In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleOur Top PicksOur Nonalcoholic Canned Cocktail TestWe Also ConsideredOur Trusted Expertise
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Our Top Picks
Our Nonalcoholic Canned Cocktail Test
We Also Considered
Our Trusted Expertise
Photo:Courtesy of Brand
Courtesy of Brand
Nonalcoholic canned cocktails (also known as mocktails) are on the rise—and that’s excellent news for all. Whether you’re sober, sober curious or sober-ish, participating inDry Januaryor just want a fun beverage, canned mocktails suit any lifestyle. They’re perfect in social situations like a tailgate or backyard get-together but can also be incorporated into your weekly routine when you just want a drink with dinner.
With so many options on the market, from palomas to margaritas and mojitos, our editors decided to taste as many mocktails as we could to help you find the best cans available. We ruled out any mocktail that had more than 15 grams of added sugar per serving, to align withEatingWell’snutrition parametersfor added sugar in a cocktail. The result was a list of 73 products that were eagerly tested over a two-day period.
After sipping, ranking and debating, our editors settled on nine nonalcoholic cocktails that we loved. Here are the best canned mocktails, from a margarita-inspired beverage to a spritz that packs a punch. (Note: Some of the mocktails containadaptogens, which are a class of herbs that may impact your mood and stress level. It’s best to consult with your doctor before drinking a mocktail with adaptogens, as they may not be appropriate given your current health status.)
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Best Margarita: Peak Cocktails Passion Fruit Margarita
Buy on AmazonBuy on Peakcocktails.com
What we like:Passion fruit flavor comes through clearly.
What to know:The bright yellow color may be off-putting to some.
This mocktail does contain adaptogens and is marketed as a fitness recovery drink—although our testers could imagine drinking it at any time. We think it would be delicious served over ice to keep it cool. While most testers didn’t mind the design of the can, one found that the black color and the tiny print made it tough to read the ingredient list. Overall, we think you’ll enjoy sipping on this tart passion fruit margarita mocktail.
Nutrition info for Peak Cocktails Passion Fruit Margarita, per 8.4-ounce serving (1 can):
35 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g total sugar (0 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Mojito: Better Than Booze Mint Mojito with Lime
Buy on AmazonBuy on Drinkbetterthanbooze.com
What we like:It reminds us exactly of a mojito.
What to know:The smell of mint may be overpowering to some.
If you’re wanting the flavors of arum mojito—minus the rum, of course—then Better Than Booze’s Mint Mojito with Lime is the ideal choice. While the scent of mint is a little strong upon first whiff (and made one tester think of toothpaste), the flavor of the herb is just right. Our testers thought the combination of mint and lime was spot-on and enjoyed the tart-sweet flavor.
Although the added sugar is on the higher end of our recommended limit, the sweetness wasn’t too overpowering as in other mocktails we tasted. Our testers liked the beverage directly out of the can, but many thought it would be even better served over ice with fresh mint to help reinforce the mojito vibes.
Nutrition info for Better Than Booze Mint Mojito with Lime, per 12-ounce serving (1 can):
60 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 14 g total sugar (14 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Paloma: Recess Grapefruit “Paloma”
Buy on AmazonBuy on Takearecess.com
What we like:Perfect for drinking in a social situation.
What to know:The bitterness may be unpalatable for some.
If you ever find yourself in a social situation where others are drinking and you’re not, but you still want to feel included, we think having a can of the Recess Grapefruit “Paloma” in hand is just the ticket. The sleek can pops visually thanks to its pink and gold, a nod to the colors of a grapefruit. This nonalcoholic cocktail is “a bit like an elevated seltzer,” according to one tester who has enjoyed drinking it in social situations previously.
An alcoholic paloma typically contains tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda—and the citrus still shines in this mocktail version along with the carbonation. Fresh grapefruit flavor is prominent in this adaptogen-rich mocktail. It’s slightly bitter, but not too sweet, just what you want. While one tester wanted even more grapefruit flavor, the majority were pleased with it as is.
Nutrition info for Recess Grapefruit “Paloma,” per 12-ounce serving (1 can):
30 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 6 g total sugar (3 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Mule: Recess Ginger Lime “Mule”
Buy on AmazonBuy on TargetBuy on Takearecess.com
What we like:The bite of ginger is really nice.
What to know:It does contain caffeine, although it’s minimal.
Nutrition info for Recess Ginger Lime “Mule” per 12-ounce serving (1 can):
30 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 7 g total sugar (6 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Spritz: Ghia Sumac & Chili
Buy on AmazonBuy on Drinkghia.com
What we like:It has an astringent quality that others don’t.
What to know:The chili may be over-powering to some.
If heat isn’t your favorite, Ghia also has aginger spritzand alime-and-salt spritz, which our testers thought were delicious as well. The ginger provides a nice warmth to the beverage while the lime provides brightness to balance the bitterness found in both spritzes. Whichever option you choose from Ghia, we know you’ll love it.
Nutrition info for Ghia Sumac & Chili, per 8-ounce serving (1 can):
60 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 7 g total sugar (0 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Aperitif: De Soi Spritz Italiano
Buy on AmazonBuy on WalmartBuy on Drinkdesoi.com
What we like:It feels refreshing and light.
