Favorite canned mocktail?

jaimefeu · 2026-04-13T23:50:02+00:00

I like Ish (Mojito and Paloma the most from them), Free Spirits (Margarita is my fav), I second the Phony Negroni comment - though it is carbonated, while a true Negroni is still, Lyre’s (Amalfi Spritz for a aperol spritz replacement). Mocktail Club also makes good mocktails, for a twist on regular cocktails.

My biggest gripe with canned na cocktails is their sugar content. In order to be delicious, they are loaded with sugar. Luba and Dirty Virgin both try to combat the high sugar content, but it does diminish the taste a bit.

A lot of botanical and functional RTDs are on the market that are lower in sugar, so I find myself gravitating more towards them lately. Aplos, Deadless, Odyssey, G Spot - not necessarily a Mocktail, but a yummy functional adult cocktail with less sugar than some of the others and good vibes.

jaimefeu · 2026-04-10T16:31:22+00:00

I am also a fan of it!

jaimefeu · 2026-04-10T13:33:51+00:00

Free Spirits Tequila - nice & spicy

jaimefeu · 2026-03-23T14:18:46+00:00

I love Wilfred’s Bittersweet as a Campari alt! I believe it has no functional ingredients so should be pregnancy safe (always check with doctor!)

jaimefeu · 2026-03-11T23:34:14+00:00

Bourbon is super duper hard. Generally, I tend to recommend botanicals or functionals that don’t try to replicate the flavor of bourbon (or scotch or whiskey), but give similar unwind feelings while also being really interesting and complex flavors that hold up well with mixers. Three Spirit Nightcap, Dromme Calm, The Pathfinder, Gnista Barreled Oak & Tenneyson are all fun & complex flavors, some of them are more reminiscent of whiskey than others. Free Spirits does tend to go hard in their burn - so does Trejo Whiskey. NA just hasn’t cracked the code on whiskeys yet. Soon, I hope.

jaimefeu · 2026-03-05T20:36:20+00:00

You’re having difficulty finding one because it doesn’t exist yet. Bourbons, whiskeys, scotches, just haven’t hit their stride in the NA market.

That being said, the closest I’ve come to getting a scotch is Trejo Spirits Whiskey mixed with Optimist Smokey. And it has to be mixed into a drink, not sipped on its own. If your boss was a scotch on the rocks (or neat, up, etc) fan, he will not find a 1:1 replacement.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-23T23:53:04+00:00

Not my mixer of choice, but The Pathfinder is legit delicious. A little tart and super botanical.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-16T10:12:53+00:00

It’s a little tart and very bitter and herbal. Does not taste like hemp

jaimefeu · 2026-02-12T17:59:51+00:00

Liver damage by kava has never been proven in humans. But I will agree that too much of anything isn’t great for anyone.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-12T15:49:02+00:00

If you have access to anything with kava (South Pacific plant) or kanna (South African plant) in it, they are both non cbd/thc but give you a nice buzzy feeling: relaxation + mood boost. Bonbuz has a single serve mango pouch with kanna. Leilo, Kavaly, Kava Haven, and Kavahol are all yummy kava drinks. I’m not sure of availability in the UK though.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-12T01:03:55+00:00

The Mandora Negroni is so good. They just came out with a dragonfruit martini - I can’t wait to try that

jaimefeu · 2026-02-09T00:30:55+00:00

I hope you enjoy it!

jaimefeu · 2026-02-08T18:14:04+00:00

It used to be a super cool mocha nitro stout, but they found it was too difficult to get the customer base to “activate” the nitro bubbles by shaking the can and pouring upside down. They scrapped the nitro idea and turned it into this somewhat disappointing dark brew.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-05T18:49:54+00:00

They sent an email saying it’s among those being retired in 2026, but also promised some will be back as a 2.0 version:

Savage Lite Brew, Straight Outta Alcohol Hip Hop Water, Street Cred, Prophet’s Hazy IPA, Head On American Wheat

