Checklist · 11 picks · 4 categories
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Sober-curious, Dry January, or just hosting friends who don't drink? A mocktail bar makes the zero-proof crowd feel like the main event.
America's Test Kitchen tasted nonalcoholic spirits and canned cocktails, and Taste of Home's editors ran their own panel, so the bottles here actually taste like something. Ritual's tequila alternative won over both. Lyre's Italian Spritz was nearly impossible to tell apart from Aperol. For fizz on tap, ATK's top soda makers turn tap water into sparkling, and its upgrade pick can carbonate other drinks too. Add a shaker, muddler and lime press that topped ATK's tests. Each card shows the drawback the testers called out, or says when they didn't name one. Start with one spirit and a shaker, then build out.
Who this is not for. Skip this if you want the full cocktail setup with wine openers, strainers and bar spoons; the Home Bar Starter Kit has all of it.
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Estimates based on typical prices, checked Oct 31, 2026. Prices change; see the store for today's price.
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative | budget | $25-50 | zero-proof margaritas and palomas | 2 outlets agree |
| Lyre's Italian Spritz | mid | $25-50 | an Aperol-style spritz with zero proof | 1 outlet |
| Wilfred's Non-Alcoholic Aperitif | budget | $25-50 | a bittersweet spritz with tonic | 1 outlet |
Best zero-proof spiritbudget pick · Bottle
Best for zero-proof margaritas and palomas
Highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen, where it did the best job of replacing its alcoholic counterpart, and Taste of Home's best tequila alternative.
2 outlets agree. America's Test Kitchen highly Recommended tequila alternative. Taste of Home best Tequila (nonalcoholic).
$25-50
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mid pick · Bottle
Best for an Aperol-style spritz with zero proof
Taste of Home's best spritz: tasted side by side with an Aperol Spritz, it was very hard to tell apart.
1 outlet. Taste of Home best Spritz (nonalcoholic).
$25-50
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budget pick · Bottle
Best for a bittersweet spritz with tonic
Highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen and one of its top picks: slightly sweet and slightly medicinal, with orange and clove notes.
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen highly Recommended nonalcoholic aperitif.
$25-50
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Best canned mocktailbudget pick · Ready to drink
Best for a grown-up negroni vibe with no mixing
Highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen and one of its top picks: it got the balance of syrupy sweetness, bracing bitterness and a citrusy finish just right.
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen highly Recommended ready-to-drink cocktail.
$25-50
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mid pick · Ready to drink
Best for guests who want something fruity and gingery
Highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen: tasters praised its sweet and spice balance and called it complex.
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen highly Recommended ready-to-drink cocktail.
$25-50
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Best soda makermid pick · Countertop
Best for endless sparkling water for spritzers
America's Test Kitchen's best soda maker for most people: easy to use, just press the large button.
Heads up. Carbonates water only, not other liquids
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best for Most People soda maker.
$50-100
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splurge pick · Countertop
Best for fizzing more than plain water
America's Test Kitchen's upgrade pick soda maker: handsome, durable and easy to use, and it can carbonate liquids besides water.
Heads up. Its plastic bottle has to be hand-washed, per America's Test Kitchen
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen upgrade Pick soda maker.
$200-300
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houdini by Rabbit 24 oz Boston Cocktail Shaker | budget | $15-25 | learning to shake like a bartender | 1 outlet |
| Tovolo Stainless Steel 4-in-1 Cocktail Shaker | mid | $25-50 | first-time cocktail makers | 1 outlet |
| Fletcher's Mill Maple Muddler | budget | under $15 | virgin mojitos and smashed berries | 1 outlet |
| Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer | budget | $15-25 | margaritas and anything with fresh lime | 1 outlet |
Top pickbudget pick · Compact
Best for learning to shake like a bartender
America's Test Kitchen's top Boston-style shaker: inexpensive and easy to clean.
Heads up. Takes some practice, and your hands get cold while shaking
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best Boston shaker.
$15-25
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mid pick · Compact
Best for first-time cocktail makers
America's Test Kitchen's easiest shaker for a beginner bartender.
Heads up. Not the best-looking, and the silicone top faded a little after 10 washes
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen easiest-to-use cocktail shaker.
$25-50
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budget pick · Drawer
Best for virgin mojitos and smashed berries
America's Test Kitchen's best muddler: an 11-inch maple muddler with a good weight and an easy grip.
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best muddler.
under $15
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budget pick · Drawer
Best for margaritas and anything with fresh lime
Fresh lime and lemon juice makes the biggest difference in cocktails. America's Test Kitchen's winning handheld press works fast with little effort.
Heads up. Sized for lemons and limes, not oranges
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning citrus juicer.
$15-25
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me
One or two zero-proof spirits, something fizzy (sparkling water, tonic or ginger ale), fresh citrus, ice and a shaker. A muddler helps for mojito-style drinks, and a few canned mocktails cover guests who just want to grab one.
Some come close. In America's Test Kitchen's tasting, Ritual's tequila alternative did the best job of replacing its alcoholic counterpart, and Taste of Home found Lyre's Italian Spritz very hard to tell apart from an Aperol Spritz. ATK found a nonalcoholic bourbon lacked the burn of real whiskey, so mixing them into cocktails works better than sipping straight.
If you go through a lot of sparkling water, yes. America's Test Kitchen's pick for most people, the SodaStream Terra, needs no electricity. Its upgrade pick, the Breville InFizz Fusion, can also carbonate liquids besides water.