Every year more and more people take up the challenge of abstaining from alcohol for the month of January. Despite the health benefits, for many participants it can be a struggle.
The good news for gin drinkers is that perhaps most uniquely among spirits— the botanical notes that make gin, well gin— also exist in a range of non-alcoholic spirits. Furthermore, topped with some tonic water, many of these make a surprisingly well gin and tonic like non-gin and tonic.
While I’m covering these as alternatives to help you through Dry January, I also often have something like this stocked in my home bar for the holidays. Either for that person who wants to quietly non drink, or that expecting friend who isn’t expecting to tell her friends tonight…
In any event, these are some of the best options to get a little bit of gin flavor in your January without reaching for the gin.
Seedlip
Seedlip’s Garden 108 was my first foray into the world of non-alcoholic spirits. And I admit, when I first tried it, I was very pleasantly surprised. Not at all sweet, with a fresh green nose and a botanically-driven palate— it was delightful with tonic water. Though Garden 108 doesn’t feature juniper, I still think it’s one of the best options for a Dry January drink for Gin Drinkers.
Seedlip has two widely-available variants. The second, the Spice 94 is a nice alternative for fans of spice-forward contemporary gins. It’s earthy and citrusy. In fact, cardamom, lemon and grapefruit in this come together to form a surprisingly gin like note.
And if you don’t know what to do with them, Ben Branson even released a book of Seedlip Cocktails.
Ceder Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Among the highest profile (at least in the spirits community) may be Ceder. Launched in 2017, the brand was quickly acquired by Pernod Ricard.
Though not available state-side yet, Ceder represents a more literal attempt to replicate the flavor of common spirits. They even market themselves with a language that says gin. This might be exactly the Dry January answer for gin drinkers.
Thus far they have a range of three. The Wild features juniper and buchu. Classic goes all in on juniper and coriander. Crisp adds cucumber and may be a good option for fans of Hendrick’s, Martin Miller’s or Conniption American Gin.
If non-alcoholic spirits aren’t your thing…
Perhaps you just want something a little bit simpler. My favorites of the soda category are Dry’s Juniper soda. It has a pleasant flavor of juniper and best of all— comes in a four pack ready to drink from the freezer. If you’re a fan of gin and soda, this may be your answer.
Though I’m only starting to get into the idea, Starbucks launched their Juniper Latte stateside for this past holiday season. You can add some juniper to your home coffees with Starbucks juniper syrup. Though I’m not sure there’s a parallel in gin cocktail culture— if the idea of being 31 days without juniper makes you ill— this is another great way to get your juniper on.
Have a good Dry January
We’ll continue reviewing and covering gin throughout the month— but to those who are embarking on a dry January, we wish you the best of luck and look forward to sharing gin with you come February.
Aaron’s Note— please note as if with all content on THE GIN IS IN, this post is completely unsponsored. None of the companies here have paid me for these links. I’m sharing them as a personal recommendation. This page DOES include affiliate links. If you love the work we do here, please consider purchasing these products through our site.