Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Rum 50cl

Product Information

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! 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. 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. Caleño is a non-alcoholic drinks company founded by Ellie Webb. After heading on an alcohol-free night out with some friends, Ellie found herself feeling completely uninspired by the range of alcohol-free options that were available. It raised the question of why should choosing not to drink mean that you can’t have fun and enjoy great drinks on a night out? So, she took it upon herself to start experimenting with her own alcohol-free spirits. Her passion for creating delicious alcohol-free spirits was only further fuelled when she returned from a trip to Colombia completely inspired by her Latin roots. Wanting to bottle the feeling of vibrant colours, tropical flavours and Latin beats, she created Caleño. Caleño Drinks Non-Alcoholic Spirits

Caleño is an interesting company that came about thanks to their founder Ellie who decided (after an inspirational trip to Colombia) that the alcohol-free options in her city were substandard … so decided to create her own. After much hard graft Ellie and her team have gone on to create two non-alcoholic spirits –‘Light and Tasty’ and the Caleño’s Dark and Spicy, an alcohol-free rum.

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. 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. 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. 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!

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) With Ramadan approaching, I’m ecstatic to serve some of the other drinks in store for the whole family after breaking fast, as I’m absolutely sure it will garner a thumbs-up or two. 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. Caleno drinks earn a coveted spot on my “will buy again” list, although I was considerably more impressed with the Dark and Spicy variant.

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Born from thefounder's frustration with tap water on her alcohol-free nights out, Ellie Webb began her mission to create the most tropical and fun-filled drinks to enjoy when, well, you're not drinking. After traveling 5000 miles across Colombia to soak up the vibrant flavours and joyful vibes of her family's homeland, she returned home to bottle it all up with the flavours of the tropics. She danced and distilled in her kitchen until Caleño tropical non-alcoholic spirits were born, and they haven't stopped spreading the joy since. Say no to FOMO and hola to a tropical non-alcoholic fiesta with Caleño! 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. Caleño drinks contain 39 calories per 100mls (Light & Zesty) or 45 calories per 100mls (Dark and Spicy). That means you’re looking at just 20-23 calories per standard double-shot serving (plus your mixer). By choosing alcohol free drinks, you’re already giving yourself plenty of health benefits compared to boozy alternatives, but it’s still good to know exactly what you’re dealing with! Caleño Light and Zesty IS light. I initially tried it with the recommended tonic, and did find that the taste of the tonic overpowered it more than I would have liked. It tempted me to try some neat, and I was surprised how agreeable it was in that form. It was sweet, citrusy and warming all at once. Even the most premium alcoholic gin would make me gag if I drank it neat!