I was excited to discover TÖST this holiday season. As the name implies, it is a sparkling, bubbly, non-alcohol alternative to champagne or Prosecco. (Get it? – an alternative to a wine you would usually make a “toast” with.)

These are not dealcoholized wines (wines that have had alcohol removed). Nor are they kombuchas, which are fermented and may contain trace amounts of alcohol. These are unfermented beverages made from tea, fruit, and herbs that never had any alcohol in the first place. TÖST comes in two flavors – Original (chardonnay yellow in gold foil) and Rose (slightly pinker in silver foil). Both flavors are bubbly, light, refreshing. A little sweet but not as sweet as sparkling fruit juice, with just a hint of bitterness and a dry finish. A lovely champagne alternative to toast the New Year, or to mix with orange juice for mimosas on New Year’s Day.

Flavors

Original TÖST– White tea, white cranberry, and ginger. Don’t worry – the cranberry flavor here is VERY mild, nothing at all like the sparkling cranberry cocktails you’ve probably OD’d on over the past month. The ginger adds a welcome note which makes the drink taste more adult (not more like an adult beverage, but something that would appeal to adults instead of “kids of all ages.”) This is probably my favorite flavor. (45 calories)

TÖST ROSÉ – If Original is my favorite, TÖST ROSÉ runs a close second, with white tea, ginger, and elderberry. I perceive it as being just a smidge sweeter than the Original. If you are a fan of elderberry wine or elderflower lemonade, you might want to try this one first. (40 calories)

Both flavors have a dry finish that encourage you to sip, not chug.

Bottles

Nice, heavy, full-size (750 ML) glass bottles. Clean, crisp labeling. Looks like any other “wine” you would have on your bar. You can also buy 6-packs, but the bottle looks classier.

Bubbles

Oh my goodness, the bubbles. Chill well beforehand if possible. Have a clean kitchen towel underneath and another one near by when you pop open the bottle. No matter how gentle you are, the bottle opens with a loud, thrilling POP and there will be bubbles everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Just quickly mop the bubbles up (they don’t stain) and start pouring that bubbly.

Ingredients

Recognizable!

From the website:

TÖST is Carbonated Water, Organic Blue Agave, White Tea, White Cranberry Concentrate, Natural Ginger Extract, Natural Citrus Extract with other Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, and Quinine.

TÖST ROSÉ is Carbonated Water, Cane Sugar, White Tea, White Cranberry and Elderberry Concentrate, Natural Ginger and Citrus Extract with other Natural Flavors, and Citric Acid.

Vegan Friendly?

TÖST, made with organic blue agave, is vegan friendly.

TÖST ROSÉ can be considered vegan friendly, depending on the importance you place on sourcing all your sugars. I cannot find if the cane sugar is unprocessed or organic, which would make it vegan friendly. Keep in mind that many don’t want to label the sugar used, since a change in the supply chain outside of their knowledge/control could trigger potential lawsuits.

Gluten Friendly?

Yes, TÖST says both varieties are gluten free!

Review Warning

After I wrote this post, I googled to see what others thought about these innovative drinks. Most reviews were positive, but there were some nasty ones. Careful perusal showed almost all of these were people who expected a dry white dinner wine substitute.

This is not that.

TÖST is meant as a slightly sweet champagne or Prosecco subsitute, something to make a celebratory toast with, to sip on at a party, a light apertif before dinner, or maybe a dessert wine with some fruit. Of course, some people like a sweet, bubbly Prosecco with their meals (bleagh), and if that’s you, treise leat! You may adore this as a dinner wine. But TÖST definitely does not taste like – or is intended to taste like – a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.

Cost

I bought these on sale for $6.29 (regularly $8.99) at Whole Foods. Available at most major supermarkets. In the Charlotte region, that includes Harris Teeter, Publix, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Sprouts.

Happy 2025!!!