The picnic don’t start ’til a pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade hits the table. The only catch to summer’s official drink? It’s loaded with sugar. Luckily, Swoon, a better-for-you beverage and sweetener company, just launched a line of sugar-free lemonades and iced teas to sip on for the rest of the season. Here’s everything you need to know about the brand, plus our favorites in the lineup.
Swoon’s New Sugar-Free Lemonades and Iced Teas Scream Summer (and Taste Like the Real Thing)
•
Published Aug 12, 2021
- Value: 18/20
- Functionality: 20/20
- Quality: 18/20
- Aesthetics: 20/20
- Taste*: 17/20
TOTAL: 93/100
We first became acquainted with Swoon in 2019 when the company launched its sugar- and chemical-free sweetener made with monk fruit. We were seriously impressed with how closely the simple syrup tasted to the real deal and didn’t have a weird aftertaste, which we’ll chalk up to the fact that it’s free of sugar alcohols. After that came cocktail mixers, a product line the founders (who both have type 1 diabetes) developed after searching for healthier, full-flavored renditions of classic cocktails like margaritas and mojitos.
Then came Swoon’s latest venture: canned sugar-free lemonades and iced teas. Also made with non-GMO monk fruit (since they’re sweetened with Swoon’s simple syrup, of course), the bevs offer low-glycemic sweetness that falls somewhere in the territory between seltzer and fruit juice. Flavors include classic lemonade, pink lemonade, half-and-half lemonade and black tea and peach iced tea.
Besides the sugar-free sweetener, the lemonades and teas are made with natural ingredients like lemon juice concentrate, strawberry juice concentrate and organic black tea. Most sodas or juices contain about ten teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce serving, but Swoon’s lemonades contain zero grams of sugar and sugar alcohols alike and boast only 5 calories per can. Each can contains only 2 net carbs, making the sippers keto-friendly. (They’re also gluten-free, kosher and vegan, BTW). So, you can sip them straight from the can without sweating the sugar or use them in cocktails or big-batch drinks for your next picnic.
Swoon’s drinks are available at select Whole Foods Market, Wegman’s, Stop & Shop, Total Wine and The Fresh Market locations, but you can also order them online and save yourself a trip to the store. Not only is it lower lift on your end, but for every case of lemonade that’s sold online, Swoon will donate a can to Madison Square Boys & Girls Club.
Read on for our favorite lemonade and tea of the bunch.
1. Best Lemonade: Pink Lemonade
Since the lemonades are made with lemon juice concentrate instead of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, they’re not as intensely sour as the homemade kind. If tartness is your top priority, look no further than Swoon’s classic iteration. But we love the subtle sweetness and fruity notes of the pink lemonade, which we’ll credit to strawberry and raspberry juice concentrates in the mix. There’s something candy-like about its flavor without being cloying. We’re betting it’d taste great blended with vodka (or hard seltzer) and fresh fruit.
Taste: 17/20
2. Best Tea: Peach Iced Tea
Brewed black tea, peach juice concentrate and just the right amount of monk fruit unite for a sugar-free twist on a Southern staple. It’s equal parts tart and sweet, kind of like a peach-flavored lollipop. Sip on it plain alongside barbecue fare or spike it with bourbon for a libation on the light side.
Taste: 18/20
