How Non-Alcoholic Wines and Liquors Are Made

Okay, obviously as a sommelier, I love alcohol. And not really in a oh-I’m-a-secret-alcoholic way, but more in a way where I admire the process of making wines and spirits and really can appreciate a well-made beverage for what it is.
Yes, the chemistry and geography excites me, I know I’m a nerd.

But, the truth is, I really don’t drink a lot anymore. Sure, when I was about a decade younger I was having wine and booze every night, but those days have sailed. My poor body takes longer and longer to heal from a hangover, and I’ve got too much going on in my life to be slowed down by booze.

And if you’ve been reading along for a while now, you know I wrote a bunch of blogs about my favorite non-alcoholic wines and went into the tasting notes of the good ones and how to pair them. Yesterday I had someone ask me how exactly they’re made, so here we are.

How is it even possible to have a good non-alcoholic wine? What is a Cabernet without the heat of ethanol, especially from California where they seem to be creeping toward and over 16% lately? A gin and tonic without the classic juniper burn?

The answer is both delightfully ancient and strikingly modern, because the truth is, non-alcoholic wines and spirits aren’t always cheap imitations. They’re often works of chemistry, culinary art, and leaning into the health wave of the younger generations.
Let’s walk through how they’re made, why they matter, and what it means for the future of flavor.

Abstinence Here We Come

Long before Dry January hashtags and health-conscious millennials and Gen-Zers, people experimenting with abstinence. The 1800s “temperance” movement saw “tonics” and “cordials” with zero alcohol advertised to those looking to avoid the perils of spirits (their words, not mine). Hospitals at one point also ordered wines stripped of alcohol for patient use.

But the real big boom came in the 20th century, when technology allowed actual dealcoholization, which is the careful removal of ethanol from fermented wine.
California’s Fre wines (launched in the 1970s) and German de-alc Rieslings laid the very sturdy foundation.
The world realized you could make something that still smelled and tasted like wine, just without the intoxication and next day regret.

Fast forward to today, and we’re in a renaissance. Non-alcoholic spirits like Seedlip (the botanical distillate that practically invented the modern “zero-proof” category in 2015) have become cocktail darlings.
Celebrity-backed NA wines fill spaces on grocery store shelves (sadly, I’m not a fan of most celebrity backed brands, they should spend their dollars on better products instead of leaning on Kim Kardashian to sell shit).
The stigma has finally dissolved, and the flavor science has caught up after a long period of some not-so-lovely tastes.

Taking the Spirit Out Without Killing the Soul

Step 1: Start with real fully alcoholed wine

The secret is: most non-alcoholic wines begin their lives just like any other wine. Grapes are grown, harvested, pressed, and fermented just like normal. Yeast consumes their little sugar foods, they produce ethanol and all the flavorful byproducts that make your Chardonnay buttery and that Syrah spicy.

Why not just stop fermentation early you might ask? Because the beautiful chemistry of wine is actually created during fermentation. If you cut that process short, you’ll end up with lovely grape juice, not wine.

So, we let the magic of fermentation happen…and then, we undo part of it. So it might seem counterintuitive, but really, it’s a part of the process.

Step 2: Dealcoholization

This is where the magic of technology finally creeps it’s way in. Winemakers today have several different methods for gently removing the alcohol while keeping those desirable flavor compounds intact:

Vacuum Distillation: basically lowering the pressure in the fermentation tanks reduces the boiling point of ethanol, so alcohol evaporates at a mild 85–95°F instead of those scalding temperatures that would cook the wine. The ethanol lifts off like steam, leaving behind the flavor profile of the wine unscathed.

Spinning Cone Column: A high-tech device where wine spins through cones in a vacuum chamber, separating components by volatility. Aromas are removed first, alcohol second, and then the aromas are carefully recombined with the remaining liquid. This one was a little harder for me to wrap my head around when I read about it, but it makes me think the wine is sort of broken into three parts then two of the parts are mixed back together in the end.

Reverse Osmosis: Think of a microscopic sieve for this guy: wine is pushed through a thin little membrane, separating water and alcohol from those heavier chunky molecules. The ethanol is then distilled out, and the remaining concentrate is blended back with water.

Each method has its quirks and some people prefer one over the other. Distillation preserves bold aromatics but can soften the texture and have “thinner” styles of wine. Reverse osmosis is precise but extremely expensive. Most major producers use the spinning cone because it’s gentle and can scale up production more so than the other two.

