Every month, we’re tasting a huge amount of beer, whiskey and other beverages — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. In some cases, we’re taste-testing the industry’s best new products, and in others, we’re coming across hidden gems in the wild. Our favorites from the last four weeks are gathered here, in the best things we drank this month.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Optimist Botanicals Cali Spritz
John ZientekLos Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals makes a non-alcoholic bitter amaro with a nod to the West Coast thanks to botanicals like pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, bay laurel, sage, gentian and dandelion root, among others. The brand also offers a bitter-sweet amaro spritz — a citrus, herbal blend bolstered with adaptogenic plants.
This 20-calorie sipper is light and refreshing and helps relieve stress with the addition of ashwagandha and schisandra. It’s not quite as sweet as crowd-favorite non-alcoholic apéritif Ghia, and unlike Ghia, it does have caffeine due to the inclusion of black tea and yerba mate. If you’re looking for a complex, bitter spritz that’s alcohol-free, this is definitely worth seeking out. — John Zientek, Managing Editor
10 Barrel Brewing Co. White Out
10 Barrel Brewing Co.As a lover of white Russians (thanks largely to my youthful exposure to The Big Lebowski), I jumped at the chance to try 10 Barrel’s canned cocktail version — which is actually made with coffee, rum, vodka and — most interestingly — oat milk instead of cream (making it suitable for the lactose intolerant, vegans, etc.).
With its 13.9 percent ABV, this canned cocktail is a heavy hitter. But that’s not what took me by surprise most. Rather, the fact that it’s carbonated — more like a nitro beer than, say, a soda — is what stood out to me most. It’s also quite thick, which is especially odd when paired with those nitro bubbles. While I enjoyed trying it, it’s definitely more suitable as a once-in-a-while treat than a regular sipper. — Sean Tirman, Associate Editor
