Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Rum 50cl

Product Information

Firstly…what’s it like straight? Well, it’s absolutely full of spicy flavours. I was really impressed with just how much flavour came from the Dark & Spicy just by itself. Nothing watered down about it at all. The ginger was really coming through as was the slight sweetness from the pineapple. As per Caleño’s recommendation, when it came to choosing my mixer I went for ginger beer for a maximum spice sensation. All I can say is that it was absolutely incredible. The spice from the ginger beer completely elevated the spirit and really brought out the flavours. Sometimes ginger beer can mask the taste of spirit but Dark & Spicy really held it’s own. This won Gold in the high acclaimed inaugural World Alcohol Free Awards 2023. These awards are unique in that they only champion products below 0.5% and have judges from all over the world including writers and influencers, supermarket and airline buyers, bar/restaurant owners and our very own founder- Tom! The awards are judged blind so the awards are based solely on the taste and quality of the products.

This recipe was said to be a fiesta of flavours and I was intrigued to give it a whirl. Despite not being a fan of ginger ale in the past, I was even advised by the CEO herself, Ellie Webb, to use ginger ale as a perfect mixer for Dark & Spicy. This glass of sweet and spicy goodness is one for the books, and I am certainly glad this was a recommendation as I guarantee it would not have had a similar impact, when using Coke as a mixer. As much as I adored the simplicity and freshness of Light & Zesty with Tonic, drinking D&S with Ginger Ale installed a little colour into my life, and I’m now officially a believer.You have successfully joined! Good drinks, tunes and vibes will be coming your way very soon. Caleño: Dark & Spicy Review I throughly enjoyed this drink, but it didn’t stand out to me quite as much as my favourite alcohol free light spirit, which is currently Pentire Adrift. That said, I think I enjoyed it more than Seedlip, the most widespread and well-known alcohol free gin. Pom Picante is a fruit fiesta topped off with a party prop to go (Image: Assiah Hamed/ Bristol Live) By upping the fruitiness of the non-alcoholic spirit when compared to a traditional rum, Caleño provides a well-rounded substitute to alcohol. After drinking this, you’re left with a sweet, spicy and slightly hot aftertaste, which left us wanting to pour another glass! Here at Caleño, we like to make a lot of noise (preferably Latina music), nearly as much as we love to make our non-alcoholic spirits. No Caleño is never served without a smile, a dance or a pineapple, and if you meet one of our team you'll be guaranteed to be greeted by all three.

And boy, was she right. Once I had a sip, or what felt like a long, satisfying, thirst-quenching gulp, I was absolutely sold. I was completely blown away by what came from an extremely easy recipe for lazy bartender amateurs such as myself, as both the spice from the ginger ale and Dark & Spicy elevated my spirit, almost. Read More Related Articles In reality, upon trying it out, it underwhelmed my expectations as it left me wanting more and not knowing what was missing at first. I had really hoped the hints of mango and passionfruit would enhance the exciting blend of fruits and berries found in L&Z. Although the Light & Zesty certainly mimics the bitterness of gin well, the overall strength of its flavour could be tweaked for a better result. We found that the blend of fruits, berries and botanical extracts resulted in a superb taste, but that altogether, the tonic water carries this alcohol-free G&T more than the Light & Zesty spirit.

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Caleño doesn’t seem to market itself as a particularly natural or organic product, however the ingredients list doesn’t contain anything particularly concerning. All of the ingredients appear natural apart from the preservatives, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate. Value for Money Gluten is a protein compound found most commonly in the grains wheat, barley, rye and oats. Wheat and barley are often key ingredients in producing drinks such as beer and in sealing wine casks. Gluten free drinks avoid using such products. To label as gluten free the product must have below 20 parts per million of gluten, which is barley a trace! Drum roll please … this is my 50th alcohol-free drink review so here’s hoping it’s a good one. Let me introduce you to Caleno Dark and Spicy non alcoholic spirit.

Light & Zesty is Caleno’s alcohol free gin. It’s perhaps fair to say that it needed to work a little harder to impress me, as I’ve already tried several alternatives and landed on some favourites. Yes this sugar has zero sugar! Products with a higher sugar content cause a spike in insulin and we react by storing more carbs as fat. You may also notice that although lower in sugar there is some carbs, this is usually more complex forms of sugar such as starches and fibre and the body uses these for energy. Caleñolike to make a lot of noise (preferably latina music), nearly as much as they love to makenon-alcoholic spirits. No Caleño is never served without a smile, a dance or a pineapple, and if you meet one of our team you'll be guaranteed to be greeted by all three.

Bottle at a glance

Next up is their Light & Zesty. Caleño describes their Light & Zesty spirit as a ‘distilled, light and zesty blend of tropical, citrus and spice botanicals’. Which, as a description, I can’t argue with at all. When I tested it out by itself it definitely had light and citrusy flavours. But for me, it tasted a bit too similar to a lime cordial when it was by itself. As is the case for spirits, however they aren’t really supposed to be served by themselves. So I decided to give it a go with a classic light tonic.