Illicit Elixirs is a line of functional sparkling beverages designed to support dopamine production through its proprietary DopaJoy™ blend. But more than its ingredients, we feel  the drink’s unique and eye popping branding will likely inspire the most discussion. 

Illicit Elixirs is launching in a 12 ounce sleek can in four flavors, including Late Night Fruity Call, Vegas Debauch-A-Berry, Let’s Party Peaches and Watermelon Lime Thirst Trap. 

Before we get to the liquid, let’s quickly talk about the branding and design. The cans have a glossy black shrink sleeve label that is packed with colorful illustrated elements that tie back to the flavor. The Illicit Elixirs logo, which spans almost the entire circumference of the can, is centered around an illustration of a cartoonish face with an exaggerated smile. The end result has a carnival funhouse vibe that feels like a nice contrast to other mid-calorie carbonated beverages.  

As for the liquid, its dopamine-focused functional blend includes a host of ingredients that are common to functional beverages, including ginseng, green tea extract, L-taurine, L-theanine, L-tyrosine, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.  Also included is saffron, a pi ingredient more often used in food than beverage. From a nutritional perspective, the beverages between 45 to 50 calories per can with  no added sugar, instead sweetened with a mix of fruit juices and allulose. The end result is 7 to 9 grams of sugar per 12 oz can. 

The flavor of all four drinks is quite good and the use of fruit juice – between 24% and 50%, depending on the SKU – )really shines. The moderate carbonation level means they still taste crisp and light in body. The use of allulose really works well and dialing in the formulas at  50 calories is a big win: these really drink like full-calorie beverages.  

Another plus: no sweetener aftertaste and no flavor from the functional ingredients. We think all four flavors are on solid footing and could go broad in their appeal, but our favorites were Watermelon Lime Thirst Trap (think raspberry lime rickey) and Late Night Fruity Call, which has a really nice sour cherry flavor to it. 

Having looked at the branding and tried the liquid, we do have a couple of thoughts for Illicit Elixirs.  First, there’s something about the word “dopamine” that makes the drink feel overly functional and serious, and that seems at odds with the rest of the messaging and certainly the tastiness of the liquid.  We’d love to see this delivered in a softer and less prominent way, especially considering that the drink has plenty of merits simply as a great tasting mid-calorie sparkling refreshment. 

Our second bit of feedback is a technical point: the Illicit Elixirs name is very hard to read. It requires fully turning the can and reading it from left to right and then right to left – a pretty clunky experience. There’s probably a way to address this without impacting the overall design aesthetic.  

Ultimately, it’s this design aesthetic, paired with the enjoyable liquid inside the can, that has us feeling very optimistic about Illicit Elixirs’ chances. It feels like a brand that manages to both stand out on-shelf and deliver a taste experience that should keep consumers coming back for more.