This young gentleman grew up on the mean streets of Lake Elsinore, California, a small lake town hidden in the plateau somewhere between San Diego and Los Angeles. Wise_Guise grew up with a natural curiosity for all things natural, bizarre and original. At the tender age of nine, he was ripped up by the roots and transplanted into the formidable state of Utah.
Over the ensuing decade and a half, his interests varied widely and wildly, including forays into cooking, construction, automotive technology, writing, music and the metaphysical and occult. He can be found discussing the potentials of quantum mechanics or politics just as easily as he can be seen cooking with foreign spices or arguing about the needless nature of musical genre.
In late 2007, Wise_Guise was co-opted into the realm of blogging by one Danithius to engage in the dangerous and thankless act of fighting Big Soda and the amassed sugar interests. He had noticed Wise_Guise's distrust and distaste for corporatization, and rabid antiestablishmentarianism, and thought he would be a good asset to the cause. Time will tell.
To this day he remains an humbly accomplished cook, writer, mechanic, and general man of all things handy, and casually writes off the occasional soda-sticky death threat.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Better Libations Author: WiseGuise
Glacéau Smartwater
Aroma : None. Clean, fresh water doesn’t really have a smell.
Taste : Crisp, fresh water, with NO aftertaste. Many other bottled waters do, this comes from various things, often the bottle itself, or the lack of distillation.
Price : $1.29 for 20 oz bottle at gas station, can easily be found cheaper at grocers. Comes in 750ml, 1.5 ltr., & 20 oz.
Ingredients : vapor distilled water + electrolytes (calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and potassium bicarbonate)
Other Comments : Glacéau is yet another company that has been swiped up by the CocaCola company on May 25, 2007 in the global table-grab for independent companies. This acquisition was even referenced by rapper 50 Cent. (Thanks Wikipedia!) Also, there’s a cute goldfish on the inside of the label that you can see if you turn the bottle around, looking like it’s swimming inside.
Overall : This is the only consistently good bottled water I have ever drank,
Rating : 4.5/5 stars.
-WiseGuise
Better Libations Author: Danithius
Danithius* was born in a quaint little town on Michigan's lower peninsula. (Or the LP, as the street urchins call it). Soon thanks to the divorce of his parents he began a nomadic lifestyle that continues to rouse an insatiable wander-lust to this very day.
When Danithius was about eight years old when he developed a peculiar interest in all things culinary, and he began regularly checking out cookbooks from the library. This obsession with food and drink followed him through his formative years, leading him to pursue a career as a cook at a local Italian restaurant, starting at the age of 15. He continued to pursue his passion through personal study and by working as a chef at other restaurants through his adult years, as well as his many freelance culinary studies in various parts of the US and Japan.
Sometime in 2007, Danithius realized that throughout his neverending quest to find new flavors in food, he always found himself hunting for new and original drinks with which to wash them down. This, combined with a concern for natural nutrition and a general distrust of large corporations (most likely stemming from Danithius' abduction and subsequent six-month captivity at a radical militant hippie compound), set the foundation for the idea of Better Libations.
Soon after starting Better Libations Danithius enlisted the help of fellow drink-enthusiast and long-time friend "Wise_Guise"* to co-command the Beverage Revolution.
Viva la Revolucion!
*Pseudonyms are employed for all Better Libations contributors in order to protect them from inevitable harassment, death threats, and assassination attempts by agents of certain large soda companies.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Guaraná Antarctica
Aroma : The drink has a sweet, almost fermented scent, like a can of mild, fruity beer. This is the work of the guaraná berry, and prodigious amount of sugar (39 grams a can, dang).
Taste : The flavor of guaraná is mild, pleasantly sweet and almost apple-like, stirring memories of more notable apple flavored sodas (Apple Beer, Sidral Mundet), but has a different, berry-like finish. It is quite original and very palate pleasing.
Price : Varies, available in various sizes at various places, particularly at WalMart and prolifically at Mexican/South American restaurants.
Ingredients : Carbonated water, sugar, (E150d ) caramel (color), citric acid, (E211) sodium benzoate (preservative) and (E202) potassium sorbate (preservative), ascorbic acid (antioxidant), guarana extract and natural flavors.
