Cardi B Just Launched A Whole Line Of Spiked Whipped Creams — Here's My Review With The Best (And Worst) Flavors
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2021 had some genuinely unexpected twists. Shawn and Camila broke up. Kim K and Pete Davidson started dating. Even Britney's conservatorship was officially terminated! But let's be real: of all the unforeseeable events we've witnessed this past year, Cardi B releasing a vodka-infused whipped cream (that's shelf-stable and 100% dairy-free) was NOT on my 2021 bingo card.
Between hosting this year's AMAs and being, ya know, a literal mom, somehow Cardi found time to partner with Starco Brands for the release of Whipshots — a "vodka-infused whipped cream that adds a playful shot of sophistication to any drink, dessert, or party."
Whipshots are currently available in three flavors: vanilla, caramel, and mocha. And each contains (drum roll, please), a whopping 10% alcohol.
According to the product's website, each flavor is "infused with ultra-premium distilled vodka," so let's do some quick math. If regular vodka contains 40% alcohol and Whipshots contain 10% alcohol...that means a whopping quarter of them is pure vodka. 🙃
Naturally, the moment I got my hands on these bottles o' boozy goodness, I had to put 'em to the test. How exactly did I review Cardi's Whipshots at 10 a.m. on a literal work day? Well, I tasted each flavor solo, compared 'em to regular canned whipped cream...then made breakfast out of them. Fitting, right? (Please excuse any booze-induced typos.)
TEST #1: Trying Whipshots Solo
Right off the bat, it's pretty obvious that Whipshots aren't your average can of Reddi Wip. The packaging feels admittedly luxe, and the subtle ombré of the three flavors?! I mean, from a branding perspective, I'm sold. As the can notes, it's also dairy-free and does not require refrigeration. I am still equal parts confused and very, very impressed.
The directions suggest that you "turn [the can] upside down and shake side to side for 30 seconds" before spraying, which made me think...have I been doing canned whipped cream wrong all my life? Regardless, I did as I was instructed to do and tried each flavor, one at a time.
Out of the three distinct flavors, mocha was the clear winner.
It sprays like whipped cream! It looks like whipped cream! It tastes...STRONG AF. Let me be totally clear, though: it's a good kind of strong. They really didn't skimp out on the booziness when they figured out the Whipshots formula, but they also didn't go totally overboard, either. Which, as a whipped cream and vodka-lover, I appreciate. Like the cans, the "cream" itself (again, did I mention it's dairy-free?) gets darker in hue as you move from vanilla to mocha.
Ranking the flavors themselves was super easy: mocha was my clear winner, followed by vanilla, with caramel (sadly) in last place.
A few other notes:
• I found the chocolaty notes of the mocha to pair beautifully with the bite of the vodka, and it honestly tasted like...well, chocolate. Not chocolate flavoring.
• The vanilla was also pretty tasty, but the bite of the vodka came through a lot more than it did in the mocha.
• It's not that I disliked caramel...I just found the artificial caramel flavor to be the most "chemical-y" of the three. While I wasn't left with any sort of weird, artificial flavoring aftertaste, I definitely thought "ah, yep, this isn't real caramel."
TEST #2: Whipshots vs. Canned Whipped Cream
I decided to compare Cardi's version to Reddi Wip — the OG of canned whipped creams. Based on appearance alone, I was kind of shocked. Visually, Cardi's vanilla version and Reddi Wip look basically identical.
When it comes to taste and texture, however, Cardi's isn't just Reddi Wip with a hint of vodka. In a likely effort to mask some of the sharpness of the booze, Whipshots are suuuuuuuper sweet, and have a slightly sticky, almost marshmallow-like consistency. It's not off-putting — just not what I've come to expect from a good ol' can of Reddi-wip. If you, like me, would normally douse your desserts (or hot cocoa) in whipped cream, you might want to be a bit more conservative than you'd think if you're getting festive with Cardi's.
TEST #3: Whipshots As A Topping
According to the brand itself, the whipped cream "can be enjoyed on cocktails, desserts, lovers, or solo as a shot." Well, again, it's 10 a.m. for me, so the only way I could possibly justify filling my body with alcohol-infused whipped cream at the very start of my work day was via breakfast. A breakfast of champions, really.
For my first course, I used the mocha flavor to top my morning coffee...and it slapped.
Will I drink my coffee like this every morning? NO. But for a weekend pick-me-up or entertaining some friends with a low-key brunch, this was fun, and far more delicious than I thought it would be.
One small caveat here: unlike regular canned whipped cream (which tends to just float on top of your hot cocoa or warm beverage of choice), I found that Whipshots melted very quickly. As evidenced by the above photo, there was a bit of an overflow situation to deal with, but it was delicious nonetheless. As it continued to melt into my coffee, it turned into a cappuccino-like foam...but, with booze. It was awesome.
To polish off my boozy cup of joe, I made straight-up waffles and topped them maple syrup, blueberries...and an excessive swirl of the caramel flavor. "Excessive" is the keyword here.
When it came time to garnish my sugar-bomb waffle, I somehow still couldn't grasp the concept that a little bit of the product goes a long way...and I feel confident that my sugar crash while be occurring any second now. Truth be told, I scraped about half the caramel cream off, and then it was pretty damn good.
These waffles genuinely brought a whole new meaning to "boozy brunch," and I think restaurants should legitimately start doing this. The sharpness of the Whipshots gets masked just enough by the waffle — not so much that you think you're eating regular whipped cream, but not so little that you're eating a vodka waffle — and TBH, I will absolutely be making these again. This was a 10/10 food experience, and folks, the post-waffle buzz was real.
Overall, I'd give Cardi B's Whipshots a (very solid) 8/10. The only reason I knocked off a couple of points? I do wish all the flavors were equally delicious, and I also think they could be a touch less sweet — especially if they're meant as a topping for already-sweet cocktails. I mean, if I drank one of the cocktails below 👇 as shown, I think my body would go into literal shock.
