RITUAL ZERO PROOF Whiskey Alternative | Award-Winning Non-Alcoholic Spirit | 25.4 Fl Oz (750ml) | Only 5 Calories | Sustainably Made in USA | Make Delicious Alcohol Free Cocktails

I tried to give Ritual a chance. I emailed them twice never getting back a response. After spending 20 years in the wine & liquor industry, this concoction has "zero" resemblance to whiskey. Save your money and try another brand.When you first open the bottle, the nose resembles strong Apple Cider Vinegar. When you drink this, it has an intense taste of apple cider vinegar on the tongue. Wine folks would say "A nose of apple cider vinegar leaps from the glass to welcome you with a sour burn on the tongue!" While there are some overlapping compounds between Whiskey & Apple Cider Vinegar, the overall flavor profiles of apple cider vinegar and whiskey are distinctly different due to their unique production methods and ingredients. I mean they are, in a way, both fermented products however their fermentation process is night and day different. Whiskey : corn, barley, wheat. The base grains are fermented into something that resembles beer. Next it is put into a still of some type, finally it is aged in oak (real oak and not oak chips if you are lucky these days). Apple Cider Vinegar : apples were fermented to create an alcoholic beverage of around 5% alcohol by volume. Then a secondary fermentation called acetic acid fermentation which turns the ethanol (stuff that makes you feel funny) to acetic acid, which gives vinegar its characteristic sour flavor.I mean do the people at this company even have some type of palate? Or, were they raised on mountain dew and hot wings and developed their own unique opinion of what things taste like? Did they mix this stuff up and it originally tasted like whiskey but then it spoiled somehow? Open a bottle of wine. Let it sit. It magically turns to vinegar. Did this stuff go through some unexpected fermentation? Did they make a whole bunch of the stuff and are just trying to dump it on the market. Happens all the time in the wine and liquor industry.Strike one : this stuff is not worth your time, money, or palate. It is junk with a fancy marketing campaign.Strike two : you buy a bottle from Amazon and you realize that it is non-refundable.Strike three : the company does not have any interest in developing a relationship with you as a long termcustomer. Proof is that they don't respond to emails.Would you guys like some sales tips on how to treat your customers? I charge a flat rate of $250 hour as an experienced consultant. Feel free to contact me. Here's something for free : don't make a product that smells like apple cider and call it whiskey. That is total nonsense. But there you have it folks : the proof that with the right marketing campaign you can even sell "alternative" whiskey although it screams of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Amazon boinked my first submission for this positive review, so I am trying again. I wrote better for my tastes than Seedlip and Kin products, which I have also purchased and reviewed separately.I paid special attention to the negative reviews before buying. I was looking for low sugar/calorie alternatives to replace whiskey based drinks. I like peaty islay type scotches so I don't mind the hints oftobacco/smoke, but can see why some would not like it. Even so, it wasn'tquite that strong or smoky, especially when mixed. I would not try the suggested recipe for the "old fashion" that came with the bottle - it would be unbalanced and too sweet. I liked the "new fashion" recipe froma website about "zero proof cocktails" with a few changes: 2 oz Ritual, 1/4 oz simple syrup (I used 3 drops of maple syrup for the extra thickness instead), 3-4 dashes angostura bitters, 3-4 dashes walnut bitters, 3-4 dashes orange bitters, shake and pour over ice. This uses much less syrup and more bitters. This product is not for the whiskey drinker wanting the alcohol and alcohol burn sensation. It's for people who like old fashions/manhattans and like thesubties of different bitters and sugars that could be used, but who don't want the alcohol content. It's never going to be an actual old fashion without the whiskey, but you can get a nice drink with some of the same flavors and nose.

After being a big whisky drinker for most of my 20’s then not having a drop of it for over 15 years to stay sharp and healthy, I have a very low bar. I’ve been really impressed with how far craft beer has come from brewdog NA and brooklyn NA which I randomly tried and loved. I had high hopes for this product, I imagined it would taste like jack Daniel’s or some similar whisky or bourbon.I have tried one other NA whisky out of curiosity in the last two weeks. That one was surprisingly decent. So I ordered this excited to try different blends from different makers.Friends, this is as honest as I can be about this: this was truly, TRULY, horrendous. I honestly would give a five star for like, ANYTHING CLOSE to a whisky flavor because it would be enjoyable to mix up drinks, have some fun with it. I’m a huge third wave coffee guy etc etc… I was looking forward to diving into mixed drinks again.The flavor: it tastes like cherry sucretes and cough syrup. Seriously. I mean it smells like a whiff of vinegar and acidic cherry flavoring, has the consistency of motor oil or cough syrup, truly uncomfortable to hold in your mouth it’s like taking a shot of vegetable oil. The flavor… my lord. I cannot believe this, but I legit tried it straight, on the rocks, and then mixed into a strong water old fashioned on the rocks. I had to spit them all out, and I dumped the glass.The only way I can describe this is horrendous and I am so disappointed. I was truly excited for this experience.It is WILDLY EXPENSIVE, it really hurt to pull the trigger on this bottle because of how much of a rip off the price is, but I was excited because their language and branding made me think these folks get it, they are gonna make something great… so disappointed. I have a stupidly expensive bottle of vinegar cough syrup with the consistency of Motoroil and uncooked egg whites that cost me an incredible amount of money.95% of the bottle is untouched, and I cannot believe I am doing this but I’m pouring it down the drain, watching my money vanish.How can you do this to customers? Why are you gouging them? Why this price? And how can you agree as a team that this flavor is nailing it? Did you hire super tasters who like, have the ability to detect 1 micron of oaky bourbon flavor so this was approved?Honestly a little heartbreaking, I was excited that this would be fun.