Other Comments : Guaraná Antarctica is owned, oddly enough, by AmBev, a South American beer company, and can be hard to find in the US. In 1999, PepsiCo agreed to begin distribution of said beverage, with the aim to make it a top 10 selling beverage within 5 years. Not sure if that ever happened, but it matters not. Guaraná is noted for having several benefits, aside from its high caffeine content, and is rumored to have aphrodisiacal qualities.
Overall : This is possibly one of the best tasting sodas I have ever put to my lips, quite a welcome change from the cola and citrus sodas dominating the market, and using regular sugar instead of the notorious HFCS earns extra points. I only hesitate to give this a 5 due to the fact it is a carbonated, sugary beverage produced by a large corporation and distributed by another.
Rating : 4.5/5 stars.
-WiseGuise
Metromint: Peppermint
Aroma: The deep, cool scent of peppermint is evident as soon as you open the bottle. Take a big whiff.
Taste: Yep, that's some minty water all right. There are no sweeteners whatsoever, and the water itself tastes pure and is unobtrusive, so there is nothing to get in the way of the minty goodness. The cool flavor lingers on your tongue for a good while.
Price: $.99 (on sale) at a local grocer. Usually priced at over $1.50. Available at stores nationwide and online.
Ingredients: Purified water, mint
Other Comments: Metromint has a site that matches its products' crisp, hip image quite well. Not surprisingly, one of the founders has a background in fashion and design. (The bottle just screams "Fashionable!", which also leaves this product's users wide open to gags about being 'metro'- sexual. Hey, I'm comfortable with my beverage preferences.) Metromint is keen on going green.
Overall: As I said with the lemon and orange-infused versions, I have a bit of a issue with buying mint water that I could probably make at home for about a dime a bottle. Maybe it's just the prideful chef side of me. But I'm doing my best to suppress that and rate this drink purely on it's merit as a flavored bottled water product, which I must say is quite tasty.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
-Danithius
Metromint: Spearmint
Aroma: The sharp, cool scent of spearmint is evident as soon as you open the bottle.
Taste: Yep, that's minty water all right. There are no sweeteners whatsoever, and the water itself tastes pure and is unobtrusive, so there is nothing to get in the way of the crisp spearmint flavor. The coolness of the mint lingers on your tongue for a good while.
Price: $.99 (on sale) at a local grocer. Usually priced at over $1.50. Available at stores nationwide and online.
Ingredients: Purified water, mint
Other Comments: Metromint has a site that matches its products' crisp, hip image quite well. Not surprisingly, one of the founders has a background in fashion and design. (The bottle just screams "Fashionable!", which also leaves this product's users wide open to gags about being 'metro'- sexual. Hey, I'm comfortable with my beverage preferences.) Metromint is keen on going green.
Overall: As I said with the lemon and orange infused versions, I have a bit of a issue with buying mint water that I could probably make at home for about a dime a bottle. Maybe it's just the prideful chef side of me. I know, companies have marketing costs, and it takes cash to keep the factory "green", and they have children to feed, blah blah blah. If I am missing some big factor that contributes to the pricing, Metromint, feel free to email me and let me know. (danithius@hotmail.com) It's good for what it is, but I do prefer the more complex flavor of the lemon and orange-mint versions.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
-Danithius
Metromint: Lemon Mint
Aroma: The scent of lemon practically leaps out of the bottle, followed right behind by minty overtones.
Taste: Now it's the mint's turn to shine. As soon it enters your mouth, your tongue is bathed in cool minty goodness. Upon swallowing, the twinge of delicate lemon flavor graces the back of your tongue and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The water itself tastes pure and is unobtrusive, unlike some other bottled waters. There are no sweeteners whatsoever, so this is a very crisp, simple taste reminiscent of lemon mint herbal tea.
Price: $.99 (on sale) at a local grocer. Usually priced at over $1.50. Available at stores nationwide and online.
Ingredients: Purified water, mint, lemon essence
Other Comments: Metromint has a site that matches its products' crisp, hip image quite well. Not surprisingly, one of the founders has a background in fashion and design. (The bottle just screams "Fashionable!", which also leaves this product's users wide open to gags about being 'metro'- sexual. Hey, I'm comfortable with my beverage preferences.) Metromint is keen on going green.
