Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with beverage

The gateway drug.

cmoj — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:33:41 -0800

Help me get my caffeine. I drink a lot of tea that I brew quite strong, but sometimes I like a pretty good dose of caffeine, and I'd rather not drink energy drinks (though that's what I do when such a desire arises). What can I do without drinking gallons of tea?

I'm not really into coffee. I'd prefer an organic solution, though as long as I'm loading my body with caffeine, I'm not going to worry about it if it's better than the chemistry-set-in-a-can energy drinks.

No Sugar, No Caffeine Nowhere to be found.

Jezztek — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:30:44 -0800

Where can I find sugar and caffeine free fountain drinks? I crave the occasional fountain soda. It is an itch that just can't be scratched by bottled/canned or non-carbonated beverages. The problem is my doctor recently pulled me off caffeine, ending my twenty year love affair with that sweet stimulant, and I hate sugary sodas (ugh, so thick and sticky).

So now it is much harder to find a fountain drink that meets my needs (diet versions of clear sodas, grape/orange flavors or rootbeers tend to be good). The two places I've found are Panera Bread (diet-caffeine free coke) Sonic Drive through (Diet Sprite). Anyone else know of any others I may have missed here this part of the country (I'm in central Ohio) especially a convenience store-gas station chain open late?

Thanks much!

Margarita etiquette

Miko — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:33:45 -0800

Is there a proper etiquette for drinking a salt-rimmed margarita - especially when served with a straw? Am I doin it rong? I love margaritas; they're my favorite cocktail and a special summer pleasure. But what I love about them, specifically, is the mix of a few grains of crunchy crushed salt from the rim combined with citrusy-sweet liquid. Margaritas taste best to me when both flavors combine in each sip.

Because of this I have been known to lick salt from the rim of the glass, or rotate the glass so I can sip all the way around the rim and eventually get all the salt. But I feel self-conscious doing this. Especially when they serve the drink with a straw, which would indicate that you're expected just to draw liquid through the straw and be satisfied with whatever hints of salt fall into the drink and dissolve.

I'm worried that I'm being gauche in my ardent pursuit of the salt-citrus combo. Is there a right way to do this? There are a lot of cocktails these days with something (salt, brown sugar, flavored sugar, etc) on the rim. If you see people discarding the straw and drinking from the rim of the glass, do you point and laugh? Is there any sort of consensus on polite ways to imbibe cocktails with some sort of flavoring on the rim? T

Root Beer!

serazin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:44 -0800

We're makin' root beer! (Help?) Me and my buddy want to make our own root beer, and possibly also ginger beer or other soda-type beverages. I would love any suggestions you have to offer: books we should check out, relevant websites, favorite recipes, particular products we need, etc. Please share your home root beer brewing stories, warnings, advice, etc below. Thank you!

Does all fortified wine taste like raisins?

DeucesHigh — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:06:50 -0800

Help me find a fortified wine that doesn't taste like raisins! So typically I'm a cocktail guy, but recently I've decided I want to find at least one sort of fortified wine that I'll like. Something to have after dinner, as a dessert beverage. To that end, I've been sampling the bottom-shelf offerings of my local Wine & Spirits store to get an idea of my options.

Marsala was the first stop on the fortified wine adventure, and it was so sickly sweet and raisin-y that half the bottle got thrown away. Next, a cream Sherry (might have been Bristol Cream), with high hopes. Nope, this tasted very similar. Madeira? Pretty much like the Marsala. Finally, a five-dollar bottle of ruby Port. This was... slightly better, but nothing I'd buy again.

So my question is this: am I giving myself a totally wrong idea of these wines by buying only the cheap stuff? I'm sure some aficionados will chime in with "absolutely, yes!", but clearly there's some relationship between the taste of $5 ruby port, and $75 vintage port, in the same way that Ten High and Pappy Van Winkle -- while hugely different in quality -- are both still recognizable as bourbon.

Lastly, should I go down other alleys? White Port, fino Sherry? I like the idea of drier and paler, but these are harder to find, at least in Pennsylvania liquor stores.

Club-Mate in Los Angeles?

thedaniel — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:56:08 -0800

Where can I buy Club-Mate in Los Angeles? So far I have called the Alpine Village Market and Galco's Soda Pop Stop, and signed up for the newsletter at club-mate.us. No Club-Mate yet. Help?

How do I get this drink on the shelves

Scientifik — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:08:14 -0800

How do I help my mom sell her iced tea in stores? My mom has been making her own unique flavor of iced tea for years and has always received compliments on it and requests for it at parties from different people. She's semi-retired would like to start bottling it and selling it in stores; doesn't have to be nationwide at wal-mart or anything but a little local or regional action would be nice. I don't really have the time to help her start a business but would like to point her in the right direction of some companies that will help her get the ball rolling for manufacturing and distribution, any suggestions?