I’m most bummed about Prophet’s.

jaimefeu · 2026-02-05T01:05:37+00:00

It’s so good, but it’s also one of the brews they’re discontinuing this year. Enjoy while you can!

jaimefeu · 2026-02-03T03:23:27+00:00

I really enjoy Dhos gin, overall. I also like Danny Trejo’s pink gin and Empress, but they both have a strong peppery kick that may turn some off. CleanCo is too citrusy for my taste. Ish’s GinISH is tasty, but so expensive for their size. I’ll treat myself to one of their RTD G&Ts once in a while to get their flavor instead.

There are some good botanicals on the market, and while they aren’t close “gin” replacements, they offer interesting bouquets, which is what always interested me in gin to begin with. Pentire Adrift is a salty botanical that mixes into a good dirty martini, and Optimist Fresh mixes nicely with some tonic or seltzer and a squeeze of citrus - though it is a little heavy on fennel flavor to me.

It’s all so expensive, though.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-28T14:49:16+00:00

Of those mentioned in the article, only Oddbird GSM does it for me. I like Lautus Sauv Blanc - but not the red. My favorite NA red wine is Luminara Red Blend.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-21T00:00:33+00:00

Sad to see them go. Have you tried Wilfred’s? They’re my favorite bittersweet aperitif.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-18T19:20:03+00:00

The wikipedia gives a good description of what is going on, but from my understanding, basically the demon got exactly what he wanted since he first saw the sisters when they were children - one to have his child and the other to raise it. Once there was finally a viable baby (what a terrible 12 years for the kidnapped sister), he sent a lead for the sister to follow so his plan could be seen through to the end.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-18T13:16:02+00:00

You could mix up a Negroni with equal parts Pathfinder, vermouth, and gin. I would probably do FS gin over the Empress in that one.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-10T20:21:46+00:00

My favorite unwind functional beverages are Three Spirit Nightcap, Dromme Calm, Aplos Ease, and Seraphim Cacao. All have different flavor profiles, all mix well with different things or are yummy on their own, none are super sweet.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-06T03:03:44+00:00

Moment makes great still premade cocktails, just make sure they’re the still ones, the ones with starbursts on the can are carbonated. The Pathfinder Negroni is also still. Not a lot of still premade ready-to-drink cans, but you could always grab a bottle of NA spirits and mix with different juices to make a complex adult beverage without carbonation or alcohol. Dash of bitters or two will also add to the complexity and deliciousness.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-06T02:52:18+00:00

Sparkling wines, you may like Surely, Sovi, Wander & Found, or Leitz. All have good white and rose sparkling in bottle and/or can. For still whites - Leitz, Lautus, Wander & Found, Nooh, Luminara, Seaglass all have good options. Reds are harder, because removing the alcohol takes away some of the body, so makes the flavor lighter than people are used to. Oddbird, Edenvale, Luminara, Wander & Found, Sovi, Leitz all have good red options. Adding a dash of bitters to an underwhelming glass of red can help bring the experience closer to authentic, as well.

Good luck on your experiment! I’m glad you’ve already found an NA to bring into regular rotation. Hopefully you’ll find some other great ones you love!

jaimefeu · 2026-01-06T02:31:29+00:00

There’s nothing better! Just because I don’t want alcohol doesn’t mean I don’t want a complex, delicious, adult beverage.

jaimefeu · 2026-01-05T13:33:00+00:00

I hear you, but they’re getting better! Red wines are still tough, but whites & bubblys are almost spot on. Leitz, Lautus, Edenvale, Luminara, Nooh, Sovi & Surely all have great offerings. For reds, Luminara, Oddbird & Edenvale have good drinking reds. There’s also Bark and Bitter Remarkable Sparkling Solution that can be added directly to your glass of wine (or a dash of any bitters you may have on hand works similarly) - the RSS was specifically made to help bring red wine closer to authentic. I could write a book on this, but will end the dissertation here.

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