Drink Up! It’s Culinary Thrill Seeking’s Beverage Roundup

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     Bev Roundup  – We all thought we were sophisticated in the ‘80s when Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers broke out. Who could have imagined what “open bar” could mean a couple of decades later? Here are some trending bevvies to imbibe:

·        Glish – Ginger and I go way back. But a California family really got to know the spice when the pandemic brought them to “dare” ginger. They created three bespoke Glish flavors of sparkling water, which they refer to as The Universal Fizz. Try Chai-Spice Ginger, Yuzu Ginger and (my fave) Mango Ginger. www.drinkglish.com

·        Bad Ass Mom Classic will have you on your nose. “On the nose it reveals aromas of pear, melon, peach and white flowers,” reads the card. There’s more, and less. It’s a sparkling dry, non-alcoholic wine for moms. We’re all about playing pretend with our kids, right? It comes in little green bottles. And these grapes will offer great vibes. www.badassmom.com

·         Zaddy’s Corpse Reviver – Who put fennel in a can of gin seltzer? That’s why a skeleton is climbing out of a sewer on the Corpse Reviver label. Zaddy’s blend with orange and lemon is the conversation starter here. Next “Gin-Eration” cocktails are pretty low cal, if that’s what you’re going for. Those who like fun branding are in luck. Those who just came here for interesting flavor will also be revived. www.drinkzaddys.com

·        Buzz Tea – Original, peach and half and half are Buzz Tea options. Deer Park’s H-E-B is listed is the nearest place to pick up some 24-ounce cans of pretty strong alcoholic tea. It’s as hard as you want it for backyard parties. www.buzzteaco.com

·        The Original Clubtails is a 1 pint pop-open cocktail in flavors like Blue Hawaiian and Pink Lemonade. You can share with a friend as the 10 percent alcohol by volume packs a sweet punch. Summer evenings, back yards and this stuff. https://clubtails.com

·        Super Vitamin C Cocktail – Packets of Passion Fruit Antioxidant Powder are packaged in a shiny outer bag with lots of big words. I recognize those this powder promotes: collagen production for healthy skin, immune system and antioxidant activity. Called “Science for Beauty & Wellness,” because “Healthy Skin Starts Within,” it’s the patented liposomal technology for optimal absorption and delivery to cells that’s the new thing. After all that, I’ll say this powder tastes better than most. Natriopathic Practitioner Nigma Talib says younger skin starts in the gut. www.healthydoc.com

·         RĀ.D8 – Sea buckhorn gets underutilized omegas to your skin, and that’s one of the easiest ways to explain all the good this collagen-infused sparkling tea helps enrich your skin with a beautiful glow. It packs a lot into a skinny canned drink that tastes good. A beverage disruptor/scuba diver and former model bring us this concoction in “elevated flavors.” www.gnusante.com

·        Gen Z – Real Boomers are putting out transparent purified water they want Gen Z, people who have never owned a flip phone, to buy. This attituded printed right on a fantasy artwork label of a skinny refillable bottle/can, ups the interest. Curious? www.drinkgenz.com

                 ·        Thaiwala – Reminder: We are “southern” and we liked sweet tea. Not all of America     drinks tea like we do and not all the world enjoys tea like so many Americans. Ready for something fun? Thaiwala is billed as “crazy good and all natural” Thai tea. I was not prepared for what came in boxes of original and unsweetened, but I enjoyed every sip. It was think and concentrated and called for an equal amount of dairy. Half and half if your diet allows. I want to play with this from powdered and skim to soy and almond. Cut to: I did have some with thick coffee creamer and it was over the top. So we’re still not done with the possibilities. Make a Thai Fighter cocktail with bourbon and a cinnamon stick, blend into your smoothie or add tapioca pearls for bubble tea. Leave it to people in Portland, who are so good at coffee, to help us enjoy a taste of Thai tea. www.thaiwala.com

·        On Ceremony - Striving for zen wakefulness? Get your foam on with Rishi Teahouse Matcha. I suggest you are already serious about your Japanese green tea powder ceremony before enjoying this line. Tencha requires shading the tea garden 3-4 weeks prior to harvest to elevate the chlorophyll and enhance the L-theanine. If you understood that at all, get out your whisk and enjoy this low tannin, high caffeine umami. www.rishi-tea.com

 Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie keeping hydrated. Share your Culinary Thrill Seeking with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com