The Low & No Masters 2026 results are in
Our judges kicked off the new year by tasting a large selection of low-and-no serves, and found while the category offers a host of good brands, producers should focus on intensifying flavours to stand out.
Approximately 61 million people were recruited into the no-alcohol category between 2022 and 2024. For low-alcohol, that recruitment number – spanning IWSR’s the top 10 markets of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US – was 38m.
Unsurprisingly, the no-and-low sector enjoyed healthy double-digit growth in 2024, with a 13% increase. It’s hard evidence of the opportunities and intrigue that the low-and-no products provide.
To kick off the 2026 edition of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (GSMC), low- and no-alcohol beverages were put through their paces to discover products that deserve Master, Gold or Silver medals.
Two teams of independent expert judges gathered in London to assess this year’s entries. Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The GSMC, led the first team, which included Ruchira Neotia, drinks presenter, writer and founder of Ruchira’s Table, and Karen Taylor, co-founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog.
Sarah Miller, co-founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog, chaired the second group. She was joined by judge Matt Chambers, co-founder of Whisky For Everyone.
A strong start
The opening flight of Non-Alcoholic White Spirits (less than 0.5% ABV) got the blind tasting off to a strong start. A Master medal was presented to Tanqueray 0.0% as the judges praised how much this resembled actual gin. “Bright lime and hints of citric acid on the nose with underlying herbaceous notes. It opens up on the palate with nice notes of juniper and herbs, and length on the finish. It stands up very well to mixing, with the juniper still shining through,” noted Miller.
A strong set of seven Gold medals were also awarded, alongside three Silvers. Gold medallists included Hayman’s London 0%, described as being “delightfully floral with underlying citrus, which stands up against tonic”. Lyre’s White Cane secured a Gold for notes of “guava and fermenting mango with hints of cooked banana”.
Up next came a flight of Non-Alcoholic Dark Spirits (less than 0.5% ABV). A duo of Golds were delivered, including one to Sober Spirits Rum, which had a “delightful balance of sweetness and astringency – definitely reminds me of the real deal”, noted Taylor. Fellow Gold winner L’Epicé was liked for notes of “Cola Cubes on the nose and palate, with vanilla, light spice, and some cloves”.
Following this, the judges turned their attention to Non-Alcoholic Apéritifs (less than 0.5% ABV). This was the biggest flight of the tasting, demonstrating the volume of brands playing in this part of the no-and-low category. The results were solid, too. Seven Gold medals and five Silvers left a positive impression on the judges. Among those products deemed deserving of the Gold accolade was Lyre’s Italian Spritz. The judges noted how the liquid “worked well with tonic water”. Kiely added: “There’s a little sweetness; good balance, I like this a lot. It’s a great option for consumers.”
In the Non-Alcoholic Bitters (less than 0.5% ABV) flight that followed, a Silver medal was awarded to Sober Spirits Bitter 0.0%, which presented “some underlying spice, herbal notes; it becomes more bitter and tannic with time”.
Three more Silvers gave the medal tally a boost in the Non-Alcoholic Liqueurs (Less Than 0.5% ABV) heat. The winners were: Sloe Djin, which had “lots of plum and marzipan, and a pinch of peppery spice”; “nutty, marzipan, almonds, vanilla sweetness” Sober Spirits Amaretto 0.0%; and “pleasant, almond-forward with light coffee flavours” Lyre’s Coffee Amaretti. Miller said of the flight: “Natural, authentic flavours performed best.”
In a tasting of pre-mixed and ready-to-drink no- and low-alcoholic cocktails, a wave of Gold medals generated excitement.
Alongside one Silver, nine Gold medals were awarded in the flight. The Sir James 101 brand performed particularly well, collecting four of the Gold medals for various products. Among its Gold winners was a Paloma, which was liked for its “strong carbonation, and good grapefruit flavour. It’s zesty and slightly bitter – an elegant drink, very enjoyable,” Neotia said.
Cutty Sark & Ginger Ale was also among the Gold award winners, and delighted with its “well-integrated, light malty notes from the whisky. Great carbonation. This is a very approachable Scotch and ginger ale serve,” Kiely commented.
The Low-Alcohol Apéritif flight led to a Gold for 17.2% ABV Savoia Orancio. The judges commented on its “slightly sweet, perfumed nose with orange and elderflower, and a bitter note in the background”. Upon tasting, they described Savoia Orancio as having “lots of complexity, and a well-balanced mix of bitter and sweetness, with wine notes lingering on the finish”.
