“When it comes to uncompromising ingredients, quality and taste our non-alcoholic cocktails truly are AbOve the rest.” That’s the tagline behind the Abve mocktail line from Toronto-based Boom Beverage Corp. The company started Boom, “to deliver consumer experiences that would normally only be associated with alcoholic beverage consumption.”
Boom’s Abve product line, which includes alcoholic-free gin, whisky, rum, vodka, and wine, have earned Silver and Bronze medals at the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Marketing language aside (and I’m the first to roll my eyes at word salads), the brand has clearly invested in flavour technology and product development.
For this month’s instalment in Dry Run Diaries, I’m pouring a gin and tonic.
My Abve Gin & Tonic Mocktail Review (355 ml, 90 calories, 0.5% ABV)
Name Bling (name creativity) – Honestly I am not a fan of weird stylings of names, with the intent to be cute or to stand out. Just spell out “above.” ⭐️
Sip n’ Savour (Taste) – This mocktail leans on the genuine taste and naturally flavoured in its marketing. Their proprietary technology creates the flavours. I enjoyed the gin & tonic especially because I can count on two fingers how many alcoholic ones I’ve ever had. Refreshing, muted and easy to drink. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wallet Wellness Index (Value for Money) – I picked up a 4×355 ml at Co-op It rang in about $12.99. Reasonable in comparison to other mocktails. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Label Love (Packaging/ Presentation) – Simple, muted purple and white box. The can design follows the same vibe. The design leans heavily on the 0% message, as it dominates the top half of the can. It’s clear they want the alcohol-free promise to be the first thing you notice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall – The Abve gin and tonic mocktail is muted in a way I like when I want something light and refreshing. I’m not convinced it’s something I would buy it again. But if you’re a true gin-and-tonic person, this may be the mocktail for you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where to buy: You can find Abve’s line of products at various retailers across Canada. I’ve seen them at Shoppers Drugmart, Co-op and Safeway. Find out more here.