The A-listers who are bottling their sparkle

Gillian Anderson, Blake Lively, Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian have a new batch of ‘healthy’ soft drinks
READ MORE: Blake Lively almost gets a Paul Hollywood handshake as he tries her new alcoholic drink Betty Booze in a showstopping advertising skit

From Kylie Minogue’s rosé to George Clooney’s tequila, celebrities have long been getting into the wine and spirits market.

Now they’re venturing into pop — specifically, sparkling beverages that put their wellness credentials first and foremost.

Often, the celebs have paired up with drinks industry veterans who think their sector has room for disruption.

After all, the energy drink Prime, launched by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, has become a schoolyard craze worth £200 million a year in sales.

So might Gillian Anderson, Blake Lively, Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian’s new batch of ‘healthy’ soft drinks be on track to beat Prime’s success? I gave them a swig to find out . . .

Blake Lively has launched Betty Buzz, a range of drinks that are great to mix with spirits but also as delicious on their own as non-alcoholic beverages

BLAKE KNOWS HOW TO MIX IT UP

Betty Buzz (£2.49 per 266ml bottle, Whole Foods)

While husband Ryan Reynolds launches a range of football-inspired lager as he cashes in on the success of his Wrexham football team, Blake Lively’s been busy bringing her range of ‘standalone mixers’ to the UK.

The idea is that they’re great to mix with spirits but also as delicious non-alcoholic drinks. Available in classic, if not so thrilling, flavours — grapefruit, ginger beer, lemon lime, club soda and tonic water — using natural flavours and no artificial colours.

VERDICT: Gently effervescent rather than fizzing away, the flavours are light and subtle — grapefruit is a favourite of mine — dry and moreish.

Nicely presented in chunky glass bottles that look good enough to leave out on my countertop. 3/5

GILLIAN’S CHEEKY DRINKS LABELS

G Spot (£3.50 per 330ml can, harveynichols.com)

Gillian Anderson’s line was inspired by her desire to kick her high-sugar, caffeinated drinks habit, so she teamed up with a nutritionist to create a range that ‘tasted good and did good’.

Her cheekily titled drinks use adaptogens and nootropics (botanicals, roots and plant substances; adaptogens are said to tackle stress while nootropics boost brain function) like the ‘energy mushroom’ cordyceps and lion’s mane to support mental focus and wellbeing, for 50 calories or under per can. Free from caffeine, added sugar and artificial sweeteners.

G Spot (£3.50 per 330ml can, harveynichols.com)

VERDICT: The three flavours each have a different function: Protect, with meadowsweet and ginger, is to support immunity; Soothe, with cornflowers and sage, to calm; and Lift, with berries and peppercorn, to energise.

Despite that, the sparkling apple base means they have less of a ‘niche’ taste than some other health drinks and would make a sophisticated alternative pick-me-up to a can of Coke. My pick of the bunch. 4/5

Kimade (Kim Kardashian x Alani Nu Pink Lemonade, £4.95 per 355ml can, scagnellis.com)

KIM’S POP IS PRETTY IN PINK

Kimade (Kim Kardashian x Alani Nu Pink Lemonade, £4.95 per 355ml can, scagnellis.com)

Pop culture queen Kim Kardashian has released a limited-edition pink lemonade with wellness company Alani Nu, which dedicated UK fans can buy via a specialist importer — hence the price.

It is proving a little controversial, with some questioning Kim’s wellness credentials and pointing out the relatively high caffeine content (200mg, equivalent to about two cups of coffee) and the artificial flavourings it uses so that it comes in at just ten calories a can.

VERDICT: The sugary pink tin matches the candyfloss-coloured drink, a strawberry fizz that is surprisingly tasty for those with a sweet tooth, which includes me, but I don’t feel so good about that caffeine. 2/5

KATY’S MOOD BOOSTERS

De Soi (£70 for 12 cans, equivalent to £5.83 per 237ml can, drinkdesoi.com)

Singer Katy Perry has refrained from the obvious — she has plumped for a ‘non-alcoholic aperitif’ rather than releasing her own perry (pear cider).

Her canned drinks use mood-boosting adaptogens like L-theanine, which comes from green tea, and the ayurvedic herb ashwagandha, to give a booze-free buzz with no artificial colours or flavours.

VERDICT: Tastes different from anything else I tried. Golden Hour, with yuzu and chamomile, has a mellow lemon taste; Champignon Dreams, with strawberry, birch and reishi mushroom, an almost earthy note; and Purple Lune, with blackberry and rose, gives a powerful kick of tart cherry (another ingredient on the packed list).

Not for everyone but so flavourful you really would sip these slowly like an aperitif. Bravo Katy! 4/5

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