De Soi is a non-alcoholic cocktail brand founded by celebrity and musician Katy Perry. The brand highlights the “natural adaptogens” in their products.

But what adaptogens are in De Soi (if any), and are they effectively dosed? Do these drinks contain any unhealthy ingredients? What was our experience purchasing and trying it? And is De Soi better or worse than popular mocktail brands like Curious Elixirs?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in De Soi cocktails to give our take on whether or not they're healthy, and whether they're likely to cause a mental or physical effect due to the adaptogens.

We’ll also share our honest experience trying this brand, and compare De Soi to other popular mocktail brands, in terms of healthiness, to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

• Healthier than most "mocktails"
• Contains natural flavors
• We do not currently recommend De Soi

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in the Très Rosé cocktail sold by De Soi are shown below:

For the most part, we consider this to be a healthy formulation because it’s comprised of whole foods and whole food extracts, some of which have research backing for their health effects.

Lychee supports healthy blood sugar levels according to a medical review published in the Frontiers in Pharmacology journal.

Lion’s mane was shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in a 2015 clinical trial.

Chamomile may have benefits to mental health such as stress relief and calming effects according to a 2011 medical review.

There is only one ingredient in this drink that we consider questionable from a health perspective.

Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring chemicals used.

We consider this ingredient to be healthier than artificial flavors, but some flavoring additives have questionable health effects, as we documented in our Hop Water review.

Our issue with the brand’s claims about adaptogens is that the doses of these adaptogens are not listed on the product page. Without ingredient doses, it’s very challenging to determine whether or not an ingredient is likely to have an effect.

L-theanine is an example: this adaptogen was shown to “promote relaxation without drowsiness” in a 2015 medical review.

The dose used in most of the studies cited was 200 milligrams (mg). Without knowing the dose in De Soi, it’s difficult to determine whether the drink is likely to have a relaxation-promoting effect.

Overall, we consider De Soi to be a healthier option than most alcoholic drinks.

We don’t currently recommend this brand due to the inclusion of natural flavors, and because we don’t find the adaptogenic claims convincing without active ingredient doses.

We Tested De Soi

As the author of this article, I wanted to try De Soi myself to share my thoughts on its taste and the overall product experience:

I bought a 4-pack of De Soi Très Rosé from the brand's website.

The product arrived in fully cardboard packaging with no plastic which I appreciate, and which makes me more likely to purchase from a brand again.

The taste was honestly great, even though this isn't a type of drink I'd normally have with dinner. It was slightly sweet at first with a tangy aftertaste, and felt much "lighter" than most flavored seltzers or fruit juices that I've tried recently.

I can't say I noticed any "mood-boosting buzz" like the product page suggests, but I could see why someone following a sober lifestyle could enjoy a drink like this. It really does taste like a healthier version of a cocktail.

I don't plan to purchase this product again because spending over $5 for a non-alcoholic, small drink seems excessive, but I'm pleasantly surprised overall with the taste, ingredients and packaging.

I'd rate De Soi 7/10, and consider it to be one of the better products in its category.

De Soi vs. Popular Mocktail Brands

Here's how De Soi compares to other popular mocktail brands in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:

Hiyo

Contains a sweetener which is clinically shown to be associated with greater risk of stroke.

De Soi is a significantly healthier choice.

Winner: De Soi

Curious Elixirs

Many active ingredients are certified organic, whereas those in De Soi aren't.

Free from "natural flavors" and any other inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy.

We tried Curious Elixirs and preferred it to De Soi, as we documented in our Curious Elixirs review article.

Winner: Curious Elixirs

Nowadays

This drink contains THC and a large amount of refined, added sugar.

Also contains flavoring additives, an unclear emulsifying compound, and synthetic preservatives.

Winner: De Soi

De Soi Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Contains many nutritious botanical ingredients
• May have adaptogenic effect
• Healthier than average non-alcoholic drink brand
• We tried it and liked the taste
• Healthier than some competitors

Cons:

• Contains flavoring additives
• Adaptogen doses aren’t clearly published
• We tried it and didn't experience adaptogenic effects
• Doesn’t appear clinically tested for any adaptogenic effect

Conclusion

Katy Perry’s cocktail line De Soi is generally healthy, and will probably expose customers to a wide range of botanical ingredients they wouldn’t otherwise get from diet, which could confer health benefits.

We don’t currently recommend the Rosé cocktail due to the inclusion of natural flavoring additives, and also because the adaptogen ingredient doses aren’t published on the product page.

Without active ingredient doses for the adaptogens, it’s nearly impossible to determine if they’re likely or not to have an effect.

We purchased and tried De Soi and liked the taste, but did not experience any subjective "mood-boosting" effects.

We consider De Soi to be a healthier mocktail option than Hiyo and Nowadays, but less healthy than Curious Elixirs.