Step 3: Rebuilding the balance of the wine

When alcohol leaves, so does some body and warmth. Winemakers often add back grape must (unfermented juice), tannins, or even tiny bubbles of carbonation to recreate the weight that’s supposed to be on the palate. Some winemakers might even use natural flavor extracts or botanicals to add some complexity back in.

The goal isn’t to mimic a perfect glass of Bordeaux or Burgundy, because that just isn’t realistic. It’s to create something that feels wine-like, with acidity, aroma, and structure, or a sip that can be enjoyed with clinking glasses and slow dinners with friends and family.

Non-Alcoholic Spirits

Unlike wine, most NA spirits don’t begin with ethanol or a fully distilled product, more often than not they’re crafted from the ground up to taste like gin, whiskey, rum, or amaro, without the buzz.

When Ben Branson founded Seedlip, he borrowed the technique from ancient apothecaries who distilled herbs for medicinal waters. This method is still the backbone of a lot of zero-proof distillation:

Botanical Extraction first where herbs, spices, fruits, and barks are steeped in water or light alcohol for some flavor extraction (think tea bag in water). Next the extracts are distilled down to isolate certain volatile compounds, creating concentrated flavors.
Then distillates are combined and blended in precise proportions (depending on what the distiller is going for), with water as the base.
Next natural acids, citrus peels, or even glycerin are sometimes added for mouthfeel and balance.
The result? A “gin” without gin, but with enough herbal lift to carry a tonic water and lime wedge.

Whiskey is a bit trickier. Whiskey owes its famous bite to ethanol pulling flavors out of oak barrels, those vanillin, lactones, or smoky phenols. Without alcohol, you really need creative workarounds.

Producers like Ritual Zero Proof and Lyre’s build flavor in layers: caramel notes from molasses, smoke essences from charred wood, spice extracts from cinnamon or capsicum to replicate that “burn” feeling. Some even use pepper extracts to mimic the throat-tingle of ethanol, which works strangely effectively.

Non-alcoholic spirits often rely on these sort of sensory tricks. Sometimes acidity gives sharpness like alcohol’s little bite, or that capsaicin (from chili peppers) gives the warming burn of a sip of whiskey. You absolutely need those botanicals for the added complexity, and even glycerin or polysaccharides add texture, so it doesn’t feel like flavored water.

It’s less about removing alcohol and more about constructing an illusion of alcohol’s role without the molecule itself.

Flavor Without Fermentation

Here’s the truth: ethanol really is a flavor enhancer sort of how the right amount of salt makes meat taste more meaty and not jut salty. It dissolves and carries aromatic compounds to your nose and tongue in ways water alone just can’t manage. That’s why dealcoholized wines can feel a bit muted, or why a zero-proof whiskey doesn’t linger on your palate quite the same.

But the gap is honestly closing.
Scientists are exploring microencapsulation which is a fancy word for wrapping aroma compounds in tiny carriers so they release slowly in your mouth.
Others are experimenting with fermentation alternatives that produce complex flavors without that ethanol.

Why It Matters

Now that I’ve gone through all of that, you might be wondering, why bother with any of this?
Here’s the thing, we all know the risks of alcohol: liver strain, cancer links, sleep disruption, dependency, and the list goes on and on.
Non-alcoholic options let people join in on a good time without compromising health.
It also allows people who are sober, pregnant, or not feeling their best to feel included.

This isn’t about prohibition anymore, it’s about choice. It’s more about broadening the table so whether you drink or not, you can participate in the experiences of taste and celebration.

A World Where Flavor Is Free

Imagine a future where every cocktail bar has a zero-proof list as long as its whiskey shelf, and where Michelin-starred sommeliers pair non-alcoholic wines with tasting menus that rival Burgundy.
Okay, so maybe we aren’t quite there yet, but that doesn’t mean one day we won’t be.

The movement is already happening, sales of non-alcoholic beverages are skyrocketing, and the science keeps evolving.

And in that sense, pouring a glass of zero-proof wine is not always about subtraction. It’s about addition and reclaiming the joy of the drink without that damn shadow of the hangover.

Want to try some of my favorite non-alocholic spirits?

Lyre’s Italian Orange - use it like Aperol and make a refreshing spritz!

Lyre’s Dark Rum - these honestly make a killer Dark N Stormy.

Lyre’s Amaretti - make yourself an amaretto sour, you won’t be disappointed!

Recess Zero Proof Craft Mocktails - if you don’t want to do the work and make the cocktails yourself.