Little Saints drinks are functional mushroom spirits that bring all the benefits of botanicals—without the booze.
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If we had to guess, we’d say 2026 will be the year of mushrooms. Mushroom coffee is as popular as ever, and we’re even seeing shrooms making appearances in cold weather staples like hot chocolate. Whether it’s mind- and body-boosting mushrooms like lion’s mane or adaptogens like reishi that address stress, it’s easy to see why some folks are substituting their daily drinks with these healthy alternatives.
That said, the hot drink market isn’t the only place we’re seeing these naturally perky ingredients popping up. With options like Little Saints drinks—formulated with adaptogens and functional mushrooms—folks can now swap their sugary canned mocktails and de-alcoholized wines with better-for-you beverages just in time for Dry January.
To see how well they hold up to other options, we tried several of the brand’s botanical offerings ahead of Dry January. Spoiler alert: we weren’t prepared to be this impressed!
We Tried It
Little Saints Drinks
What are Little Saints spirits and cocktails?
Little Saints—which appeared on Shark Tank in 2024—is a brand built on the idea that alcohol doesn’t equal a good drink. These zero sugar, non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits use functional mushrooms and botanical extracts to simulate the experience of enjoying a craft cocktail, without the hangover.
While the drinks offer all the benefits of lion’s mane and reishi mushrooms, they also surprisingly lack any detectable mushroom flavor. The secret lies within a proprietary processing method that extracts the beta Glucans from the shrooms. The flavorless extract then goes into the drinks alongside other beneficial extracts. And as an added bonus, the drinks are also low in calories thanks to a monk fruit juice concentrate sweetener.
How We Tested Little Saints Drinks
Little Saints drinks come in two forms: ready-to-drink canned mocktails and nonalcoholic spirits meant for mixing. We secured several samples of both sipping options to best test the scope of flavors.
Canned Mocktails
Little Spirits’ catalogue offers an array of mocktails in familiar flavors, but with a botanical twist for added benefits. We tried a bundle including the negroni spritz, spicy margarita, pink grapefruit paloma and—my favorite—ginger mule. The brand also offers a few other options, including a mojito, espresso martini (complete with a dash of caffeine) and, of course, their spin on a classic old fashioned.
In terms of taste, I’m pretty impressed with Little Saints drinks. All the canned cocktails are sippable, distinct and flavorful without any filler ingredients, sugar or artificial sweeteners. The monk fruit brings a touch of sweetness while still keeping the calorie count low. Each ingredient feels intentional, and the botanicals and functional mushroom extracts give the drinks a natural taste that doesn’t lean too earthy.
Negroni Spritz
The first mocktail I tried was the Little Spirits’ negroni spritz, which boasts the bittersweet Italian aperitif flavor the cocktail is known for. This one also tasted the most like a traditional gin cocktail to me, thanks to the bitterness. In addition to botanicals and mushrooms, the drink also includes hints of bitter orange, gentian root, cinnamon, citrus rinds and lavender. Altogether, the flavors create a delightfully bitter bite with a touch of sweetness.
Grapefruit Paloma
The grapefruit paloma was also a winner, thanks to its hit of acidic grapefruit. Like the negroni, this option also contains citrus rinds and lavender for a slightly bitter aftertaste. However, the grapefruit and lime lend a touch of brightness that cut through it all—and it works so well. What I really love about these first two mocktails is the subtlety of flavors which harmonize together seamlessly.
Spicy Margarita
The spicy margarita flavor brings one word to mind: zippy! With dominant lime and jalapeño flavors, it’s definitely more adventurous than the others I tasted. My husband tried this first and noted that he didn’t detect much spice, but I disagree. While the drink definitely leans more lime-forward, the flavor opens with a slight kick that gives it a bit of an edge without veering too much into “spicy.”
Ginger Mule
As mentioned previously, this was my favorite of the canned cocktails I tried. I’m already well acquainted with ginger mules, so this little can had a lot to prove. To me, this was akin to a ginger mule seltzer in the best way.
It’s satisfying and bubbly, but without the saccharine sweetness found in most ginger cocktails. This is due to the use of ginger extracts rather than ginger beer, lending to a cleaner-feeling sipping experience. We also see familiar elements of lime, citrus rinds and lavender botanicals, which help balance the flavor.
