Joia Spirit launched its line of “low calorie” canned cocktails in 2019. Unlike many other canned cocktails; Joia’s Sparkling Gimlet achieves this without added sweetening. All of the calories come from the gin and lime juice.
Bottled at 6% ABV the Sparkling Gimlet is only 120 calories per can— roughly the equivalent of a single jigger of gin (~110 calories / 1.5 oz.)
Tasting notes
Color: Perfectly clear
Aroma: Light in intensity, but the aroma is predominantly lime citrus candy with hints of watermelon Jolly Rancher mixed in.
Flavor: In terms of carbonation, it’s a bit on the lighter side. Bubbles are medium sized and concentrated on the front of the palate. They dissipate quickly.
The Sparkling Gimlet is rather dry with lime throughout. Early lime zest, eases into lime candy. The back of the palate has notes of Rose’s Lime Juice (as in a traditional Gimlet) and melon; however, this drink reminds me more of a gin fizz than a gimlet.
Finish: Pleasantly dry and crisp. The finish is short with just a hint of lime, cantaloupe and ginger.
Overall, Joia Sparkling Gimlet
I’ll start with the things I like the best about Joia Spirit’s Sparkling Gimlet: it is light and refreshing. In case you couldn’t guess from the 0g of sugar and lack of alternative sweeteners, it’s a dry drink. I quite like that.
There’s two details that throw me off. One, you’d likely never guess there was gin in here. I can barely taste any hint of spirit in here— it may as well be vodka, the lime dominates so much. Secondly, it doesn’t resemble a gimlet to me either. Other than the presence of gin and lime, it bares no resemblance to what you might think a sparkling Gimlet should taste like.
If you’re looking for an RTD Gin Fizz that is light on juniper and heavier on lime, this drink is it. It’s quite satisfying and drinkable, but it’s hard for me to overlook its shortcomings, even if it is an RTD I would gladly drink.