Overall: Having such a simple product (no sweeteners, only three ingredients) can be a double-edged sword. Health-wise, it's great. The taste is just fine. But it also makes me hesitate to buy it, because I have a feeling that I could make this at home with some mint and lemon essences for about ten cents per bottle. Frankly, I think that with the product's premium pricing you're paying for a big slice of image. I picture this drink as something you would take to a board meeting in a Manhattan highrise or perhaps pass out to your rich clients while you discuss their investment options. Still, the price is by no means prohibitive; it's quite competitive with other soft drinks. As such, I do buy it occasionally, and I must say it really hits the spot after an intense workout or just on a hot day. I rated it for what it is: Minty flavored water. (That will make you look cool).
Rating: 4/5 stars.
-Danithius
Metromint: Orange Mint
Aroma: The scent of orange essence practically leaps out of the bottle, followed right behind by minty overtones.
Taste: Now it's the mint's turn to shine. As soon it enters your mouth, your tongue is bathed in cool minty goodness. Upon swallowing, the twinge of orange flavor graces the back of your tongue and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The water itself tastes pure and is unobtrusive, unlike some other bottled waters. There are no sweeteners whatsoever, so this is a very crisp, simple taste.
Price: $.99 (on sale) at a local grocer. Usually priced at over $1.50. Available at stores nationwide and online.
Ingredients: Purified water, mint, orange essence
Other Comments: Metromint has a site that matches its products' crisp, hip image quite well. Not surprisingly, one of the founders has a background in fashion and design. (The bottle just screams "Fashionable!", which also leaves this product's users wide open to gags about being 'metro'- sexual. Hey, I'm comfortable with my beverage preferences.) Metromint is also keen on going green.
Overall: Having such a simple product (no sweeteners, only three ingredients) can be a double-edged sword. Health-wise, it's great. The taste is just fine. But it also makes me hesitate to buy it, because I have a feeling that I could make this at home with some mint and orange essences for about ten cents per bottle. Frankly, I think that with the product's premium pricing you're paying for a big slice of image. I picture this drink as something you would take to a board meeting in a Manhattan highrise or perhaps pass out to your rich clients while you discuss their investment options. Still, the price is by no means prohibitive; it's quite competitive with other soft drinks. As such, I do buy it occasionally, and I must say it really hits the spot after an intense workout or just on a hot day. I rated it for what it is: Minty flavored water. (That will make you look cool).
Rating: 4/5 stars.
-Danithius
Guayakí Yerba Mate: Pure Endurance Citrus Stamina Blend
Aroma : The olfactory clout of the Yerba Mate strikes you upon cracking the seal, a distinct, herby bouquet with a hint of ginseng, mixed with an orangey citrus that wants to make a home in your nasal cavity.
Taste : The initial taste is a mildy sweet, tangy citrus flavor (that would be the tangerine, orange and acerola), followed by the wild flavor of Yerba Mate. For the uninitiated, this comes as a surprise. It is an audacious, herbal, tea-like, and almost bitter taste, sweeping away the sweetness of the cane sugar and leaving your tongue cottony after swallowing. It is quite the experience.
Price : $2.09 at Good Earth, also available at many health-food stores nationwide, or order online.
Ingredients : An Infusion of: (Purified Water, *Guayakí Yerba Mate, *Siberian Ginseng Root), *Evaporated Cane Juice, *Tangerine Fruit Juice Concentrate, *Acerola puree, *Yerba Mate Extract, *Manioc Root Starch, *Orange Natural Flavor, Original Himalayan Crystal Salt, Citric Acid (* Indicates a Certified Organic Ingredient).
Other Comments : It is quite refreshing to see a company so committed to the environment; Guayakí’s well-designed website makes note of their efforts which include using solar energy, bio-fueled vehicles, and renewable organic ingredients.
Overall : This is an antioxidant- and energy-rich drink that is a welcome alternative to the Energy Drink craze, most of which are filled with HFCS, carbonation, and unhealthy levels of unnaturally derived supplements. That being said, a beverage that surprises you each time you sip it and leaves your mouth feeling dry may not be for everyone, despite its benefits.
Rating : 3.5/5 stars.
-WiseGuise
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