by AOL Food Editors Our team of food editors shook, stirred, popped the top and puckered their way through 70 cartons, bottles, cans and pouches in search of the most thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying brand of store-bought lemonade. In the end, they selected several runners-up and a winner in each of seven categories: plastic bottle, can, juice box or pouch, powder, glass bottle and paper carton, as well as the best pink lemonade and the absolute best and worst overall. Read on for results and see how store brands can sometimes rule.
by AOL Food Editors Our team of food editors shook, stirred, popped the top and puckered their way through 70 cartons, bottles, cans and pouches in search of the most thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying brand of store-bought lemonade. In the end, they selected several runners-up and a winner in each of seven categories: plastic bottle, can, juice box or pouch, powder, glass bottle and paper carton, as well as the best pink lemonade and the absolute best and worst overall. Read on for results and see how store brands can sometimes rule.
Rachel Been, AOL
Runner-up: Plastic Bottle Tropicana Lemonade
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup Calories per serving: 100 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3 Lemon strength: Medium Our panel says: "More like lemon soda than lemonade, this was light and refreshing."
Sweetener: Natural Sugar Calories per serving: 120 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3 Lemon strength: Medium Our panel says: "It was balanced and non-sticky with a smooth, lime-like finish." "I tend to like the 'Simply'series -- orange juice, limeade, etc. -- and this does not disappoint."
Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar Calories per serving: N/A Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 5 Lemon strength: Mild Our panel says: "With notes of (unadvertised) coconut and lime, this was a tropical dream." "It's like a vacation in a bottle."
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup Calories per serving: 140 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3 Lemon Strength: Solid Our panel says: "It's wonderfully bold and lemony, neither too tart or too sweet." "The finish is a little bit sticky, but the flavor makes up for it."
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup Calories per serving: 110 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2 Lemon Strength: Our panel says: "The flavor is just about perfect -- a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. Only drawback is the slightly sticky mouth feel, but just solve that by ditching the can and serving over ice." "Nicely balanced, assertive, no messing around."
Sweetener: Sugar Calories per serving: 141 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2 Lemon Strength: Intense Our panel says: "This is incredible front-porch lemonade -- if your front porch happens to sport marble columns with ivy growing up them. This is grown-up lemonade that's strong, clear, effervescent and utterly addictive."
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup Calories per serving: 90 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 4 Lemon strength: Medium Our panel says: "A refreshing small box for when you're on the go" "It wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be -- and that's a good thing."
Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup Calories per serving: 100 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3 Lemon Strength: Mild Our panel says: "A crowd shocker, it wasn't as sweet as the majority of juice boxes." "A well balanced drink."
Sweetener: Aspartame Calories per serving: 5 Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3 Lemon Strength: Right up front Our panel says: "This is the rarest of all creatures -- a low-calorie lemonade that doesn't have a nasty aftertaste! The taste that it does have is actually a really nice balance of tart and sweet."
There is perhaps nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a fruity drink. Sure, ice cream, Popsicles and beer all have their place in the chill summer pantheon, but the combination of something already so summery (fruit) with nature's most refreshing resource (water) is pure heaven when the thermometer is pushing 90 or 100 degrees. And no one does fruity drinks better than Mexicans (margarita, anyone?).
Shown above are gloriously green and outrageously orange aguas frescas, which translates loosely to "fresh waters." These are typically blended with fruits, cereals or seeds and, of course, sugar. These colorful concoctions from Deb at Smitten Kitchen are made with cantaloupe and honeydew melon, lime juice, sugar, salt, water and seltzer.
The twist of lime on each glass serves as a reminder that though these drinks don't contain any alcohol, they're still suitable to serve to grown-ups at fiestas.
Not in a "don't bogart that can, man" way. Just that if I'm going to go to all the trouble of stoking a hardwood lump charcoal fire, obsessively monitoring its low-'n-slow-ness for a goodly chunk of the day, feeding its greedy gut with beer-soaked mesquite and hickory chunks at half-hour intervals all for the sake of an albeit fabulous brisket or pork shoulder, I'm gonna want a bit more return on the investment.
Here's where foil pans of salt, cherries and lemons come in.
Vitamin Water has been in the news lately with some contretempts over the caloric content of their brightly colored, somewhat nutritious beverages. So it's fortuitous timing that they're coming out with 10-calorie versions of several flavors. Up for the dietetic treatment are Energy (tropical citrus/yellow), XXX (acai-blueberry-pomegranate/magenta), Multi-V (lemonade/white) and Essential (orange/orange).