Replace my Samael coffee cup

Wolfdog — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:08 -0800

Back in the 90s, Century Media made a lot of 1,000 (if I remember correctly) black Samael coffee cups showing (if I remember correctly) both the moon from the cover of Passage and the yin/yang design from Rebellion. It was my favorite coffee cup ever, and somebody swiped mine. Anyone got any idea where I can find another? There must still be some out there somewhere!

tead off

luriete — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:37:44 -0800

I started with Earl Grey, and drank it for years with milk, until I tried better quality teas and gave up the milk. Then oolong, which was too weak and subtle for me. Now I've moved on to Lapsang Souchong and a malty golden-tipped Guangxi black called Golden Downy. I like strong teas, with no herbal additives; can anyone suggest other teas as strong as the Lapsang, smoky or not? After a recent heart attack my cardiologist, a researcher, suggested I start drinking 4 cups of black tea every day, and that the health benefits - for my heart, at least - might rival even those of green tea. So, now I'm looking for a bit more variety.

Moving, and have 3 urgent questions, so anyway, about Pinot Grigio

dawson — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:03:51 -0800

SO setting the more pressing questions aside, I'm having an evening of wine and conversation with my former educational director and always friend...Wine is the libation of choice... She is a winebibber, and wine is not my poison of choice. And when I do imbibe I prefer reds. Or a cold Zinfadel if I'm in a hurry.
So (as there will be more than one bottle) what do you recommend for under, say ten/twelve bucks? The difficulty, she wants Pinot Grigio. "My preference". Except I don't have one.
and for future reference as well...

Flavored iced tea suggestions?

amyms — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:04:47 -0800

Iced tea is my main summertime beverage. I usually drink it completely plain. I am not a fan of "sweet tea," but I'd like to experiment with adding different flavors, the more unusual the better. Any suggestions?

Why does ginger ale get no respect?

tomwheeler — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:36:25 -0800

I was drinking a tasty ginger ale today and wondering why it's so uncommon. Although you can find it in virtually any store in the USA, it's seldom available in gas stations and almost never in restaurants. Yet it's very popular on airplanes. Why is that?

Where can I find good winter drink specials in DC?

troika — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:53:05 -0800

I'm looking for places in the DC area to enjoy a hot winter drink - hot toddies, spiked egg nog, etc. Any ideas?

What is this amazing drink?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:46:05 -0800

A bartender made me an awesome drink that had basil, cucumber, strawberries, and (white?) rum in it. What was it? I think that he combined the first three in a mortar and pestle and later added rum (and maybe some other stuff?). It was not very sweet at all but tasted light and refreshing and nice. (at least I think it was. I was already on the far end of schnockered when I drank it)

What is this drink? Or, how can I create a drink from these ingredients that tastes amazing?

What and where are the best beverages in the world?

Stan Chin — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:14:07 -0800

Gadling has a post on the Top 8 Beverages in the World. 1. I have not had any of these, where can I find them in NYC? 2. Additional beverage suggestions are certainly welcome for the sake of everyone.

The reverse-Goldilocks phenomenon

Jaltcoh — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:25:48 -0800

Why do people seem to prefer food that's very cold or very hot to food that's more of a medium temperature? You often hear: "Don't let your dinner [or coffee, etc.] get cold!" "Oh no, this beer [or soda, etc.] is warm!"

On the positive side, people love a "nice cold [beverage]" or a "piping hot [meal]," whereas you don't hear people exulting over a "nice lukewarm [anything]."

To be sure, there are exceptions. Cheese is good at room temperature, for instance. But for the most part, there seems to be a universally shared understanding that there's something special about foods and beverages that are either very hot or very cold, and that they shouldn't be allowed to drift into the middle zone.

Why? Is there any scientific basis for this?

Good diet-friendly caffeinated drinks?

sprocket87 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 19:23:42 -0800

Any good diet-friendly caffeinated beverages out there? Looking for something convenient, cheap, and low/no-cal/sugar. Does anyone have any recommendations for a caffeinated beverage with which to start my day? I love a good cup of coffee but my hectic schedule makes it difficult to homebrew daily. I don't have the time to stop for coffee daily, and frankly I don't want to pay the premium for coffee from a shop.

I'm planning on entirely eliminating pop and sugary drinks from my diet, so I'll be drinking just bottled water throughout the day. I'll make one exception for my morning kickstart, but I'd like something sugarfree or at least low-cal/low-sugar if possible. It does need to be caffeinated however, and the more kick the better!

I love Red Bull and I'm sure Red Bull Sugarfree would satisfy me, but $20/case of 12 is a bit too rich for my blood. Forget anything labeled Starbucks, as it's equivalently overpriced. The cheaper the better!

Finally, I need something convenient. If I don't have time to brew my own pitcher of French Press (or kettle of hot tea), I'd like to be able to just grab a bottle or a can from the fridge and down it in the car during my commute.

So, what miracle beverages can you recommend? Thanks for the help, [wired] MeFites!

