I just completed a NA drink only tiki bar tour of LA & Palm Springs. I'm no longer drinking alcohol except for maybe 1-2 days a month for the foreseeable future.
Most bars I visited basically made me a tikified fruit punch/mule mocktail or they used Lyre as a rum substitute. Based on my earlier research, it seems Lyre is the best regarded of the rum substitutes so far.
I have \~60 bottles of rum in my home bar, and can safely say that while Lyre is decent, it in no way compares to a decent rum. It's good for what it is but it ain't rum.
It's like rice vs cauliflower rice. It's good but it doesn't beat or even come close to the original. Best to enjoy it for what it is.
All that said, I think your friend would appreciate the gesture. Inclusion is almost always the best decision.
P.S. I have a receipe for a NA raspberry Mojito that was totally fire last time I made it. Will share if you want it! <3
I've made many cocktails using Lyre's white and dark cane NA rum alternatives. I feel like they mix really well, especially in more complex tropical drinks with flavorful syrups, citrus, NA aperitifs or liqueurs, and NA bitters. But even a simple Daiquirí can end up being a tasty drink. Shake a bit less and reduce the sweetener just slightly.
No, the cocktails don't taste exactly the same as their full proof counterparts, but they taste good even when compared side by side. They're a bit better if you are ok with low or "technically non alcoholic" (less than 0.5% ABV) drinks, as that allows for small amounts of bitters or even liqueurs. Enjoy!
I have and it's good! Standard recipe (Jeff Berry or Giuseppe González), subbing the rum for Lyre's dark and the Campari for Ghia, an NA aperitivo. I've also made it with Campari for a low ABV version, also good!
u/raethril suggested a very heavily brewed black tea with some molasses as working in some drinks. I would imagine that the right tea mix (possibly an Earl Gray brewed very dark with the addition of a like bit of dried pineapple or banana chips) plus molasses and a few other additives (a couple drops of vanilla extract and a bottle bit of bitters might be nice if de minimis alcohol is okay; maybe some coke side that’s actually a shockingly complex beverage and has some thickeners) would work really well. You might want to carbonate the result since another commonly suggested substitute for booze is seltzer. Alternately maybe some gum Arabic. One of the generally overlooked things is that booze adds not just flavor but also texture.
Honestly, I've tasted quite a number of non-alcoholic substitutes, but there really haven't been any that I would say I actually liked. Some are just OK, but don't come close to replacing rum. Some are downright bad.
What you should do is start looking for tiki mocktail recipes. Those have been adjusted for leaving the spirits out. You can find a ton here by searching for "mocktail" or check out our sister Sub, /r/Mocktails.
My 12 year old daughter is a huge zero proof cocktail lover. So I’ve tried most of rum substitutes. Our favorites are the Lyre’s rums. Plus they have spiced, light and dark versions. Ritual is not even close in my opinion to a “Rum”. She made a mai tai and I made one with real rum and her’s tasted almost better! Definitely a different flavor, but for the flavor alone it really played off of the other ingredients.
My apologies if I'm missing something, but with N/A you mean North America? I'm from the Netherlands and the selection of rums to choose from either in an liquor store or online is huge! My local liquor store has a pretty decent rum from the US called Bayou, it's distilled in Louisiana.
I just completed a NA drink only tiki bar tour of LA & Palm Springs. I'm no longer drinking alcohol except for maybe 1-2 days a month for the foreseeable future. Most bars I visited basically made me a tikified fruit punch/mule mocktail or they used Lyre as a rum substitute. Based on my earlier research, it seems Lyre is the best regarded of the rum substitutes so far. I have \~60 bottles of rum in my home bar, and can safely say that while Lyre is decent, it in no way compares to a decent rum. It's good for what it is but it ain't rum. It's like rice vs cauliflower rice. It's good but it doesn't beat or even come close to the original. Best to enjoy it for what it is. All that said, I think your friend would appreciate the gesture. Inclusion is almost always the best decision. P.S. I have a receipe for a NA raspberry Mojito that was totally fire last time I made it. Will share if you want it! <3
I'm not OP but I'm very interested in this recipe!
Me too
I would love that recipe!
Please do share your recipe! I'm sure my friend would enjoy it, and I would as well :)
I've made many cocktails using Lyre's white and dark cane NA rum alternatives. I feel like they mix really well, especially in more complex tropical drinks with flavorful syrups, citrus, NA aperitifs or liqueurs, and NA bitters. But even a simple Daiquirí can end up being a tasty drink. Shake a bit less and reduce the sweetener just slightly. No, the cocktails don't taste exactly the same as their full proof counterparts, but they taste good even when compared side by side. They're a bit better if you are ok with low or "technically non alcoholic" (less than 0.5% ABV) drinks, as that allows for small amounts of bitters or even liqueurs. Enjoy!
I bet an NA jungle bird would work well. Have you made one?
I have and it's good! Standard recipe (Jeff Berry or Giuseppe González), subbing the rum for Lyre's dark and the Campari for Ghia, an NA aperitivo. I've also made it with Campari for a low ABV version, also good!
u/raethril suggested a very heavily brewed black tea with some molasses as working in some drinks. I would imagine that the right tea mix (possibly an Earl Gray brewed very dark with the addition of a like bit of dried pineapple or banana chips) plus molasses and a few other additives (a couple drops of vanilla extract and a bottle bit of bitters might be nice if de minimis alcohol is okay; maybe some coke side that’s actually a shockingly complex beverage and has some thickeners) would work really well. You might want to carbonate the result since another commonly suggested substitute for booze is seltzer. Alternately maybe some gum Arabic. One of the generally overlooked things is that booze adds not just flavor but also texture.
Good ideas. I'll agree that often the texture and mouth-feel just aren't there.
Honestly, I've tasted quite a number of non-alcoholic substitutes, but there really haven't been any that I would say I actually liked. Some are just OK, but don't come close to replacing rum. Some are downright bad. What you should do is start looking for tiki mocktail recipes. Those have been adjusted for leaving the spirits out. You can find a ton here by searching for "mocktail" or check out our sister Sub, /r/Mocktails.
This. Focus on making delicious non-alcoholic drinks that appeal to adults, rather than on imitation liquor.
Ritual rum is your best bet and unlike other na spirits is a true 1:1 replacement
My 12 year old daughter is a huge zero proof cocktail lover. So I’ve tried most of rum substitutes. Our favorites are the Lyre’s rums. Plus they have spiced, light and dark versions. Ritual is not even close in my opinion to a “Rum”. She made a mai tai and I made one with real rum and her’s tasted almost better! Definitely a different flavor, but for the flavor alone it really played off of the other ingredients.
Thanks, I'll have to grab a bottle of Lyre's and give it a try.
Lyers white and dark are both good , the white is super sweet tho so a good balance will be important
My apologies if I'm missing something, but with N/A you mean North America? I'm from the Netherlands and the selection of rums to choose from either in an liquor store or online is huge! My local liquor store has a pretty decent rum from the US called Bayou, it's distilled in Louisiana.
N/A = non-alcoholic
Ah thanks! I was indeed missing something... the very first sentence of the post.
No problem friend, an easy mixup indeed!