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I’ll be the first one to tell you that summer drinking is one of life’s great joys. Just thinking about that first Mai Tai when the weather warms up, a frosty Mexican lager on the beach, or a crisp glass of white wine is making me count down the minutes until 5 p.m. However, while summer is certainly the season of sipping, I — along with plenty of other people — have been looking to cut back on my total alcohol consumption a bit, without sacrificing the social and ritual aspects that surround booze. That’s where NA beer, alcohol-free wine, and mocktails come in. Now, you could, of course, just go the seltzer route while sitting on your couch or snag a refreshing bitters and soda from the bar if you’re out on the town — but while those are two great options, it’s also nice to join in on the fun of delicious drinks, just sans booze. That’s why I’ve been on a quest to find NA beverages that are (actually) tasty, and my latest find, Moshi, is poised to become my new favorite booze-free beverage.
Moshi is a purveyor of beverages made with unique Asian ingredients meant to “pair with the Asian cuisine we all know and love,” according to their website. After years of cooking in some of the best restaurants in New York City, founder Alton But set out on a mission to highlight unique Asian flavors through refreshing sparkling beverages and revamp the non-alcoholic drink space. With ingredients and flavors that you don’t see every day in sparkling drinks — including Yuzu, Uji Matcha, and Oolong lines — Moshi seems to be setting itself apart in a category of its own. (I’m also a sucker for anything yuzu-based, so when I got the opportunity to test out a few bottles, I jumped at the chance.)
Right off the bat, this stuff is delicious — even for me, someone without the slightest semblance of a sweet tooth. They’re clearly made with high-quality, natural ingredients (which is why you can see some settling in the glass from the 100-percent yuzu juice) and the unique flavors make Moshi a little more exciting than your run-of-the-mill soda or NA drink. (In other words, it’s way better than just having a Coke.) For me, they’re a total treat: I don’t have them all the time, but every once in a while, they hit the spot. My favorite flavors are the Yuzu Unsweetened — and all of the Yuzu varieties, TBH — and everything in the Oolong line, which includes Honey, Lychee, Passion Fruit, and White Grape. My girlfriend, who’s much more of a matcha fan than I am, reported that the Matcha line (Original, Ginger, Coconut, and White Strawberry) was excellent as well. The twist-off bottles are available as singles, four-packs, 12-packs, and 24-packs, but if you’re not exactly sure which ones you want to go all-in on, you can snag a sampler pack or two to find your favorite flavors. Pro Tip: Gently invert the bottles before you open them so you get all of the fruity goodness evenly dispersed throughout.
Plus, I’m not the only one who found these balanced and thirst-quenching. “It is refreshing and flavorful,” one reviewer writes about the Yuzu White Peach flavor. “The perfect combo of sweet and tangy. Like biting into a perfect peach in every sip.” Another reviewer agreed: “Look, I’m not a soda person … but I randomly gambled on one of these at a market and it was so ridiculously good I wanted to strangle an ox. The scent alone is heavenly, the carbonation is right … and the taste is natural, balanced, and not too sweet. Perfection. I felt compelled to come here and write this review — these Moshi folks clearly understand nuance, subtlety, and elegance.” (This person is clearly trying to put me out of a job.)
So, if you’ve found yourself searching for a fun, delicious summer drink — that just so happens to be sans booze — the search is over. Snag a sampler pack of Moshi ASAP and get ready for some hangover-free summer sipping.