Tweedle Botanicals: Hemp Spirit Rising

MODSUB#99

Wotcha!

Want to sample over 100 NA beers?

Book yourself a weekend in Denver for Dry Hop Fest on September 13.

More than 30 breweries from across the country will be there, offering samples of their non-alcoholic brews—from familiar names (especially if you’re a regular reader of this newsletter) to smaller breweries that may be new to you.

It’s the first beer festival in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to craft breweries producing NA beer. My guess? This festival is going to blow up in the years to come—so it’d be pretty cool to say you were at the very first one.

Details are in the sponsor section below.

Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Cheers, Myles

P.S. It’s the 100th edition of The Modern Substitute next week. I still can’t figure out how to celebrate that milestone. Any ideas?

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

SPIRIT
Tweedle Botanicals

COCKTAIL
Lapo’s - Citrus Spritz

Read time: 5 minutes 59 seconds

New Non-Alcoholic Drink News

NORTH AMERICA

• BEER: Not new but it’s another light news week and this is good news: Best Day Brewing have added their fan favourite, Galaxy Ripple IPA to their core line. (Link)

• BEER: Pre-order Self Care’s new Hasta la Raiz—an Oat Cream IPA. (Link)

• BEER: Pedal To Promise is a new IPA from Athletic Brewing. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

• BEER: NA beer lovers in Scotland will have a couple of new options. Mind Hop are debuting there first two beers—a lager and a stout. (Link)

• BEER: Korea’s Cass has launched All Zer0000 which is another one to add to my recent gluten-free NA beer round-up. (Link)

From this week’s sponsor:

Join The Phoenix and community partners for Denver's largest nonalcoholic beer fest on September 13th, 2025! 

Celebrate the growing world of NA craft beer with 30+ vendors including Rationale, Three Kings, Grüvi, Wackadoo Brewing, Ceria, Tweedle Botanicals, Eighteen Twenty, Juna, Wisetails, Go Brewing, Mash Gang, KitNA and Ted Segers.

Get your tickets for The Dry Hope Fest - NOW!

Thank you for supporting our sponsors who in turn support this newsletter.

SPIRIT

ModSub’s thoughts: I don’t pretend to know what makes a beverage business successful—there are surely countless factors at play. But a catchy name, stylish packaging, and a quality product must give you a pretty good head start.

Tweedle Botanicals opened its doors last year, though the idea for the spirit came to founders Catherine [Last Name?] and Jessica Trombley during Sober October in 2022.

CBD usage was already widespread in their home state of Colorado and had been part of both families’ lives for many years—helping with pain relief from injuries, aiding recovery and sleep after endurance races, and adding relaxation through various infused seltzers. What they realized during that Sober October was there wasn’t a CBD hemp spirit on the market they could use for making cocktails—and a light bulb went off.

In a kitchen somewhere in Boulder, the pair perfected the recipe that is Tweedle today. The bitter flavor from the hemp was always to be the base of the drink, after which they worked in the citrus, herbs and the sweet warmth of the vanilla. After nine months of experimenting, they had something they could sample at local markets. The reactions they received told them everything they needed to know. 

A little over a year later, Tweedle Botanicals is widely available across Colorado and, according to their store locator, in eight other states. Not bad for two friends with no prior beverage industry experience—especially considering the advice they ignored to steer clear of the hemp market.

So, what’s it like?

Neat
On the nose, there are prominent sweet vanilla notes with a pleasant citrus overlay. Take a sip and the experience broadens—the vanilla softens, lemon comes forward, then the hemp’s bitterness washes through, finishing with cardamom’s sweet, peppery lift.

Tweedle & Tonic
Tweedle’s go-to recipe is simple: 2 oz of the spirit, tonic water, and a slice of orange. While I could happily sip this spirit neat, adding tonic water turned out to be more my jam. The quinine and hemp balance their bitterness rather than doubling down on it, creating a surprisingly even, layered profile. This was so good I was tempted to stop here—but I had to try one more mix.

Tweedle Apple Fizz
I’m glad I did. While I’d still pick the T&T as my top choice, the Apple Fizz runs a close second. A more delicate cocktail, it brings fresh muddled apple juice up against that now-familiar herbaceous hemp flavor. The lemon juice adds brings a little tartness to the table. I skipped the sugar the recipe suggested, and it was all the more refreshing for it. Very good.

While by no means the same spirit, Tweedle reminds me a little of Kava Haven. Not because they taste alike—though there are some similarities—but because both sit comfortably on the non-traditional side of any non-alcoholic bar cart worth its salt. Just like Kave Haven, I think Tweedle has a massive future.

How does Tweedle Botanicals describe their spirit: Tweedle is a non-alcoholic hemp spirit to calm the mind, soothe the soul, and tantalize the taste buds. Flavored with lemon, cardamom, ginger and hemp extract, it’s taste is both refreshing and invigorating. Sip as an aperitif, serve on the rocks, or create a delicious mocktail. Alternatively, keep it simple with a straight Tweedle and tonic. The options are endless. Check out the recipes page for Tweedle mocktail recipe inspiration.

Note: the bottles featured in my pictures are sample bottles, not fill size.

COCKTAIL

ModSub’s thoughts: A couple of editions ago, I reported that the rather fabulous—but somewhat mysterious—Italian cocktail specialists, Lapo’s, were launching two new drinks. While searching for a link on the brand’s website, I was reminded that they had released Citrus Spritz last year. To be honest, I hadn’t come across it anywhere, and it had slipped my mind.

Serendipity, then, that on a recent forage through the always excellent non-alc selection at Bend’s Market of Choice—still the best selection of NA wine I’ve seen anywhere—I spotted a handful of unmistakable bright yellow and red Citrus Spritz cans sitting on a shelf.

Mrs. ModSub and I were on our way to a fundraiser at the High Desert Museum (add this attraction to your must-see list if you’re ever in Central Oregon), and I was expecting the usual omission of anything remotely resembling a proper adult drink. Credit to the caterers, then, who did actually have Deschutes Brewery’s Super Stoked Golden available—one of which I thoroughly enjoyed during the reception.

Dinner rolled around, though, and I was itching to try the Citrus Spritz tucked away in the little brown bag I’d brought along—I’d forgotten to bring the ModSub briefcase. A quick detour to the bar for a tumbler of ice—plus the added bonus of a dried orange slice—and I was ready to pop the can. One sip in, and I couldn’t think why, when I had gushed so much about its Negroni sibling, I hadn’t tracked this cocktail down sooner.

You might expect a drink like this to lean heavily on citrus for wider appeal. And while the orange, lemon, and lime are all evident right from the start, it’s the juniper, gentian root, and clove that dominate—surrounding the bright citrus with a bitter, herbaceous envelope that pleasantly lingers longer than expected. This is an expertly crafted cocktail, not something your kids could throw together with bottles from the fridge door.

The house cocktails being served at the event were beautifully presented and, I’m sure, tasted fabulous. Still, I wonder how many of those in attendance would have loved the option of enjoying a can of Citrus Spritz. I’d wager more than just Mrs ModSub and me.

How does Lapo’s describe their Citrus Spritz: Lapo's Citrus Spritz is an ode to the citrus groves of coastal Italy. This cocktail is a medley of lemon, lime and orange, with notes of juniper and thyme. Pleasant spicy and bitter notes round out the experience. drink chilled from the can or serve over ice and garnish with an orange slice. Either way... enjoy with a friend - Just as Lapo would have it!

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