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The best canned mocktails: We tested 21 — these booze-free sips brought the party
Getting a nonalcoholic cocktail right is tricky, but these zero-proof brands won us over with their flavorful concoctions.
If you're looking for all the fun of a cocktail minus the booze, you'll be delighted to know that there are dozens of brands that promise to quench your thirst. The zero-proof beer and cocktail market is booming — and while that's a good thing, especially now that the surgeon general has called for cancer warnings on alcohol — it means you could spend months sipping just to figure out the best canned mocktail for your tastes.
To help, we gathered a group of Yahoo staffers and sampled 21 (the irony was not lost on us!) of the most popular ready-to-drink nonalcoholic cocktails. And I'm going to be honest with you: While we enjoyed many, most canned mocktails aren't great at replicating the complex flavors of a well-crafted drink. You're better off enjoying them on their own merits versus comparing them to a traditional cocktail.
With that in mind, keep reading for the best mocktails, according to our blind taste test, plus all the glasses, ice cube molds and other bar essentials you need to serve them. More of a beer person? Check out our guide to the best nonalcoholic beers, and for more NA options, read our stories on the best zero-proof wines and the best nonalcoholic drinks overall.
(Pssst, we'll continue testing more of the best mocktails this year and will update this story with our findings. Coming soon: St. Agrestis Phony Negroni and several NA canned cocktails from AF Drinks.)
Best canned mocktails of 2025
Sugar content: 9 grams | Features: Vegan, adaptogens, gluten-free | Size: 8 fl. oz. | Count: 4 pack
The highest scorer of any canned cocktail we tested with 13.5 out of 20 points, this tasty concoction from Katy Perry's brand won us over with its bold flavor and pleasant sweetness. Several commenters thought it tasted like a fruity tea. "I get hints of hibiscus. Love!" read one comment. "Definitely tastes like a fruity alcoholic drink!" praised another tester.
In addition to pomegranate, cranberry, ginger spice and rosemary, this drink is made with adaptogens including L-theanine and lion's mane, which are meant to naturally relax you.
The dietician who developed our list of the best nonalcoholic drinks also loved De Soi's St. Moritz Mule, naming it her favorite apertif. "Adaptogenic nonalcoholic beverages are an exciting new option in the expanding NA market," she wrote. "Feeling good should be a top priority, and if there are legal beverages to help you enhance your health, I consider that a win in my book."
- Made with adaptogens
- Tastes like an actual cocktail
- Looks like a classic spritz, with a rich pinky red color
- Pricey
- Some thought the flavor was a bit syrupy
Sugar content: 21 grams | Features: Vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO | Size: 8.4 fl. oz. | Count: 4 pack
Though you probably won't mistake this for a rum-spiked cocktail, Ish's drink won over many testers with its light, zesty flavor. "Like lemon-lime soda. Easiest to drink," wrote one tester.
Another detected notes of spearmint tea and ginger. Interestingly, it is made with mint along with lime and lemon, but no ginger. The spicy notes probably come from the nutmeg and capsicum extract in the ingredients list.
- Light and easy-to-drink
- Soda-esque flavor (this might be a con for some)
- 2023 Bartenders Spirits Awards recipient
- Pricey
- Some thought the flavor skewed a bit artificial
Sugar content: 8 grams | Features: Vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar | Size: 8 fl. oz. | Count: 12 pack
"Good balance of sweet and bitter," noted one tester of this crisp spritz made with lime juice, yuzu juice, lemon balm extract and elderflower extract. Though few testers thought it tasted like a true cocktail replacement, it rated third-highest for overall enjoyment after the two mocktails above.
- Easy to drink
- Not as carbonated as others (might be a con for some)
- No added sugar
- Pricey
- Some thought it tasted a bit bland
Sugar content: 19 grams | Features: Vegan, gluten-free | Size: 8.4 fl. oz. | Count: 1 can
For a zero-proof take on a classic cocktail, you can't do much better than this can from Blind Tiger, which was one of our highest scorers for flavor and overall enjoyment.
A French 75 is traditionally made with gin, which the brand captures with notes of juniper. Lavender, cherry and lemon add a floral fruitiness. "I could see drinking this in a fun glass with a garnish," noted a tester.
While most enjoyed the taste, a few testers found it a bit syrupy, so keep that in mind if you don't like sweet stuff.
- Very flavorful
- Made with natural flavors
- Has a beautiful pink color that comes from plums
- High in sugar
- Some thought the flavor was too sweet (two testers described it as Robitussin-esque!)
Sugar content: 13 grams | Features: Vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO | Size: 8.4 fl. oz. | Count: 4 pack
Our second favorite pick from the Danish brand Ish, this gin-inspired spritz won us over with its refreshing flavor, which comes in part from sun-dried juniper berries and coriander seeds sourced mostly from Provence, France. It was one of the only NA canned mocktails we tried that tasted similar to its inspiration. "Definitely gin-and-tonic like," said one tester.
Others noted that it reminded them of Sprite — in a good way. "Light enough to be a summer drink," commented a staffer.
- Low in sugar
- Award winning
- Light, refreshing taste
- Pricey
How we tested canned mocktails
We gathered a total of 18 Yahoo staffers, all with different drinking preferences, for two blind taste tests. Some folks identified as teetotalers, others sober-curious and others avid drinkers. All were curious about the best nonalcoholic drinks on the market. We poured each NA canned cocktail into a cup labeled only with a letter to keep the test blind.
Then came the fun part! Each tester sipped to their heart's content and filled out a rubric rating each drink from a scale of one to five on flavor, carbonation, accuracy (was it a satisfying cocktail replacement?) and overall enjoyment. We also asked the testers to jot down any thoughts they had about the samples.
