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 The drink is free from any animal products or derivatives. In addition the bottle, label and glue is also free from animal products. 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.

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. I returned to my Caleno and tonic and, to be honest, throughly enjoyed it. As the ice melted and the drink blended more, I came to taste more of the Caleno, which has a tropical flavour with a slight Gripe Water edge.My hard work definitely wasn’t for nothing as I was over the moon by the results. To summarise: This was effing amazing. Guys, I’m telling you now.

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. 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! 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.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. Pom Picante is a fruit fiesta topped off with a party prop to go (Image: Assiah Hamed/ Bristol Live) 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.

Next up, is the classic rum and ginger ale concoction, using Caleño’s Dark & Spicy as a rum alternative. 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. When I consume the rest of the bottle, I shall mix is with a less strong flavour than tonic, hopefully giving it more of a chance to shine. You have successfully joined! Good drinks, tunes and vibes will be coming your way very soon. Caleño: Dark & Spicy Review Gone are the days are opting for a boring soft drink instead of your favourite tropical flavours of rum when you’re not drinking. Caleño Dark & Spicy is a non alcoholic substitute for rum that’s inspired by the tropical flavours of our founder’s Colombian roots. So if you’re a true rum fanatic, this summer is going to be incredible!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. 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 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.