Can you tell the difference between the 25-calorie bottle and the 125-calorie bottle? Well, the Essential lo-cal version is, weirdly, sweeter than the original, while the Multi-V is about the same. Along with the lighter revisions. Vitamin Water has also come out with two new standard-calorie flavors: Tranquilo (tamarind-pineapple/chartreuse) and Sync (berry-cherry/lavender).
When it comes to assembling the bar for your holiday party, there's a certain list of basics you must have on hand--vodka, gin, whiskey, cola, tonic, etc. Such a bar will certainly serve to make a decent drink and satisfy most customers, but won't add anything special to the festivities. The easiest--and cheapest--way to add a little magic is with unusual mixers. Here's five that will add a twist to your cocktail menu.
1. Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale It mixes equally well with bourbon, vodka and light rum and works nicely in a punch. The antioxidants listed on the bottle may come in handy when battling the holidays' excesses, but the large amount of sugar won't help with that Christmas waistline.
2. Sence Rose Petal Nectar If you wish to offer chick drinks that are more Deneuve/Dietrich than Carrie Bradshaw, rose petal nectar can come in handy. Try the elegant American Beauty--not the brandy version, but one made with vanilla vodka, lemon juice and rose petal nectar.
"Pick Your Nose" is probably not a headline you expected to see on Slashfood. Well. There's a first time for everything.
These are 12 ounce paper cups with various noses on them. Finally, you can pick your friends' noses. I know you've wanted to. A pack of 24 is $9.95, aka way cheaper than plastic surgery.*
As for clipping your friends' nose-hairs, we're still working on that.
Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!
Like many, I may claim to be adventurous about food, drinks, condiments and above all desserts, but when it comes down to it, things like flavored mayo (and mayo in general) and multi-flavored soy milk are a bit off-putting.
So this past week, when I not only tried chocolate peppermint soy milk from Vita Soy and loved it and converted three non-soy-milk drinkers into wanting to find it and buy it too, I also broke down and tried mayo on a sandwich. No, it was not a horror. It was dijon-style nayonaise, and I liked it so much, I started mixing it into baked potatoes and was even inspired to create Potato-Less "Mashed Potatoes." Yes, that's right, all you dairy-intolerant and veggie folks out there, check out this 'Tofu Tatoes recipe that is entirely dairy-free, a similar consistency to mashed potatoes and it much easier than peeling potatoes and waiting for them to boil while your tummy growls.
So here's to trying new things and sharing the soy joy with others.
A few years back, my pal Tom introduced me to the delicious, sweet taste of "Kaba-yaki," broiled eel served with a sweet sauce. As I'm always game to try new things, I scarfed down the piece that he offered me. As soon as I tasted it, I forgot about the fact that the meat came from a slithering, snakelike creature and began to focus on the flavor. It was tender, moist, and perfectly delicious. I was hooked.
Although time, geography, and economics have kept me from regularly partaking of the delicious Kaba-yaki, I can certainly understand why it is Japan's official summer food. I can even understand, to a certain extent, why Japan Tobacco, Inc. recently came out with "Unagi Noburi," or "Surging Eel," an eel-based carbonated beverage. Made from (among other things) the head and bones of eels, the soda contains several of the vitamins that are contained in the fish. The company is marketing it as a sort of energy drink, designed to extend its drinkers' stamina.
According to reports, the drink tastes more or less like Kaba-yaki. While the idea of a broiled, barbecue-y eel drink initially nauseates me a little, I have to admit that I wasn't all that hot on eel itself when I first heard about it. Given how the Kaba-yaki turned out, I may have to give the soda a try!
Kind little rituals seem to go a long way toward making marriage work, so almost every weekend, I make my husband some sweet tea. He's a Southern boy by birth (Brooklynian by marriage), and having a big ol' pitcher easily grabbable in the fridge seems to right any Mason Dixon imbalance he might be suffering at the time. I've got it down to a science, proportion-wise, but this past weekend, his itch for a sugar fix kicked in while I was at the grocery store. What he made tasted divine, but there was just too much for one pitcher, and not enough refrigerator room for a second.
If nothing else, the nuns at St. Scorpacciata instilled in me the mortal fear of wasting food, and seeing how I'd been at the store to buy milk (which neither of us usually drink) for a Bolognese, I decided sherbet would be what saved our souls from eternal damnation. I suppose we won't know for a while if that worked, but it did taste pretty damned delicious.
