Port City Java Lemonade
Price: $3.50
Serving: 16oz.
Calories: 140 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0.3g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 7mg
Protein: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 11%, 33.9g
Fiber: 2%, 0.4g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 points
Port City Java says: You won’t believe how this one is made. Apples and lemons, all-natural.
Abi says: For the last couple of weeks, Washington, DC has experienced some of the most glorious autumn weather imaginable. While I loved such a delightful send-off, wearing shorts in October felt a bit amiss. And avoiding coffee in the morning because, hello - freaking hot - also meant that I arrived at work sans-caffeine buzz. It was great to go for evening walks in little more than a sun dress, but during the day it was evident that warm days ≠ gorgeous fall foliage.
All of this insane weather has me craving summery foods and beverages. I’m not ready for root vegetables and pumpkins! Give me sno cones, hot dogs, lemonade, and cold beer! Basically, I want to live in a baseball game. And that baseball-game inhabiting self just about drooled when I saw approximately 18 people drinking tall, icy glasses of lemonade outside of the Eastern Market Port City Java.
“Ah!” I thought with glee “That’s just what I need! Lemonade!” Yes, my mind is that exclamatory.
While my friend Lisa checked out one of the myriad clothing sellers, I braved the line in anticipation of a tartly sugarrific expression of the last days of summer. And then waited some more for them to make my lemonade. And after about 5 minutes I started thinking “Where the hell is my lemonade already?”
“One lemonade on the bar!” called the person who could only be described as ‘The Juicer.’ I took one look at the bar and thought “That cannot possibly be my lemonade.” Scroll back up the page and take a look at it: opaquely cloudy, decidedly non-yellow, and definitely not containing a lemon wedge.
“Is this the lemonade?” I asked the barrista, who assured that yes, it was indeed the lemonade. I took an exploratory sip, worrying that I was about to experience a horrific meeting of dairy and unknown orangey fruits, when the taste of fantastically tart lemon zipped across my tongue. This was lemonade. Real lemonade. Really good lemonade.
I have a feeling that this drink consists solely of apple cider and lemons. From that sentence you might think that I didn’t like the drink. But then you would be wrong. It is everything you’d expect from that fresh-squeezed stuff you pay big bucks for at a ballgame, but instead of using sugar, or (God forbid!) high fructose corn syrup, Port City Java uses apples and lemons.
I don’t know exactly how they do it, but this drink it magical.
Filed Under Vegan, United States, Port City Java, Lemonade, Five Stars, All Natural, Juice, Fat Free, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free
Royal Ginger Root Pineapple Ginger Natural Beverage Drink
Price: $1.69
Serving: 13.69oz., 1 bottle
Servings Per Container: 1
Calories: 210
Fat: 1%, 0.5g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 0%, 10mg
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 17%, 50g
Fiber: 4%, 1g
Sugar: 38g
Vitamin C: 280%
Weight Watchers Points: 4 points
Judean Drinks says: Ginger Root is a pure ginger drink that contains only the freshest, most natural ingredients. A refreshing and versatile beverage that can soothe scorching hot temperatures or cold wintry days.
Kate says: 100% Natural Royal Ginger Root Natural Beverage Drink Pineapple Ginger is a bit redundant. Couldn’t JudeanDrinks call it 100% Natural Royal Ginger Root and Pineapple Drink? I recommend cutting out one of the naturals and one of the gingers. I also would like someone to explain to me the difference between a beverage and a drink. I use these words interchangeably.
Name issues aside, this is an intense drink. I believe the blurb on the bottle saying that it “can soothe scorching hot temperatures or cold wintry days.” It is a cool and refreshing, but the ginger is so strong that I experienced a burning sensation. The ginger overpowers the pineapple, but there is still a slight pineapple flavor. I don’t think this drink is for everyone, but I like it. I drank the single serving 388g bottle over three days because it is so intense, but a 4 ounces a day of Pineapple Ginger made me feel healthy and energized.
Filed Under United States, Pineapple, Ginger, Vegan, Fat Free, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, All Natural, Juice, Three Stars
Bell’s Batch 8,000 Ale
Price: $13.99 for six
Serving: 12 fl. oz., 1 bottle
Calories: 283
Alcohol: 9.00% ABV
Bell’s Brewery says: Batch 8,000 is part of our commemerative series celebrating our progress with special brews. Our 8,000th batch is a special recipe to be brewed only once. It is a wheat ale spiced with Coriander, Orange Peel, and Paradise Seed. Best consumed fresh.
Joe says: Most breweries are somewhat hit and miss with their beers, but Bell’s is one of the few that, for me, consistently makes an enjoyable beer. Maybe there’s something special in the water out in Comstock, Michigan, or maybe Larry Bell just really knows what he is doing. Either way, Bell’s Batch 8,000 Ale is a once-in-a-lifetime event that certainly lives up to the quality that I have come to expect from Bell’s beers.
