Better Libations | Healthy Drink Reviews

Hi there Libationers!  Today I’m looking at this entry from Adina, a company that has been grabbing my attention more and more from the store shelves of my local health food depository.  Their funky monkey design and intriguing flavors are more than enough to pique my curiosity.  Today when I was doing a bit more background research, I discovered that Adina’s mantra is “Drink No Evil”… damn, I wish I had thought of that!  It grooves very nicely with our whole health-focus on this blog.

From what I could tell about Adina, they take their motto seriously on every level.  They’re all about fair trade, organic, and gluten-free ingredients, and of course there’s the lower sugar level aspect.  They really look like they fit our criteria for a great drink, so it’s high time to start reviewing them.

Aroma: I’m not picking up much coconut from this drink, but I am getting a nice strong tang of tropical guava.  And perhaps a dash of lychee-grape.

Taste: Wow.  This is everything I hoped it would be.  They nailed the sweetness level perfectly – it’s a nice delicate nectar that doesn’t overwhelm your tongue (or leave you wanting).  It blends the tropical guava/lychee flavors and puts them in front of a delicate coconut backdrop.  The coconut definitely isn’t the main player here, but it is still ever-present, providing a balance and foil for the sharper foreground flavors.  It’s light and refreshing enough to chug the whole bottle, and yet the flavors are distinct and good enough to sip.

Health Factor: Points for all natural, organic, etc. etc. ingredients.  But of course the big factor that we look at is sugar content.  Adina offers 15 grams per serving, which is quite the improvement over a typical can of Coke, which is 26 grams per serving.  The whole 16 ounce bottle packs 110 calories.

Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5 – refreshing, flavorful, low sugar, and environmentally-friendly.  This stuff was practically made for us.

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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5-Star Reviews, Adina

I’ve tried a few of Adina‘s Holistics line recently, and was ashamed to realize that we have only reviewed one of them.  I also realized that my reviews have been fairly scant recently, although I blame moving a business and a home around the same time.  I should be back on the review train shortly, so today I bring you Jade Green Tea!

I really dig their new bottles, with the tribal monkey thing on it and the original shape and design.  I twist off the cap and away I go into olfactory delight.  There’s a definite herb-y scent to it, with an almost lemon-honey smell.  The taste is very herb-y and flowery, with a mysterious leafy spice in it, and a pleasant citrus, sweet aftertaste; there’s nothing bitter about this tea.

There’s plenty of good stuff in this bottle, including tulsi (Thai Holy Basil!) and some stuff I’ve never heard of like ashwagandha and eleutherococcus senticosus root.  The ingredients are organic, and the tea and sugar are fair-trade certified, which is pretty awesome in my opinion.  Aside from the beneficial bits, the sugar comes in at 26 G in the 14 oz bottle, which isn’t terrible.

Overall, I’m quite impressed with this beverage, the ingredients are unique and organic, and the flavor is surprisingly complex and pleasing.  Basically, this is delicious, and I can see myself drinking this on a more regular basis, I really can.

Score: 5 out of 5. A surprising find in an increasingly saturated market of  ‘organic herbal drinks.’

– Wiseguise

User Reviews: (2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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5-Star Reviews, Adina green tea, organic

Some time ago, we (and by “we” I mean WiseGuise) reviewed a couple of drinks by a company called Adina.  They both received pretty solid scores for flavor, health, and fair trade/earth-friendly products.  After that I proceeded to completely forget about the company.   And then last week I came across this striking little asian-looking design on a bottle boasting honey lemon aloe flavor (how refreshing!).  The bottle looked completely different from the ones in our previous reviews, so I thought this was a totally new company.  Little did I know they had just given themselves a facelift!  I think they took a note or two from SoBe’s design philosophy on this one.  I like the thick glass bottle and the funky monkey on the front.

As I further investigated the bottle, I found that it was 100% organic certified, and they use evaporated cane sugar as the sweetener.  As far as the actual sugar gram count goes, it scores very well – 13g per serving, or exactly 1/2 the sugar content of Coca-Cola.  I also found out that their slogan is “drink no evil”, which I think is a deliciously scathing jab to the liquid-evil factories out there.  OK, enough about fun facts, how does this stuff taste?

Fragrance: Mmm, herby.  I smell something like fruity lemongrass with a hint of green tea.

Taste: Lightly sweet, delicate, and refreshing, with a botanical green tea aftertaste.  I’m glad they sell these in 14 ounce bottles, because I think that’s just the right amount.  This would be excellent on a hot day or after a good workout, when you really want some liquid refreshment.  No one flavor really pronounces itself, though; neither the lemon nor the honey grab center stage.  Instead, all the flavors meld together into an herby mix.  This can kind of wear on you as you get towards the end of the bottle – I kind of wish there was one flavor in particular that was held up above the rest.  Still, it’s nice.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 For a cool design, organic, healthy ingredients, low sugar, and good flavor.

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Adina drink reviews

I found another Adina lurking in the back of my fridge, and after my last positive experience with one of their drinks, I felt compelled to enjoy this one, despite the leery sensation I have when I read the words ‘miracle’ and/or ‘super’ attached to ‘fruit.’  You will get more on our feelings about this in time.

I popped the cap and took a whiff of the fruity elixir, and found the mango fighting with the unfamiliar goji aroma, and they seem to be pretty well matched.  Carrots are refereeing this scent showdown.  The juice is thick and not unpleasant, with all the juices getting a fair turn on my tongue.  There is a bit of that raw mango aftertaste to it, which some find unappealing.  I polished off this bottle rather quickly, it was very refreshing.

There is a ton of Vitamin C, antioxidants and and some other various goodies.  But, there are a fair amount of carbs in this one for the calorie conscious, about 45 grams for the bottle, but remember it’s 92% juice.  I feel that Naked makes better juices than this, but I still enjoyed it.

Score: 4 out of 5. Satisfying, but not the best.

– WiseGuise

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4-Star Reviews, Adina drink reviews, independent company

Gin-Jah!

I came across this in one of my shopping excursions, and realized that I am not too familiar with ginger-flavored drinks, despite having a taste for the spicy and robust flavors in the world.  It’s organic, original, Fair Trade and from an independent company, so I did what I do best and bought a few to try out.

The satisfying pop leads to a strong ginger aroma, with an undercurrent of pineapple.  I feel like I’m on a tropical island already.  The first swig starts off mildly sweet, leading into a heavy, earthy ginger taste that has a pleasant burn like real ginger should.  The lime and lavender enter as back-up flavors, rounding out the overall taste nicely.  It seemed to get a little sweeter as I drank it, with the ginger tapering off while still maintaining the leading role on my palette.

Adina is revamping their website, and possibly their line of beverages from the look of their site.  They are committed to Fair Trade and sustainable farming, good news for the tree-hugger in everyone.  I was quite pleased with this beverage and the company that produces it, but it isn’t easy to find, at least in my area.  Wild Oats carries Adina, but use this handy locator for a store near you!

Score: 4.5 out of 5. Great tasting and full of organic, gingery goodness.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Adina drink reviews, fair trade, independent company, organic