Frequently Asked Questions

Click the product names below to view each ingredient panel:

• Black Cherry
• Blackberry Lime
• Coconut Pineapple
• Grapefruit
• Mango
• Peach
• Strawberry Lemon
• Tangerine

• Classic Cola
• Ginger Ale
• Lemon Lime
• Root Beer

• Lemon Tea
• Peach Tea
• Raspberry Tea
• Sweet Tea

• Blueberry Lemonade
• Classic Lemonade
• Raspberry Lemonade
• Watermelon Lemonade

• Coconut Lime
• Coconut Mango
• Coconut Pineapple
• Coconut Raspberry

We developed our Certified Organic beverages using organic alcohol, organic natural flavors and other organic ingredients because 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 Crook & Marker can.

We are committed to using as many organic ingredients as possible to produce high-quality alcoholic beverages, 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 beverages that are perfectly sweet with zero sugar. We proudly display the USDA Organic seal to reflect this mission.

To make our organic BaseBrew® alcohol, we use cassava root extract, ancient grains and other ingredients that are only grown on organic farms 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 alcohol must use production methods and ingredients without residues that can potentially pollute air, soil and water.

Crook & Marker is 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 BaseBrew® alcohol. In addition, our beverages are tested and confirmed to be gluten-free by a third-party laboratory. Some foods and beverages claim to be “crafted to remove gluten,” but check the fine print: sometimes it still states “this product may contain gluten.” No fine print here.

No. Crook & Marker beverages are non-GMO.

Yes, Crook & Marker beverages are certified kosher through the Orthodox Union. Look for the circle U symbol near the UPC barcode on our cans and on the bottom of our packages.

Yes.

Each can (one 11.5-ounce serving) contains 3 grams of total carbohydrates and zero net carbohydrates (net carbs)*. Net carbs represent the total carbohydrate content of Crook & Marker drinks minus the grams of carbohydrates from organic erythritol (one of the sweeteners from natural sources used in our beverages) because erythritol is not metabolized by your body and carbs from erythritol have no calories or effect on your blood sugar. 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 Crook & Marker drinks are not intended for weight control.

*Spiked Lemonade contains 4 grams of total carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of net carbohydrates

Net carbohydrates (net carbs) represent the total carbohydrate content of Crook & Marker drinks minus the grams of carbohydrates from organic erythritol — one of the smart sweeteners used in our beverages. Organic erythritol is not metabolized by your body. The net carbs number reflects the grams of carbohydrates that significantly impact your blood sugar level.

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 BaseBrew® alcohol, we ferment simple carbohydrates extracted from our ancient grains and cassava root. All of the sugar is converted or removed, leaving our finely filtered and perfectly polished organic alcohol. 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. Crook & Marker beverages are sweetened with organic stevia leaf extract and organic erythritol, which are derived from natural sources — allowing us to deliver great taste with zero sugar.

In many beers, flavored alcoholic beverages, wines and 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 malt beverages. Many beers contain non-sweet sugars like maltose or low-sweet sugars like glucose that can be masked by beer’s bitterness while still packing a significant caloric punch — and most beer labels don’t disclose their sugar levels or the sugar-laden ingredients added. That’s why we’re committed to being up front about the contents of Crook & Marker beverages.

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 Crook & Marker beverages.

Organic stevia leaf extract is a high-intensity sweetener, so only a tiny amount of is needed to produce our distinctively clean, sweet taste.

Organic erythritol is a naturally derived ingredient in Crook & Marker beverages used to balance the intense sweetness of stevia leaf extract. Zero-sugar organic erythritol is a sugar alcohol made from simple sugars derived from plant starches and is about 30% less sweet than sugar. Organic erythritol is found naturally in a variety of fruits, such as grapes and pears, as well as in mushrooms and certain fermented foods such as soy sauce and wine. The organic erythritol used in Crook & Marker beverages is produced through a natural fermentation process.

According to the American Diabetes Association, “Foods with low- or reduced-calorie sweeteners can have fewer calories than foods made with sugar and other caloric sweeteners. That can be helpful if you’re trying to lose weight or even to prevent weight gain. These products often times also have less carbohydrates which can be helpful in managing blood glucose levels.” In addition, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a leading advocacy organization focused on promoting a healthier food system, deemed erythritol “safe” in a comprehensive scientific report on the use of non-nutritive sweeteners.

Most of the erythritol you ingest is absorbed by the small intestine and for the most part is released unchanged in your urine. More than 90% of erythritol is absorbed before entering the large intestine. Your body fully absorbs erythritol but can’t break it down into sugar, so it provides (virtually) no calories and does not produce a glycemic response.

No toxic chemicals or artificial ingredients are used in the production of our sweeteners. As with almost all finished food products, the trip from the field can involve some processing. The sweet parts of the organic stevia leaf need to be extracted. The organic erythritol used in Crook & Marker beverages is made from a natural fermentation process. We produce our sweeteners utilizing processing aids that are suitable for use in food and help extract, isolate or purify components of the ingredients.

One of the ancient grains used in Crook & Marker beverages, 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 and high in protein, organic amaranth is one of the ancient grains used in Crook & Marker beverages. 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 Crook & Marker beverages. 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 used to make the organic alcohol in Crook & Marker beverages. 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 Crook & Marker Spiked Tea is crafted from real brewed tea, our beverages contain 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. Crook & Marker Spiked Tea is crafted from real brewed tea and paired with organic, all natural fruit flavors.

Yes. Just like the classic lemonade enjoyed on your grandma’s porch, Crook & Marker Spiked Lemonade is non-carbonated, delicious and super drinkable.

Yes. Crook & Marker Spiked Lemonade is crafted from real lemon juice and paired with organic, all natural fruit flavors.

Crook & Marker Spiked Lemonade is crafted from real lemon juice, which contains less than 1g of carbs.

Yes. Crook & Marker Spiked Coconut is carbonated and infused with coconut goodness and organic, all natural fruit flavors so you can enjoy the taste of summer all year long.

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

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 Crook & Marker drinks — 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 Crook & Marker beverages so distinctively delicious.

The colors of Crook & Marker drinks are created solely from natural sources, such as fruit and vegetable juices. You can find our colors listed along with all of our other ingredients on every Crook & Marker can, so you know exactly what’s inside our drinks.

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 Crook & Marker drinks.

Fermentation is the process by which an organism metabolizes or “digests” one or more food sources to produce a desired product. In making Crook & Marker’s organic BaseBrew® alcohol, we break down simple carbohydrates extracted from our ancient grains and cassava root, eliminating all the sugar. To keep our alcohol base pure, we do not add any crystalline fructose, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, dietary fiber, artificial sweeteners or artificial preservatives.

Crook & Marker beverages 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, Crook & Marker drinks do not contain the flavor enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate).

Yeast is a small, single-celled organism that feeds off simple sugars and breaks them down into alcohol during the fermentation process. Yeast is also significant contributor to the taste of alcohol. To ensure the highest quality for our beverages, 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 BaseBrew® alcohol with a distinctively clean and smooth taste.

The organic erythritol we use is produced by a natural fermentation process and is similar to the erythritol found naturally in a variety of fruits, such as grapes and pears. We source our organic erythritol based upon the latest technologies and raw material availability.

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 cane sugar. It is used to enhance flavor in Crook & Marker beverages 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 Crook & Marker drink.

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 Crook & Marker beverages, is easily metabolized and eliminated by the body and does not add any sugar to our drinks.