Ah rum. There was always something so alluring about it. The marketing probably. A little glass of the Caribbean right there in the palm of your hand (which is very much not in the Caribbean). But thanks to the non alcoholic spirits market growing so rapidly, if you’re a non drinker, the only thing you need to miss out on now, is the hangover.
Intro to Alcohol Free Rum
Now first things first, non alcoholic spirits taste a little different from the real thing. That’s a fact. Businesses are trying (some more than others) to make sensational alcohol free drinks. But, when you remove the alcohol, the drink tastes different. It’s not going to burn your throat for example, or warm you from the inside (hot drinks are available for that). But. Some of them, are delicious in their own right. And, with alcohol so heavily engrained in our society, it can feel comforting to sip on something that still feels a little grown up. Whether at home, at a party, or at a bar or restaurant. After years of pounding back whatever your poison was (quite literally), heading out to drink diet coke can feel somewhat underwhelming.
So, as long as it’s something you feel comfortable with – that bit is pretty important – drinking alcohol free rum can make staying off the sauce a lot easier. Especially in social situations. If rum was your classic go to, then read on for the 6 best alcohol free rums currently available in the UK in 2023. Otherwise, you might like to check out the best non alcoholic gin here, and prosecco here.
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1. Cleanco ‘R’
CleanCo can do no wrong in my opinion. Founder, London based Spencer Matthews created the brand after realising that alcohol was holding him back from the life he knew he could be living. All of their offerings are affordable, they taste good & they work amazingly well in mocktails (even the Clean ‘T ‘ – tequila!).
Clean ‘R’ is an alcohol free spiced Caribbean rum. Boasting a mere 12 calories per 50ml serving (which you’ll more than make up for with ginger beer I’m sure). It contains no sugar, its vegan & gluten free. It’s also a 2021 Bronze Award Winner. It’s not terrible on it’s own, but you’re going to want to drink it with mixer or in mocktail.
Taste: Caramel, vanilla & spice.
Best Enjoyed: Delicious in a ‘Clean & Stormy’ (I’m sipping on one right now).
- 50ml Clean R
- 150ml Ginger beer
- 2 x Fresh Lime, 1 x wedge squeezed 1 x wedge garnish
- Ice
2. Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit
Lyre’s is a popular brand hailing from Australia who produce a seriously impressive range of non alcoholic spirits. I’m over here talking about their dark rum alternative but they also have a white rum & a spiced rum alternative! Lyre‘s also have amazing representation across London – being served in All Bar One’s, Brown’s, Alchemists’, The Ivy and even Ronnie Scotts! So you know they hold up.
The Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit is low in calories (10 calories per 50ml serving), rich in flavour and is also vegan & gluten free. An alcohol free rum staple.
Taste: Caramel, fudge, fig, toasted nuts, maple and vanilla.
Best Enjoyed: There’s a number of complex mocktails that can be used with their range – but to keep it simple try the Lyre’s Cuba Libre.
- 60ml Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit
- 15ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 90ml Premium Bottled Cola (I like Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola)
3. Myth White Cane Coconut Rum
Finally a Malibu alternative! Perfect for summer & unleashing your inner basic side. Coconut is delicious & sweet. Fact. And, now you can add the flavour into all of your drinks without worrying about the detrimental effects that come hand in hand with overindulging in alcohol.
Myth are new on the scene. They launched in May 2022 and by July, had won their first awards. Impressive. And of course, vegan & gluten free. This is an alcohol free rum you’ll want to keep buying again and again for the spirit of summer!
Taste: Coconut, peach & caramel.
Best Enjoyed: Neat, or mixed with a good quality cola. (I’ll never stop pushing Fentiman’s it is superior). Try it in a Piña colada. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, check out the Myth Coconut Raspberry Fizz.
- 50ml Myth White Cane Coconut Rum
- 100ml Raspberry Soda
- Fresh Raspberries & Mint
- Grenadine
4. ANON Spiced Cane Spirit
A non alcoholic spirit with a bottle that also looks the part. Golden caramel in colour & in flavour – ANON is the perfect addition for any rum based cocktail but also (a rare) alcohol free drink that can be enjoyed neat with lots of ice.
ANON (Ohh now I get it – a non alcoholic…) is another award winning brand you can find stocked in multiple Michelin Star restaurants, hotels & farm shops across the UK. This spiced caribbean rum alternative fabulous alternative if you’re dry or trying to lower your alcohol intake.
Taste: warming spice, cinnamon, lemon, vanilla and ginger.
Best Enjoyed: On it’s own or with cola. You guessed who I’m going to plug… Fentiman’s!
Spiced Cane with Coke:
- 50ml ANON Spiced Cane
- 100ml Cola
5. Marie Laveau Non-Alcoholic Rum Alternative
Created by the already very successful Ceder’s, comes Marie Laveau. Another bottle that hit the mark on branding. If you’re wondering, who is Marie Laveau? Well, she was (past tense) based in New Orleans in the 1800’s and was renowned for her Voodoo. She also happened to be a herbalist & midwife. I’m guessing the herbalist aspect has played the biggest part in the branding here.
