Stryyk is a drinks brand founded by entrepreneur Alex Carlton who first founded Funkin Cocktails back in 1999. Carlton successfully sold this business in 2015 and set his sights on a new venture: alcohol-free spirits such as zero-proof rum and gin. We were lucky enough to be able to try Stryyk's 'Not Rum' drink and give our verdict.

Premise

Stryyk is a drinks brand for those who might be tee-total for health reasons or simply because they are the designated driver that day. Stryyk aims to allow those who aren't drinking traditional alcoholic drinks and cocktails to still enjoy their outing just as much as their friends. One idea that Stryyk is working on is to encourage bars and venues to denote drinks that work with Stryyk gin or rum with an 'S' on the drinks menu, in the same way a 'V' on a restaurant menu denotes a vegetarian dish. The idea is that patrons can choose to 'stryyk' the alcohol and still enjoy a delicious, balanced drink.

Founder Carlton generally believes that "a mocktail menu is typically quite sweet, which is not sessionable." He believes that those who don't drink alcohol should be able to enjoy a premium, quality cocktail instead of having to opt for a plain orange juice or other sugary soft drink.

As a health and fitness brand, here at Sundried we certainly champion those who choose not to drink alcohol for health reasons but might still want to go out and enjoy an evening with friends. Being able to 'stryyk' the alcohol out of your drink allows you to not make a fuss about not drinking alcohol which we think is a big bonus.

Taste

When we were sent our bottle of Stryyk Not Rum, we were advised that it pairs excellently with ginger beer as well as lime. Classic rum-based cocktails such as a Mojito are always a winner, so we started with that. We muddled lime, mint, and sugar into a glass, added ice, and then poured over the Stryyk Not Rum to complete the cocktail. A Mojito is traditionally made with white rum where Stryyk's is golden, but as this is just an added colouring we figured it shouldn't matter too much! We also made a traditional Mojito with 'real' rum to compare notes.

As soon as you open the bottle of Stryyk's Not Rum, you're greeted with a delightful, spicy aroma which makes your mouth water instantly. The flavour is light and fruity thanks to the grapefruit while the clove helps it stay robust and flavourful. The Not Rum tasted fantastic mixed into the Mojito and actually tasted better than the 'real' Mojito made with traditional rum!

When drunk neat on the rocks, this spirit is quite the stand-out and is very delicious. It pairs wonderfully with ginger beer and drives the flavour through the roof. To think that it is perfectly healthy, there's no risk of hangover, and you can drink it all day, we think it's an absolute winner!

Stryyk Zero-Proof spirits are available from their website www.stryyk.com