In the Low-Alcohol Serve flight, Warner’s 0% Pink Berry Spritz received a Silver medal with its “light berry and floral notes”.
The judges were still reminiscing about Tanqueray 0.0% when they’d reached the end of the tasting, which was awarded The Low & No Taste Master 2026 title.
Reflecting on the results, there was widespread agreement the low-and-no category could benefit from embracing more authentic flavours. Taylor noted: “One positive I did take away is there was a lot less sweetness, which I’ve had in previous experience. And there are some really interesting flavours being presented.”
Neotia added: “We need to take a leaf out of the book of mixers with flavours, and attempt to create more unique non-alcoholic drinks rather than alternatives to existing categories. That’s a really hard thing to do well.”
The judges also thought there was a need to dial-up the intensity of flavour in no-and-low products. Kiely concluded: “Once you mix them, it’s hard for flavours to stand up without the alcohol. I definitely think brands can be a bit braver and bolder in creating intense flavours, and it’ll do wonders for the options available to drinkers.”
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Non-Alcoholic White Spirit (less than 0.5% ABV) | ||
| Diageo | Tanqueray 0.0% | Master and Taste Master |
| Warner’s Distillery | Warner’s 0% Juniper Double Dry | Gold |
| Warner’s Distillery | Warner’s 0% Pink Berry | Gold |
| Hayman’s Gin | Hayman’s London 0% | Gold |
| Cygnet Distillery | Cygnet Infinity | Gold |
| The Future Social | Le Botanique | Gold |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s White Cane | Gold |
| Spirits of Virtue | Asda Extra Special Non-Alcoholic Rhubarb & Ginger Botanical Drink | Gold |
| Sammy Piquant | Sammy Piquant The Oaxacan | Silver |
| Spirits of Virtue | Aldi Greyson’s London Dry | Silver |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s Agave Blanco | Silver |
| Non-Alcoholic Dark Spirit (less than 0.5% ABV) | ||
| Sober Spirits | Sober Spirits Rum 0.0% | Gold |
| The Future Social | L’Epicé | Gold |
| Non-Alcoholic Apéritif (less than 0.5% ABV) | ||
| Sprissetto | Sprissetto Zero | Gold |
| Freespirited Drinks | Rebels 0.0% Rosso | Gold |
| Freely | A | Gold |
| Bataillard | Sunrise Aperitivo 0.0% | Gold |
| Sober Spirits | Sober Spirits Spritz 0.0% | Gold |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s Italian Spritz | Gold |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s Italian Orange | Gold |
| The Future Social | L’Aperitivo | Silver |
| Bataillard | Sunset Aperitivo 0.0% | Silver |
| Sammy Piquant | Sammy Piquant The Jetsetter | Silver |
| The Social Drinks Company | Sentia Gaba Gold | Silver |
| Rheinland Distillers | Siegfried Wonderspritz | Silver |
| Non-Alcoholic Bitter (less than 0.5% ABV) | ||
| Sober Spirits | Sober Spirits Bitter 0.0% | Silver |
| Non-Alcoholic Liqueur (less than 0.5% ABV) | ||
| Djin Spirits | Sloe Djin | Silver |
| Sober Spirits | Sober Spirits Amaretto 0.0% | Silver |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s Coffee Amaretti | Silver |
| Company | Product | Medal |
| No/Low-Alcoholic Pre-Mixed/RTD | ||
| Sir James 101 | G&T | Gold |
| Sir James 101 | Pink G&T | Gold |
| Sir James 101 | Paloma | Gold |
| Sir James 101 | Passionfruit Martini | Gold |
| Nona Drinks | Nona Spritz & Tonic | Gold |
| Toby & Co | The Green One | Gold |
| Gibson’s | Gibson’s London Dry Gin & Tonic | Gold |
| Cutty Sark | Cutty Sark & Ginger Ale | Gold |
| Lyre’s Non Alcoholic | Lyre’s Amalfi Spritz | Gold |
| Sir James 101 | Ginger Mule | Silver |
| Low-Alcohol Apéritif | ||
| Casa Savoia | Savoia Orancio | Gold |
| Low-Alcohol Serve | ||
| Warner’s Distillery | Warner’s 0% Pink Berry Spritz | Silver |
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