Last Reviewed: 2026-05-08
Kratom comes in many forms beyond the loose powder and capsules most people think of first. The drink category alone now spans traditional brewed tea, ready-made carbonated seltzers, classic-profile sodas, concentrated shots, and hybrid drinks that combine kratom with kava. Each form has its own production method, taste profile, serving size, and trade-offs.
This guide walks through the five main kratom drink categories, what to look for in each, and how to choose by setting (where and when you would actually drink it).
Why Kratom in Liquid Form
Kratom in drink form is not a new idea. Brewed tea has been the traditional preparation in Southeast Asia for centuries. What is new is the range of ready-made commercial products on the market: seltzers, sodas, shots, and hybrid drinks have all emerged in the last decade as the kratom market expanded.
The case for liquid form depends on what you value:
- Convenience: ready-made drinks skip the brewing step. Open the can, drink it.
- Flavor: drinks are formulated with intentional flavor profiles. Powder is functional; drinks are designed to taste good on their own.
- Portability: a sealed seltzer or shot fits in a bag or fridge. Loose powder requires preparation tools.
- Dosing precision: ready-made products list mitragynine content per serving on the label. Brewed tea from loose powder requires kitchen-scale measuring for the same precision.
- Social setting: drinks fit naturally into settings where powder or capsules would be inconvenient or out of place.
Each form below trades on these axes differently. The right choice depends on the setting.
Traditional Brewed Tea
Brewed kratom tea is the oldest preparation. Loose kratom powder or crushed leaf is steeped in hot water (typically just below boiling) for 10 to 20 minutes, then strained. The result is a tea you can drink as-is, sweeten, or blend with citrus or other flavors.
Production method: home-brewed from loose powder or crushed leaf. Some commercial loose-leaf blends are sold for tea brewing specifically.
Taste profile: bitter and earthy by default. Most drinkers add lemon, honey, ginger, or sweeteners to balance the taste. Some drinkers prefer the unflavored version.
Serving size: variable. Typically 1 to 3 grams of powder per cup, prepared from a larger batch.
Trade-offs: lowest cost per serving when buying powder in bulk; most flexible recipe-wise. Requires kitchen prep time and tools. Dosing precision depends on the drinker's measuring discipline. Loose-leaf tea does not travel well.
For step-by-step brewing instructions, see the full kratom tea brewing guide.
Kratom Seltzers
Kratom seltzers are carbonated, ready-to-drink kratom beverages sold in single-serve cans. The category emerged in the late 2010s and has expanded rapidly. Seltzers are typically sold in flavored varieties and listed mitragynine content per can.
Production method: water, kratom extract, carbonation, flavor, and (in some products) sweetener are blended and canned. Mitragynine content is standardized per can.
Taste profile: depends on the flavor variety. Common profiles include citrus (lemon-lime, blood orange, pineapple), berry (wildberry, strawberry, blackberry), and tropical (paradise punch, watermelon). The kratom is generally not detectable in the taste of well-made seltzers; the flavor profile reads as a flavored sparkling water.
Serving size: typically 12 oz cans. Mitragynine content varies by product, commonly listed as 35 mg, 75 mg, or 150 mg per can.
Trade-offs: highest convenience. Sealed, portable, and pre-measured. Higher per-serving cost than powder. Glass-bottle and aluminum-can formats vary by brand. Kratom seltzers ship cold-stable and do not require refrigeration before opening.
Club13's seltzer line spans the most-common flavor profiles. See Club13 kratom seltzers for the current lineup.
Kratom Sodas
Kratom sodas are similar to seltzers in that they are ready-made canned drinks, but the flavor profile is built around classic soda profiles (cola, root beer, and other nostalgic profiles) rather than carbonated-water plus flavor.
Production method: same general process as seltzer (kratom extract, water, carbonation, flavor, sweetener), with a soda flavor formulation rather than a seltzer formulation.
Taste profile: cola, root beer, citrus soda. The flavor is closer to a craft soda than a sparkling water.
Serving size: typically 12 oz cans. Mitragynine content varies by product.
Trade-offs: same convenience and portability as seltzer. Sweeter taste profile due to the soda flavor base; some products use cane sugar, others use alternative sweeteners. Better fit for drinkers who prefer soda flavors.
See kratom sodas for current Club13 soda offerings.
Kratom Shots and Liquid Extracts
Kratom shots and liquid extracts are concentrated, small-format kratom drinks. A shot is typically 1 to 3 oz and contains a higher concentration of mitragynine per ounce than seltzer or soda. Liquid extracts are concentrated kratom alkaloids in liquid form, typically sold in small bottles.
