The Old Fashioned is a punishing test for any non-alcoholic whiskey. The cocktail is just whiskey, sugar, bitters, and an orange peel — there’s nowhere for a weak base to hide. The whiskey has to provide warmth, caramel sweetness, and enough body to stand up to two heavy hits (sugar and bitters) without turning into syrupy water.
I tested the top NA whiskeys in identical Old Fashioned builds — same sugar cube, same aromatic bitters, same orange peel, same large ice cube. Here’s which ones actually deliver and which fall apart.
The quick verdict: Spiritless Kentucky 74 is the clear winner. Monday Zero Alcohol Whiskey is the runner-up if you prefer a smoother sip. Lyre’s American Malt is the best value-to-quality pick. Avoid the cheapest NA whiskeys for this drink — the Old Fashioned exposes them.
How an Old Fashioned tests an NA whiskey
A real Old Fashioned uses 2 oz of bourbon at ~45% ABV. That alcohol does three things you can’t see: it carries flavor across your palate, it cuts through the sugar so the drink doesn’t taste cloying, and it provides the warming finish that defines the drink.
When you take alcohol out, all three of those functions go missing. A good NA whiskey for an Old Fashioned has to compensate by:
- Real distillation depth — flavored sugar water tastes flat. Distilled NA whiskeys carry more flavor across the sip.
- Caramel and oak character — these are what cut through the sugar cube and balance the bitters.
- A finish that doesn’t dissolve — most NA whiskeys disappear after the first sip. The good ones linger.
The picks that win on these criteria are also the most expensive ones. There’s no $20 NA whiskey that holds up in an Old Fashioned. If you want to make a credible alcohol-free version of this cocktail, plan to spend $30+.
The Old Fashioned recipe (for reference)
Before the rankings, here’s the build I tested every whiskey in:
- 2 oz non-alcoholic whiskey
- 1 sugar cube (or ½ tsp simple syrup)
- 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters (or NA bitters for strict zero-proof)
- 1 large ice cube
- Orange peel for garnish
Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass. Saturate it with the bitters and a splash of warm water. Muddle until dissolved. Add the NA whiskey and stir. Add the large ice cube and stir again briefly. Express the orange peel oils over the glass and drop the peel in.
Get the full Non-Alcoholic Old Fashioned recipe for more detail.
#1 — Spiritless Kentucky 74
🏆 Best Overall
Why it’s #1: This is the only NA whiskey that actually behaves like bourbon in an Old Fashioned. Real distillation gives it caramel, oak, and a finish that survives the sugar cube and bitters. Most other NA whiskeys collapse under the weight of those ingredients — Spiritless holds up.
- Bottle: 700ml
- Price: $37.99
- Process: Fully distilled (not flavored water)
- Profile: Caramel, oak, light spice
- Award: Good Food Awards winner
Pros: Most authentic bourbon flavor, real distillation process, finish actually lingers Cons: Pricier than mass-market alternatives, sells out frequently Best for: Anyone serious about making a real-tasting alcohol-free Old Fashioned
Shop Spiritless Kentucky 74 on Amazon →
#2 — Monday Zero Alcohol Whiskey
🥃 Best for Sipping the Finished Drink
Why it’s #2: The smoothest NA whiskey on the market. If your goal is an Old Fashioned that tastes refined when you sip it slowly, Monday is the pick. Smooth caramel and vanilla without the slight heat that some NA whiskeys carry. Slightly less assertive than Spiritless, which means it cedes a bit more to the bitters and orange — fine if you like a bitter-forward Old Fashioned.
- Bottle: 750ml
- Price: $40.49
- Profile: Smooth caramel, vanilla, no harsh edges
- Calories: 0 calories, 0 sugar, 0 carbs
- Award: Multiple international NA spirit awards
Pros: Smoothest sip in the category, premium feel, big bottle Cons: Most expensive of the top 5, slightly less assertive base Best for: Sipping the finished cocktail slowly, evening Old Fashioneds
Shop Monday Zero Alcohol Whiskey on Amazon →
#3 — Lyre’s American Malt
💰 Best Value Pick
Why it’s #3: The most flexible NA whiskey for cocktails generally, and the easiest to find in stores. For an Old Fashioned specifically, it’s a half-step behind Spiritless and Monday — slightly sweeter, slightly less structured. But at $36 with broad availability, it’s the right pick if you don’t want to chase down a specialty bottle.