If you’re searching for a bottle that looks the part (no judgement from me if you’re trying to go alcohol free under the radar) then this could be the perfect accompaniment to any event. Drink it with mixer’s or fix yourself some mocktails with this one.
Taste: sweet vanilla, warming spice
Best Enjoyed: Try the ‘Voodoo Libre’ (you know how to make one of those by now) or the Nojito.
- 50ml Marie Laveau
- 100ml Soda Water
- Handful Fresh Mint
- 1 Lime – Cut into Wedges
6. Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Rum
Tropical non alcoholic spirits – available in both light & dark. Caleño have been featured on Sunday Brunch, Saturday Kitchen & this morning! The founder created Caleño after being fed up of drinking tap water on nights out. She ventured across Colombia (her family’s homeland) and bottled up the flavours for us to enjoy. These drinks give off serious Latina vibes.
Caleño is another staple that can be found all over the country in bars & restaurants. In London you can enjoy Caleño in restaurants like Sticks n Sushi, Gaucho’s & Haugen.
Taste: pineapple, coconut, ginger, vanilla, kola nut & lime.
Best Enjoyed: With a ginger ale or I like the ‘Teekee’ served by Haugen.
- Caleño Dark & Spicy
- Pineapple Juice
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Orgeat Syrup
Also check out this complex drink: ‘Tropical Rum Punch’.
- 50ml Caleño Dark & Spicy
- 60ml Pineapple Juice
- 50ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 15ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- 20ml Cranberry Juice
- Fresh Fruit to Garnish
- Maraschino Cherry to Garnish
Alcohol Free Spirits
The alcohol free market is booming right now. The consumer trend (thank you Gen Z) has led to some of the biggest names producing a range of 0% beers, ciders, gins, rums, fizz & wines. Right now, non alcoholic gin seems to be the most popular (it’s the easiest to replicate). It is harder to recreate a dark non alcoholic spirit due to the distillation process. This is why people can be disappointed when drinking it straight. The texture can feel off. That said, the typical flavours & warming spice aroma commonly found in rum (cinnamon, vanilla, golden caramel & ginger) can be utilised in the same way. And these brands above have done just that! If you’re looking for a bottle of rum to keep in the house & occasionally drink with a coke (or pepsi max… other brands are available) or ginger ale – any of the above will hit the mark. Hopefully they can fill the rum shaped hole you might have by making the incredible decision to quit booze.
FAQ
Why drink rum alternatives?
Alcohol free rum is so much better for you than alcohol – however you use it. For example, some drinkers will make every other drink a non alcoholic if they’re watching their alcohol intake. This can help with the (quite frankly) impossible task of moderating.
So much of our alcohol intake is habitual. At the end of the work day, because it’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Because we had a bad day, we had a good day, we worked really hard today, we saw someone on the tele pour one and now we want a drink. With alcohol free drinks, you can indulge the habit without increasing your cancer risks, impairing your sleep or risk having to cancel tomorrow mornings plans.
Giving up alcohol isn’t the easiest thing to do – especially when it feels like the whole world is booze crazy. This is just one way to make it a little easier on yourself if you feel comfortable indulging the habit. If you’re fully sober and you think it will give you a hankering for alcohol, then it’s probably best to skip it.
Why do a lot of alcoholic spirits have bad reviews?
I touched on this a little in the intro. Honestly? Alcohol alternatives don’t taste like alcohol. You remove the ethanol, you remove a big part of the drink! Sadly, I think people who are trying to lower their intake and are not fully sober, have much higher expectations of what alcohol free drinks should taste like. I see a lot of ‘tastes nothing like the real thing’ and ‘the texture isn’t right’ under products that have an amazing flavour. Once you have your expectations in the right, the AF industry is a wonderful place.
BUT – if you’re seeing loads of reviews that say something is disgusting, best steer clear. There are some questionable drinks out there that honestly taste like cough medicine.
A good non alcoholic spirit can definitely add a little something to mocktails & mixers. They just don’t pack a punch – that is what the ethanol was doing. Which is the perfect metaphor because I always felt like I’d been punched in the head after a night of drinking.
What about calories & sugar content?
Firstly, water is the base for most of these drinks so for the most part, there’s hardly any calories & barely any sugar.
Secondly, something I like to remind myself when I’m on my 4th glass of Nozeco – I never once paid attention to this when I was drinking alcohol. I would pound back Ammaretto & cokes and spiced rum & cokes (full fat) like nobodies business. Not once did I think about my caloric intake. When I was younger and I did entertain that idea, I drank vodka, soda lime even though I hated it, rather than just you know, not drink!
What mixers work best with alcohol free rum?
Exactly the same ones as you would mix with alcoholic rum! Coke, ginger ale, ginger beer. If you’re making AF cocktails then it’s a great addition to an espresso martini (hey you were wild enough to drink coffee late at night before).