An aperitif is a drink you have before dinner to "open the appetite". Which is hilarious, because I've never needed help with my appetite. My appetite opens itself at 11am and stays open until bedtime, like a Spar.
But the idea is lovely. It's that 6pm moment when the work laptop shuts, the olives come out, and for twenty minutes you pretend you're on a terrace in Positano and not looking at a wheelie bin in West Yorkshire.
The good news is you don't need alcohol for any of that. You need something bitter, something bubbly and a bowl of crisps. Here are the alcohol-free aperitif brands I'd trust with that job.
The short answer
The best alcohol-free aperitif brands bring bitterness, aroma and a dry finish, so they taste grown-up rather than like posh squash.
For an orange spritz, go for Smiling Wolf Aperitivo. For savoury and Mediterranean, New London Light Aegean Sky. For bitter and herbal like an amaro, Pathfinder. For floral and sharp, Crossip Pure Hibiscus.
Top them with soda, tonic or alcohol-free fizz, lots of ice and a slice of citrus.
What makes a good alcohol-free aperitif?
Bitterness is the big one. Alcohol hides a lot, so without it you need something else to give the drink grip. Gentian, wormwood, citrus peel and herbs do that job.
Then it needs aroma, so it smells interesting before you've even sipped it. And it shouldn't be too sweet. If it tastes like a Fruit Shoot that's been to finishing school, it's not an aperitif.
The rest is serve. Big glass, loads of ice, a decent mixer and a garnish. That's where the theatre comes from.
I've noticed the wellness industry would call this "a mindful pre-dinner ritual". I'd call it "a drink and some olives". That's a pound in the jar.
Smiling Wolf: for the orange spritz crowd
If you miss the big orange spritz, start here. Smiling Wolf Aperitivo is bittersweet and orangey, made with Italian wine and 18 Mediterranean herbs and bitters. Top it with alcohol-free fizz and soda, add a slice of orange, and put some olives on the side.
It also has added nootropics and B vitamins. I can't tell you what they do for your brain.
Mine still walks into rooms and forgets why. But the spritz is cracking.
New London Light: for the savoury and the curious
New London Light is made by the team behind Salcombe Gin, at their waterside distillery in Devon. Two bottles here, and they're very different.
Aegean Sky blends bitter citrus with olive for a savoury, Mediterranean aperitif. It's the one for people who find most spritzes too sweet. Serve it as a spritz over ice and you'll want a plate of feta immediately.
Midnight Sun is subtly sweet and layered, with sea buckthorn berries, elderberries, kelp and pine, some of it foraged near the distillery. It's aimed at pink gin drinkers who are open-minded.
Kelp in a drink sounds like something a Bond villain would serve. It works, though.
Pathfinder: for the amaro lover
This is the serious one. Pathfinder starts with fermented hemp seed, copper pot distilled, then blended with wormwood, angelica, ginger, sage, juniper, orange peel and Douglas fir. Herbal, bittersweet and resinous, with a long finish.
It's amaro-style, so it's bold. Try it as a spritz with lemon juice and soda, or as the base for an alcohol-free negroni.
It's not for the faint-hearted. It's for people who say "I quite like Campari, actually" and mean it.
One honest note: it's bittersweet with 24g of sugar per 100ml, so a measure topped up long with soda is the way to go, not a pint of it.
Crossip: for floral and sharp
Crossip Pure Hibiscus starts floral and then takes a sharp turn into dry, punchy bitterness from wormwood and gentian, with cranberry, rhubarb and bergamot along the way. It was named the best non-alcoholic spirit for fruity flavours of 2025 by The Independent.
Mix it with tonic and a twist of grapefruit for a pink, sharp spritz. It looks very Instagram. It tastes better than Instagram.
Three Spirit Livener: for a party starter
Three Spirit Livener is fruity and spicy, with watermelon, ginger and hibiscus, bitter notes of ginseng and green herbs, and a dry finish with rich tannins. Over ice as a short, or long with tonic or soda.
It contains guayusa, a natural source of caffeine, so it's a "start of the night" drink, not an "after the ten o'clock news" drink. Unless you fancy watching Newsnight with your eyes wide open like a startled owl.
Treguddick shrub: for the vinegar fan
A shrub is a drinking vinegar. I know. Stay with me.
It's fruit, sugar and vinegar, and the sharpness is exactly what gets your mouth watering before a meal.
Treguddick Raspberry & Bay brings juicy, tart raspberry and a savoury lift of bay that stops it tasting like jam. With Mediterranean tonic, it's a proper summer drink.
As a man who ferments things for a living, I find shrubs deeply exciting. Nobody else at parties does, but that's their loss.
Pierre Zéro Sparkling Spritz: for the lazy host
No measuring, no mixing. Pierre Zéro Sparkling Spritz is a light, refreshing bubbly spritz in a 75cl bottle, made for hot days and pre-dinner drinks. Pour it into a big jug with ice and orange slices and let it vanish.
For more bubbles to top your spritzes with, see my alcohol-free sparkling wine review. And if you're feeding a crowd, there's a full list of sober party drinks that aren't boring.
How to serve an alcohol-free aperitif
Big wine glass or tumbler. Fill it with ice. More ice than that.
Ice is the cheapest way to make a drink taste expensive.
Start with a 50ml measure and top up with soda, tonic or fizz. Taste, then adjust. Garnish to match: orange for bittersweet, grapefruit for floral, lemon or an olive for savoury, rosemary for herbal.
All of these live in our alcohol-free spirits collection. If you want a few to try, the build-a-spirits-box bottle deal takes 10% off six bottles and 15% off twelve, and you can mix wine and spirits. For the bigger picture on alcohol-free spirits, my guide to alcohol-free spirits covers gin, rum, whisky and the rest.
The serious bit
Drinks up to 0.5% ABV count as alcohol-free in the UK, but that isn't 0.0%. If you need zero, check the label. Several of these sit at 0.5%.
Some alcohol-free spirits contain caffeine (like Three Spirit Livener's guayusa) or added botanicals and nootropics (like Smiling Wolf). If you're pregnant, on medication or sensitive to caffeine, check the label and speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
If you're worried about your drinking, Drinkaware and the NHS alcohol support pages are a good, free place to start.
Kombucha Kev, Functional Drinks Club