Spirits
The bottled spirits come in three flavors: St. Ember, St. Juniper and St. Oak. My favorite aspect of the bottle spirits is that they add a dash of personality to my homemade mocktails, and they’re also pretty good on their own. The blend of botanicals and mushroom extracts mingle together to create distinctive flavors. In this way, they effectively fill the void left by alcohol.
They don’t contain any artificial alcohol flavors, either. Just mimicry via natural ingredients—something I personally appreciate. Each of the spirits presents the benefits of functional mushrooms in a way that also makes them feel just as special as an aged whiskey on a cocktail cart.
St. Oak
I’ll admit—I’ve never been much of a “whiskey on the rocks” person. But if whiskey tasted as delightful as St. Oak, maybe I would be! To me, this spirit is very sippable. There’s no burn like alcohol. It’s smokey, woody and complex without any fakeness or saccharine sweetness. I enjoyed it both over ice and mixed with ginger beer. Bonus: it smells genuinely delicious, almost like a gourmand scent with vanilla and caramel notes.
St. Juniper
Looking for something that veers more sharp and citrusy for a faux gin and tonic? St. Juniper is an energetic and personality-filled spirit boasting juniper, birch, cardamom, angelica root, coriander, fresh cucumber and citrus notes. Capsicum derived from peppers gives it a bit of a “burn,” but nothing off-putting. I’d call St. Juniper crisp, fresh, slightly spicy with bitter end notes.
St. Ember
Another option utilizing capsicum from peppers, St. Ember tastes like a close cousin of mezcal. It’s admittedly my least favorite, but I’m not a fan of Mezcal, which I find too smokey. That said, the “spiciness” of the cardamom balances well with the palo santo (what I’m assuming the woody hint is that I’m not partial to). If you like earthier flavors, this is a good addition to your NA bar cart.
This is also a spirit that gives back—1% of the proceeds from every bottle of St. Ember supports reforestation efforts.
Pros
- Canned cocktails are delicious and ready to drink
- No detectable “buzz” feeling
- No imitation “alcohol” flavor
- Clean, beneficial ingredients
- Zero sugar
- Low calorie
Cons
- Pricey at around $5/can for a 12-pack and $50/bottle
- Some flavors may be too bitter for some
Product Comparison: Little Saints vs. Brez
Both Little Saints drinks and Brez beverages offer adaptogen-addled sips aided by functional mushrooms. At a near-identical price point, the biggest difference between the brands are the available flavors. While Little Saints aims to mimic well-loved cocktails, Brez offers three flavors that are more akin to fruity tonics: lemon elderflower, strawberry mango and cherry chamomile.
Additionally, Brez offers CBD and THC-infused drinks and spirits for a detectable buzz whereas Little Spirits sticks to functional mushrooms and botanical benefits.
Final Verdict
Giving up alcohol, whether for personal or medical reasons, can be really difficult for some. I can’t say I noticed much in the way of “buzz” benefits while enjoying Little Saints drinks, aside from perhaps a slightly elevated mood thanks to the reishi.
However, Little Saints doesn’t purport to recreate the “high” of alcohol. Instead, the brand created drinks that have the same complex flavors as traditional spirits and cocktails. To me—and many sober-curious folks out there—that’s truly special. And if you get to enjoy an elevated feeling from the functional mushrooms, that’s just a bonus!
Where to Buy
Little Saints drinks are available both on the brand’s website and on Amazon. You can purchase the cans for around $60 for a 12-pack, or about $5 per can. The spirits are available at around $50 a bottle for just over 24 ounces. That said, you do enjoy discounts when you buy in bulk—and you’d definitely pay a comparable price for artisan alcoholic spirits!
We Tried It
Little Saints Drinks
FAQ
Does Little Saints give you a buzz?
No, Little Saints drinks are not designed to give an artificial buzz. They include traces of alcohol, but not enough to detect. An alcohol content of less than 0.5% ABV makes them more similar to kombucha than a beer. They also contain no THC, so they’re great for the fully sober crowd.
Why Trust Us
As Taste of Home’s resident food and drink expert, I’m always trying the newest and most popular treats. While I’m not fully dedicated to the sober lifestyle, my husband has been alcohol-free for over a decade. As such, I’ve tried many of the most popular (and even a few under-the-radar) nonalcoholic drink options available. My tasting specialties include nonalcoholic beer and hop water (I come from a family of brewers, after all), but botanical-based drinks also please my practiced NA palate.
