Which is the best non-alcoholic spritz? The answer depends on what you expect from the glass. Some drinkers want the closest possible copy of an Aperol Spritz, bitter orange and all. Others want something lighter to sip on a terrace at 5pm. Others again need a festive serve for a Christmas table where half the guests are driving home. Each expectation points to a different bottle, and this guide is built around that idea rather than a single ranking.
We compare the main types of non-alcoholic spritz available in Europe, explain the criteria that separate a good one from a sweet orange soda, give real prices, and suggest a serve for each occasion. Since NONA makes a spritz aperitif, we use it as the reference example throughout, but the criteria apply to any brand you pick up.
A classic spritz is three things: a bitter aperitif, something sparkling and ice. The aperitif brings bitterness, orange and a long finish; the prosecco brings lift and dryness; the ice keeps it all cold and slightly diluted. Take the alcohol out and two problems appear. First, bitterness usually comes from botanicals macerated in alcohol, so a non-alcoholic version has to extract it another way. Second, prosecco brings dryness, and most sparkling substitutes bring sugar instead.
So the best non-alcoholic spritz is the one that solves both: real bitterness from real botanicals, and a serve that stays dry. That is the lens for everything below.
The most flexible option is a bottled non-alcoholic aperitif that you pair with tonic, soda or a sparkling grape drink. NONA Spritz 70cl is built this way, with notes of blood orange and orange zest balanced by bitter gentian root, the same root used in many classic aperitifs. You control the ratio and the mixer, which means you control the sugar. The Aperol Spritz alternative collection groups the bottles and packs built for this serve.
For speed, a canned spritz removes the mixing step entirely. The NONA Spritz & Tonic 4-pack is the pre-mixed version of the bottle above, at €2.85 per 250ml can. Pour over ice with an orange slice and it is indistinguishable from a bar serve. The NONA Spritz & Tonic page details the serve.
De-alcoholised sparkling wines can stand in for prosecco. They tend to be sweeter and lack the bitter component, so they work as the fizz in a spritz rather than as the spritz itself. Used with a real aperitif base, they make a plausible NONA Spritz Royale.
Cheap, widely available and usually disappointing: sweet, flat on bitterness, short on the finish. They are fine for children's tables but not what most people mean when they search for the best non-alcoholic spritz.
Look for gentian, wormwood, quinine or bitter orange in the ingredients. Without one of these, the drink is a soda. Bitterness is also what makes the second glass as pleasant as the first.
Taste it with soda rather than a sweet mixer. The best bottles finish clean; the weak ones leave a syrup coat. Our guide to choosing the right tonic explains how the mixer changes the result.
Distilled or macerated botanicals beat flavourings. NONA Spritz is developed from high-quality ingredients and produced in Belgium; the NONA Spritz page lists the profile. Awards are a useful shortcut: NONA Spritz received a gold medal in competition.
Spritz is a visual drink. A convincing orange hue without artificial colouring is a good sign that real fruit and root went into the bottle.
Compare per glass, not per bottle. A 70cl aperitif at €29.90 yields 14 to 17 spritzes, or under €2 each. The NONA Spritz 20cl at €12.49 is the way to test before committing to a full bottle.
We have written detailed comparisons for the most searched pairings. NONA Spritz vs Aperol Spritz covers taste, bitterness and how close the non-alcoholic version gets to the original. NONA Spritz vs JNPR SPRZ n°1 compares two European non-alcoholic spritz aperitifs directly. For the broader landscape of producers, our guide to the best non-alcoholic spirits brands puts spritz makers alongside gin and aperitif alternatives.
The classic. NONA Spritz & Tonic over plenty of ice, orange slice, done. The summer aperitif collection is built around this moment. Sometimes soda makes a lighter glass: NONA Spritz & Soda.
This is where the search for the best non-alcoholic spritz peaks every December. NONA Winter Spritz and the Spritz Royale bring the bottle into the season, and our 5 festive non-alcoholic cocktails for Christmas and New Year's Eve gives a full end-of-year line-up. The Christmas & New Year collection groups the gift boxes, including the NONA Spritz Giftbox with glasses.
A spritz is the easiest aperitif to serve to a hundred people. A few 70cl bottles, tonic on ice and a tray of glasses; the wedding & events collection and the B2B page cover larger orders.
If you like your spritz less bitter, the NONA Passion Spritz, the Spritz Strawberry Smash and the Fizzy Grapefruit Spritz are all on the site. For a sharper edge, NONA Spritz & Sour.
The whole point of a good non-alcoholic spritz is that the person not drinking gets the same glass as everyone else. The pregnancy-friendly, designated driver and Dry January collections are shortcuts to the same bottles, and the sober curious selection is for anyone simply cutting back.
NONA Spritz 70cl: €29.90, roughly 15 serves.
NONA Spritz 20cl: €12.49, four to five serves, ideal as a first test or in the Tasting Pack 3x20cl at €29.90 alongside June and Ginger.
NONA Spritz & Tonic cans: €11.40 for four, €22.80 for eight.
Gift formats: the gift sets collection starts around €25.
Everything under €30 sits in the below €30 collection.
The technique matters as much as the bottle. Fill a large wine glass with ice, pour 5cl of aperitif, top with 10cl of chilled tonic or soda, stir once, add an orange slice. Our step-by-step guide to making a non-alcoholic Aperol Spritz goes deeper into ratios and garnishes. Large ice cubes from the NONA ice cube tray and a measured pour with the NONA jigger make a visible difference, as does the glass itself: the NONA glass 4-pack was designed for this serve.
The best non-alcoholic spritz is the one with real bitterness, a dry finish and a serve you can control. For most people that means a bottled aperitif spirit such as NONA Spritz mixed with a good tonic, at under €2 a glass; for speed and picnics, the canned Spritz & Tonic. Judge any bottle on bitterness, dryness, ingredients, colour and price per serve, test it in 20cl before buying 70cl, and pour it over large ice in a proper glass. Done that way, the missing alcohol is the last thing anyone notices.
