Looking for an alcohol free gin? Monday Gin, produced by the San Diego based Drink Monday, might just be the right drink for you.
The non-alcoholic spirits on the market have never been better, so while you might once have scoffed at the idea, it’s certainly worth a try if you’re looking to cut back on your alcohol consumption (and the hangovers that come with it).
Monday Gin is a botanical, spicy, zero ABV spirit that most resembles a London dry gin. The spirit substitute is made from a blend of natural botanical extracts. Not only is it free of alcohol, but it’s also vegan, and free of calories, carbs, sugar, and gluten.
It’s often used to turn gin cocktails into mocktails (cocktails with no alcohol), and is considered one of the best alcohol free gins on the market. But does it live up to the hype? How can it, really, if it’s not actually gin? Well, you might be surprised!
The following review will assess every aspect of Monday Gin, to help you decide whether you should give it a shot.
History Of Drink Monday
Founded by Chris Boyd and Ben Acott, the Drink Monday line of alcohol free spirits stemmed from a desire to enjoy a night out without having to switch to water in order to function the next day.
The endeavour began with a Kickstarter campaign, which was launched in October of 2019. Just two years later the success of their non-alcoholic gin allowed them to launch a non-alcoholic whiskey, too.
How Does Monday Gin Taste?
When taken neat, Monday Gin’s got a surprising kick to it, considering there’s no alcohol. You’ll initially notice strong citrus and juniper flavors, followed by hints of spice. While this spice won’t replicate the punch of actual alcohol, it’s about as close as you’re going to get when it comes to imitations.
With a somewhat viscous consistency, Monday Gin has a slightly bitter finish. The flavors themselves are relatively subdued, which could mean they’ll be drowned out by certain mixers. It might be an idea to add more Monday Gin than you would regular gin, depending on the drink you’re making.
Its aromas are remarkably similar to actual dry gin, and overall, it’s quite impressive for an imitation gin. Served on ice, the flavors will be much the same, but its viscosity will be weakened somewhat, lending it a quality of freshness.
Combined with tonic water over ice and with a wedge of lime for garnish, Monday Gin might just be indistinguishable from any traditional London dry gin. We recommend Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water. Monday Gin works its magic in a number of mocktails.
Speaking of which…
Best Monday Gin Mocktails
There are numerous delicious Monday Gin mocktails to choose from. The Ramos Gin Fizz mocktail combines two ounces of Monday Gin, half an ounce of fresh lime, half an ounce of fresh lemon, half an ounce of fresh coconut milk, half an ounce of simple syrup, one egg white, and soda water.
First, chill a Collins glass, then add all the above ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake, strain, and remove the ice, before pouring the mixture back into the shaker and shaking some more.
Strain into the glass and top with your soda water. You can also mist the mocktail with orange flower water, if you’ve got any. Would it pass as an actual cocktail? Easily.
Can’t go wrong with a mocktail featured on Drink Monday’s own website. The Garden Mocktail contains one and a half ounces of Monday Gin, half an ounce of lemon juice, half an ounce of honey syrup, blueberry basil kombucha, and blueberries.
First muddle some blueberries in a shaker, then add your Monday Gin, syrup, lemon juice, and ice. Shake the mixture before straining it into a glass with ice. Top with tonic water and garnish with blueberries, an edible flower, or both.
The Blueberry Gin Fizz Mocktail is free of sugar and low on carbs. It’s also Paleo friendly, keto friendly, and just generally a healthy beverage.
It contains one ounce of Monday Gin (although the original recipe was for regular gin, so you may want to increase this measurement a little), cucumber, two fresh mint leaves, half a teaspoon of grated ginger root, eight ounces of soda water or club soda, and one half of a fresh lime.
Start by dicing your cucumber into small cubes- there should be enough to cover the bottom of your glass. Next, cut a piece of the ginger root, peeling its outer bark. Grate roughly half a teaspoon of the ginger root into your glass before squeezing in your half lime.
