The desire for the Aperol Spritz does not and does not want to decrease. After all, it doesn’t just taste like Dolce Vita in summer. Fancy a change? An expert presents her three favorite non-alcoholic aperitifs.

Aperitifs are traditionally drunk before a meal and mixed with sparkling wine or tonic to aid digestion and whet the appetite before eating. The hardest part about making a really good alcohol-free alternative to a drink like Aperol is making sure it’s dry and not too sweet. And that it has an intense flavor that doesn’t go away when you put it in a blender. Here are a few of my favorite appetizers that are pleasantly bittersweet, 100 percent natural, and sugar-free.

Tip 1: Wilfred’s Orange and RosemaryWilfred’s Orange and Rosemary Aperitif comes from the UK and uses authentic British flavors such as rosemary, bitter orange and rhubarb. We loved Wilfred’s from the word go because it’s made on site, it’s made from 100 percent natural ingredients, it’s sugar-free and low in calories, and most importantly, it has a great aroma and a pleasantly bitter herbal taste. Perfect in a spritz as a replacement for Aperol.

Tip 2: Vincent Non-Alcoholic Produced by the Schladerer Distillery in the Black Forest, the Vincent Non-Alcoholic is a non-alcoholic version of the best-selling Schladerer Berry Aperitif and I think it’s even better than the original. The masterfully distilled herbs harmonize perfectly with the raspberries and blueberries. The result is a dry, tart, bittersweet drink with nice berry notes. I love that you can easily drink it neat on ice.Tip 3: Volée Mediterranean AperitifThe French-inspired, German-made Volée Mediterranean Aperitif takes you to the south of France with every sip. Made with fragrant peaches, juicy grapefruit and verju grapes, it has a refreshingly bittersweet flavor that’s delicious and mature. Also unique is the fact that it’s enriched with the natural aphrodisiac damiana, which gives you a flirty, alcohol-free feeling of happiness.

How to drink themAperitifs are the most versatile group of drinks. You can mix them into cocktails, use them as a base for a punch, drink them before or after meals, and serve them at dinner parties or in the park. They’re also perfect for those trying soft drinks for the first time. They taste best with non-alcoholic sparkling wine like Eins-Zwei-Zero Riesling or Tonic, or any sparkling wine of your choice for a low-alcohol drink in the summer heat.

All the drinks presented in the “Zero Alcohol” series have been selected and tasted by the editors. They are only recommended if they meet our quality standards.

This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.