Free AF

Lisa King founded Free AF in Auckland in 2020 after her own bouts of vertigo forced her to stop drinking, and she couldn't find anything on shelves that felt remotely grown-up. New Zealand's first non-alcoholic canned RTD was the result: a range of ready-to-drink cocktails built around a proprietary botanical ingredient called Afterglow, which delivers a mild warming sensation in place of the burn you'd normally get from alcohol.

The idea is simple enough. The execution is what sets Free AF apart. Rather than building drinks that taste vaguely like the real thing, King focused on recreating the full sensory experience of a cocktail, including that slight warmth in the chest after a sip. Afterglow is plant-based, developed in New Zealand, and used across the whole range. It's not a gimmick; for many drinkers it genuinely changes how the drinks land.

The range covers the obvious RTD cocktail territory: Apéro Spritz, Margarita, Rum & Ginger, Vodka Spritz and a Cucumber G&T, among others, all in slim 250ml cans. They're designed to be fridge-ready and pour-free, aimed squarely at the occasion where you'd normally reach for a ready-mixed drink.

Free AF spent several years building a strong presence in New Zealand before expanding into the United States in 2023, where it moved quickly into major grocery chains. The UK followed in late 2025, with Morrisons taking the Apéro Spritz and Rum & Ginger as an initial listing, alongside availability on Amazon and the brand's own site.

It's a brand still finding its UK footing, so range depth in physical stores is limited for now. Worth watching if RTD cocktails are your thing, especially as the Afterglow concept is genuinely unusual in a category that can feel formulaic.

The Collection

Apéro Spritz

Rum & Ginger