Finding and shipping Hendrick's Gin online

frogan — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:35:38 -0800

BoozeFilter: Google-Fu failing me. Where can I purchase a bottle of Hendrick's Gin online and have it shipped to Washington state? Somebody needs to get drunk, fast. Where can I purchase a bottle of Hendrick's Gin online and have it shipped to Washington state?

"Keep ancient lands, your storied juice!" cries he!

blue_beetle — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:32:02 -0800

Innovative juice ideas/recipes? So I've been invited to a new years dinner, and I was assigned the job of bringing the juice. But here's the thing, it's got to be something "new" for the "new year". Meaning plain old grocery store juice won't cut it. I need something that won't disappoint, a juicy type beverage that says "Welcome to the new year!". A juice that defies mere mortals to sup on its sweet nectar. A juice among juices, truly a juice for all seasons.

Non-alchoholic beverages only please!

Please to identify this childhood drink I had in HK.

Sallysings — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 14:09:56 -0800

Please to identify this childhood drink I had in HK. Bonus points for letting me know if it still 1) exists 2) can be found in Canada (Toronto).

It's opague, slightly yellowish (cream) in color, tastes like a fruit drink, contains "active bateria", came in little plastic bottles around 3 inches high, had a red and silver crimped foil lid, and the white semi-transparent bottle was shaped a bit figure 8-ish, with red lettering all around. It was advertised as a health drink.

It's just one of those pregnancy cravings that I can't get rid of - I want everything I had before I turned 10...

A delicate Yorkshire Riesling, robust Canadian Cabernet?

grahamwell — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:45:26 -0800

A delicate Yorkshire Riesling, robust Canadian Cabernet? If global warming raises temperatures, an often mentioned consequence is the growing of wine grapes in the far North (for example the article in Slate today). Does this really follow? My scepticism is based on a belief which may be wrong. The belief is that wine grapes do not flourish above 50 degrees North because the Ultra Violet rays of the sun are too weak, too diluted by the atmosphere at this latitude, to fire off the complex chemical reaction that produces sugars in the vine. A simple rise in temperature will not make any difference to this problem which would only be solved if the sun were to become brighter (which it will not).

Further a blanket of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which will cause the rise in Infra-Red and thus ground temperature, will slightly decrease the energy of the Ultra Violet radiation from the Sun.

What's the truth?

[It is possible that a rise in ground temperature might cause more sunny days - and this would certainly help the prospective wine growers of Yorkshire, but equally it might do the opposite. Details of future climate, rainfall, sunshine and cloud cover in a specific place are way beyond the abilities of our computer models.]

Does the sugar in the drink facilitate a rise in the amount of bacteria?

wannabehippie — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:22:33 -0800

Asking for a friend: Is "stale" Gatorade .. or any sugar based drink okay to drink? Suppose I drink only half a bottle and then keep it outside for a day or two..does the sugar in the drink facilitate a rise in the amount of bacteria?

Bayou's booze: Help me choose

staggernation — Fri, 26 May 2006 09:59:06 -0800

What's a creative liquor or other alcoholic beverage to bring to a "Cajun/Creole" dinner party? It's tonight, so mail-order won't help.

The best I can come up with is Absolut Peppar...

Sugar-cane Coca Cola in NYC?

gentle — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:05:46 -0800

Where can I buy sugar-cane Coca Cola (or comparable colas) in New York City? I went to Italy last year and was able to enjoy Coke sweetened with sugar cane instead of the awful high-fructose corn syrup glop, and I have been dreaming about the stuff every since. Apparently the sugar-cane-sweetened Coke is still produced in Mexico; but at this point I am not willing to travel that far just to get a soft drink. (I would, however, be willing to travel a few hours from NYC, if required.)

I also hear that a kosher cane-sweetened version of Coke is produced for Passover, and intend to stock up when that time of the year comes around. I suppose it won't be hard to find in this city, but if anyone knows of a particularly good place to buy it, I would like to know.

I have encountered various esoteric cola brands in stores here. They tend to be on the expensive side, and taste more like cola and less like Coke. One product in particular, Boylan Sugar Cane Cola, tastes like root beer, ie. minty mouthwash, and should not be mentioned.

Friends also tell me that RC Cola is made with sugar cane and is an excellent substitute, but I have not been able to find it anywhere here. Friends have not been able to tell me where I could buy the stuff, however.

This Slashfood post talks about a WSJ article about how Mexican Coca Cola is being imported and sold in various places in the US. Their link is broken, however, and I have not been able to find the article online. Have anyone found this stuff in New York?

How to make an Orange Freeze?

jzb — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 22:03:32 -0800

Anyone know how to replicate an Orange Freeze? I grew up in St. Louis, and I became addicted to the Orange Freeze from the Steak 'n Shake chain at young age. I live in Denver now, and the nearest Steak 'n Shake is in the middle of Kansas. I've tried making a shake at home using vanilla and orange sherbet ice cream, but it's not the same. I think they use a syrup to get the orange flavor, but I have not idea where to get the syrup myself. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.