A Brooklyn man is suing the makers of Yoo-hoo, the weird chocolate-flavored drink that’s been around for 90 years, over their claims that the drink is as healthy as it is delicious. Although actually, if the company would change its description to “as healthy as it is delicious,” they’d probably be able to avoid all lawsuits: “Look, we told you it wasn’t healthy.” [More]
beverages
McDonald's Wants You To Come In For A Drink
By 6.28.10
Emboldened by its success with coffee and lattes, McDonald’s is about to take on Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and your local coffee shop, and grab a bigger chunk of the $153 billion beverage market. Coming next month: McDonald’s smoothies, which the company hopes will lure customers away from Jamba Juice and other smoothie chains. [More]
Bolivian Coca Colla Is The Real Thing — Coca Leaf Included
By 6.15.10
Back in the late 19th century, Coca-Cola hooked customers with a narcotic hit drawn from its namesake coca leaf. These days, Coke is cocaine-free, and may or may not still have coca-leaf flavoring, depending on who you speak to. But a new drink from Bolivia, Coca Colla, isn’t shy about its ingredients, even sporting a bright green coca leaf on its label. [More]
Beer Sales Drop, Brewers Scramble For Your Beer Money
By 5.31.10
In the past month, sales of premium light beers fell 11%, reports Advertising Age. Instead of light Coors, Miller, or Bud brands, people have been buying cheaper brews like PBR, or saving up for fancier brands. But we’re not just spending our beer money differently–we’re also drinking less of the stuff. Well, not me. But someone’s cutting back. [More]
The 20 Most Caffeinated "Drinks"
By 3.25.10
Mainstreet.com has put together a slide show of the most caffeinated “drinks” available on the market today. The really potent ones aren’t really made for drinking — they’re actually just liquid that you add to a regular drink in order to make it more caffeine-rich. The most potent one allegedly comes in a syringe-looking thing — because emptying something that looks like a syringe into a drink isn’t going to raise any eyebrows at work… [More]
We Are Too Poor For Fancy Alcohol
By 2.2.10
The numbers are in for liquor sales in 2009, and last year had the smallest increase in sales since 2001, reports Bloomberg. What’s worse (if you own a high-end liquor company), sales shifted toward the products on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and people bought less at restaurants and other public places. But we’re not actually drinking less, it turns out–we’re just doing more entertaining at home. [More]
Which Alcopop Is Right For You?
By 1.25.10
Why, none, of course! That’s the conclusion reached by two foolhardy taste testers who rated the flavors of several brands of this weird hybrid drink category. It turns out there’s no such thing as a “good” alcopop, at least not among the brands tested here. My favorite line: Twistee Sambuca and Banana “smells like Sesame Street the morning after the cast discover binge drinking and projectile vomit.” [More]
Monster Energy Trains Legal Guns On Beverage Review Website
By 10.16.09
When you’re working on developing a reputation as a trademark bully, it’s good to go after multiple targets. We guess that’s why the website BevReview.com has received notice that it should remove any advertisement and sale of Monster Energy drinks from its site. The only problem is, it doesn’t advertise or sell drinks—it reviews them. And it didn’t give Monster Energy a good review.
Surprise! Frappuccinos And Coolatas Are Not Health Food
By 9.23.09
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have just released the findings of a 2007 study on “blended coffee beverages” served by Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. The conclusion: “Calories in blended coffee beverages are high … modifying standard formulations of blended coffee beverages, such as using low-fat milk or smaller serving sizes, would also reduce calorie content.” Um, yeah.
Coke Is Going Retro-Futuristic With New Bottles
By 8.24.09
Look at Coke, getting all futuristic. First with these soda machines and now with these snazzy new bottles, spotted by the Orange County Register.
Consumers Finally Growing Some Damned Sense, Not Buying Bottled Water
By 8.14.09
We’re not always pessimists on Consumerist. Why, sometimes we actually like silver linings, if only because it gives us a chance to complain about argyria. (Don’t take colloidal silver, people!) Today’s silver lining is that sales of bottled water “have fallen for the first time in at least five years,” says the Los Angeles Times. We’re apparently showing common sense and opting for tap water over branded and labeled water, proving that in a tough economy it’s hard to compete with (nearly) free.
ShopRite Hopes Thirst Robs Shoppers Of Math Ability
By 7.6.09
No, you can’t buy the 12-pack for $12. We checked.
The Poor, Misunderstood Wendy's Frosty
By 6.17.09
What, exactly, is a Wendy’s Frosty? Is it a beverage? Is it a milkshake? Is it soft-serve ice cream? Is it simply a vehicle for delivering diamonds to one’s digestive tract? More to the point, is it a beverage or a dessert? Reader Carl doesn’t know. Neither does his local Wendy’s.
Naked Juice Removes Supplements, Now Just Boring Juice
By 6.11.09
Bryan, a longtime Naked Juice customer, noticed that that Strawberry Kiwi Kick brand he always bought had a different colored cap. He writes, “Alas, the ‘Kick’ is no more. Gone are the supplements, including plain ol’ Vitamin C. Strawberry Kiwi Kick is just fruit juice.” When he contacted them to complain, they responded that their “devotees” preferred it that way, and they sent him a coupon and a temporary tattoo. Because if there’s anything that says “we take your input seriously,” it’s a temporary tattoo. (Or maybe they’re trying to tell him what they expect of real devotees.)
The Rockstar Energy Drink/Michael Savage Connection
By 6.8.09
Look, another update! I think I misinterpreted the point of the legal threats yesterday when I wrote this post. As Savage listeners point out in the comments below, Michael Savage has never hidden the fact that his son is the CEO of Rockstar Energy Drink. The legal threats seem to be against people who are claiming that Michael Savage is directly involved in the company, which he is not. And no, there’s no behind-the-scenes shenanigans at work here making me post this; I just feel I need to clarify it after reading the comments.
Latest Brew-Ha-Ha: Cancer In Your Teacup
By 4.20.09
Enjoying your piping hot breakfast cuppa? Well, get a thermometer and a timer. Because the latest cancer scare comes in the form of overly hot tea (or other liquids), sipped too soon.
Is Tentacle Grape Soda Real? Because Their Shipment Dates Aren't
By 3.13.09
Really, grape soda with a tentacle hentai theme (don’t Google it if you’re not sure what we’re talking about, especially if you’re at work) just makes sense. Sex-starved tentacled monsters getting it on with anime vixens just cries out to be packaged as a grape drink and sold. But one reader, Lincoln, says he bought his own 6-pack of the drink back at the start of the year and has yet to see it.
"Loyal Customer" Backlash Forces Tropicana To Abandon New Packaging
By 2.23.09
The New York Times says that “loyal” Tropicana customers are up in arms about the new packaging, calling it “ugly,” “generic” and claiming that it looks like a store brand. Others say that the packaging makes it difficult to distinguish between the different varieties of orange juice.
