Non-alcoholic beverages have come a long way, and I could not be happier about it. As a sommelier and mixologist, I love wine and cocktails, obviously. But I also genuinely enjoy having nights when I don’t drink alcohol. What I don’t want is to feel like I’m settling for sparkling water with a lime while everyone else has something beautiful and interesting in their glass.

I want complexity. I want aromatics. I want bitterness, acidity, texture and a drink that actually works with food. Most importantly, I still want the ritual of pouring something special into a beautiful glass at the end of the day. Thankfully, the non-alcoholic category in 2026 is giving us exactly that.

These are the bottles I’ve been reaching for this year, from longtime favorites to some newer discoveries that have absolutely earned a spot in my refrigerator and bar.

Note, all images were sourced from their websites. 

Curious Elixirs: Still One of My Favorites

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you probably already know about my love for Curious Elixirs.

I’ve enjoyed Curious for years because these aren’t beverages trying to taste like flavored sparkling water. They are built like actual cocktails, with layers of fruit, botanicals, herbs, spices and adaptogens, depending on the expression. The current collection ranges from spritzes and a Negroni-inspired drink to a smoked Old Fashioned-style cocktail, amaro, sparkling rosé and even a non-alcoholic Syrah.

And yes, I absolutely have favorites.

Curious No. 4: My Forever Favorite

If you’re going to make me choose just one, Curious No. 4 is literally my FAVE.

It’s their Sicilian Blood Orange Spritz, with tart blood orange, bubbles and that bittersweet citrus profile I crave in an aperitivo-style drink.

This is exactly the type of NA beverage I want around aperitivo hour. Pour it into a wine glass over ice, add a gorgeous citrus garnish and suddenly you’re not “not drinking.” You’re having a proper spritz.

Give me this with olives, Parmigiano Reggiano, Marcona almonds, salty potato chips or an easy little cheese board and I am very happy.

Curious Red: One of My Biggest Favorites of 2026 (SOLD OUT)

One of the most exciting additions for me has been Curious Red, their non-alcoholic take on Syrah. Now it does say sold out… but they’re probably making more, because like wine there is only so much to make. Now also the fact that their sold out, shows you just how delicious it is!

It’s dry and medium-bodied, with oak and peppercorn notes, which immediately makes it more interesting to me as a sommelier because those are the kinds of savory characteristics I actually want when I’m drinking wine with dinner. This fills a completely different space than a mocktail.

There are evenings when I don’t necessarily want a cocktail. I want wine. I want something I can pour alongside dinner, sip slowly and enjoy with food. Curious Red gives me much more of that experience.

Try it with roasted mushrooms, grilled vegetables, burgers, steak, aged cheeses or a cozy fall dinner. This is absolutely one I’ll be drinking into cooler weather.

Curious No. 9: When I Want Rosé Energy

Curious No. 9 has also been a major 2026 favorite. It’s their sparkling rosé-inspired cocktail, light and dry with subtle citrus and floral notes.

I love this for brunch, lunch, happy hour or anytime I want something festive without making an actual cocktail.

Put it in your prettiest glass.

That matters! Part of drinking is the experience, and I firmly believe your NA beverages deserve the beautiful glassware too.

Curious No. 2: Spicy, Tropical and FUN

Curious No. 2 is the Spicy Pineapple Ginger Margarita, combining pineapple with ginger, ancho chile and sea salt.

This is one I love when I’m craving an actual cocktail because there is enough happening on the palate to keep things interesting.

Pour it over plenty of ice and give the glass a beautiful salt or chile-salt rim. It’s fantastic with tacos, ceviche, grilled shrimp, spicy foods or anything coming off the grill.

 

Curious No. 1: For My Bitter Aperitivo Lovers

Curious No. 1 is their Pomegranate Negroni Sbagliato, with bittersweet orange, pomegranate and a touch of fennel.

If you’re someone who normally gravitates toward a Negroni, Americano, Aperol-style spritz or other bitter Italian aperitivo, start here.

The bitterness is important because that’s one of the things missing from so many NA beverages. Sweetness alone doesn’t create complexity. Bitter, sweet, herbal and citrus notes together make a drink much more interesting and food friendly.

For Nighttime: Curious No. 8

Now we enter a completely different category. When it’s evening and I want something darker, slower and more contemplative, No. 8 always win for me.

These aren’t pool drinks. This is for a sit down after dinner, put on a movie, light a candle and pour something interesting into a beautiful rocks glass drinks.

No. 8 especially scratches that digestif itch for me. I love having something bitter and complex after a meal, and it’s such a great option when I want that experience without pouring an amaro or another glass of wine.

