CleanCo Non-Alcoholic Clean W Review*

[Ad-gifted] Are you looking to enjoy the sun but without the – what often feels like – obligatory alcoholic drink? Well, here at Yeah Lifestyle we love a cocktail (as you regular readers may know) but we also love low-alcohol/non-alcoholic and zero-alcohol drinks too and over the years have been asked to review some delightful alternatives to alcohol. Our next review is no exception.

CleanCo have sent us the third instalment in their range of affordable, great swap non-alcoholic drinks. The drink is Clean W – which we would think is more than likely a swap for whiskey and is an amber oaked drink with notes of vanilla – we are going to pair it with a classic Cola and also create a summer-inspired possibly slightly old-fashioned cocktail for you to try at home.

You can read more about CleanCo in our latest blog post here and see what we thought of it. We’ve loved all the others so far, so let’s hope this one doesn’t disappoint.

What I thought about Clean W and the two drinks combination/recipes

Clean W has a woodsy taste on its own – of course, it is completely missing the heat you get from whiskey but it has a nice aroma and you can taste the vanilla I think should be good in both the drinks I have coming up.

For my first drink, I considered abbreviating the drink combo of Clean W & Cola to WC!! But then thought better of it. So, let’s rethink…and call it something simple, No Whisk In This Cola!

This is a classic drink that has maintained popularity for years – it’s known as Bourbon and Coke, Whiskey and Coke, JD and Coke and it has a big following on nights out (and in), so being able to swap this for a non-alcoholic version is such a plus.

No Whisk In This Cola

50ml Clean W
150ml Coke
Ice and a high ball-style glass

Pour both over ice in a high ball glass finished off with your choice of straw! I personally love a glass straw at the moment, but metal or paper is just fine.

Let’s look at the taste…I am not a huge whiskey fan but have in my time had a Whiskey and Coke so can compare. I felt that this was such a good alternative it tasted quite similar to Whiskey and Coke – but not quite as good a match as the Clean R and Coke, but still tasty.

The next cocktail along with a recipe is just below. I wanted this to be a twist on an Old Fashioned, that I have named New Style.

New Style

50ml Clean W
20ml of lemon juice
20ml of sugar syrup
topped with a dash of soda water
finished with a piece of orange peel

Mix the Clean W, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice – pour over a short glass filled with ice and then top with soda water – finish with a slice of orange peel.

This makes a short but refreshing drink and is a great one to start the evening before you get into the sugary No Whisk In This Coke. The reason why this can’t be a straight swap on an Old Fashioned is down to the fact that Angustora Bitters are actually alcoholic – they aren’t simply a bitter addition to your cocktail they are also between 27%-47% proof, so if you want an alternative you might have to do a bit of an internet trawl (I am sure they’re out there).

I love this drink and I would be happy to have this as a cocktail alternative on a night with friends. With the woodsy nature (as mentioned before) of Clean W and the lemon, it was a perfect match.

Specification

Clean W is a Gold Award Winner – Casual Dining Innovation Challenge 2022
• 1x 70cl bottle
• Vegan/Lactose Free/Gluten Free
• 17 calories per 50ml serving – essentially a double measure
• Non-alcoholic (less than 0.5% ABV)
• Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Do not freeze.

Where can you buy your bottle of CleanCo?

You can buy Clean W directly from their website (which is where we would suggest), however, I spotted Clean G Rhubarb in Sainsbury’s – I think it cost slightly more than directly from CleanCo.  So head to their website here to check out their full range.

How much is Clean W?

The bottle costs £16, however, you purchase other drinks from CleanCo. or at Sainsbury’s for £18

About CleanCo

You may recognise the name Spencer Matthews, from the TV series Made in Chelsea which started back in 2011 and continued for a good number of years beyond that. However, in 2019 just before the birth of his first child, he decided to go clean – he became more focused and driven and hasn’t ever regretted his decision to change this aspect of his life.

He began to develop CleanCo in a way that was un-preachy about it being non-alcoholic. It was a way you could have a drink enjoying the same elements as you would if you were drinking alcohol. The drinks are made to be 1-1 replacements of traditional spirits.

The drinks at CleanCo are fun to make and fun to drink and can be enjoyed without a cloudy head from an ever-looming hangover, so if you want a fog-free Christmas check out all the varieties of drinks available along with a tonne of handy recipes on their website.

Review by: Lex Ward

You may also want to read this:

CleanCo Non-Alcoholic Rum Review

Review: Everleaf, a Non-alcoholic Bittersweet Aperitif

Nirvana Brewery Low/No Alcohol Beer Review

*We were sent Clean W in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.