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Ritual Zero Proof Tequila
About Ritual Zero Proof Tequila
Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative is produced by Ritual Zero-Proof – a Chicago-based company that specializes in non-alcoholic spirits. Founded in 2019 by friends David Crooch, GG Sakey, and Marcus Sakey, they produce a variety of zero proof alternatives including tequila, rum, gin, whiskey, and apertif.
As a brand, Ritual aims to create products that work as a 1:1 replacement in cocktails, while tasting like real spirits. This particular bottle of Tequila Alternative is made using natural botanical flavors including blue agave flower, Mexican lime, tropical guava, cracked sea salt, charred oak, mesquite smoke, black peppercorn, capsicum fruit, prickly ash, and green bell pepper.
Other ingredients include filtered water, cane sugar (less than 1 gram), citric acid, xanthan gum, salt, caramel color, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate. The tequila alternative is microfiltered prior to bottling. It is advertised as gluten-free, diet-friendly, and contains no peanuts or tree nuts.
Bottle Specs
❖ ABV: 0%
❖ Aging: N/A
❖ Price Point: moderate price
My Tasting notes
For my straight tasting, I should preface this by saying that Ritual really does not recommend drinking this tequila alternative straight. Like, at all.
However, I just could not squash my scientific curiosity! I figured it would be fun to taste this zero proof tequila in a small glass, as usual, and see what’s going on under the hood. The experience was quite interesting!
The nose notes were agave forward, with a strange musky scent in the background. There was something airy and tangy about the aroma. The taste was watery and bland at first, but with a sudden burst of strong spices. I detected black pepper, cayenne, some sort of chili, and a vague bitter herbal flavor. For something that’s not supposed to be sipped, it actually wasn’t too bad.
Mocktail
Virgin Paloma
Ingredients
- 2oz non-alcoholic tequila
- 2oz grapefruit juice
- 3/4oz lime juice
- 3/4oz simple syrup
- 2oz club soda
Instructions
- Add the non-alcoholic tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a tall glass, and top with 2oz of club soda
I found this mocktail to be very nice! The grapefruit juice was prominent, but the overall flavor had a nice depth to it right off the bat. I could definitely taste the agave flavor, as well as the spice notes in the background. I didn’t notice all of the advertised notes individually, but there was a pleasant blend of flavors. The mouthfeel of the strong cayenne pepper mimicked the heat of alcohol just enough, which I thought was a nice touch.
Bottom Line
RATING: 5/5
Overall, I was pretty impressed with this bottle of Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative. I think it’s an excellent substitute for mixing, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to dip their toe into the world of zero proof spirits.
One drawback I did notice, after drinking a couple more mocktails, is that your sweetener ratios may need to be adjusted if you’re using a standard cocktail recipe. I found that Ritual didn’t go quite as far as a real tequila when it comes to balancing bitter or sour mixers such as grapefruit juice or lime juice. I would recommend adding a little more sweetener to accommodate. So, it’s not quite the 1:1 replacement they were hoping for, but it comes pretty darn close! I would definitely purchase this again.
As always, drink responsibly.
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