Kombucha Wonder Drink: Original

This is a can of Sparkling Kombucha that was given to me by our friend/adviser/test subject Adam. He spied this at a discount store where strange and wonderful things are to be found, particularly bizarre food items. For 60 cents, how could he say no?

First, I know some are going to ask, 'what the hell is kombucha?' I'll tell you. Just be quiet a moment. It sounds like one of these exotic fruits that grow deep in the Amazonian or Thai jungles, plucked precariously from giant trees by nearly naked natives. It's not. Kombucha is actually a fermented tea created by a bacterial yeast culture, and it has been imbibed by Asians and Russkies for millenia. So it's a super-fungus that brews its own tea! 'Wait, what?' Yeah.

After pouring the light greenish fizzy fluid into a cup, I took a big whiff, and instantly caught the scent of fermentation. There was also a hint of the juniper berries used. Being kind of a fan of fermented beverages, I took a sip to test the flavor. Ferment-y, with some tea flavor. Not really catching the smaller ingredients. It's a little odd, but not totally unpalatable. I would have to try their other flavors, because I can't really see myself drinking this to enjoy it, despite the many claims to its positive effects. I also wish it wasn't carbonated.

Wonder Drink LLC is an independent company out of Portland with line of 8 kombucha centered beverages, and touts the multiple positive effects of drinking kombucha, which seems to be gaining popularity around the world, and you can even make it at home, if you can get a hold of the culture.

Ingredients: Infusion of (water, organic kombucha concentrate, organic green tea, organic juniper berries, organic spearmint leaves, organic lemon myrtle leaves), organic cane juice, carbonation.

A little too fizzy and odd to enjoy on the porch with a book, but maybe with my next body-cleansing session.

Score: 2.5 out of 5.

-- WiseGuise

Another quick update

Another exciting announcement at Better Libations -

As of today, we will also be located at www.healthdrinkreviews.com for SEO purposes. Our title will always remain as Better Libations, though, as well as our email addresses. In case you forgot:

Danithius@betterlibations.com (love letters and fiscal donations)
WiseGuise@betterlibations.com (hate mail, death threats)
drinkme@betterlibations.com (drink submissions)

The Beverage Revolution marches on!

- Danithius -

50 Reviews!!

We just reached a humble, but important milestone. We have accumulated fifty reviews in the past nine months, between me and Danithius. We appreciate all of our readers, and anyone who has commented. We hope to bring you many more reviews in the future; and please, continue to submit your suggestions and comments. Thanks, everyone.

Much love and Better Libations,

-- WiseGuise

Super Happy Asian Drink Hour - Gokuri King of Mango!

*Wise Guise and I assembled a panel of friends, all possessing varied amounts of experience with foreign drinks, and had them try seven wacky/tasty/exotic drinks from Japan! We cleansed our palates with Japanese salty snacks in-between drinks.*

Gokuri is a line of drinks produced by the Suntory Co., which has been in the alcoholic beverages industry since 1899. Some years later it branched off into other beverages. They also produce CC Lemon, one of the most popular soft drinks in all of Japan.

Joe (limited experience): "This one's my favorite so far. That's the goods."

Wise_Guise (moderate experience): "I like the bottle, it's cool. (After tasting) Oh yeah, that's mango, baby."

Danithius (advanced experience): "15% juice, that's good. And it takes that real strong, cutting mango flavor and smooths it out. It's got more mango in it than sugar, too."

Adam (moderate experience): "It's thick. Yep, I could see drinking this."

Crystal (limited experience): "That is good! Tastes like one of those candies...a Haichu...but liquid."

Consensus: Damn, it is the King of Mango!

Swiss Premium: Iced Tea with Lemon

I was hoping to be able to find a decent bottled iced tea, that didn't contain HFCS like my formerly beloved Arizona Sweet Tea, so I scored this bottle sitting all by itself in the drink isle, a sign I mistakenly took to be good. You'll see where I'm going with that.

I opened the bottle, full of expectations, and could right away smell the instant tea, with a disturbing undertone of plastic. Being here for your service and disregarding my own safety (the bottle is PETE plastic, it should be safe, right?), I took a few sips and put the bottle down. Not only did it have the most bizarre flavor of lemon-flavored tea I have ever experienced, I could taste the plastic too. A few more hesitant swigs and I was done. It has been a while since I haven't finished a drink, but I just couldn't bear this anymore. The phrase 'Epic Fail' comes to mind.

This was one of the biggest letdowns in my history of libations, ranking up there with diet sodas. Whether or not I got a bad batch or it had just gone over (hint: don't print your expiration dates on the side of a bottle with dark fluid in it), I don't think I could ever get over this experience enough to enjoy any of their tea again.

This one is caught up in a corporate web as well, the company is owned by Dean Foods, and distributed by Meadow Gold.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, instant tea, citric acid, sodium citrate, and natural flavors.
Sugar factor: 42 grams a 20 oz bottle.

Score: 0.5 out of 5; pending my death from plastic-leeched tea, they will lose another half point.

-- WiseGuise

Cascade Ice - Tropical Citrus

In my ongoing effort to dig up wherever Unique Beverage is hiding their Cascade Ice information, I picked up this tropical punch at my local Albe's, and waited for what seemed the right time to open it, which was right after a plate of homemade mouth-burning turkey burritos. After my taste buds were thoroughly singed and anticipating liquid relief, Cascade Ice came to my palette's rescue.

Upon cracking the seal, I was happy to stick my nose down into the neck, and take a whiff of what reminded me of a big bowl of cut up fruit. A few swigs later, I was able to taste again, and caught traces of papaya and mango, not picking up so much on the citrus, which would be orange and grapefruit if I'm recognizing the fruits on the label correctly.

Overall it has a nice, sweet flavor, fruity and a tad sour. It seems a little sweeter than the others I have tried, but still has the same amount of sugar, about 32 g per 20 oz bottle. Still trying to find out about this company, which mainly produces energy drinks, but they also have a line of Cascade Ice sparkling water.

Ingredients: Water, organic cane sugar, citric acid, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, monopotassium phosphate, magnesium lactate, calcium lactate pentahydrate, red cabbage extract (color), Guarana Seed extract, niacin, panax ginsing root extract, d-calcium pantothenate, chromium polynicotinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, chromium picolinate, cyanocobalamin. (don't worry, all those things you can't pronounce are vitamins)

Again, this one gets a 4.5 out of 5, pending any replies to my emails.

-- WiseGuise