2025 is just a few days away, and we can’t wait for our New Year’s Eve bash. The promise of a great party, followed by a chance to reset and start fresh in the new year, is always exhilarating.
If you’re trying to avoid alcohol this NYE, don’t let the typical boozy hype around NYE make you apprehensive. Sure, New Year’s Eve is almost synonymous with champagne, but there are plenty of reasons to seek an alternative.
Why Try a Champagne Alternative for New Year’s?
In addition to wanting to stay sober for New Year’s Eve, you may be hosting a family-friendly party, or you may just want to try something unique or budget-friendly.
No matter the reason, there are plenty of phenomenal, festive, and sophisticated champagne alternatives—beyond just non-alcoholic champagne—to ring in the new year without alcohol.
We crowned 11 winning non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve drink types across five categories that are guaranteed to keep your celebrations sparkling:
For many of the drink types, we’ve suggested a few brands. None are sponsored—most are just house favorites and come highly recommended by everyone who has tried them.
Best Buzz without the Booze: Sparkling Kratom Teas
Looking for an uplifting and calming buzz without the alcohol, drunkenness, or hangover? Make your own sparkling non-alcoholic cocktail with kratom tea bags for a truly unique New Years drink.
1. Euphoric Sparkling Kratom Tea Recipe
Mildly energizing — relaxing — sophisticated flavor
You can make this 21+ tea seltzer easily at home. Simply brew and chill kratom tea (either a plain variety or a flavored one), then top it with sparkling tea, ginger beer, or another sparkling drink in champagne flutes or other festive glasses.
Relaxing Sparkling Kratom Tea Recipe
2. Vanilla Orange Kratom Seltzer Recipe
Bright flavor — mildly energizing — uplifting — bright flavor
If you want to go all out with freshly squeezed orange and warm vanilla for a simultaneously bright and cozy NYE celebration, give this DIY seltzer recipe a shot.
You’ll get a nice lift from the tea, and as a bonus, you’ll get a little boost of vitamin C to help you stay healthy after all the holiday socializing.
Uplifting Orange Vanilla Tea Seltzer Recipe
Note: Some people find kratom tea to be a bit energizing. The effects aren’t as jittery or as long-lasting as coffee, so it’s a great pick if you want a pick-me-up to help you stay up for a late-night party, but if you’re looking for something that’s more sleep-friendly, scroll down to check out our kava-infused soda suggestions.
Best Budget-Friendly Champagne Alternatives: Sparkling Tea & Seltzer
3. Decaf Sparkling Tea
Sophisticated — easy — wide range of flavors
For anyone on a budget or who simply doesn’t like the flavor of alcohol, sparkling tea is a great choice. Sparkling tea tends to have a slightly more bitter, sharp flavor than your average seltzer. It’s more sophisticated, without being overly expensive.
Make sure to choose a decaf option if you’re sensitive to caffeine and you’ll be headed to bed soon after your New Year’s Eve toast.
4. Flavored Seltzer
Cheapest option — family-friendly — caffeine-free
Flavored seltzers are a crisp, no-fuss option. They’re a fraction of the price of most champagne alternatives, even if you splurge on a higher-end brand with unique flavors.
Most Accurate Champagne Flavor: Non-Alcoholic Champagne & Other Sparkling Wines
If you’re looking for classic champagne flavor and bubbles, these are easy choices. None will taste exactly like champagne, but they might just give it a run for its money.
Note that many won’t actually say “champagne” on the label, because the term is reserved exclusively for sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France.
5. Non-Alcoholic Champagne & Other NA Sparkling Wines
Spot-on flavors — no buzz or hangover — more expensive
If you’re after an authentic champagne taste, non-alcoholic champagne or “seccos” deliver. These drinks have the light, dry profile and delicate carbonation that champagne is known for. With many of the brands listed below, it’s hard to believe there’s no alcohol involved.
Here are a few alcohol-free champagne brand recommendations:
- Lyre’s Classico Grande: premium, sophisticated
- Freixenet Alcohol-Removed Champagne: can be purchased in bulk, not overly sweet
- Grüvi Non-Alcoholic Dry Secco: individual servings, dry
And here are a few other canned and bottled sparkling wine options you can try:
- Lyre’s Classico cans: easy individual servings, less expensive than Classico Grande
- Grüvi Non-Alcoholic Bubbly Rosé: crisp, fruity, individual servings
Non-alcoholic sparkling wines can offer the same crisp fruity notes with a dry finishes that mimic the essence of champagne. They’re perfect for sipping in a flute glass at midnight without compromising on flavor or presentation.
Best Low-Effort Champagne Alternatives with Effects: Canned Kava, Kratom, or THC Sodas
If you love the idea of a non-alcoholic champagne alternative that still provides a bit of a euphoric buzz, but you don’t have much time for prep before your NYE party, then kava-infused sodas, premade kava drinks, and canned THC drinks might be the perfect fit for you.
