Method How it’s made

Reverse osmosis

Pressure drives the liquid through membranes that separate water and ethanol from a flavor concentrate, then the parts are reassembled without (most of) the alcohol.

1 min read
Inside the process
  1. Fermented drink
  2. Membrane separation
  3. Reassembled drink

Conceptual illustration. Exact systems vary by producer.

How it works

Reverse osmosis is a membrane story. This page is the cellar index. The class it sits inside, and the other machines, are in How is alcohol removed from wine?. The beer or wine is pushed against filters that pass small molecules — water, ethanol — and hold back a thicker flavor fraction. The permeate is dealt with (often distilled) so the ethanol can be discarded or reused; the flavor fraction is put back together with de-alcoholized liquid.

It is genuine alcohol removal. It is also easy to underspecify. “Filtered” on a can might mean RO, cold sterile filtration, or a finishing step that has nothing to do with ethanol. We will not upgrade a vague filter claim to reverse osmosis.

Cite Karl Hill, “Reverse osmosis,” The Dry Standard, https://drinkdrystandard.com/methods/reverse-osmosis/.

From the cellar

In the cellar with this method

11 bottles

The scores belong to the bottles in this cellar.

By grape or style

Sparkling rosé 3

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

83/100

Wine · Sparkling rosé · <0.5% ABV · Under $20

A toast, oysters, or the bottle you open when the table is mixed.

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Sparkling rosé · 0.5% ABV · $30+

Canada · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Sparkling rosé · <0.5% ABV

Italy · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Sparkling 2

80/100

Wine · Sparkling · <0.5% ABV · Under $20

Bottom-shelf nonalcoholic spritzes — the cheapest credible pour in the…

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Sparkling · <0.5% ABV

Italy · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Cabernet Sauvignon 2

78/100

Wine · Cabernet Sauvignon · <0.5% ABV · Under $20

A light Cabernet when a little chocolate on the finish is the interest.

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Cabernet Sauvignon · <0.5% ABV · $20–$29

United States · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Other bottles

79/100

Wine · Chardonnay · <0.5% ABV · Under $20

The Chardonnay drinker who wants a zero-proof version from a producer…

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Syrah · <0.5% ABV · $30+

Canada · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Merlot · <0.5% ABV · $30+

Canada · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis

Research recordCataloged, not yet poured

Wine · Riesling · <0.5% ABV · $20–$29

United States · Documented

Dealcoholized Reverse osmosis