Non-alcoholic spirits, beer, wine, and beyond have finally graduated from punchlines to premium products in their own right, filling up store shelves and restaurant menus in greater numbers than ever before. But as writer David Neimanis explains in his latest piece for Good Beer Hunting, there’s still a long way to go for many of these products—non-alcoholic spirits in particular—to achieve their potential as legitimate and valuable alternatives to the status quo.

That piece, titled “Spirited Away — The Brands, Bartenders, and Bottle Shops Paving the Way for Non-Alcoholic Spirits,” which was published on February 4, 2023, looks as some of the pioneers of the industry, including makers who aim to create an entirely new space for their fresh takes on alcohol-free spirits, as well as those attempting to recreate signature spirits, such as gin or tequila, for drinkers who seek a familiar burn without the backfire. 

Both approaches have their benefits, but in today’s conversation, you’ll hear David unpack his own fascination with botanicals, who he sees as leading the NA charge, and why these developments are something to be excited about. He’ll explain some of the regulatory differences between standard spirits versus their non-alcoholic counterparts, and how he hopes that one day, consumers will perceive the value of each with equal respect. Today’s discussion is the first of what we hope will be several conversations around the rise of non-alcoholic options across beverage alcohol, so stay tuned for more discussions with other writers and explorers of the NA space.