At 9% ABV, I was expecting this beer to zing like other similarly strong beers that I love (e.g. Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale). I was, however, pleasantly surprised by its smoothness—Batch 8,000 is so smooth that it almost drinks like a 5%. But be careful with this refreshing beer, because while it goes down easy, it still kicks like a kangaroo.
The combination of the coriander, orange peel, and witbier style gives Batch 8,000 a very autumnal flavor—it almost tastes like those dried apricots you see next to the raisins and dates in the supermarket. The actual taste probably sits somewhere in between Blue Moon (original) and Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, but a bit stronger, beerier, and better. And, while it doesn’t approach the fruity blast of the delicious Pyramid Apricot Weizen, it hints at fruit just enough to make this the perfect compliment to a traditional US Thanksgiving turkey dinner.
At $13.99 for a case of six, the price is really the only factor that would rule out Bell’s Batch 8,000 as a staple beer for me. However, since this is a one-time limited release, I am going to buy some more while I still can—if I can track down a store that has any left.
Odwalla B Berrier Juice Drink
Price: $2.50 (on sale)
Serving: 8oz., 1/2 bottle
Servings Per Container: 2
Calories: 120 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 1%, 15mg
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 30%, 10g
Fiber: 0%, 0g
Sugar: 27g
Vitamin B: 25%
Weight Watchers Points: 4 points per bottle
Odwalla says: We’ve splashed a dazzling fountain of fruits and B vitamins into this cool, thirst-busting concoction. Cranberries, limes and raspberries make a quenching cascade of tart sweetness, while hard-working vitamins B6 and B12 do the heavy lifting. These B vitamins are essential partners in the conversion of carbohydrates and amino acids into glucose, which supplies energy for your fabulous day.
We say: The full name of this product is “B Berrier® • Cranberry-Lime-Raspberry Fruit Juice Drink Blend” Yeah, with the registered trademark deal and all. Because you have to watch out for people that will steal lame drink names.
I picked up this Odwalla gem at my local bakery. It was 90 degrees outside and I was going to have a doughnut if it killed me. However, I would abstain from coffee and needed a suitable substitute, one able to withstand the rigors of a humid DC morning. Have I mentioned that it was hot enough to cause grievous injury (or even death) to any living being trapped within a non-airconditioned environment? Well, it was.
The Odwalla B Berrier Cranberry-Lime-Raspberry drink performed admirably. It is a cranberry cocktail on steroids, pumping itself up with the sweetness of raspberry and the tang of lime. After one swig I thought “Dang, I wish this didn’t cost $4.00 per bottle. Otherwise I’d drink it every day.” And then after the second swig I turned to the ingredients label and realized that this drink comes with a lethal amount of sugar. Sure, it seems safe at just 27 grams for some fruit juice cocktail. Until you realize that’s for just half the bottle. That’s right, this little 24% juice drink contains 54 grams of sugar.
Yikes.
I’ll keep this beverage in mind for the occasional treat, perhaps using it to make some utterly delightful cocktails.
Filed Under United States, Lime, Raspberry, Odwalla, Vegan, Cranberry, High Fructose Corn Syrup Free, Fat Free, Juice Cocktails, Four Stars
Diet Coke Plus
Price: $4.99 per 12 pack
Serving: 12oz., 1 can
Servings Per Container: 1
Calories: 0 per serving
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 2%, 45mg
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 0%, 0g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Sugar: 38g
Weight Watchers Points: 0 points
The Coca Cola Company says: Diet Coke Plus is everything you love about Diet Coke, plus several essential nutrients.
We say: If you didn’t know it before, be warned now that we love Diet Coke. In fact, it the most frequently consumed beverage in our office (including water). Knowing this (and discounting the Orwellian name), we thought that our coworkers would rejoice when we brought in some Diet Coke Plus. You know, the Diet Coke with vitamins and minerals. After all, who doesn’t want to feel as though they’re doing something good just by drinking soda?
Our coworkers didn’t feel the same way. One pointed out that the packaging was awfully gay. Not gay as in happy, but gay as in homosexual. And this was a gay coworker, so we felt that he had a definite level of expertise when it came to calling something gay. What makes Diet Coke Plus gay? The rainbow stripe and teal highlights, that’s what. Not wanting to argue that point (really, who cares if a beverage is gay or not?) we were confronted by another coworker who claimed that it wasn’t as fizzy as regular Diet Coke.
Lacking a fizz-o-meter, there’s just no way to verify that one. Also, she isn’t exactly the Queen of Carbonation, so we didn’t give in so quickly on that claim.
What we can tell you is that there’s a very serious reason why we, supreme Diet Coke lovers, bought only a 12-pack of this stuff and never looked at it again: it tastes a bit like Dr. Pepper. This of course leads us to wonder whether all vitamins and minerals, when added to soda, taste like Dr. Pepper. Also, could one add B6 and Niacin and Magnesium to Dr. Pepper without anyone knowing the difference?
Filed Under Contains Aspartame, Zero Calorie, United States, Cola, Coca Cola, Soda, Fat Free, One Star
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