Non-Alcoholic Bubbly Drinks for New Year’s

Nothing says New Year’s Eve quite like bubbles. But even if you’re forgoing alcohol, your options have never been better. There are non-alcoholic (NA) wines, bubbly NA beverages and NA cocktails. "A cocktail is about indulgence, an occasion, a moment," says Nora Furst, who was an early employee at Seedlip, the pioneering non-alcoholic spirit, and is now a beverage consultant with WestBev and owner of Buddy, a bar and café in San Francisco's Mission District She also recently developed the beverage program at Sipeos, a no-low bar and cafe in Walnut Creek, CA. "Just because you aren't drinking alcohol doesn't mean you don't want the opportunity to indulge. The wellness crowd is just a sliver of the market, but that’s not the whole story. Most people just want something delicious that feels appropriate to the moment."

Sophisticated NA Bubbles

Furst says that sparkling wine and apertivi translate well to the non-alcoholic space. "No one had even heard of an NA spirit 10 years ago and the growth has been unprecedented. There's so much to be excited about it, and there's almost like a Wild West spirit to it. We didn't know what was going to last. Now we are seeing what has legs, what people are responding to, where there is overlap and where there isn't."

Celebrating with NA bubbles is a slam dunk. Unlike the NA brown spirits and NA wine, sparkling NA beverages deliver on both the taste and the mouthfeel found in their alcoholic counterparts. Furst explains, "When you are pulling alcohol out, you need to replace the texture. Carbonation has the ability to bring flavors up to the forefront and also gives it the texture it needs. Carbonation makes it piquant, and you feel like something is happening on your tongue.”

Sparkling NA wines

Even celebrities are getting in on the act. The pop singer Kylie Minogue has come out with nine wines in the last 4 years, including two non-alcoholic sparkling wines, Kylie 0% Sparkling Rosé and soon-to-be launched in the U.S. Sparkling Blanc that are as effervescent as she is. These wines use a fermentation process that cuts the sugar by 30%. The wine is not dry but any measure but neither is it cloyingly sweet. It includes green tea sourced from China, brewed to create an infusion that helps recreate the mouthful and tannins of the missing alcohol. In December of 2023, according to The Drinks Business, the Kylie 0% Sparkling Rosé sold one bottle every 10 seconds and drove over half the growth in the category. The Kylie sparklers rolled out in the U.S. in January of 2024. They each retail for under $20.

Adrienne Stillman Krauz of the Dry Goods Beverage Company, an online seller of non-alcoholic beverages also recommends an NA Champagne alternative, Noughty Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Chardonnay. "For me, it really hits the spot and it's also great in cocktails. My go-to for New Year's entertaining is the Classic Champagne Cocktail because it is so simple and so delicious. You can easily make alc-free and alcoholic versions for your guests, or switch between them during the evening." At $22 a bottle, they work for toasting or cocktails.

For an even more luxurious option, try Society De La Rassi, which is made from 100% sustainable sourced Spanish Chardonnay grapes from La Mancha Alcázar de San Juan, Spain. A "Neue Brut" style of sparkling wine, it uses vacuum distillation which is said to help maintain body and depth. Just a hint of natural grape must (1.2g per liter) is added to reintroduce the sophistication of a traditional sparkling wine. It pairs well with food, is 0.5% abv and retails for $70.

Wine Alternatives

Avoiding all wine doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with bubbly water or soda. Tea also plays a starring role in several other beverages."My top recommendation is Copenhagen Sparkling Teas," says Kraus, "These wine alternatives are very nuanced and sophisticated and really appeal to wine lovers looking for a high-quality NA beverage. The BLÅ flavor is our best-seller, with lightly floral notes from Jasmine tea. The LYSERØD rose flavor is also excellent, made with fruity hibiscus flowers."

Spritz Cocktails

Wilderton Bittersweet and Citrus photo credit Aubrie LeGault

For your guests who enjoy cocktails, look no further than Wilderton, which has introduced two new expressions in time for the holidays. More traditional is their Bittersweet but they also make a citrus version that is a little softer and a bit sweeter. My family served both this Thanksgiving and they were very well received.

"Wilderton Bittersweet Apertivo is one of my favorite non-alcoholic product period," says Furst. "It's bold and it works well as a modifier so we can create a cocktail that has maybe a quarter ounce of it, attesting to the fact that it stands up well to other bold flavors like passion fruit. Furst also makes a dirty spritz with the citrus apertivo, olive brine, a dash of lemon juice, and Fever Tree tonic. "You have lean in a bit closer to hear it, the added sugar keeps it round and friendly. Each Wilderton Aperitivo is $39 a bottle.

Victoria Waters, the co-founder of Spirited Away, America's first booze-free Bottle Shop in New York notes that, while it is still true that consumers of NA beverages are driven by the trend toward wellness, when it comes to the holidays, "20% (of customers) actually say I'm here to indulge and don't mind sugar so drinks like the St. Agrestis Phony Negroni, are wildly popular." With juniper, citrus, and floral notes, the ready-to-drink bottles include some carbonation, and at $6.99 a bottle, they are a very affordable personal indulgence.