Haus Alcohol Review: Do Haus' Low-Alcohol Aperitífs Live up to the Hype?

If you’re looking to make some delicious cocktails that flow all night long without the wretched hangover, get excited to try Haus. The flavors are rich and complex, with myriad options, no matter your palate’s preference. My personal favorite for refreshing, on-the-rocks sipping were the Rose Rosé and the Citrus Flower. I also loved the low-alcohol take on the Moscow Mule using Haus’ zesty Ginger Yuzu aperitif. With the ability to drink on the rocks, as a spritzer or mixed as a cocktail, you’re bound to love every flavor. Haus aperitifs are incredibly versatile, so get ready to get your Mixologist on.

I generally consider myself to be a reasonably well-cultured millennial. But beyond having heard the phrase ‘aperitif,’ I had no clue what it meant, other than being a type of fancy-sippin’ French booze. However, since my sample 4-pack of Haus aperitifs recently arrived, I’ve been schooled on how Haus co-founders Woody and Helena Price Hambrecht are resurrecting the early European traditions of drinking these low-alcohol digestifs, drinks traditionally consumed before a meal to aid in digestion.

In their “A Note from the Founders,” they say:

"We created Haus because we were looking for a better way to drink, and just couldn’t find anything out there that worked for us. We were tired of all the alcohol and sugar, the food colorings, the fake flavors and the outdated aesthetics.” [W]e made our first batch of Haus in our living room, with a bucket of chardonnay and a pile of meyer lemons from our yard. We filled mason jars with fruits and flowers, steeping them in brandy to extract their essence, adding drops of new flavors to the wine bucket until we got the recipe just right.”

After flipping through the beautifully-designed magazine insert, full of sexy drink images, tasty recipes, and evocative stories about their origin story and mission, I was giddy to start trying out my samplers and getting my Mixologist on. On their website, you can choose their recommended bestsellers, or you can customize your mix. I customized mine, choosing Ginger Yuzu, Rose Rose, Citrus Flower and Bitter Clove.

My fiancé and I have quite a healthy wine habit, and her varietal of choice is rose. Her order at every restaurant: “What’s your driest rose?” Her supermarket test: hold the bottle to the light, and pick the blushest pink of the bunch. With that in mind, I was sure both she and I would be put off by the sweetness of this bright pink aperitif. But we were so pleasantly surprised. Haus’ Rose Rose isn’t overly sweet. It’s a beautiful balance of fragrant, fruit-forwardness that picks up cherry notes, while finishing dry and refreshing. We thought it was the easiest to drink on the rocks of all the flavors we tried, and probably our favorite overall. Can’t wait to pickup more full-size bottles for beach season.

Shop Haus Rose Rose – $40 ➔

This spicy little number is perfect for those who love the taste of ginger. I happen to love it and was in heaven when I made my low-alcohol Haus Mule (1 part Haus Ginger Yuzu, 1 part Ginger beer, splash of lime juice, splash of aromatic bitters). However, many reviewers thought it was too zesty for them. So, if you’re someone who loves a spicy ginger beer or Moscow Mule, you’ll probably dig this flavor.
Shop Haus Ginger Yuzu - $35 ➔

Bitter Clove is a really complex flavor profile that grows on you the more you sip. The first sip for me had really strong cinnamon and clove notes. It reminded me of a gingerbread cookie. But, I found myself going back to it again and again, and as my tastebuds warmed up to the spicy clove notes, I really started to like it. Though I didn’t try it, I think it would pair perfectly with a splash of soda water, ginger beer or even rye whisky.

Shop Haus Bitter Clove – $35 ➔

First reaction: “Wow, that’s fuckin’ good.” It’s hard to describe what I love about Haus’ Citrus Flower. Perhaps my palette isn’t sophisticated enough yet. But, to me, it tastes like a fragrant lemon-based rose. It has a lot of the same subtleties as the Rose Rose, but with a distinctly citrus vivaciousness. I imagine myself drinking bottomless Citrus Flowers over brunch on a beautiful spring day. Definitely one of our favs.

Shop Haus Citrus Flower- $35 ➔