- Bottle: 700ml
- Price: $35.99
- Profile: Slightly smoky, sweet malt backbone
- Award: Multiple international NA spirit awards
- Availability: Widely stocked at Total Wine, BevMo, Whole Foods
Pros: Easy to find in stores, balanced sweetness, mixes well across categories Cons: Less complex than the top 2 in spirit-forward drinks Best for: Casual Old Fashioneds, mixing duty across multiple cocktails
Shop Lyre’s American Malt on Amazon →
#4 — Wilderton Earthen
🔥 Best for Smoky Old Fashioneds
Why it’s #4: If you usually drink your Old Fashioned with a peated scotch or a smoky bourbon, Wilderton is your alcohol-free version. The smoke and oak character are stronger than any other NA whiskey, which gives the cocktail a campfire quality the others can’t match. Polarizing — some love it, others find the smoke overwhelming. Try it in a half-pour (1 oz Wilderton + 1 oz Spiritless) for a smoky-but-balanced version.
- Bottle: 750ml
- Price: $36.99
- Profile: Spice, wood, and smoke notes
- Process: Botanical distillation
- Origin: Made in Oregon
Pros: Strongest smoky character of any NA whiskey, US-made, distinctive Cons: Smoke level isn’t for everyone, can dominate the cocktail Best for: Smoky Old Fashioneds, mezcal lovers, peated whiskey transition drinkers
Shop Wilderton Earthen on Amazon →
#5 — Free Spirits Bourbon
🌰 Best Oak-Caramel Profile
Why it’s #5: Free Spirits’ Bourbon leans hardest into the oak and caramel notes that define a good Old Fashioned. If you find Spiritless slightly too dry or Monday slightly too smooth, Free Spirits sits between them with a more dessert-forward profile. The added B vitamins are mostly marketing, but the underlying spirit is solid for the cocktail.
- Bottle: 750ml
- Price: $36.99
- Profile: Oak, caramel, vanilla
- Calories: 5 calories per serving
- Other: Vegan, gluten-free, with added B vitamins
Pros: Strongest oak-caramel character, big bottle, vegan-certified Cons: Slightly sweet for purists, vitamin angle is mostly marketing Best for: Dessert-forward Old Fashioneds, sweet tooths, after-dinner sipping
Shop Free Spirits Bourbon on Amazon →
What to skip
A few NA whiskeys we tested that don’t hold up in an Old Fashioned:
- Crystal NA Whiskey ($27.49) — too thin. The drink tastes like sugar water with bitters.
- Whissin ($26.99) — better in cocktails with more ingredients (sour, highball) where the orange/bitters can carry. The OF exposes its lack of body.
- Generic NA bourbon flavoring — anything that’s “natural and artificial flavors” added to water doesn’t have the structural depth.
The pattern: under $30, you’re paying for flavor extract, not real distillation. Real distillation is what carries an Old Fashioned.
Quick winners guide
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Spiritless Kentucky 74 | Most authentic Old Fashioned | $37.99 |
| 🥃 Monday Whiskey | Smoothest sip | $40.49 |
| 💰 Lyre’s American Malt | Best availability | $35.99 |
| 🔥 Wilderton Earthen | Smoky variant | $36.99 |
| 🌰 Free Spirits Bourbon | Oak-caramel forward | $36.99 |
The bitters question
Real Angostura bitters are 44.7% ABV but you only use 2-3 dashes per drink — about 0.04 ml of bitters per Old Fashioned, which contributes well under 0.1% ABV to the finished cocktail. For practical purposes, an Old Fashioned with NA whiskey and Angostura bitters is functionally non-alcoholic.
If you need strict 0.0% ABV, a few brands now make NA bitters specifically for the zero-proof market:
- All The Bitter — full lineup of NA bitters (aromatic, orange, lavender) with no alcohol
- El Guapo Botanicals NA — alcohol-free versions of their flagship aromatics
- Free Brothers — straight-up zero-proof aromatic bitters
Any of these work as a 1:1 swap for Angostura in the recipe above.
What to make next
If you’ve got a bottle of NA whiskey on hand, the Old Fashioned is the obvious starting point — but the same bottle anchors several other classics. Try the Manhattan (uses NA dry vermouth from Lyre’s), the Whiskey Sour (forgiving, great for everyday), or the Sazerac (rye-style, more spirit-forward).
For the full lineup of non-alcoholic bourbon picks across all use cases, see our best non-alcoholic bourbon substitutes page. And if you want to make your own bourbon flavor from scratch, the DIY bourbon substitutes guide covers five recipes using black tea, vanilla, and maple syrup.
