Drink of the Week: The Pathfinder Non-Alcoholic Spirit

There’s been a tidal wave of zero-proof spirits on the market over the past couple years. An alcohol-free version of nearly any standard base spirit is now available to step in for its boozy brethren. But the offerings I find most intriguing (and unspoiled by expectations for how they should taste) are those that fall squarely into the “other” category. The Pathfinder non-alcoholic spirit, with its cheeky, Dickensian branding, is one such example.

Distilled from a base of fermented hemp, The Pathfinder is blended with a bill of familiar botanicals. With ingredients like wormwood, juniper, ginger and angelica roots, and Douglas fir, it’s basically comparable to what you’d find in a gin lineup. But the Pathfinder non-alcoholic spirit drinks more like an amaro—bracing and bittersweet. The Seattle-born (non)spirit pours the color of cola. A hit of bright and bitter citrus punctuates its earthy, herbaceous flavors. Like an amaro, it works well with a squeeze of lemon and some seltzer for a refreshing NA spritz. Or use it to add some admirable complexity (and a lower ABV) to classic cocktails. $39.99, drinkpathfinder.com