Add the two mint leaves, and pour in the Monday Gin, muddling the mixture with a heavy spoon. Leave it for roughly 10 minutes before adding ice and soda water or club soda. Use a fresh mint leaf as garnish.
The La Llama Verde mocktail contains an ounce and a half of Monday Gin, half an ounce of simple syrup, two to three jalapenos, one to two slices of fresh avocado, and one lime.
First combine chopped jalapenos, the juice of your lime, and the avocado in a blender and pulse until the mixture is smooth. This should take roughly 15 to 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a mixer before adding your Monday Gin, your simple syrup, a squeeze of the lemon, and ice.
Stir until it’s cold and then strain the drink into a short glass with ice. Add some soda water and garnish with whatever you have left.
Finally the Grapefruit Gin Sour Mocktail contains half a pink or red grapefruit (juiced plus two strips of zest), 50ml (or just over 1.5 ounces) of Monday Gin (or any alcoholic free gin), half of a juiced lemon, two tablespoons of simple sugar syrup, one egg white, and a handful of ice.
First add all the ingredients to a shaker, excluding the ice, and shake well. Then add the ice and shake for 30 seconds more, or until the shaker’s sides feel cold. Strain the mixture into tumblers with ice (or into coupe glasses with no ice), and serve with a grapefruit twist on top.
Other Monday Non-Alcoholic Products
More into whiskey than gin? There’s also a Monday brand whiskey! This 0.5% spirit is rich in oaky, rich, caramel flavors, and is completely free of calories. It’s matured in white oak, lending it aromas of raisin, butterscotch, and burnt brown sugar. Its art deco label is similar to that of its gin counterpart.
What makes it so unique is the fact that, back when art deco was all the rage, prohibition was in place in the United States, so no alcohol with labels in this style (or any style) would have been legally obtainable.
Other Alcohol Free Gins
There’s a variety of other alcohol free gins to try. Lyre’s line of spirits are designed to look and taste just like the real thing.
Their line includes Pink London Spirit, American Malt, Dry London Spirit, Amaretti, Italian Spritz, Coffee Originale, White Cane Spirit, Italian Orange, Aptertif Rosso, Dark Cane, Spiced Cane, Orange Sec, and Absinthe.
Yes, alcohol free absinthe. For all you liquorice lovers out there! And… no one else.
If you’re looking for an alcoholic spirit besides traditional gin and traditional whiskey (Drink Monday’s offerings), you’ve got a world of choice with Lyre’s.
They’re actually now the Official Spirit of Dry January in the UK (the movement that encourages the public to avoid drinking alcohol for the entirety of January), since 2021.
Ceder’s is an award winning line of non-alcoholic botanical gins, made with classic botanicals as well as some more exotic Cederberg botanicals.
Included in the Ceder’s range is Ceder’s Classic (floral and fresh with notes of coriander, juniper, and rooibos), Ceder’s Crisp (refreshing and light with notes of cucumber, chamomile, and juniper), Ceder’s Wild (spicy and aromatic with notes of clove, juniper, and rooibos), and finally Ceder’s Pink Rose (sweet and soft with notes of rose, juniper, and hibiscus).
Conclusion: Monday Gin Review
If you’re new to spirit substitutes, Monday Gin is a great place to start. It tastes and smells remarkably similar to a real dry gin, more so than possibly any other imitation gin.
The only thing you might miss is the kick that the alcohol of regular gin provides. Monday Gin isn’t really trying to imitate that, so it won’t be present here, but if you’re a fan of the alcohol burn then non-alcoholic spirit substitutes are probably not for you.
Although, while it defeats the purpose entirely, Monday Gin is actually a good mixer with alcohol! It’ll add extra flavor without drowning out the rest of the cocktail.
Still, if you’re after a great tasting gin but with none of the hangover, Monday Gin is a safe bet, produced by a small and innovative company. You’ll find this spirit substitute on Drizly (where you’ll also find Drink Monday’s other spirit substitute, Monday Whiskey) and on Amazon.
