Since our thirsty food & drink editor’s cup runneth over, here’s a space for her to spill the tea on all of the greatest, tastiest, and trendiest sips. There's really only one thing you'll find here ... NO BAD DRINKS!
My Current Drink Crush: AVEC Premium Carbonated Mixers
Why This Drink Matters: If you're anything like me, you're constantly on the prowl for tasty, carbonated cocktail mixers without all the sugar and calories. Enter: AVEC, a line of premium carbonated mixers co-founded by Black female entrepreneur and NYC native Dee Charlemagne (who is already shaking up the beverage industry) and UK native Alex Doman. These drinks matter because they combine the real, fresh ingredients that you crave in a cocktail (or mocktail) without being sugary calorie bombs. No more tasteless vodka sodas or sugary rum-and-Cokes over here.
As co-founder Charlemagne put it:
“AVEC was created because we care deeply about human interaction and think that the modern world is going the wrong way. It turns out that human connection is the most important thing in life. We should be spending more time drinking together ... not less.”
In short: AVEC offers delicious, bold, carbonated flavor in a petite 8-ounce can. Low-calorie, low-sugar, and made with fresh fruit juices, extracts, and ingredients you can actually pronounce, these are the canned cocktail mixers you'll want to pop in your backpack for your park picnics or movie nights this spring.
AVEC is currently available in five delicious flavors: Yuzu & Lime, Ginger, Hibiscus & Pomegranate, Grapefruit & Pomelo, and Jalapeño & Blood Orange (my personal favorite).
How We Met: I've had AVEC on my radar since last winter as a standout female-owned beverage brand and Black-owned beverage brand to watch. However, after the brand recently tweaked their original flavors ever so slightly, I thought it proper to do my due diligence as a food/drink journalist and do a little re-taste. Let's just say the results are still making my damn mouth water.
I've tried all five flavors in different capacities. I topped two ounces of my favorite bourbon with a hefty splash of the spicy ginger variety over ice on a recent Saturday evening while I was unpacking boxes in my new apartment. I mixed the Jalapeño & Blood Orange flavor with smoky mezcal over ice to make a low-calorie homespun spicy margarita. I sipped the Grapefruit & Pomelo straight from the can during a Zoom meeting when I was craving something sweet, tart, and fizzy.
All five flavors are seriously a whole carbonated party, and the best part is that there is no compromise with extra sugar or calories. A win-win if you ask me.
Tasting Notes:
- Yuzu & Lime: Delicate, citrusy, and floral with a thoughtful touch of lemongrass. Think of this as a less-acerbic limey mixer for gin, vodka, or tequila cocktails over ice. You'll want to sprawl out in the grass while you're sipping this one.
- Ginger: Take whatever stale experience you've ever had with ginger ale or ginger beer and toss that sh!t right out the window. AVEC's Ginger is spicy, yet slightly sweet and well-balanced, thanks to the addition of fresh pineapple juice and allspice extract. This is sort of a tiki-inspired riff on ginger beer. The pineapple juice makes this mixer foam up nicely when shaken with rum or whiskey cocktails.
- Hibiscus & Pomegranate: Perfectly tart and just slightly sweet, this is probably my second-favorite flavor after Jalapeño & Blood Orange. I love the addition of Ceylon cinnamon extract and Persian lime extract in its ingredient list and recommend pairing with tequila or your favorite vodka over ice on a warm spring afternoon.
- Grapefruit & Pomelo: As I mentioned before, this is the AVEC flavor that I'd choose to sip solo because it has so much tart acidity going on naturally, but I think it would also taste divine mixed with tequila or vodka. This one tastes like La Croix Pamplemousse on steroids.
- Jalapeño & Blood Orange: Last but certainly not least. I love a good spicy kick in my cocktails, and AVEC's Jalapeño & Blood Orange hits the nail on the head. I paired this slightly spicy, slightly citrusy, refreshingly vegetal mixer with smoky mezcal and basically patted myself on the back for being a genius home bartender. This is hands-down my fave.
Pricing: A 12-pack of any one flavor will cost you $36, which comes out to $3 per can. A steal! If you go that route, I recommend you start with the Jalapeño & Blood Orange, as I think it's the most creative representation of the brand's flavor range and versatility.
You can also purchase a 45-can Party Pack which includes all five flavors or the below smaller Sampler Pack which includes a 15-can assortment of all five flavors. Choose your own adventure!
Danielle is the former food & drink editor for BestProducts.com, where she put her knowledge as a cocktail consultant and connoisseur to use; her work can also be spotted on Thrillist, Food & Wine, and Delish. Prior to joining BestProducts.com in 2016, she was slinging fancy cocktails in Brooklyn, reporting on the best bars and restaurants in the country for Food & Wine magazine, and drinking all the whiskey New York has to offer. Outside of work, you’ll most likely find her catching the end of happy hour at her favorite bars in New York or dreaming up pretty new drink recipes.
