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

How to avocado for Taco Tuesdays

 An avocado slicer in the store intrigued me. I texted a friend who said he has one but avoids it. Cleaning is a challenge. I borrowed his while researching 10 brands online. I didn’t realize the handle aided in pit removal. My mom taught me to slice and use a spoon to scoop out the avocado. Then use a knife to whac, twist and remove the pit. It has always worked for me. I never seemed to use the slicer with the right size or texture fruit and I lost a lot of the good stuff and had to use the spoon anyway. I’m sticking to the old ways. The whole process simply reminded me to eat more avocados.

All good. And here are some inspirations to work into Taco Tuesday:

Clubtails – If a giant can of Bahama Mamma or Bahama Mama screams gas station to you, you’re on to something. The Original Clubtails brings you convenient 24-ounce cans of sweet tropical infusions from a convenience store. Just get onto www.clubtails.com to find the nearest near you. There’s enough for two people to share in your own lovely glasses at home, and a little extra for a second round. The biggest challenge is to pick from their several conveniently tempting flavors.

Cactus! – Slick is the word for organic cactus water. It’s got a silken body as it slides down, and 30 calories of flavored, non-carbonated Cactus! The Desert Hydrator will fill you up. Watermelon was my first try. Perfect for unwinding after a day working the ranch. All the popular flavors are in the line. Sarita, the founder, says her sustainable-sourced organic cactus is an excellent source of Vitamin C. www.deserthydrator.com

Are your seeds super? – From avocado toast to cookies, there are countless foods that could benefit from a shake of Organic Super Seeds from Better Body Foods. Not only do I love the product of chia, flaxseed meal and hulled hemp seeds, I also love looking at them. I emptied the zip pouch into a tall, clear keeper in the pantry and have some in a little shaker for easy access. These are attractive reminders to shake, blend and bake the seeds into anything craving a little more fiber, protein and omega-3s. www.betterbodyfoods.com

Raised Gluten Free – Two moms were cooking,,. “Raised Gluten Free” is a claim most adults can’t make, but times are changing. These moms, who created a brand, got to creating pies, cookies and the main dishes I’m sharing here. Gluten-Free Vegan Quiche, an egg-less spinach wonder was favored to win, but Vegetable Pot Pie, also vegan, claimed top place by everyone at my table. The crust was soooo good and the warm innards were the definition of comfort food. www.raisedglutenfree.com 

Lookin’ Good for Taco Tuesday – Guess  what else is gluten-free? EVXO Cosmetics stands up for animal rights. A Plum Rose palette offers amazing eye colors with a stand-out brush and mirror and patrons who must avoid digesting glutens can also be assured these guys are creatively cranking out vegan, organic and gluten-free makeup. Swipe Right lip and cheek tint is a double power that keeps minimalists in hip color. www.evxocosmetics.com 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who has broken the rules before: You can celebrate tacos on any day of the week. Tell her if you’ve done that at darraghcastillo@icloud.com