Other canned mocktails we tested
Mingle Mocktails Key Lime Margarita: This sparkler from the popular brand Mingle (Bethenny Frankel's an investor) came very close to making it to our top picks, thanks to its zesty flavor. "Tastes like a dessert," noted one tester (up to you if that's a good thing!). Strangely, two folks thought it tasted faintly of cinnamon.
Mingle Mocktails Cranberry Cosmo: Though one tester correctly ID'd it as a cosmo and another said "it has a more interesting flavor than most," this drink didn't fare as well as the brand's margarita. Many folks thought it was too sweet and juice-like.
Ghia Soda: Ghia makes one of the most popular NA aperitifs, and the brand's signature spritz did okay among our testers. It's meant to taste bitter, and some folks found it off-puttingly so. Many also noted a strong grapefruit flavor — though the citrus fruit doesn't appear in the ingredients list.
ISH Paloma: While it didn't score as high as our top Ish picks above, this take on a Paloma did boast a strong grapefruit flavor. Ultimately, its bitter aftertaste was too much for our panel.
De Soi Golden Hour: With ingredients like reishi mushroom and L-theanine, this spritz promises to help with mental clarity and relaxation. But most of our testers were distracted by the slightly chemical flavor (the lemony drink is also made with bergamot, rosemary and bay leaf extracts).
Lapo's Negroni: Our panel found this drink from the Italian brand Lapo's bitter — too bitter in many cases. "Want to like it, but I don't," wrote one tester. That said, it's definitely reminiscent of a Negroni!
Recess Lime Margarita: Sadly, this drink had too faint a flavor to win us over. It is made with adaptogens, though, and guayusa, which is rich in antioxidants.
Recess Grapefruit Paloma: Testers were torn on whether or not the extreme bitterness of this drink was appealing. Several noted a gingery flavor and just one person thought it tasted reminiscent of an actual paloma.
Recess Classic Cosmo: Some of our panel found this orange- and cranberry-flavored concoction pleasant; others not so much. We were also torn on the level of sweetness — who knew a non-alcoholic cosmopolitan could be so divisive?!
Spindrift Cosmopolitan: It's best to enjoy this sparkling water as just that versus a cocktail replacement. All of our testers thought it was watery.
Spindrift Nojito: This nonalcoholic riff on a mojito fared better than the brand's "cosmopolitan," but testers still found its flavor too watery. That said, it did earn some fans, with one person saying that they enjoyed the notes of lime and mint.
Curious Elixirs No. 1 Pomegranate Negroni Sbagliato: An adaptogen-packed ode to the classic negroni, this drink tasted complex in a polarizing way. "It's too strong," said one person; "Tastes most like an actual cocktail," said another. As a third tester put it, "I'm not sure what to make of this."
Curious Elixirs No. 6 Coconut Pineapple Painkiller: This scored the lowest of any drink we tested, partly because of its creamy consistency (a riff on the classic tropical cocktail, the painkiller, it's made with cream of coconut pineapple, citrus and oat milk). Some testers also found the inclusion of nutmeg offputting.
Little Saints Ginger Mule: "Sparkling pine needles, but slightly sweet and sour. It's at least trying something," noted one of our testers of this drink that has notes of ginger beer, lime and lavender. It's made with reishi mushroom extract and botanical terpenes, which are derived from plants and are thought to have some health benefits.
Little Saints Negroni Spritz: This Little Saints drink was less successful than the Ginger Mule. Most testers found its bitterness overwhelming.
Little Saints Paloma: Three folks on our panel remarked on this drink's medicinal taste — two thought it reminded them of Pepto Bismol and one noted hints of Alka-Seltzer! That was enough to knock it out of the running.
Canned mocktail FAQs
What is the most popular mocktail?
It's hard to pinpoint just one beloved mocktail, but if we had to narrow it down, we'd say the Shirley Temple and the Arnold Palmer. Also, don't forget about nonalcoholic versions of tropical drinks like a virgin pina colada and virgin daiquiri, which are typically made with the same ingredients as the traditional options minus the booze.
Are mocktails healthier than cocktails?
Because they don't contain alcohol and are generally lower in sugar and calories than traditional cocktails, mocktails are generally better for your health. But keep in mind they can still contain added sugar or other flavorings you may not want to consume a lot of.
Editor-approved glasses and barware
Pardon the pun, but this glass is incredibly cool — it comes with a silicone mold for creating a wedge of ice that fits perfectly in the glass. Though it's labeled a whiskey glass, it's great for any cocktail or mocktail, plus it earned more than 2,600 five-star reviews.
This fluted coupe makes even sparkling water feel fancy. And though it's hand-blown, it's also dishwasher-safe for when the party's over.
Do it like the French do and sip your spritz from one of these casually sophisticated tumblers. Made by Duralex, these glasses are a Parisian cafe staple — and they're chip- and impact-resistant, so they're party-friendly, too.
Glass or can? You don't have to choose with these funky tumblers, which are perfect for beer, cocktails, juice or anything in between. No surprise they earn a near-perfect 4.8 stars from more than 4,200 Amazon reviews.
Bring a little flower power to your drink with these funky faceted molds. They produce some of the most intricate ice cubes we've ever seen!
This sweet serving tray looks like it's made from weathered stoneware, but it's actually melamine so you don't need to worry about it chipping or shattering. Handles make serving easy.
Play up the fun fruity flavors of your mocktails with this cherry good drinks tray. The mirrored bottom looks like something you'd see at a classy cocktail joint.
For insulation on a budget, Tahoe Trails can coolers are a good bet. They're vacuum-sealed to keep your drink chilly and are dishwasher safe for when the party's over. "I am amazed by this product. Even the last drop of a 12-ounce drink is still cold. I have bought four more as gifts," wrote one of the 2,200 five-star reviewers.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