It's only July 3rd and my foodie forefathers have already dished out plenty of Independence Day eats in such posts as American Flag Cakes and Delicious Foods for July 4th. But let's be honest: There is no food or cake that can rival the great American tradition of getting rip-roaring drunk. Even Uncle Sam's cheeks wear a warm flush!
But tradition aside, I do not condone drinking to excess, so I have devised a list of patriotic cocktails that are too lovely to chug. In the words of the great George Washington as he crossed the Delaware: Take it slow, kids, take it slow.
Starfruit and Stripes Daiquiri - The fine folks at MaisonBisson came up with this capital idea: Take a traditional strawberry daiquiri, top it with whipped cream and blueberries, then garnish with a slice of starfruit. Ta da! Liquid flag!
Red, White and Blue Sangria - Punctuate some white sangria with blueberries and raspberries for that good ol' U.S. of A. color scheme.
Boston Pops Martini - This Massachusetts-made martini celebrates the famed Boston Pops' national independence day broadcast. The true fireworks begin with the rim that's dipped in - what else? - Pop Rocks!
Red, White and Blue Shot - Although there are a number of variations on this popular Fourth of July shooter, the key is a careful pour to ensure those colors don't run.
Patriotic Margarita - The arbiters of blue vodka put their hued booze to good use with this layered margarita: HPNOTIQ 'rita, topped with strawberry 'rita, dressed up with a coconut rim.
Red, White and Blue beers - According to the results of this poll, beer is the bev of choice for cookouts. So if you want to keep with the patriotic theme, stock up on PBR (in the unmistakable red, white, and blue can) or for something a bit classier, invest in an assortment of Chimay Red, Chimay White, and Chimay Blue.
If you are declaring an independence from alcohol, whip up one of these constitutions:
Patriotic Tea Punch - Try out this tart punch that boasts an iced tea base, pomegranate juice, and gobs of fresh fruit.
Bomb Pop Mocktail - This red, white, and blue pousse-cafe layers cranberry juice, blue Gatorade, and diet 7-up to mimic everyone's favorite patriotic popsicle.
Excuse the standup comedian tone, but what's the deal with all these "anti-energy" drinks? First I posted about Drank, and now comes VIB - short for Vacation in a Bottle.
The web site says that you you will "experience the tender Polynesian breezes and the serene harmony of rolling waves with a vacation in a bottle." VIB has no caffeine, no alcohol, and is high in anti-oxidants while low in carbs and calories. Sounds like the perfect drink, if the taste is there. But that sounds good too: it's pomegranate berry, slightly carbonated.
Of course, I'm not talking about the ways you try to keep cool in general, such as cranking the AC, jumping into a pool, or going to the beach. I'm talking about liquid refreshment.
There are many schools of thought on this. My mom used to drink hot coffee in June, July, and August, going by the old theory that drinking hot liquids in hot months actually cools you down. I myself like icedtea and ice cold water during the summer, with some diet soda and icy Ocean Spray Light Ruby Red here and there too. Others seem to like beer and cocktails, though I really doubt their effectiveness (beyond the initial hit of cold liquid going down).
After the jump, give us your liquid solutions for the summer. Besides the drinks above, I'm thinking about asking the owner of the liquor store down the street if I can live in his giant walk in fridge for the summer..
How do you like your iced tea? What I mean is, do you like real brewed iced tea or do you like the stuff from the store, with all the sugar and lemon?
As I think I've mentioned here before, I can't stand real brewed iced tea. It just seems like, well, I got a hot cup of tea and I let it sit on my desk for a couple of hours and now I have to drink it cold. And no matter how much sugar and/or lemon I add, it just doesn't have the same taste as the packaged Lipton or Nestea.
Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!
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A few years back, my pal Tom introduced me to the delicious, sweet taste of "Kaba-yaki," broiled eel served with a sweet sauce. As I'm always game to try new things, I scarfed down the piece that he offered me. As soon as I tasted it, I forgot about the fact that the meat came from a slithering, snakelike creature and began to focus on the flavor. It was tender, moist, and perfectly delicious. I was hooked. 
Kind little rituals seem to go a long way toward making marriage work, so almost every weekend, I make my husband some 
Lavender: So hot right now. Lavender.
Excuse the standup comedian tone, but what's the deal with all these "anti-energy" drinks? First I posted about 
How do you like your iced tea? What I mean is, do you like real brewed iced tea or do you like the stuff from the store, with all the sugar and lemon?
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