You know in cartoons, when the character has a somewhat important moral decision to make and the angel and devil appear on their shoulders? That’s how I feel when someone asks me if I want a cooler to drink. The devil on one shoulder is saying: “Do it! Think about how refreshing it will be. You know you want it.” The angel is shaking her little finger saying: “But Chrissy, think about the hangover. Do we really want to drink our calories?” Neither is wrong, and if I’m being honest, the whole situation makes me anxious.

I’m not the only one that feels this way; in the land of alcoholic beverages, coolers have a bad rap. These “pre-mixed beverages” have a reputation for being overly sweet. They are deemed the favored drink of teenagers and middle-aged women alike, and are often scoffed at by the more serious, sophisticated beverage drinkers, at least until now.

Vescent Canada is part of a new wave of Canadian companies that are looking to change the image of the cooler by taking a page from the craft and distillery playbook and making locally produced beverages that are naturally flavored and less sweet.

Here are the five you need to know about Vescent Sparkling Vodka Seltzer:

1. It is made with five ingredients – The Vescent we tried was cucumber and lemon flavored. The five ingredients include: carbonated water, vodka, sugar, natural cucumber flavor and citric acid.
2. They taste really good – If you have ever tried cucumber vodka, this should come as no surprise. Cucumber vodka is easily one of my favorite vodka flavors and the combination of cucumber with lemon or lime is tough to beat.
3. There is almost no guilt in drinking one (or four) – each 355 mL can is 100 calories and 3.5% alcohol. There are 7 grams of sugar per serving, which is significantly less than other popular cooler brands. For example: Smirnoff Ice (~26 grams of sugar/serving) or Mike’s Hard Lemonade (~32 grams of sugar/serving). Something like this is perfect for entertaining those who are health-conscious or looking for something other than beer or wine.
4. It’s refreshing – Vescent is comparable to lemon-flavored Perrier. It is full of crisp flavors and a light sweetness. If you are a vodka-water lover like me, you will likely want to buy Vescent by the case.
5. You can use it as a mix – If you are looking to impress, or just want something a little stronger than 3.5% ABV, use it as part of a cocktail. Combine one can of sparkling cucumber and lemon flavored Vescent, 1 oz. of vodka, 1 tbsp. of lemon or lime juice and fresh mint leaves into a rocks glass filled with ice. I am not a mixologist, but as far as cocktails go, this recipe worked and I am excited to see what else we can come up with.

Vescent is available in Alberta and BC in six-packs at local liquor stores. Prices will vary depending on where you are, but are around $12.50 for six cans. Remember to enjoy them responsibly.

For more information, click here to check out their Instagram.

Sincerely,

Chrissy

This product was complimentary but chrissymeetsworld.com remains unbiased in our content.