Ritual Tequila Alternative
Ritual Tequila Alternative
Tequila / Ritual NA / 0.0%
Ritual Tequila Alternative has been known to fool some people. In fact, close your eyes, take a sip, and tell us it doesn't have everything you expect out of a great marg. A few sips later and you might even feel like you're on a beach. (This works especially well if you're actually on a beach.)
Ritual Tequila Alternative:
Ritual exploded onto the NA scene in late 2019 and famously sold out of its supply within weeks. The market for non-alcoholic options expands well beyond beer and into spirits with companies like Ritual leading the way. Ritual has a trifecta of non-alcoholic spirits, with gin, whiskey, and tequila alternatives. Today we are taking on their tequila product, which was delivered to me swiftly after an order on Amazon.
Is Ritual Tequila Alternative Good?
Ritual serves its products in clear bottles with labels that highlight the spirit they are trying to emulate as well as the ingredients that go into it. They’ve done a good job with the tequila alternative to match the hue of alcoholic tequila and of course the ingredients list reads like a south of the border pantry. Blue Agave flower, mexican lime, tropical guava, mesquite smoke and prickly ash are all included in this beverage. Regardless of the taste, from a cursory look, this product is certainly aligning itself well with it’s alcoholic cousin.
The product is marketed as “made for margaritas” with many reviewers on the Ritual website claiming that that’s exactly the drink they were creating with their Ritual Tequila alternative. The website also claims that the Tequila Alternative is the highest rated non-alcoholic spirit in the world, with a score of 94 points from the Beverage Testing Institute. From the looks of it and the accolades I was dying to give Ritual Tequila a go and what follows is my experience with the spirit.
Ritual Tequila Alternative Review
As tempting as it was to mix a margarita when writing this review, I like to lean on the essence of the spirit to get a sense for how good it tastes on my palette, which in full transparency hasn’t always had a good relationship with tequila over the years. When I opened the bottle, a smell came back to me from that college trip to Mexico, the one where I vowed to stop drinking. And that smell was of the devil’s nectar itself, tequila. I was frankly surprised at how this non-alcoholic beverage could evoke that memory and bring me right back to Senor Frogs and Cozumel, but it certainly did.
I poured myself a glass, vowing to give it a fair shake and to leave my baggage of tequila experiences behind. What did I find, well truly an amazing non-alcoholic tequila. As I sloshed the spirit in my mouth the burn was there. The blue agave came through as well. There was a hint of sweetness to the palette as Ritual does add cane sugar to its Tequila alternative.
After having a small glass, I found myself wanting more and enjoying my experience with this spirit. I suspended my disbelief that this wasn’t the real thing and continued to pick out the nuances that make this a very interesting spirit indeed. One moment, the charred oak would come through, the next moment the peppercorn and I found these layers to be intricate and interesting. It wasn’t a “finish the bottle” type of evening, but I did settle down with it for several hours enjoying the interplay.
Ritual Tequila Alternative Rating
Of all the non-alcoholic spirits I’ve tried, I must say this is the most inspiring. It’s a true bridge for someone looking to transition from spirits they know to the NA universe. I have no doubt that this would be good in a margarita or any tequila based cocktail. It was good even if treated as a fine tequila or mezcal and simply enjoyed neat. This is the type of drink that got me into non-alcoholic drinks. Knowing that the same experiences we enjoy with alcohol could largely be enjoyed without it. I wouldn’t feel left out sipping this with burritos or tacos with my friends. For these reasons, I am giving Ritual Tequila alternative the coveted 5 stars on the 1 to 5 star rating scale. Kudos Ritual, your elixir is magical.
Photos credit:
https://www.ritualzeroproof.com/
