Agave Spirit

Tequila's signature is that vegetal, peppery bite, and stripping out the alcohol usually takes it along too. ArKay's answer is an alcohol-free agave alternative produced in Jalisco, the Mexican state tequila itself comes from. The nose reads green agave and pepper. The body runs grassy, with a hint of rock salt underneath and a clean burn on the finish. That burn is doing the important work, because it is what keeps the drink from turning into flavoured water once lime and salt arrive. It is built as a straight one-to-one swap, so pour it wherever a recipe calls for blanco tequila. A Paloma or a Margarita are the obvious homes for it, though ArKay says it holds up neat as well. Zero sugar, zero calories, zero carbs, non-GMO, gluten free and vegan friendly, which makes it a simple choice if you are watching what you take in and still want the ritual intact.