Our Love Affair with Planetary Elixirs

If you haven’t heard of Planetary Elixirs until now, your world is about to get SHOOK. This locally made (Rocky Mount peeps what up?!) non-alcoholic drink first caught our eye on social media. And I’m gonna be honest, the fob in me saw the words ‘Ginger Calcutta’ and that was all it took – I had to get my hands on it! These gems are only sold in specific locations around NC (click here to see exactly where) so we decided to wait until the nice folks of Planetary Elixirs set up shop at Southpoint in Durham before finally taking the leap. And lemme tell you, we were NOT disappointed. We’ve only got one more flavor to try (Jamaica Roselle, I’m looking at you), but based off of the other flavors, I’m pretty sure it’ll be a home run just like the rest.

We tried every flavor that we had both ways, as a mixer and on its own. SO delicious, every time. And why are we telling you guys about it? ‘Cause if you’re looking for an easy way to step up your signature drink game for drinkers and non-drinkers alike, this is a surefire way to do it. Planetary Elixirs can fulfill large orders for special events.

Ginger Calcutta

Anyone ever try Panakam? If you haven’t, according to Google it is a “traditional South Indian summer drink made of jaggery and lime juice, flavored with cardamom and slightly spiced with a hint of dry ginger and black peppercorns.” This drink is the inspiration behind Ginger Calcutta. I’ve never had Panakam before so I can’t compare it to Ginger Calcutta, but when I took the first sip my ginger-loving soul was in HEAVEN. If you’re not a fan of ginger you might not love this one, but if you do, don’t deny yourself any longer and definitely give this one a try.

Carolina Shrub

Ooooo the blueberry flavor in this one! Sweet but not sugary, Carolina Shrub is refreshing and also just LOOKS so pretty when you pour it out of the can (hello IG eye candy). I like my drinks savory so this wasn’t my favorite out of the bunch, but we had some fun mixing and matching this flavor with Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose Vodka, Tito’s, and a smattering of liqueurs.

Thai Tie

I am totally obsessed with ginger to the point that I don’t even wanna look at the cup of cha unless it’s adhrak cha (that’s ginger tea to you non-Indians. And YES cha – not chai – because I’m Punjabi). So I wasn’t really expecting to love the Thai flavor over Ginger Calcutta. But when the first sip that hit my lips exploded of lemongrassy goodness, I decided right then and there that this flavor is my go-to. So much so that I spent way too much time strategically hiding the last can from my husband.

And that’s a wrap! We’re really excited about these non-alcoholic elixirs and can’t wait to keep experimenting with drink recipes. In the meantime, if you come up with a creative cocktail on your own share the wealth and email us the recipe to your concoction!

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 Raj Desai

Founder & Chief Visionary, proud fur mom of 2, amateur artist, Netflix binger, wino, and chocolate addict.