Buzzballz

And frankly, you can buzzballz from the first sip you’re probably going to be hungover later. But, there’s also no denying that they’re fun. Given how popular the cocktails have become in the last few years, you might not realize that the company has been around for 13 years, having been founded in 2009. Most of the flavors are based on popular cocktails, and some are creative riffs.

The drinks are sold in almost every state, but not every retailer sells every flavor. Our tasters were able to get ahold of seven popular flavors in the state of New York to taste the hype first hand. We really wanted this one to be something awesome. Now, we have no idea what “certified colors” are, but the “natural flavors” part sounded really promising. Before trying the Strawberry ‘Rita, we had already given the Tequila ‘Rita a taste, which might have put the strawberry version of it at a slight disadvantage.

After all, the margarita is the most popular cocktail in the world, according to Decanter. The Strawberry ‘Rita page, for example, gives us a recipe for a quick Strawberry Habanero Margarita. Other than the booze, you’ll need some sliced habanero, ice, and salt. Unfortunately, the Ruby Red Grapefruit flavor doesn’t seem to be very widely available. Grapefruit can be a divisive flavor, even among citrus lovers. It gets even more controversial when a particular grapefruit flavor tastes too processed or unnatural. Some people only want it bitter, and some only want it sweet.

From the name alone, we’re going to immediately assume two things. The watermelon flavor itself isn’t too sweet and comes across as surprisingly natural — which honestly surprised us some. But even the clean taste of the watermelon doesn’t hide the strong alcoholic bite. Based on the Espresso Martini’s description, this drink contains “Premium Rum with Coffee and Natural Flavors,” which doesn’t actually make it a martini at all. According to Kegworks, a true martini includes gin, vermouth, and olives, although vodka in place of gin is a widely accepted substitute.

As this drink is made with rum, it’s not really even close. That didn’t sound too bad, but we decided to reserve judgement for ourselves, naturally. It took a few sips to nail down what the Choc Tease reminds us of, but when it dawned on us that it’s essentially a chocolate martini with a bit of a stronger bite to it, we couldn’t help but be a little amused. True to their word, the Choc Tease is “rich and chocolatey.