Vita Coco Pressed coconut water: This product had a massive ad campaign featuring harsh critics writing online reviews deeming the drink "pretty good," so I can't help but feel a sense of deja vu. The first time I had coconut water, I described it as drinking liquid cookie, and we have reached peak liquified macaroon with this new Vita Coco drink. It has, if you will, even *more* coconut flavor than regular coconut water, but still with all the usual benefits (potassium and vitamin C). I buy coconut water pretty regularl... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Hakkaisan Amazake Sweet Rice Drink: I purchased this fermented rice drink (that's from Japan) at The Market in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. While Amazake is generally a sweet sake, this drink is alcohol-free. Koji rice, the basis of this drink, is rice that has been affected with a fungus named Aspergillus oryzae that's commonly used for making familiar ingredients like soy sauce and bean paste. The drink is kept frozen for freshness and needs to be defrosted before consuming. It has a thick milky consistency and a distinct whi... (read more) 3.5/5.0
japanese japan rice drinks koji hakkaisan amazake sweet drink 3.5
Cheng Kang Rare Soybean Drink: I'm not sure what makes it rare, but I recently discovered that Asian grocery stores stock several brands of "rare soybean" soymilk. This one is from Taiwan, and I purchased it at Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown. I thought the bean flavor of the drink was very familiar and overall ok, but it was heavily sweetened, so I wouldn't get it again. 2.5/5.0
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Tea Era Apple Seed Green Tea: Got to visit an old favorite with old friends on my last trip to the South Bay. Tea Era is a bubble tea shop on Castro in Mountain View that always has an expansive menu of uniquely-flavored beverages. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the apple seed green tea, which is why I decided to purchase it. The least amount of sugar they could do was 50%, and I purchased the tea hot on a brisk evening (though you could also get it cold). Half sugar was the right amount, as it had a somewha... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Wiklow Orchards Apple Cider: Got this half gallon of apple cider from the Brooklyn Green Market. At $6, it's not inexpensive, but it has a comforting sweet and spiced apple flavor that's so iconic of fall on the east coast, you'll convince yourself it's worthwhile--at least I did. 4.0/5.0
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Edward & Sons Organic Ginger Culinary Juice: To be fair, this product is labelled as a culinary juice, rather than regular juice you would drink on its own. The label suggests adding it to soups, smoothies, and sauces. I decided to try it straight out of the bottle, thinking it was more of a mixer than a barebones ingredient. The ginger juice is basically exactly as it sounds, tasting of boiled down ginger that's been strained to produce a slightly milk, beige liquid the color of an iced coffee. Has a decent spicy aftertaste. It h... (read more) 2.5/5.0
drinks edwardsons organic ginger culinary juice 2.5 parkslopefoodcoop