Frequently Asked Questions

Click the product names below to view each ingredient panel:

• Pomegranate Punch
• Mango Mai Tai
• Lime Margarita
• Piña Colada
• Blackberry Lime Mojito
• Tangerine Spritz
• Black Cherry Fizz
• Grapefruit Lime Paloma

We know that today’s consumers are more careful than ever about what they put in their bodies. This is why we provide full transparency about our ingredients on every CROOKS can.

We are committed to using as many organic ingredients as possible to produce high-quality cocktails, while supporting responsible and sustainable farming practices. Our global supply chain carefully sources organic ingredients that meet our rigorous standards for producing exceptionally flavorful and colorful cocktails that are perfectly sweet with zero sugar. We proudly display the USDA Organic seal to reflect this mission.

To make our organic alcohol, we use cassava root extract, ancient grains and other ingredients that are only grown on organic farms, manufactured by organic-compliant partners and processed in an organic brewery. These ingredients are free from toxic insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers and other synthetic chemicals that can pose health risks when ingested frequently. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that certified organic products must use production methods and ingredients without residues that can potentially pollute air, soil and water.

Our cocktails are made exclusively from naturally gluten-free ingredients, including the organic ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth and millet) and cassava root extract used to make our organic alcohol. Some foods and beverages are labeled as “crafted to remove gluten,” but check the fine print: sometimes it still states “this product may contain gluten.” No fine print here.

No. Our cocktails are non-GMO.

Yes, our cocktails are certified kosher through the Orthodox Union. Look for the Ⓤ symbol near the nutrition facts on our cans and on the bottom of our packages.

Yes.

Each serving of our canned cocktails (one 11.5 oz. can) and bottled Margarita cocktails (4.2 fl. oz) contains 1g of carbohydrates or less. You should consult your physician or dietician before starting or modifying any diet, particularly a complicated one such as a ketogenic diet, and for advice on whether our beverages are appropriate for your diet because CROOKS cocktails are not intended for weight control.

Although sugar is needed to create alcohol, that doesn’t mean all alcoholic beverages have to contain sugar. Alcohol is created by using yeast to ferment sources of sugar, such as grapes for wine or barley for beer. To make our organic alcohol, we ferment simple carbohydrates extracted from our organic ingredients including ancient grains and cassava root. All of the sugar is converted or removed, leaving our finely filtered and perfectly polished organic alcohol. Most alcoholic beverage makers are not required to disclose sugar content on their product labels, so you may not always know exactly how much sugar is in other drinks. Our cocktails are sweetened with organic stevia leaf extract, which is derived from natural sources — allowing us to deliver great taste with zero sugar.

In many beers, flavored alcoholic beverages, wines and spirits-based cocktails, sugar contributes the most calories to drinks (after alcohol) and most nutritionists agree that excess sugar intake results in long-term increased risk of weight gain and obesity*. It’s relatively easy to tell the sugar content of wine simply by tasting it, but it’s more difficult to avoid sugary beers and other flavored alcoholic beverages that may contain sugar, simple syrup or other types of artificial sweeteners. Many beer and flavored alcoholic beverage labels don’t disclose their sweetener source, sugar levels or the sugar-laden ingredients added. That’s why we’re committed to being up front about the contents of our cocktails.

^{*CROOKS cocktails are not for weight control}

Organic stevia leaf extract comes from the leaves of the stevia plant, which is a member of the chrysanthemum family. To extract the plant’s naturally intense sweetness, stevia leaves are harvested, dried and then steeped in hot water (like making tea). The resulting liquid extract is then filtered and purified. Given that stevia leaf extract is over 200 times sweeter than sugar, only a tiny amount is used in our cocktails.

One of the ancient grains used in our cocktails, organic quinoa was a staple food for thousands of years in the Andes region of South America. Historical evidence indicates that the peoples of the Andes began using quinoa in their diets between 3000 and 5000 B.C.E. It was one of just a few crops the ancient Incas cultivated at such high altitude. Often referred to as the “golden grain of the Andes,” quinoa is known for its adaptability to climate conditions and is a popular ingredient in modern cuisine worldwide.

