CBD drinks vs alcohol, alcohol-free beer, kombucha and adaptogen drinks

Quick answer

A CBD drink like Little Rick has no alcohol, few calories and an active ingredient: 32mg of full-spectrum CBD per can. Wine and beer bring alcohol and up to 158–222 calories a serve. Alcohol-free beer replaces the taste of beer, usually at 0.5% ABV, with nothing active. Kombucha is fermented tea with trace alcohol. Adaptogen drinks use botanicals such as ashwagandha or valerian instead of CBD. If you want an evening drink that you can feel, without alcohol, a CBD drink is the closest swap.

Last reviewed 7 November 2026. Brand figures were checked on each brand’s own website on 7 November 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

Side by side, per serve

Wine and beer figures are NHS maximums; units use the NHS formula. Brand figures are per serve as sold, from each brand’s website (per-100ml values multiplied up where needed). 12-pack list prices.
Drink (one serve) Alcohol Calories Sugar What’s active Price a serve
Little Rick CBD drink (330ml can) None 3kcal (Raspberry Coconut) to 63kcal (Piña) 0g (Raspberry Coconut) to 14.2g (Piña) 32mg full-spectrum CBD £2.75 (12-pack), £2.53 (24-pack)
Wine (175ml glass, 12%) 2.1 units up to 158kcal Varies Alcohol Varies
Beer (pint, 5%) 2.8 units up to 222kcal Varies Alcohol Varies
Alcohol-free lager: Lucky Saint (330ml) 0.5% ABV 53kcal 0.3g None £1.83
Kombucha: Hip Pop Ginger & Yuzu (330ml) Trace (under 0.1%, brand FAQ) 33kcal 7.9g Live cultures £1.67
CBD kombucha: Hip Pop (330ml) Trace 53kcal 8.6g 15mg CBD extract £2.08
Adaptogen elixir: Three Spirit Nightcap (50ml, before mixer) Non-alcoholic 30kcal 6g Lemon balm, valerian, hops, turmeric, ashwagandha about £2.60
Botanical spirit: Sentia GABA Red (25ml, before mixer) 0% ABV 9kcal 1.6g Botanicals (sold as a food supplement) £1.60

Alcohol: wine, beer and spirits

Alcohol is the benchmark everyone is replacing: it relaxes, it’s sociable, and it comes with calories, units and, for many, a rough next morning. The UK’s low-risk guideline is no more than 14 units a week. The government estimates that one in five adults in England drink more than that.

Alcohol-free beer and wine

These copy the taste of the real thing. Most are brewed or made to 0.5% ABV, which counts as “de-alcoholised” rather than “alcohol-free” under England’s labelling guidance. They’re lower in calories than beer or wine, but there’s nothing in them that helps you unwind; you get the taste and the ritual.

Kombucha

Kombucha is fermented sweetened tea, so it contains live cultures and a trace of alcohol from fermentation. It’s tangy and lighter than most soft drinks. Some brands now add CBD; Hip Pop’s CBD kombucha has 15mg a can.

Adaptogen and botanical drinks

These use plant ingredients such as ashwagandha, valerian, lemon balm or lion’s mane instead of CBD. Many come as a concentrate you mix with tonic, so the price and calories go up once the mixer is added. Some are sold as food supplements with a daily limit: Sentia’s label says no more than 100ml in 24 hours.

CBD drinks

CBD drinks are soft drinks with cannabidiol added. CBD is not a controlled drug in the UK, but it is a novel food, so in England and Wales a CBD drink must be on the FSA’s public list. Strength varies widely: the UK drinks we checked range from 5mg to 32mg a can. Little Rick is at the top, with 32mg of full-spectrum CBD in 330ml, in four flavours including zero-sugar Raspberry Coconut.

The FSA advises healthy adults to limit CBD from food to 10mg a day, and doesn’t recommend it for anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under 18. More in how much CBD is in a can.

Which one should you pick?

  • You miss the taste of beer: an alcohol-free beer.
  • You want something light and tangy for the daytime: kombucha.
  • You like a long, mixed drink with tonic: a botanical or adaptogen concentrate.
  • You want to wind down in the evening without alcohol: a CBD drink. That’s what most of our customers use it for.

In our 2026 survey of 59 UK customers, 82% said they open a Little Rick to relax or take the edge off. Asked what they’d drink otherwise, 22% said wine, beer or spirits, 10% alcohol-free beer and 29% another CBD drink. See the full survey, our alcohol-free drinks guide, or more alcohol alternatives in the Journal.

Shop: CBD Drinks Mix Pack · Raspberry Coconut (zero sugar)

Frequently asked questions

Do CBD drinks contain alcohol?

Little Rick doesn’t: it’s a sparkling soft drink. Some other CBD drinks, such as CBD kombucha, can contain a trace from fermentation, so check the label.

Do CBD drinks give you a hangover?

Hangovers come from alcohol, and Little Rick contains none. Customers often mention waking up without the groggy feeling they get after wine.

Is a CBD drink better than alcohol-free beer?

They do different jobs. Alcohol-free beer copies the taste of beer. A CBD drink is for winding down: it has an active ingredient, CBD, and doesn’t try to taste like beer.

Are adaptogen drinks the same as CBD drinks?

No. Adaptogen drinks use botanicals such as ashwagandha or valerian. CBD drinks use cannabidiol from hemp, which in the UK is regulated as a novel food.

How many calories are in a CBD drink?

It depends on the drink. A can of Little Rick ranges from about 3 calories (Raspberry Coconut) to 63 calories (Piña).

Sources