Zero Alcohol Whiskey

Monday hands this one to the same bourbon maker behind its other spirits, and the influence shows. The nose is butterscotch, raisin and toasted brown sugar, the palate turns to roasted coffee, rich caramel and warm molasses, and the finish runs long with spicy heat down the middle and a flash of orange at the end. Whiskey substitutes usually fall apart at the finish, so that heat matters. Hand made in small batches at a Southern California craft distillery, with no sugar, no carbs and zero calories, vegan and gluten free. It pours one to one in place of bourbon. An old fashioned is the honest test and it passes, though a Manhattan or a whiskey sour work too. For something simpler, build it long over ice with spicy ginger beer or a good cola.