MaraBela Sparkling Tea: My New Obsession

Now, I do occasionally branch out from my beloved Curious Elixirs, and one of my favorite discoveries has been MaraBela Sparkling Tea Wild Verbena.

This is beautiful.

MaraBela combines Sencha and Chun Mei green teas with White Peony tea, lemon verbena and lavender. Fine bubbles give it that celebratory sparkling-wine feeling, but it’s completely alcohol free. It’s also only 12 calories and 3 grams of sugar per serving.

As a sommelier, this style of NA beverage really excites me because tea naturally brings something incredibly useful to the table: tannin and structure.

Those are elements we normally get from wine, and they’re part of what allows wine to interact so beautifully with food.

MaraBela isn’t trying desperately to imitate wine. It offers its own experience, and I actually think that’s part of why it works.

I’ve enjoyed dressing mine up with a squeeze of lemon, blueberries and rose petals, and it immediately turns into a gorgeous aperitif.

Pair it with creamy cheeses, fresh fruit, smoked fish, seafood, salty snacks, salads or a beautiful aperitivo board.

This has quickly become one of those bottles I want chilled and ready to go.

Nomaro: For the Spritz and Negroni Crowd

Another fun discovery is Nomaro, especially if you’re someone who misses the bitterness of Italian aperitivo culture.

Nomaro is a bitter-forward, lightly sweet botanical non-alcoholic aperitivo designed around the structure and complexity of classic Italian red aperitivos.

And this is where I think NA drinking gets really fun because you can mix with it.

You aren’t limited to opening a bottle and pouring.

Nomaro has recipes for a non-alcoholic Spritz, Americano and Negroni, along with more creative serves like their Nomaro Cloud and Nomaro Sour. Their simple Spritz combines that bittersweet profile with citrus and bubbles, while the alcohol-free Americano lengthens it with soda.

For someone like me who loves making cocktails, that’s appealing. I still get to pull out the glassware, grab the ice, garnish my drink and participate in the entire cocktail-making ritual.

And sometimes that’s exactly what I want.

Recess Mood: My Other Kind of Evening Ritual

Not every non-alcoholic drink in my refrigerator needs to pretend it’s a cocktail.

And that’s exactly where Recess comes in. Recess Mood has quietly become one of my biggest evening rituals of 2026. I’m drinking one probably three nights a week, minimum, and while I don’t necessarily consider it a traditional cocktail alternative, it fills a very similar space for me.

You know that moment at the end of the day when you’re finally done? Dinner is over. The laptop is closed. Maybe we’re watching a movie, sitting outside or I’m just ready to mentally clock out for the evening. Sometimes you don’t necessarily want alcohol, you want the ritual that tells your brain, okay, the day is done.

That’s become Recess Mood for me. The sparkling drinks are made with magnesium along with L-theanine and lemon balm, and they’re designed around unwinding and relaxation. I personally find that I feel nicely relaxed after drinking one. Not buzzed, not sleepy and certainly not like I’ve had a cocktail, but there is a subtle ahhh, okay feeling that I’ve really come to enjoy.

And I think that’s an important distinction. I’m not drinking Recess because I expect it to taste like a Negroni or replace a glass of wine. I’m drinking it because I genuinely enjoy it, and it gives me another way to create that evening wind-down ritual without booze.

In that sense, it actually reminds me of why I’ve loved Curious Elixirs so much. They’re very different beverages, but both give me something more interesting and intentional to reach for when I want to relax without alcohol.

I also love that Recess Mood isn’t heavy or overly sweet. It’s sparkling, refreshing and made with real fruit, so I can pour one over ice into a pretty glass if I’m feeling fancy, or quite literally crack open a can while sitting on the couch.

Because let’s be real, we don’t need a coupe glass every night. Sometimes the luxury is simply having something cold waiting in the refrigerator that signals we’re done for the day. And apparently, in 2026, mine is Recess Mood.

Non-Alcoholic Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring…

I think that’s my biggest takeaway from drinking more NA beverages in 2026. I don’t want a replacement. I want an experience. Sometimes that’s Curious No. 4 poured over ice while I’m making dinner. Sometimes it’s Marabela Sparkling Tea while enjoying Aperitivo Hour with a cheeseboard, and sometimes I want to build a Nomaro Spritz, garnish it beautifully and sit outside while pretending I’m somewhere in Italy.

Choosing not to drink on a particular night doesn’t mean giving up the ritual, the pairing or the pleasure of having something delicious in your glass.

The best non-alcoholic beverages understand that.

And in 2026, Curious Elixirs, MaraBela and Nomaro, and Recess Mood are absolutely some of the bottles doing it best.

Cheers to drinking beautifully, with or without the booze.