Raising the Bar Subscription Box Review: Alcohol-Free Cocktail Kit

When I wanted to get better at cooking, I turned to the meal kit service HelloFresh to help me level up my kitchen skills and learn new recipes. I swear I still need supervision sometimes, but definitely not as much!

Similarly, when I was new to the alcohol-free world, I wanted to learn mixology in order to make craft mocktails but didn’t know where to start. That’s why I was really excited when I heard about Raising the Bar.

Raising the Bar is like if craft mocktails met HelloFresh—except you don’t know what will be in the box! I’ve had three NA cocktail subscription boxes delivered to me now, each with its own mystery ingredients and theme which dictate the flavor palette.

In this in-depth post, I will review my most recent box as well as Raising the Bar’s subscription service overall. This is not a sponsored post, so my review is completely unbiased! However, if you do sign up using my link, I may receive a commission as an affiliate.

About Raising the Bar

When you typically think of mocktails, you might think of a syrupy Shirley Temple or an overly sweet Arnold Palmer.

The disparity in the level of sophistication between cocktails with alcohol and those without is a grave injustice that the founders of Raising the Bar, Abbie and Devin Romanul, aim to rectify. They’re “raising the bar” regarding libations for non-drinkers, showcasing innovative brands they curate and how you can use them together to craft a mocktail that’s so good you wouldn’t know it’s zero-proof.

Each subscription box from Raising the Bar includes alcohol-free craft cocktail ingredients and teaches you how to make unique and delicious drinks with them. Similar to this blog, they’re on a mission to normalize the choice not to drink – whether it’s for a night or a lifetime.

Each box pairs combinations of seasonal:

• Alcohol-free spirits and teas
• Tonics, bitters, and syrups
• Juices, mixers, and bubbly liquids
• Occasionally, bar tools

How Does Raising the Bar Work?

To get started, all you have to do is subscribe on their website. Then you’ll receive your box in the mail so you can make exquisite non-alcoholic cocktails right from home.

Each box includes at least three unique zero-proof cocktail recipes, ingredients to create 10-12 drink servings, plus fun little extras like a koozie or a garnish (however, you might need to have some juice on hand or a special glass).

For best results, invite a friend or two over and turn up your speakers because each box comes with a curated Spotify playlist to go with it!

What Does Raising the Bar Cost?

You can order just one box at a time or opt for a three-month, six-month, or 12-month subscription. There are gift and corporate group options available as well.

Here are the different plans and prices:

• One box every month at $58 each
• One box per month for three months at $165 ($55 per box)
• One box per month for six months – $318 ($53 per box)
• One box per month for 12 months – $609 ($51 per box)

While you do get more bang per buck the more boxes you get, it’s not that much in savings. I suspect it’s because they can’t offer too much of a discount because they are using high-quality ingredients. 

My Most Recent Raising the Bar Experience: The Heatwave Box

Let’s look at the most recent box I got from Raising the Bar: June 2023’s Heatwave!

As you can see, even unboxing is part of the experience since it’s filled with recycled paper confetti. You have to dig to see what goodies are inside!

When I took everything out, this is what I had:

Here’s what was included:

• 2 Rightside Brewing Citrus Wheat non-alcoholic beers
• 8 ounces Element Shrub Ginger Lime Shrub
• 2 Q Club Sodas
• 3 ounces Portland Syrups Ginger syrup
• 1 packet of Sacred Plant Co Hops Flowers
• 1 mini jar of African Bronze Hot Honey
• 3 ounces of lime juice
• Two can covers to keep the drinks from going flat

The First Drink: The Heatwave

The first non-alcoholic drink I made was the one that appeared on the recipe card, the Heatwave. At first, I was slightly confused because I thought they only sent one recipe. However, the other two drink recipes were accessible via the QR code in the upper right-hand corner of the card.

The Heatwave is inspired by the classic shandy, which is typically equal parts beer and lemonade. 

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. Element Shrub
• 6 oz. chilled Rightside Brewing citrus wheat beer
• 3.5 oz. chilled club soda
• Dried hop flower

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a pint glass and stir. Top with the dried hop flower.

As you can see, this drink was super simple to put together—no need to be a master mixologist. All I needed to do was whip out a pint glass and pour. You’d think that would be easy enough, right?

Turns out, I forgot about the whole beer foam thing so, this is what my glass looked like after I poured the beer:

Note to my future self: Angle the glass when you pour your NA beer so you don’t end up with pure foam!

Besides that tiny little hiccup, the drink came out great! Here’s the final result:

This drink reminded me of the rainy summer day I spent years ago with my friends at a Hoffbrau in Germany, where we tried Sprite mixed with beer. At first, my tastebuds were confused by the sweet mixed with the bitter, but it was actually quite delicious! 

Thankfully, the Heatwave was not sweet like that at all! It was very crisp and refreshing, and I really liked the NA beer they chose.

The Second Drink: Bright Eyes

Next up was the “Bright Eyes” NA cocktail, which was a bit more complex.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1.25 oz. Element Shrub
• .5 oz Portland Syrups
• .5 oz lime juice
• 1 oz fresh orange (sweeter) or grapefruit (tarter) juice
• 1 egg white (or aquafaba)

Instructions:

In a shaker, add all ingredients and dry shake (without ice) for 30 seconds. Then, add in ice and shake for another 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass making sure to get all the foam on top. Garnish with a fresh flower.

As I was going through the ingredients, I thought it called for an orange, not orange juice, so I cut up a whole orange and dropped it into the shaker. Then, I re-read it, and luckily, I did have orange juice on hand, so I poured some of it in since it didn’t come with any. 

Lastly, I didn’t have a coupe glass, which is a stemmed cocktail glass with a fairly round bowl with straight sides. I had to use a wine glass, which had more volume than a coupe glass, so it looked less full.

Here’s how it turned out:

All in all, it was a good drink. The foam, which was made of egg whites, reminded me of a pisco sour, but non-alcoholic!

The Third Drink: Island in the Sun

Last but not least, the “Island Sun” was my favorite of the three zero-proof drink recipes.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

• .5 oz hot honey
• ⅓ oz. Portland Syrups
• .5 – 1 oz lime juice, depending on how tart you like yours
• 4 oz. water or sparkling water

Instructions:

In a shaker with ice, combine all ingredients and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a cross-section of ginger root. If you prefer bubbly water over still, add it at the end since shaking and bubbles do not mix!

In the end, why did I enjoy this drink so much? It tasted like a Moscow Mule, which is one of my favorite cocktails. It was also simple to make. I used sparkling water for mine since I’m obsessed with the carbonation. 

It was definitely a refreshing drink that lived up to the theme of the box!

Overall Review of Raising the Bar Subscription Boxes

All in all, I am a huge fan of this company—like, really, are they hiring? I love that they are also on a mission to normalize not drinking alcohol, for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. You can tell that the kits are meticulously put together with attention paid to every detail. 

When you create these drinks, you’re making every day a special occasion. This is great because, when happy hour rolls around, but you don’t want booze, you can still enjoy the ritual of making a fine cocktail. It’s a fun way to put your health first.

The Bottom Line

I think these boxes make great gifts, both for yourself and others. Like HelloFresh, you can make an activity out of it so you get amazing products and a nice time. 

Ready to elevate your home bar and try it for yourself? Sign up for Raising the Bar today and let me know what you think!