bitters

Without the bitter ending

Recently landed in New Zealand at Cook & Nelson, Seasn is the creation of Seedlip founder Ben Branson and a zero alternative to traditional bitters. Offered in a pair, Light and Dark, Seasn acts as the salt and pepper for your drinks – a few dashes adds complexity and intense flavour. Best trick up your sleeve.

More Food & Drink

Jesse Mulligan’s curious adventure at a Karangahape Rd yakitori spot - and a viral dessert you can’t order. Honoka has opened in Bar Celeste’s old site. Will it be a success? Jesse’s verdict is in.

Move on from Melbourne, Brisbane is the stylish new foodie hotspot to add to your travel plans. Brisbane’s food scene is only getting more exciting.

New Zealand’s best meal kits: What’s the best food delivery service for your household? From My Food Bay to Wonky Box and Woop, what’s on offer, and what’s the best to buy?

Jesse Mulligan: What makes the perfect romantic night in Auckland? Plus, Jesse makes an offal suggestion, and gives tips for a weekend on Waiheke.