Production method: concentrated kratom alkaloid extract is blended with a small volume of liquid (water, glycerin, or a mixed-flavor base). Mitragynine concentration is standardized per shot.
Taste profile: more pronounced kratom taste than diluted seltzers and sodas because of the higher concentration. Some shots are flavored to mask the bitterness; others are unflavored.
Serving size: 1 to 3 oz shots. Mitragynine content commonly ranges from 75 mg to 400 mg per shot, depending on the product. Liquid extracts can be as concentrated as the supplier formulates.
Trade-offs: most portable format (small bottle fits in a pocket). Highest concentration per ounce, which means careful attention to product label and serving size. Higher per-serving cost than seltzer or powder per equivalent mitragynine. Shots and extracts ship shelf-stable.
See kratom liquid extracts and shots for the current Club13 lineup.
Kava-Kratom Hybrid Drinks
Hybrid drinks combine kratom and kava in a single product. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a different plant from kratom, native to the South Pacific, with a long traditional preparation history of its own. Kava-kratom hybrid drinks have emerged as a category for drinkers who want the flavor and serving format of a kava drink combined with kratom alkaloids.
Production method: kava extract and kratom extract are blended in a base (water, juice, or carbonated drink), with flavoring and sweetener.
Taste profile: depends on the product. Kava has a distinctive earthy, slightly numbing taste profile that some products lean into and others mask with citrus or fruit flavors. Kava-kratom seltzers (like Kavamosa) blend the two in a flavored sparkling-drink format.
Serving size: typically 8 to 12 oz cans for hybrid seltzers, or 1 to 2 oz shots for hybrid extract products.
Trade-offs: drinkers who already enjoy kava often appreciate the hybrid format. The combined product introduces two ingredient categories on the label, which means reading the product carefully for both kava and kratom content. Kava-kratom hybrid drinks are a smaller category than kratom-only or kava-only products.
See kava and kava-kratom drinks for current options.
How to Choose by Setting
Pick by where and when you would actually drink it. This is more practical than picking by some abstract effect-claim, because the setting determines what format works.
At-home, deliberate occasion: brewed tea. You have time, kitchen tools, and a preference for ritual. Loose powder tea also offers the most flexibility for recipes (lemon-ginger, honey, citrus blends).
At-home, casual: seltzer or soda. Open the can, drink it, no prep. The flavor profile fits a casual setting better than tea.
On-the-go: shot or seltzer. Both are sealed and portable. Shots have the smallest footprint; seltzers are 12 oz cans.
Social setting: seltzer, soda, or hybrid. The format reads as a beverage in social contexts where loose powder or capsules would be out of place.
Travel: shots and shelf-stable extracts. Smallest format, no refrigeration needed.
For a fuller comparison of kratom forms beyond drinks (including powder, capsules, and extracts), see the kratom experience guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are kratom seltzers the same as kratom tea?
No. Kratom seltzers are carbonated ready-made beverages with standardized mitragynine content per can. Kratom tea is brewed from loose kratom powder or crushed leaf in hot water. The two formats differ in production, flavor, and convenience.
Do kratom drinks taste like kratom?
Well-formulated kratom seltzers and sodas mask the kratom taste with flavor. Most drinkers do not detect the kratom in the final product. Brewed tea retains the kratom flavor (bitter, earthy) more strongly. Shots and liquid extracts have a more pronounced kratom taste because of higher concentration per ounce.
What is in a kratom seltzer?
Most kratom seltzers contain water, kratom extract (standardized mitragynine), carbonation, flavoring, and sweetener (cane sugar, alternative sweeteners, or unsweetened). Specific ingredients vary by product. Read the label for the full list.
How much mitragynine is in a kratom drink?
Mitragynine content is listed on the label. Common ranges: 35 mg to 150 mg per seltzer or soda can; 75 mg to 400 mg per shot; brewed tea content varies based on how much powder was steeped. Always read the label.
What is the difference between a kratom shot and a kratom liquid extract?
A shot is a single-serve 1 to 3 oz drink. A liquid extract is a concentrated form sold in small bottles, often by the dropper or by larger volume for repeated servings. Shots are pre-measured single servings; liquid extracts give the drinker more control over serving size.
Can I mix a kratom drink with other beverages?
Some drinkers blend kratom seltzers with juice, sparkling water, or other flavors to create kratom drink recipes. Specific drink recipes vary by personal preference. Brewed kratom tea is also commonly blended with citrus, honey, ginger, or other flavor additions.
Sources
- American Kratom Association: GMP qualified vendor program and product standards
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
