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A few years ago, going alcohol-free at a bar meant sparkling water or a Shirley Temple if you were feeling bold. That era is over. The non-alcoholic drink category has grown fast enough that you can now build a full home bar, find solid options at most restaurants, and have real opinions about which brands are worth it.

Here's what's actually good, and a few honest notes on what still disappoints.

This is where the category has improved the most. The goal is something that gives you the botanical complexity of a spirit without the alcohol, and a few brands have gotten genuinely close.

Seedlip was one of the first and is still one of the better ones. It doesn't taste like a spirit exactly, but it tastes like something worth drinking — herbal, bitter, and complex in a way that feels adult. Good in a simple soda mix.

Monday Gin is worth a shot if you miss a gin and tonic. It's closer to the real thing than most AF spirits, with actual juniper flavor and something you can build with.

Ritual Zero Proof makes decent AF whiskey and tequila alternatives. They're not going to fool anyone, but for mixing into cocktails they hold up.

The honest note: AF spirits are best used as a base for mixing. Straight, most of them fall short. In a drink with good mixers, they work.

This category has made the biggest leap. Five years ago, AF beer tasted like flat, vaguely malty water. Now some of it is legitimately good.

Athletic Brewing is the clear leader in the US. Their Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden are the most recommended starting points. They taste like beer. Not "for an AF beer" beer. Just beer.

Heineken 0.0 is the best widely available option. You can find it almost everywhere now, which matters when you're out and the menu is limited.

Partake Brewing makes a low-calorie range that's good if you're also watching what you eat — thin in body but clean in flavor.

Honest take: this is still the weakest category. Wine is hard to replicate because so much of what makes it wine comes from the fermentation and alcohol itself. Most AF wines taste thin, sweet, or both.

That said, Proxies makes some of the better options, leaning into the idea of a "beverage made for food pairing" rather than pretending to be wine. Surely makes decent sparkling options for celebrations when you want something in a wine glass.

If you're at a dinner and need something that feels like wine, sparkling water in a wine glass does more for the experience than most AF wine will.

The easiest move: a mocktail if the bar makes them, or a soda water with lime and bitters. That last one looks like a vodka soda. Nobody is studying your drink. You'll get through the whole night without a single comment. For a full playbook on navigating bars and social events without drinking, we've got you covered.

You don't need much. A case of Athletic Brewing, a bottle of Monday Gin or Seedlip, and a good set of mixers (quality tonic, ginger beer, fresh citrus) gets you 90% of the way there. The ritual of making a proper drink at home matters more than most people expect. It scratches the same itch without the downside.

Whether you're doing a 30-day reset or committing to the long game, having good options on hand makes the whole thing dramatically easier. The category is only going to keep improving.

Ready to stock up? The Live Sober AF Marketplace has curated the best AF drinks, spirits, and mocktail essentials in one place — so you don't have to hunt for them yourself.