The ranking

Our top 12

Highest score first, from 240 tasted bottles. Tied scores list the more recent tasting first.

Compare holds up to four. Want to try keeps a bottle in My Bottles.

Ways to shop this list Pick by preference

The highest-scoring tasted bottle that meets each preference.

  1. 0.0% Guinness 0.0 91/100 0.0% ABV

    Roast, cocoa, and coffee, with the surge intact. Silky and a little shorter than Draught. A sweet edge shows up if you go looking for it.

  2. Naturally low alcohol Mash Gang Lesser Evil Chocolate Cherry Stout 88/100 <0.5% ABV

    A thoroughly enjoyable stout. The jammy cherry makes for a generous opening, and the creamy body and sustained cocoa finish give the beer its depth. I’d buy it again and happily drink it regularly. This is one I’d keep stocked in the fridge.

  3. Dry Good Time Brewing IPA 86/100 <0.5% ABV

    Pine, grapefruit, and pear, then a citrusy, resinous palate with only a light malt line. The hops hold. The frame stays light.

How these lists are chosen

What was evaluated

240 tasted drinks under $20 with a public score. Research records are not candidates.

Who qualifies

Ranked from 240 tasted nonalcoholic drinks under $20, by firsthand score. The top 12 are listed. Research-only products are excluded. A tied score lists the more recent tasting first. Only a sourced price under $20 qualifies. Missing prices are omitted. Updated November 2026.

What the score is rewarding

The same tasting standard as the rest of the cellar, limited to a sourced price under $20.

What tends to go wrong

A missing price treated as a bargain. Those bottles are left out.