However, there are times when I can't drink — largely due to medications I very much need to take. I also just came off a month or so of being on some serious painkillers, which meant foregoing even social drinking. I realized at some point it wasn't the alcohol I missed, it was having a small glass of something that tastes rather nice right before bed. And while yeah, sometimes I absolutely want a gin and tonic, I neither need nor want that on the daily.

I've seen Curious Elixirs around a lot, and I've been... uh... curious about them. Partly because I realized I need some non-alcoholic go-tos for when I inevitably do myself another mischief and end up on painkillers again. But also because I have friends who either can't or don't want to drink, so I'm always keeping my eyes and ears up for alternatives. So when the opportunity arose to give these a try, I figured I would.

I received five flavors to sample. Sadly, one was past its sell-by date, so I opted not to brave that one. Here, then, are the other four.

Curious No. 1 goes out to all those House of the Dragon, Emma D'Arcy, or Tumblr in general enjoyers. Because it's the Curious Elixirs take on a Negroni Sbagliato. Meme potential aside, this is No. 1 for a reason. It's easily my favorite out of the entire list, both for the pomegranate flavor and how nice it looks in the glass. (I am a sucker for aesthetics.)

No. 1, like all the cocktails from Curious Elixirs, is made with a superfood and adaptogen blend; in this case, rhodolia for relaxation and gentian for digestion. Whether you credit any of that or not, it's still a lovely drink.

Curious No. 3 was the first one I cracked open: an herby twist on a Cucumber Collins. I'm a sucker for herbal and floral infusions in my cocktails, and this was definitely a nice one. It's a bit lighter than No. 1, and is a very close second and nice alternative. This one is made with ashwagandha extract, so it might not be suitable for some.

I thought Curious No. 5 would be my favorite, because "smoked chocolate cherry" sounds like three things I love all rolled into one. Your mileage may vary, but I found that the smokiness didn't quite hit the same as, say, a smoky bourbon. It was a bit too strong and bitter on the palate, drowning out the rest of the nice flavors. This might hit different for others, though.

Last but not least, Curious No. 6. This tropical drink was inspired by the Painkiller, and it's a nice one. Not as high on my list as No. 1 or No. 3, but I'm also not as big a fan of pineapple-based drinks as others might be. If pina coladas are your go-to, though, I could see this being a great non-alcoholic swap-in.

Overall, the flavor of these took a little getting used to. These are not meant to taste alcoholic; however, the flavor combinations do lend themselves to sipping. Once you get past that, it's rather nice. Like real cocktails, not every flavor is going to be a hit with every drinker. Even if you know what you like, it may take a little trial and error to find your match. They do offer variety packs, so you can test drive a few different ones and find out what works for you.

They reminded me most of all of, as I mentioned before, some herbal-infused cocktails I've had in the past. I'm a huge fan of those, so take that as your barometer. If you enjoy those, these might be a hit for you. But again, they're not a one-to-one alcohol stand-in, nor should they be expected to be.

These are a relatively healthy alternative to alcoholic nightcaps, though I definitely recommend checking the label (both for herbal interactions and for calories). The website lists the price per serving, which is generally about $4-5... more expensive than a six-pack of beer, but probably also better for you.

If you're interested in trying out Curious Elixirs, I would definitely recommend picking up one of their monthly sample packs first. In my experience, you're likely to find a go-to and a fallback pretty quickly. From there, you can order exactly what you fancy. If you prefer to grab a six-pack in person, check their Stockists page for a location near you that sells them.

Thanks very much to Curious Elixirs for sending samples my way!