6. Kava-Infused Soda
Caffeine-free — relaxing — versatile — inexpensive
This option is the most versatile, because you’ll be able to tailor it to peoples’ individual preferences. Get a range of different sodas and sparkling drinks (try cream soda, ginger ale, or sprite for more of a champagne look) and a jar of kava extract. Partygoers can easily add a serving of kava extract to their sparkling drink, or they can choose to have just the plain soda.
7. Canned Kava Drinks
Euphoric — no prep — contains caffeine — more expensive
If you don’t mind paying a bit more to reduce the prep time to zero, you can try canned drinks containing kava and other botanicals.
New Brew is a drink containing kava extract, kratom extract, and green tea extract. It’s a great hassle-free drink to bring along to a party. The small amounts of each psychoactive plant provide a nice buzz that holds its own against alcohol. Note that New Brew seltzers contain mitragynine and caffeine from the green tea extract—if you’re sensitive to either, you might want to choose a different option for a midnight toast so you aren’t kept up until dawn.
8. Cannabis-Infused Canned Drinks
No prep — more expensive — relaxing
These fizzy delights come in a variety of dosages, flavors, and vibes to match your party’s energy. Brands like Cann offer low-dosed, moderately-dosed and higher-dosed drinks with 1-5 mg of THC and 4-15 mg of CBD. So even if you’re sensitive to THC, you can still have a drink in hand all night without overdoing it.
Best Family-Friendly Options: Sparkling Juice and Decaf Soda
9. Sparkling Fruit Juice
Easy — budget-friendly — sweet
If you want something vibrant and universally appealing, sparkling fruit juice is a festive touch that everyone—kids and adults alike—will enjoy. White grape juice is a classic pick for New Years, but you can also experiment with options like sparkling pomegranate, blood orange, or mixed berry juices.
Here are a few tasty sparkling juice brands, including two that are commonly found at supermarkets:
- Château de Fleur sparkling white grape juice: inexpensive, festive, not too sweet or too bitter
- Welch’s Sparkling White Grape Juice Cocktail: easy to find, very inexpensive, fairly sweet
- Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice: easy to find, inexpensive, very sweet
10. Caffeine-Free Soda
Easy — budget-friendly — sweet
You can achieve aesthetic of champagne without breaking the bank or having to split up the adult- and kid-friendly options by just using soda. Choose cream soda, ginger ale, or a lemon-lime soda for an off-white or clear sparkling drink that resembles champagne.
What Champagne Alternative Is Best if I’m Staying Sober?
If it’s best for you to avoid any drinks with psychoactive effects or drinks that taste very similar to alcohol, we recommend you don’t choose the options on the list containing kratom, kava, cannabis, or non-alcoholic champagne and wine.
There are still many other drinks on the list that will add festivity and fun flavor to your New Year’s Eve party, from specialty sodas to unique flavored seltzers.
If you do end up trying kratom or kava, remember that they’re both best consumed in moderation, just like alcoholic drinks are. Be extremely cautious when combining two or more plants in the same drink or evening, even if you have experience with each plant separately. Speak with a physician first to discuss any questions you have about these plants; this is especially important if you have any health conditions or are taking any medications.
Related: What is Kratom Good For? 18 Reasons to Try It and 1 Reason Not To
Final Tips & Tricks for a Festive Alcohol Free New Year’s Eve
Your New Year’s Eve party can still be exciting and festive without any alcohol. Here are our favorite tips for making your alcohol-free New Year’s drinks (and the party as a whole) exceptional:
- Dress Up Your Drinks: Presentation makes a difference! Serve your champagne alternative of choice in champagne flutes or fun glasses to elevate the experience and keep the celebration feeling special.
- Create a DIY Alcohol-Free Cocktail Bar: If you’re hosting a dry New Year’s Eve party, you can keep things interesting with a customizable cocktail bar. Partygoers won’t miss the booze when there are exciting new mixes to try. Set out a selection of juices and decaf teas, sparkling water, flavored syrups, and garnishes like sliced fruit and herbs, then sit back and let guests get creative.
- Plan for Midnight: Some of the drinks above contain tea that should be brewed and chilled in advance. Get these steps out of the way earlier in the day so you have your sparkling drinks ready to toast when the clock strikes 12.
- Focus on Fun: Remember, the drinks are only part of the party equation. Party additions like games, music, and activities can help your alcohol-free New Year’s Eve be just as lively and memorable as a boozy one.
- Don’t Drink and Drive: Some plants have psychoactive properties that can hinder your ability to drive safely. Additionally, driving while tired can be dangerous. Even if you’re avoiding alcohol at NYE, you should plan ahead so you have a sober driver to get you home at the end of the night.
Remember that what you fill your glass with at midnight isn’t nearly as important as the context you’re drinking in. Spending New Year’s Eve surrounded by the people (or furry companions) that you love, in a place that you love, is what counts.
Cheers to 2025, everyone!
