Parch is a new line of sparkling non-alcoholic cocktails that are infused with desert botanicals and adaptogens. The drinks are made with the company’s own non-alcoholic agave spirit, which they say is inspired by the Sonoran Desert.

Parch currently comes in two flavors: Spiced Piñarata and Prickly Paloma, both of which have 70 calories and 17 grams of sugar (12 grams of added sugar from agave) per 8.4 ounce can.

In addition, the products are enhanced with adaptogens and botanical extracts – including GABA, ginseng, L-theanine, and ashwagandha – presumably to add some function to replace that of alcohol.It’s a concept that brands like Kin and De Soi have pursued to varying degrees. 

As for the flavor profiles that Parch has created, both are layered, thoughtfully executed drinking experiences. Their non-alcoholic agave spirit serves as a pretty good replacement for a tequila or mezcal, especially once paired with the other flavors .

We started our sampling with the Spiced Piñarita, which appears to be a riff on a spicy pineapple margarita. The addition of roasted pineapple puree adds a really nice caramelized flavor to the mix, while a modest dose of cayenne pepper, provides a pleasant spike of spice. The sweet and spicy notes balance out one another out and integrate with notes of agave, hibiscus, prickly pear and bitters, with the carbonation helping to bring it all together.

The second flavor, Prickly Paloma, is a nice twist on a classic paloma. It features jicama, lime and prickly pear as well as grapefruit and orange bitters for flavoring. There’s a light pepper note at the finish from added peppercorn. Again, the non-alcoholic agave spirit is a solid substitute for tequila and the addition of carbonation makes the product refreshing and almost crushable.

On the outside, we really like what they’ve created for the packaging design. It very much looks the part of the RTD cocktail category and it feels like a premium product thanks to the intricate illustrations on the front panel. This mimics what you see on a lot of spirits labels and is a subtle way to connect the drink back to the craft spirits movement.

The label copy is busy, but gets the job done. The top third is dedicated to the Parch logo with “non-alcoholic” sitting above it and “agave cocktail” sitting directly below. The center of the can features an oval that has a cactus and a snake illustration inside of it. Flanking this on the left and right are other callouts for product attributes (70 calories is one of them) and hero ingredients.  Finally, the flavor name is at the bottom as well as some copy stating that it’s infused with botanicals and adaptogens.

While we could make the argument that some simplification would help consumers better understand the message, we do think that the aesthetic Parch has created is similar to what you’ll find in the tequila and mezcal categories and this could help establish credibility. However, they failed to mention a key attribute – the drink is sparkling. 

Overall, Parch is offering two  of the best tasting and best looking non-alcoholic cocktails we’ve sampled to-date, and we think that having their own non-alcoholic spirit as part of the formulation and brand story gives them a major leg up for authenticity and quality.