Partner Content: Drinks with Benefits
The rise of non-alcoholic and functional beverages is undeniable. With over 1,500 products and counting, the category has evolved from a niche movement into a booming industry.
But scale brings a new set of challenges. As the category grows, so does the need for trust, curation, and clear standards. In a space where nearly everything is new, how does anyone know what’s actually good?
Enter: the Zero Proof Choice Awards.
Recognition is More Important than Ever
Every emerging category eventually hits a tipping point: a moment when quantity outpaces clarity. In non-alc, that moment is now. From non-alc spirits, wines, and beers to functional mocktails, the average consumer is faced with countless choices.
For those in the industry, the abundance is exciting. For consumers, it can be overwhelming.
That’s where awards come in.
Curation through recognition programs helps consumers navigate the noise. They help buyers discover quality, and they help elevate brands doing truly excellent work. At their best, awards create trust. Not just in a single product, but in a category as a whole.
Why Dedicated Awards?
Too often, non-alc is treated as an afterthought in broader alcohol competitions. Tacked-on categories, limited judging panels, and side-stage mentions aren’t enough to make a meaningful impact.
Dedicated awards come with structure. They allow the category to be judged on its own terms, with its own standards of excellence. And they reinforce that non-alc isn’t a novelty. It’s a serious, fast-evolving space that demands serious recognition. That’s the driving philosophy behind the Zero Proof Choice Awards.
Behind the Zero Proof Choice Awards
The inaugural Zero Proof Choice Awards will take place this September in New York City. The event is more than a trophy ceremony. It’s an invitation to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and credibility of alcohol alternatives.
Masters of Ceremony are Sam Bail from Third Place Bar and Laura Silverman from Zero Proof Nation. Judges include industry experts such as: Derek Brown, Alex Highsmith, Vibe Cabrera, Estelle Bossy, Rich Buchanan, and David Morrow. Together, they bring credibility, vision, and heart to an event designed to uplift the entire category.
The awards will be announced at the Drinks with Benefits Festival, New York City’s first large-scale non-alc tasting and immersive experience. Upstairs, a sold-out gallery will showcase over 40 brands. Downstairs, immersive experiences will include food pairings, live music, and interactive meditation.
How Does Judging Work?
Entries will be blind-tasted by category, using a standardized 1–10 scoring system. Every judging panel includes three industry professionals drawn from across the non-alc world: bartenders, reviewers, and category specialists. The judging process is transparent and tightly controlled. No bottles or branding will be visible during evaluation.
Awards will be merit-based. That means no participation trophies—only the highest-scoring entries will receive medals:
- Double Gold: Unanimous panel decision
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
Top scorers will also be featured on the Bottle Raiders site and newsletter, with digital medals available for use on web and promotional assets. Licensing options will be available for broader use.
How to Enter
Submissions are open now. All commercially-produced non-alcoholic products under 0.5% ABV are eligible to enter, regardless of country of origin.
- Entry Deadline: July 31, 2025
- Product Delivery Deadline: July 31, 2025
- Payment Deadline: August 8, 2025
Shipping address, entry fees, and full guidelines are available on the award’s website.
The Zero Proof Choice Awards arrive at a pivotal moment for the non-alc category, offering more than recognition. They give consumers confidence. They honor the work of founders. And they help set a new bar for what non-alc can be.
