Which Jaba Juice flavour should you start with?

Nine flavours is a good problem for us and a mildly annoying one for you, especially on a first order when you have nothing to compare against. Here is how we would choose.

If you have never tried khat in a drink before

Start with Hibiscus. It is the original, the one everything else was built from, and it is the most honest expression of what jaba actually tastes like: crisp, tart, floral, not hiding behind sweetness. If you like it, you will like the rest. If you find it too sharp, you now know to go sweeter rather than giving up.

Lemonade is the other safe first bottle. Bright citrus, clean and tangy, and familiar enough that nothing about it surprises you except the kick.

If you want it to taste like a soft drink

Blueberry and Grape are the two to reach for. Blueberry is deep and berry-forward with a velvety finish; Grape is full-bodied and rounded. Both are naturally sweet and neither tastes like a health product, which for a lot of people is the entire point.

Passion sits nearby: tropical, warm and aromatic, sweeter than Hibiscus but with more edge than Grape.

If you like sharp over sweet

Cranberry. Tart, ruby-red and bracing, the opposite of a syrupy energy drink. Dragon Fruit is the more unusual choice in the same territory: subtly sweet, tropical, and cold-pressed into a striking pink that gets noticed when you put it on a table.

If you cannot decide

That is what Cocktail is for. Grape, berry, citrus and tropical notes in one bottle, which is the closest thing to a tasting flight we sell. Plenty of people order it first and then work out which single flavour they actually want.

If you already know what you are doing

Premium. It is six times more potent than the standard bottles and it is not a first purchase. Treat it as the full-strength version for people who have already found their level with the others, and read the label before you open it.

On sizes

Every flavour comes in 500ml and 1L. The 500ml is one sitting. The 1L is for sharing, or for a long night, and it is better value per millilitre. If you are ordering for the first time, two or three different 500ml bottles will teach you more than one large bottle of a flavour you turn out not to love.

Jaba Juice contains khat (miraa), a natural stimulant. It is for adults over 18, and not recommended if you are pregnant or nursing. Start with less than you think you need.