A Refreshing Grapefruit Brew That Fails to Deliver

I've always been a fan of beer drinks for their taste and the way they make me feel. But lately, I've been taking them less often due to some health issues and old age catching up with me. I've noticed that I've been getting hangovers after drinking spirits, which used to happen extremely rarely.

When I saw Baltika 0 on the shelf, its pale pink hue caught my eye. I wanted to buy a whole box, but I managed to hold back and bought just one. I'm glad I did.

Price and Where to Buy

I paid 39.90 rubles for the tin can, which is a great value for the money. I found it at the Nafta network, which I've been visiting more often lately.

Receipt

I want to note that the volume of Baltika 0 is now 0.33 liters, not 0.5 liters like it used to be.

Still, I think the price is very budget-friendly, especially considering that it's often sold for almost 70 rubles in other places.

The packaging is a classic - a tin can in a sleek, elongated shape.

I love the color of this thing! I wish I could get a dress in this exact shade.

The top has a ring pull, which I had to use a fork to nudge open with my arthritic fingers.

It opened up without any issues.

On the back of the can, you can find all sorts of info, including the ingredients.

I'm curious - does anyone actually read the ingredient labels on their booze?

But trying to read it is a real challenge - the white text blends in with the pink background.

After a few attempts, my head started spinning, and I didn't even need a drink.

Appearance

I'm not a fan of drinking from tin cans, so I decided to pour it into a glass. And that's when I discovered that this thing holds 0.33 liters, not 0.25 liters like I thought.

Baltika 0 Refreshing Grapefruit ReviewInitially, I was impressed by its foam.

I was really impressed with how well it held its head and formed a beautiful head of foam.

By the time I took a photo, it had already started to settle a bit - while I was putting the bottle down, while I was grabbing my phone... no luck getting a perfect shot right away!

The foam settled slowly and evenly.

I'm a huge fan of the foam! It's so pretty!

But when I started pouring in the drink, the foam refused to come back. Bummer!

The drink has a really nice aroma. And that aroma promised a delicious taste.

I chilled the drink before consuming it, since I'm not a fan of drinking anything fizzy (or not just fizzy) at room temperature.And what a letdown when I finally got to try it, only to realize it's almost not fizzy at all!

This is the first time I've seen a drink with such a beautiful head of foam and almost no bubbles inside.

As far as fizz goes, it's like a lemonade that's been left out all evening.

Taste

The flavor is really dominated by grapefruit. I love grapefruit and would happily buy drinks featuring it.

The drink contains its juice. And that juice is definitely noticeable.But even my favorite flavor couldn't save it.

Because the overall impression from the taste of the drink... is nothing. Yeah, there's grapefruit, and it's definitely there, not just added in afterwards. And it's not chemical-tasting, either - it's just normal.

But the impression is just nothing.

I have to say, it disappeared from my fridge in no time. Coming from someone who's used to downing liters of cider and beer, a 0.33L bottle just doesn't cut it for me.

I'd just start to get into the vibe, and then it's gone - the glass is empty.

And with this drink, I didn't even get to enjoy the taste.

On the plus side - it's great for washing down chips. But it's gone way too quickly.

The aftertaste is slightly sour, not that it's a deal-breaker or anything, but I'm a fan of drinks with minimal aftertaste.

Side Effects

I wasn't expecting this, and I was about to blame it on the weather, the chips, or Saturn being in the wrong phase. But nope, I got HEARTBURN. In the form of a throbbing headache and dry mouth. What the...?

The chips eventually redeemed themselves - I ate them solo, without the drink, and with a regular cup of tea that doesn't dry out my mouth. And no dry mouth either.

And the headache? Clearly not from the chips. And the weather can't be blamed for the dry mouth.

So, that leaves one suspect - Baltika 0.

I mean, seriously, I have no idea where this came from! There's no booze in it, and I'm not exactly a chemistry whiz, but maybe I should learn to read labels before downing random drinks?

I checked out some other reviews, and it seems I'm not the only one.

It's all a bit sad, to be honest.

The Verdict

It's got a decent taste, I'll give it that. And as a cold drink, it's perfect for hot days. I can even forgive the aftertaste. But a headache after drinking a 'non-alcoholic' beer? I specifically bought it to avoid that. And in the end, I got it anyway.

I really felt the grapefruit flavor.It was a great value for money.There was a decent amount of foam.The aroma was nice.It was refreshing.The sweetness wasn't overpowering.Cons:

The aftertaste wasn't the most pleasant.I got a headache.The volume was pretty small.It left me feeling parched.The flavor didn't blow me away.It was neither fish nor meat.I'd say the drink was okay, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. No matter which way you look at it, there's something that's not quite right. If the flavor hits you, it's because of the small volume! On the other hand, the headaches, lack of fizz, and dryness aren't exactly what I'm looking for. The only good thing is that I got it at a cheap price, but I wouldn't buy it again. If I'm going to have a headache, I'd rather have a big glass of beer that at least tastes good.