Bundle: The Free Spirits Trifecta

Manage Your Expectations and Give Them a Chance -- the Flavor Profiles Will Grow on You

Due to some lifestyle modification choices, I recently started investigating the NA spirits world. As most will tell you, straight up these spirits do not fully replicate their alcoholic counterparts. I bought a bottle of the Spirit of Bourbon through Amazon. Then, I got the Trifecta from Free Spirits. I’ll go bottle by bottle. Spirit of Bourbon. I’ll admit that my first impression was not great. My wife says I am a bit of a bourbon snob (my father grew up across the street from the Jim Beam family), and my preferred method of drinking bourbon is neat. So, this was going to be a tough sell anyway. My first impression was that there is too much wood char, like an over oaked or super double oaked bourbon. And I personally have never been a huge fan of double oaked bourbons. Then the finish is like cinnamon red hots that I often associate with super young bourbons. I tried cocktails like a typical old fashioned and mule. These just didn’t seem to play well with the flavor profile. Then, I made a “Lynchburg Lemonade” (2 parts SoB, 1 part lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar substitute, and 5-6 dashes of orange bitters), and I was like, “Hey! That’s pretty good!” I think part of it is kind of like what Free Spirits says on its website, you have to manage your expectations, and you actually grow to like and appreciate the NA spirits’ flavor profiles. I tried a couple of other popular NA bourbons, and they just didn’t pass the muster like SoB. My favorite way to enjoy now is 3 oz of chilled SoB with a teaspoon of sugar substitute (I use a pure stevia product), 2 dashes Angostura, 2 dashes orange bitters, and 2-3 dashes of black walnut bitters (gives it that nutty taste I like in Beam products). So, this old fashioned and sours are where SoB really shines. I’ve tried several now, and I have settled on Free Spirits. It has become my new nightcap that I can sip and enjoy, and wake up the next day with an fully clear head. Spirit of Gin. Full disclosure … I’m not a real gin person or gin snob, so I am not as critical of NA gin flavor profiles. My first cocktail I made with SoG was a gimlet. I let my wife try it without telling her what it was (she did know it was NA though). She thought it was a vodka gimlet. I kind of thought the same. But this really is ok by me, because I am not a huge fan of an overly juniper flavor of gin. One of my favorite vodka cocktails is a dirty martini, so this was my next SoG experiment. I must say it passed with flying colors! Now, this one I did make low alcohol by still using ¾ oz of vermouth with 3 oz of SoG and ¾ oz of olive brine. The other botanicals in SoG provided a nice delicate backdrop for the saltiness. I tried a couple of other NA gin alternatives … one was like a lemon soft drink. The other, a highly rated NA gin, did have heavy juniper notes that I thought I wanted, but it just wasn’t as balanced as SoG. So, SoG for the win! Spirit of Tequila. Again, I am not a tequila snob and really only have tequila in margaritas. I also kept this one low-carb by using 5-6 dashes of orange bitters instead of an orange liquor. Compared to another leading brand, SoT was pretty much on par, but I maybe give SoT just a slighter edge. SoT just has a little deeper flavor with a bit more smoke (but not as much as SoB). Really, it is a toss-up between the two, with both supplying that essence of tequila. But when the need arises and it is time for me to order more, I’ll be putting a bottle of SoT in my cart. I also look forward to exploring more of the cocktail options on the Free Spirits website, as these products really do best in cocktails. And now, I can have a delicious cocktail in the middle of the day if I want and keep my head clear to focus on other things! Or I can have that nightcap without fear of disrupting my sleep!

These spirits are all so good!

It's a pleasure to have a non alcoholic cocktail when foregoing alcohol. I've tried them all and am more than surprised at the authentic tastes. Thank you for this option.

Big Disappointment

Friday nights are Manhattan and Martini night for my wife and I. After reading about Free Spirits, we decided to give them a try. First clue was poring my manhattan and seeing a foamy head arise in my chilled glass. Not attractive nor tasty. Next, the discovery that the advertised pep comes from peppers, spicy and fairly hot. For someone wanting to cut back on alcohol because of GERD, replacing with an overly spicy replacement will not work. My wife’s cucumber martini…same thing for gin. Flavor is pepper. Like liquid Tabasco sauce. We both were very disappointed. Gave the tequila a chance few nights later. Same overly peppery taste. Neither the lime juice nor home made non alcoholic triple sec slowed down the pepper.