Six API non-alcoholic beverage brands for every season
Whether you're gearing up for Dry January or are sober year round, here are our top recommendations
These six API-owned brands all offer tasty, alcohol-free drinks you can sip without feeling it the next day.
Photo illustration by Ryan Quan
Words by Ashley Packard
There was a time when being the D.D., or designated driver, felt like a punishment, with non-alcoholic options limited to soda or water. Now, those days are gone.
Today, the “zero-proof” revolution is thriving, making it easier than ever to opt out of alcohol without feeling out of place or excluded. No matter if you are giving your liver a break, starting a New Year’s resolution early, getting a head start on Dry January, many of us are breaking up with alcohol for good—or maybe just for a while.
Here are some of our favorite non-alcoholic spirits from founders from the API diaspora, for when you want to say, “it’s not you, it’s me!” to alcohol, and “yes” to tastier, healthier, and sober times. Often inspired by traditional influences, unique ingredients, and bold flavors, each brand brings something special to the table. They all offer an innovative approach to reimagined classics, as well as creative new concoctions that are paving the way, blending personal stories and cultural influences with every sip.
Founded by Chinese New Zealander Lisa King, 2019’s MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) Woman Entrepreneur of the year, Free AF’s drink offerings include a non-alcohol gin and tonic. King started Free AF when she missed her gin and tonic after connecting the drink with bouts of vertigo. She felt “socially awkward” for wanting a non-alcoholic beverage and wants to lead and live in a world where “it’s okay to make your own decisions and to do that with confidence.” She threads her goal into Free AF drinks through her mission of making it socially acceptable to not drink and encouraging people to consider having a different relationship with alcohol.
Melati Drinks is the first Asian non-alcoholic spirit brand that is a botanical elixir, with 700 years of tradition. Made with 21 gut and liver health-boosting plants in each bottle, Melati is an alcohol-free aperitif crafted with natural and botanical ingredients to create a unique and elevated drinking experience. CEO and founder of this Singapore-based company, Lorin Winata, believes cocktails are out and low- to no-ABV (alcohol by volume) beverages are in. These drinks are made with a blend of natural ingredients such as ginger, goji berries, cinnamon, and cacao—which are known for their health benefits, anti-inflammatory properties, liver detoxification, and digestive support. The company’s goal is to promote vitality and connection, free from alcohol, added sugars, and artificial additives.
A Fresh Sip was started in 2020 by South Asian American duo Payal Thaker and Aishwarya Balaji. They wanted to create a community with a single goal to forge a space in which they could help people discover and access high-quality, non-alcoholic adult beverages without the side-eye, stigma, and judgment, or having to justify themselves. Thaker and Balaji want to end the “drinking or not” dilemma, and A Fresh Sip offers non-alcoholic spirits, bases, mixers, adaptogenic and nootropic options for all. Adaptogenics include a mix of herbal and plant-based ingredients such as ginger or hemp that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and overall well-being. Nootropic drinks include ingredients that help for a quick boost of energy or focus, such as caffeine or L-theanine.
Founded by Indian American siblings Anika and Niki Sawni in 2019, Grüvi is an award-winning non-alcoholic beer and wine company that made the Forbes 2022 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list. They strive to create an inclusive environment focused on making better choices within our daily lives. Grüvi’s mission is to offer the best line of craft-brewed, alcohol-free drinks for you to stay social and be healthy. Your health is your wealth, and they believe you should never compromise that.
Founded by South Asian couple Aisha Chottani and Faheem Kajee in June 2020, Moment offers healthy botanical alternatives to coffee and cocktails. Inspired by the ingredients and rituals from Pakistan they grew up with, they incorporate science-backed ingredients and adaptogens like L-theanine, found in green tea and ashwagandha, that can have a positive effect on alpha brain waves similar to meditation, allowing more focus and relaxation. They believe that a functional diet is an important element in achieving mindfulness holistically and finding mental balance. For Chottani and Kajee, founding Moment was a way to “drink your meditation.”
Founded by South Korean-born Belgian chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre (whose restaurant The Air of the Times has two Michelin stars), The Osan offers top-quality, organic vegetable drinks, made with seasonal ingredients, without dyes and preservatives. The brand is also approved by renowned sommeliers and chefs. What makes it unique is the taste experience, as the beverages are designed to accompany a meal, with their rich and sophisticated flavors.
Non-alcoholic, but full of spirit
In many cultures, drinking can be synonymous with connection and community, or seen as a social lubricant. In Japan, this concept is known as “nommunication” (a combination of the Japanese word “nomu” for drink, and communication)—that imbibing helps create a more relaxed and open environment.
However, things are flowing differently now. According to a 2023 Gallup study, younger generations are driving the surge of the sober movement, choosing to drink less, or not at all, compared to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. That same study shows that the percentage of adults aged 18-34 who reported drinking alcohol dropped from 72 percent between 2001 and 2003, to 62 percent in 2021 and 2023, meaning that there is an increasing trend and cultural shift away from the alcohol-focused way we socialize.
As the new wave of sober-curiosity redefines the way we drink, the beverage industry is responding with a diverse range of plant-based, herbal, and wellness options for non-alcoholic wine, beer, or cocktail concoctions to suit any palate that will leave you in high spirits without the woes of a hangover.
Published on December 19, 2024
Words by Ashley Packard
Ashley Packard is a freelance writer covering travel, lifestyle, sustainability, beauty, culture, and more. She is an American expat living in Germany with her husband and their two cats. When she’s not writing or researching her next trip, she’s outside hiking, cycling along the river, buried in a book on her Kindle, or eating her way around a new city. To view her portfolio or to collaborate check out, www.ashleypackard.com.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans.