Whatever smoothie I’m drinking at the moment, that’s my answer! Consumer Reports took a nerdier approach, as they often do, and gathered a bunch of people to taste test various store-bought smoothies, then combined those opinions with information from nutritionists. Coming out on top in the dairy category was Lifeway Lowfat Kefir Strawberry, and in the fruit category was Bolthouse Farms Berry Boost Blend. [More]
drinks
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]
Scientists Say Half Of All Soda Fountains Harbor Fecal Bacteria
By 1.7.10
If you were looking for a reason other than the ridiculous price markup to avoid soda fountains, microbiologists from Hollins University — publishing in the International Journal of Food Microbiology — have got it for you: There’s poo-related bacteria in half of them, the Huffington Post reports, citing blogger Tom Laskawy. [More]
Monster Energy Threatens Actual Movie Monster (We're Not Kidding)
By 10.16.09
We’re back to thinking Hansen Beverage Company is being taken for a ride by its legal counsel, Continental Enterprises, with this latest chapter in their trademark bullying saga. An actor named Trygve Lode has been contacted by Continental Enterprises on behalf of Hansen and told to remove all advertising and sales of Monster Energy from his site. The only reference to Monster Energy is the photo above.
Make Your Own Sports Drink
By 8.9.09
Why waste money on Gatorade when you can brew an equally effective sports drink from sugar, lemon juice, salt and orange juice? Hit the jump for the simple, inexpensive recipe.
By 7.10.09
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Tomorrow, 6,000 participating 7-Eleven stores will be giving away free tiny Slurpees. [7-Eleven] (Thanks to Henry!)
If This Juice Is Made From Strawberries, Where's The Naturally Occurring Vitamin C?
By 6.12.09
John read our post yesterday about Naked Juice‘s decision to remove vitamins and herbal stuff from some of their product line, and forwarded us a response he got from the company a month ago. His question: if Strawberry Kiwi Kick contains 14 strawberries, why does the nutritional label say it contains 0% vitamin C? The answer is a good reminder of the difference between fresh food and food that’s been processed, conveniently packaged, and wrapped up in some healthy-looking branding.
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.)
Convert Your Favorite Snack Into Sugar Cubes
By 5.5.09
This website displays photos of soft drinks, smoothies, candy, and even vegetables next to little piles of sugar cubes that represent the total sugar in them. This is a great service, because if you ever go into space you can simply use this site to pack a baggie full of an equivalent amount of cubes. Then you can enjoy your Space McFlurry without worrying about liquid contamination of the spacecraft.
It's Real: Reader Receives His Tentacle Grape
By 3.19.09
Last week, we wondered whether Tentacle Grape soda was a real product or a funny/tasteless joke that had turned into a scam, since people had placed orders for it with real cash and had yet to see any product. A reader named Harley emailed us to say a box of the soda just arrived at his address today, along with a condom, naturally. Because that’s just classy. He adds, “I can’t comment on the taste as I haven’t yet tried it, but I don’t think I’ll be using the condom.” Click through for a bigger pic.
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.
Dunkin' Donuts' 99 Cent Latte Ads Are Misleading
By 2.26.09
Corey pointed out to us that the Dunkin’ Donuts advertising for their 99 cent latte is a bit misleading. He writes,
Four Ways To Save Money At A Sporting Event
By 2.21.09
Sporting events were once a nice way to kill the day with friends instead of the massively expensive once-a-year “treats” that they’re trying to become. Food and drinks are easily the biggest expenses you can control at any sporting event, and with a few tips from Frugal Dad, you can keep your day at the game as cheap as it was in grandpa’s time…
Snapple's Acai Drink Just Pear Juice And Corn Syrup
By 1.23.09
Of all the ridiculous Acai schemes we’ve seen involving overpriced miracle elixirs, Snapple wins hands down—their Acai Blackberry drink is high fructose corn syrup, pear juice, and “natural flavors,” which Consumerist reader LS points out could be “a spoonful of blackberry jam from Aunt Sally’s root cellar and a puff of acai-laced breath from the health food girl in accounting.” Or more likely, just some flavoring extracts from a company similar to this one.
It's Midnight Somewhere…
By 1.1.09
It’s New Year’s Eve, and we have some drinking suggestions for you.
Southwest's "Credit Cards Only" Policy Increases Sales By 8%
By 10.1.08
Here’s the real reason for an airline to switch to credit-card-only sales on board its flights: people spend more. Southwest Airlines’ customer service veep, Daryl Krause, told the Dallas Morning News that “since Southwest began accept credit cards (and no longer taking cash) on Sept. 9, its drink sales are up about 8 percent.” Since in general “the goal was one more drink sale per flight,” we wonder whether that wasn’t the real reason for going cashless all along.
No More Cash On Southwest Airlines
By 9.3.08
Southwest Airlines will no longer be accepting cash for drinks on board their flights. The airline will “accept credit and debit cards and Rapid Rewards drink coupons for items that carry a fee, which also includes cocktails and energy drinks.” [CNNMoney]
McDonald's Charges More For Sweet Tea With Anything Less Than A "Full" Cup Of Ice
By 8.11.08
Reader Greg had his first run in with the notorious “no ice” fee, something we’ve been hearing about more and more lately. This time the culprit was McDonald’s and they got around the “Ok, fine. I’ll just have one cube of ice” tactic with a sign that specified a “FULL” cup of ice. Clever, McDonald’s. Very. Clever.