What to know:The scent may be off-putting for some.
Crack open a can of De Soi’s Spritz Italiano before your next dinner party and you’ll be glad you did. Aperitifs are meant to be served before dinner to stimulate your appetite, and our testers think this adaptogen-rich mocktail is an excellent choice to do just that. The light orange-pink color of the mocktail is appealing—plus, it’s a sparkling cocktail so it fizzes nicely in a glass.
One tester described the flavor as “slightly sweet and citrusy with a nice bitterness,” and others agreed. De Soi’s mocktail reminded one tester of prosecco or sparkling wine, which makes sense thanks to the white grape–grapefruit juice blend in it. This nonalcoholic cocktail was so refreshing it had one tester exclaiming, “I would buy that with my own money.”
Nutrition info for De Soi Spritz Italiano, per 5-ounce serving (1.5 servings per 1 can):
40 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 8 g total sugar (0 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Negroni: St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni
Buy on Stagrestis.com
What we like:The color is a great match for an alcoholic negroni.
What to know:Some people may find it a little sweet.
As bright red and bold as its alcoholic counterpart, the St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni is an excellent remake of aclassic Negroni. Aside from its vibrant hue, the flavor is on par, too. While there is no campari, gin or vermouth, our testers were still reminded of those flavors when they drank the mocktail. It was a little sweet for some of our testers, but the bitterness helped balance it. One tester raved about the mocktail: “I would be happy drinking this on the rocks with an orange wedge.”
In addition to its classic version, St. Agrestis also makes a Phony Mezcal Negroni, which some of our testers enjoyed as well. The truly mezcal-like smokiness played well with the bitterness of the drink. It left one tester saying the drink felt “like a fancy bar cocktail.”
Nutrition info for St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni, per 3.4-ounce serving (2 servings per 1 can):
44 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 11 g total sugar (11 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Old Fashioned: Spiritless Old Fashioned
Buy on AmazonBuy on Spiritless.com
What we like:It reminded us exactly of an old-fashioned.
What to know:The color is much darker than you might expect.
If you want a mocktail that is a dead ringer of its inspiration cocktail, then look no further than the Spiritless Old Fashioned. Made with their nonalcoholic bourbon, this drink surprised our testers with how close of a match it was to anold-fashioned. Not only did it smell boozy, but it also tasted that way, too, with the smoky, slightly sweet oak flavors that you expect in a bourbon.
Nutrition info for Spiritless Old Fashioned, per 8-ounce serving (1 can):
45 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 10 g total sugar (10 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Best Miscellaneous: For Bitter For Worse Rose City Fizz
Buy on AmazonBuy on Forbitterforworse.com
What we like:The dark red shade is appealing.
For Bitter For Worse’s Rose City Fizz was the clear winner in this miscellaneous category where our testers tried a variety of products. (Note: These mocktails were not compared to each other since there was a wide variety of flavors, so we selected our favorite ones, or in this case one, to highlight.) This mocktail immediately caught the eye of our testers, thanks to its gorgeous dark red hue. Cherries are clear from the first whiff—although some of our testers didn’t love that—and come through in the flavor profile. It’s a little bitter with a hint of peppery flavor that melds together beautifully.
This mocktail isn’t marketed as a specific cocktail replica, and we like that it stands out as its own beverage. It’s a slightly fizzy drink that tastes so delicious, one tester said, “It would feel special having this mocktail at a party … would buy!”
Nutrition info for For Bitter For Worse Rose City Fizz, per 6.7-ounce serving (1 can):
35 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 8 g total sugar (0 g added sugar), 0 g protein
Alex Loh
We looked at almost 30 brands offering nonalcoholic canned cocktails. To narrow the field, we researched and read the labels of 90 products and eliminated any that had more than 15 grams of added sugar per serving to align withEatingWell’snutrition parametersfor added sugar in a cocktail.
A tasting was set up with the products grouped based on type of cocktail; e.g., all the margarita-inspired mocktails were tasted together. We had one miscellaneous category that encompassed any one-off products that we discovered during our research. For example, the miscellaneous category included an espresso martini, a Painkiller-inspired drink and a blackberry-hibiscus Bellini.
We had six testers, including registered dietitians and food editors. Each tester went into the tasting with an intention that reflected their personal drinking habits. One tester, who rarely drinks, wasn’t looking for a mocktail that necessarily duplicated its alcoholic counterpart well but wanted something in a nicely designed can that tasted good. Other testers, who do drink on a regular basis, wanted a mocktail that did remind them of the inspiration cocktail and had a nice depth of flavor. Meanwhile, other testers, who are looking to scale back on their alcohol consumption or choose mocktails as often as they do cocktails, wanted a drink that felt special and that they’d want to consume during a social situation. Our testers ranked products to determine their favorites, taking note of the appearance, scent and taste.
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Alex Lohis the associate food editor atEatingWelland has more than four years of experience with the brand. She has taste-tested hundreds of products, from canned tuna to salsa. For this article, she consulted with a registered dietitian and nutrition editor atEatingWell,Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, for her insights about nutrition. The testers included food editors and registered dietitians.
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