Last revised 1 October 2026. See how we revise this guide at the end of the page.

Plenty of evenings call for something in your hand that isn't a beer or a glass of wine. Maybe you're cutting back, maybe you're the designated driver, or maybe you just want a slow, quiet hour at home. This list rounds up ten alcohol-free drinks people reach for when the day is done, from a warm mug of tea to a chilled kava tonic.

One plain note before the list. This is a drinks guide, not a health guide. None of these drinks treat, cure or prevent anything, and if you have a health condition or take medication, check with your doctor before trying something new.

Table of Contents

• The Quick List
• Warm Teas
• Cozy Mugs
• Cold and Fizzy
• Kava Drinks
• Where GÜD Tonics Fits
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How We Revise This Guide

The Quick List

• Warm teas: chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint.
• Cozy mugs: golden milk, mushroom cocoa.
• Cold and fizzy: a tart cherry spritz, sparkling water with citrus, an iced herbal spritz.
• Kava drinks: traditional brewed kava, and ready-to-drink kava tonics like ours.
• The simplest one: warm water with lemon.
• Kava drinks are for adults only, and every GÜD Tonics bottle also contains kratom, so ours are strictly 21 and over.

Warm Teas

Tea is the easiest place to start. It's cheap, it's in almost every kitchen, and most herbal teas are caffeine-free.

1. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile has a soft, slightly sweet, apple-like flavor and a long history as an evening drink in Europe. Steep a bag or a spoonful of dried flowers for about five minutes, and add a little honey if you like.

2. Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm is a member of the mint family with a bright, lemony smell. It's been brewed as a tea in European kitchens for hundreds of years. It's lighter than chamomile and just as good iced as hot.

3. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint is caffeine-free with a cool, crisp flavor. It's a nice pick after dinner, and it's easy to find almost anywhere tea is sold.

Cozy Mugs

When tea feels too light, these richer drinks feel more like a treat.

4. Golden Milk

Golden milk is warm milk (or a plant milk) stirred with turmeric, cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper. It comes from Indian home cooking, it's caffeine-free, and it has a warm, earthy, gently spiced taste.

5. Mushroom Cocoa

Mushroom cocoa blends cocoa with powdered mushrooms like reishi. The mushroom adds a woodsy, slightly bitter note that cocoa balances out. Check the label for caffeine, since some blends add coffee or extra cacao.

Cold and Fizzy

For warm evenings or get-togethers, a cold glass with some fizz feels more like a cocktail.

6. Tart Cherry Spritz

Tart cherry juice is sharp and a little sweet. Mix a splash with sparkling water and plenty of ice, and you've got a deep red mocktail that looks great in a wine glass.

7. Sparkling Water With Citrus

Never underestimate a tall glass of sparkling water with lime, lemon or grapefruit. Add a few mint leaves or a slice of cucumber and it feels like something you ordered at a bar.

8. Iced Herbal Spritz

Brew a strong pot of any herbal tea from the list above, let it cool, then top it with sparkling water over ice. Peppermint and lemon balm both work especially well.

Kava Drinks

Kava is a plant from the South Pacific. Its root has been prepared as a shared drink for centuries, especially at gatherings in places like Fiji and Vanuatu, and today kava bars and bottled kava drinks have brought it to the U.S.

Kava comes with a safety note worth taking seriously. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some of them serious. Never drink kava with alcohol, and talk to your doctor first if you have a liver condition or take medication.

9. Traditional Brewed Kava

Traditional kava is made by mixing ground kava root with water and straining it. It has an earthy, peppery taste that takes some getting used to. If you'd like to make your own at home, our Raw Kava Extract Powder is a concentrated kava extract you can mix into water or juice.

10. Ready-to-Drink Kava Tonics

Bottled kava tonics take the work out of it. They're flavored, ready to pour and easy to bring to a dinner or a backyard get-together. Read the label before you buy, because some, including ours, also contain kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). That makes them adults-only.

Where GÜD Tonics Fits

GÜD Tonics makes three ready-to-drink kava tonics. Each one is made with noble kava root extract and Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), lightly sweetened with stevia, and the label on every bottle lists two servings.

• Baja Bliss is guava.
• Pink Sunset is cherry, strawberry and lime.
• TropiColada is pineapple and coconut.

Not sure which to try first? The Bundle has one of each, and our flavor guide walks through how each one tastes. Every lot has its lab report posted on our Lab Results page.

Our tonics are for adults 21 and over only. They're not for anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and they should never be mixed with alcohol or paired with driving. Each product page lists the states and counties we don't ship to.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I drink instead of alcohol in the evening?

Anything on this list works. Warm teas and golden milk suit a quiet night in, while a tart cherry spritz or a kava tonic feels more like a drink at a party. It mostly comes down to whether you want something warm, cold or fizzy.

Is kava safe to drink?

Kava has a long history as a social drink, but it isn't risk-free. Health authorities have linked kava products to rare cases of liver injury. Don't mix it with alcohol, and check with your doctor first if you have a liver condition, take medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Do GÜD Tonics contain kratom?

Yes. All three ready-to-drink GÜD Tonics contain Mitragyna speciosa, which is kratom, alongside noble kava root extract. That's why they're for adults 21 and over only. Our Raw Kava Extract Powder is sold separately.

Which of these drinks are caffeine-free?

Chamomile, lemon balm and peppermint teas, golden milk, tart cherry spritzes, sparkling water and warm water with lemon are all naturally caffeine-free. Mushroom cocoa can contain caffeine depending on the blend, so check the label.

How We Revise This Guide

We revise our guides a little at a time as we learn more, rather than publishing once and leaving them alone. That's why every guide carries the date it was last revised. If you spot something that's wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.

Revision history

• 1 October 2026: Rewrote the whole guide and gave it a new title and web address. The earlier version described these drinks in health terms we can't stand behind. This version describes what each drink is, how it tastes and how people serve it. We also corrected Baja Bliss to guava, removed a product that's no longer sold, and replaced a citation that pointed to the wrong source.