Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon is a non-alcoholic whiskey alternative built around the familiar architecture of American bourbon: toasted oak, caramel, vanilla, malted grain and warm baking spice. Oak cask, corn and spiced cherrywood smoke flavors give it depth, while black tea-like tannin adds structure and capsaicin supplies the warming bite normally delivered by alcohol. The palate moves from caramel and grain into tobacco, smoke and pepper, finishing dry with oak, sweet corn and praline. This is very much a bourbon alternative designed for cocktails, where its sweetness, tannin and spice settle into balance and give classic whiskey drinks the backbone they need.
Why We Love It
Free Spirits Bourbon understands its assignment: mixing. Rather than asking it to behave like a neat pour of Kentucky bourbon, put it into an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Boulevardier or Sour and everything clicks into place. The oak, caramel and grain give the drink weight, while that distinctive capsaicin heat provides the little bit of resistance a non-alcoholic whiskey cocktail can otherwise lack. It's approachable enough for someone new to spirit alternatives but has enough structure for serious cocktail making, which makes it a useful bottle to have on the bar.
How to Drink Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon
Start with an Old Fashioned: 2 oz Free Spirits Bourbon, 1 tsp demerara syrup and 2–3 dashes aromatic bitters over a large cube, finished with an expressed orange peel. The dilution softens the capsaicin while bitters and orange pull together its oak, caramel and spice.
Cheeky & Dry Signature Serve — Black Walnut Gold Rush: 2 oz Free Spirits Bourbon, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz honey syrup and 2 dashes black walnut bitters. Shake well with ice and strain over a large cube in a rocks glass. Express a lemon peel over the top. Honey rounds the oak and grain without burying them, black walnut brings out the darker toasted notes, and fresh lemon gives the whole drink enough tension to stay bright.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Toffee, oak, vanilla, baking spice, green apple and sweet cornbread.
Palate: Malted grain, caramel, fruity tobacco, black tea tannin and a thread of cherrywood smoke.
Finish: Long and dry with peppery heat, sweet corn, oak and praline.
Body: Medium-bodied with glycerin providing texture, tannin adding structure and capsaicin creating a pronounced warming sensation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon non-alcoholic?
Yes. Free Spirits defines its products as non-alcoholic and containing less than 0.5% ABV.
What does Free Spirits Bourbon taste like?
Expect oak, caramel, vanilla and malted grain followed by tobacco, smoke, black tea tannin and peppery spice. The finish is relatively dry, with lingering oak and sweet corn.
Is Free Spirits Bourbon spicy?
Yes. Free Spirits uses capsaicin, the naturally occurring compound responsible for the heat in chile peppers, to create some of the warming sensation normally supplied by alcohol. If you're sensitive to chile heat, this is worth knowing before you pour.
Is Free Spirits Bourbon meant for sipping or mixing?
We think it's at its best in cocktails. Its oak, caramel, tannin and warming spice become much more integrated with dilution and other cocktail ingredients. Free Spirits also recommends using it as a 1:1 replacement for bourbon or rye in non-alcoholic cocktails.
How much sugar is in Free Spirits Bourbon?
A 1.5 oz serving contains 2 grams of total sugar and 20 calories according to the current nutrition information.
Is Free Spirits Bourbon gluten-free and vegan?
Yes. Free Spirits identifies its products as gluten-free and vegan.
How should Free Spirits Bourbon be stored after opening?
Free Spirits recommends refrigerating the bottle after opening for best results, not freezing it, and using it within three months.
