Vodkade (Vodka + Ade) Dropped a New Line of Zero Sugar Drinks and I Tried Them

At some point or another in their youth, everyone’s spiked a sports drink with booze. Right? Haven’t we all? I’ll admit I use the term “youth” loosely, as I distinctly remember accidentally dropping my Motorola Razr into a red solo cup of vodka and grape Gatorade when I was probably 26, but, hey, I’ve always been a late bloomer. Point is, there must be something to this being a shared experience, because brands keep releasing boozy sports drinks.

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The first one I tried was Lightstrike, an alcohol-infused hydration drink produced and bottled (in plastic) by New Belgium. Then came Super Lyte, a “vodka + ade” from the same vodka brand that makes Surfside hard teas and lemonades. The most recent one to land on my desk: Vodkade, which recently launched a zero sugar line as a counterpart to the original full sugar version. I’m a fan of zero sugar, non carbonated, canned alcohol, so I brought the 12-pack home and tried them. Here’s what I thought.

New Product!

Vodkade Zero Sugar

Vodkade

Pros: As a person with chronic heartburn and a laundry list of other gastrointestinal ailments that make me belchy, I love non carbonated alternatives to hard seltzers. The proliferation of still (rather than sparkling) hard lemonades and hard teas has been awesome, even if I’ve yet to have an “ade” I really like. Basically, what I’m saying is that I’m glad this exists even if it probably wouldn’t be the first thing I’d grab out of the cooler at the BBQ. Zero sugar Vodkade comes in a variety pack with four flavors: Fruit Punch, Orange, Lemon Lime, and Berry Cherry. The flavors are BOLD. If you absolutely hate the trend toward whispery fruit flavors, hey, you might dig these. They remind me of those Little Hug fruit drinks that come in the little plastic barrels, but with an alternative sweetener aftertaste.

Cons: One of the cool things about Super Lyte is that their drinks incorporate sea salt, so they actually taste kind of like electrolyte drinks. Vodkade is definitely more Kool-Aid than Gatorade. The colors are screamingly bright (which seems slightly unnecessary given that the drinks come in cans) and the fruity flavors are potent. I kinda winced with every sip. I really do think there’s an audience for these, but given that these are sort of designed to be guzzled on the golf course or pickleball court, I can’t imagine myself being active in the heat and making it through an entire can. If you find these in a cooler at the next BBQ you attend, I recommend the Fruit Punch.

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.