Naturally gluten-free, organic amaranth is one of the ancient grains used in our cocktails. Estimated to have been domesticated 6,000 to 8,000 years ago, amaranth was a native staple whole grain of the pre-Columbian South American Aztecs grown in the region of modern-day Peru.

Organic millet, a gluten-free, small-seeded grass, has been consumed for thousands of years and is now one of the ancient grains used in our cocktails. Millet was critical to the early development of many farming societies and different varieties are now grown around the world. Millet is prized for its ability to thrive in harsh weather conditions.

Organic cassava root extract is an ingredient used to make the organic alcohol in our cocktails. This ingredient comes from the brown-skinned tuberous root of the cassava plant, which has been grown for thousands of years in the tropical regions of South America.

Yes. As our Spiked Iced Tea is crafted from real brewed tea, it contains minimal amounts of caffeine (less than 10 mg of natural caffeine per serving), or nearly a third of the caffeine in a cup of green tea.

Yes. Our Spiked Iced Tea is crafted from real brewed tea.

Yes. Our Spiked Lemonade is crafted from real lemon juice.

Yes. Our Margarita, Paloma and Blackberry Lime Mojito are crafted from organic lime juice.

Our Certified USDA Organic cocktails use only organic natural flavors. We use proprietary oils, resins and other extracts derived from natural plant sources to deliver the bold flavors found in our cocktails.

The term “natural flavors” has different meanings depending on whether beverages are Certified Organic. Under current government regulations, drinks that are not Certified Organic may include synthetic solvents, preservatives, and other additives or hidden ingredients bundled into a “natural flavor.”

However, natural flavors in Certified Organic products — like CROOKS cocktails — are subject to much stricter regulations. For example, they cannot contain a long list of certain ingredients, including synthetic solvents and preservatives, and cannot use flavor extracts derived from genetically engineered crops. We are proud of the quality of the organic natural flavors that make CROOKS cocktails so distinctively delicious.

The colors of our cocktails are created solely from natural sources, such as fruit and vegetable juices.

No. Many beverages contain “certified colors,” which are synthetic color additives. Certified colors allowed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in beverages include synthetic substances such as Blue No. 1, Red No. 3, and Yellow No. 6 — you won’t find these in CROOKS cocktails.

Fermentation is the process by which an organism metabolizes or “digests” one or more food sources to produce a desired product. In making our organic alcohol, we use yeast – a single-celled organism that feeds off simple sugars and breaks down simple carbohydrates extracted from ingredients including our ancient grains and cassava root into alcohol, eliminating all the sugar.

To ensure the highest quality for our cocktails, we carefully curated and selected a yeast strain that met our exacting brewing standards. Combining this yeast strain with our organic ancient grains and cassava root is part of how we create our organic alcohol with a distinctively clean and smooth taste.

Our cocktails are free from any added sulfites. Many other alcoholic beverages (especially wines, beers and ciders) often have sulfites (mostly the synthetic chemical potassium metabisulfite) added as an artificial preservative, which can cause adverse reactions in people who are sensitive to sulfites.

No, our cocktails do not contain the flavor enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate).

Citric acid is a naturally occurring substance produced in almost all living cells. Significant amounts of citric acid are contained in most plants and animals, and it is easily metabolized and eliminated by the body. Our citric acid is Non-GMO Project Verified (a key independent standard for consumers who seek to avoid GMOs) and comes from the fermentation of non-GMO cassava. It is used to enhance flavor in CROOKS cocktails and does not add sugar to our drinks.

Sodium citrate, commonly known as sour salt, is the sodium salt of citric acid and is used in tiny quantities to enhance the flavor in each CROOKS cocktail.

Malic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in fruits such as apples. Our non-GMO, non-synthetic malic acid is produced from a fermentation process and enhances flavor in some of our CROOKS cocktails, is easily metabolized and eliminated by the body and does not add any sugar to our drinks.