Better Libations | Healthy Drink Reviews

Alright now boys and girls of the beverage persuasion, here we go with the last Zico Coconut Water review! And just in time too, I was gifted an entire box of drinks perfect for us, and I need to get on those soon.  What would be better after a long day working outside in the heat than an uber-hydrating glass of coconut water?  Not much, and anything else would distract from this review, so forget about it.  This is just what I needed after an afternoon of significant perspiration, and we already know its benefits, but let us see how the ‘natural’ coconut water stacks up against its flavored comrades.

Coconut water has a very peculiar and pleasant scent to it, at once nutty and fresh.  The taste has a similar quality, with the nutty flavor coming through well with the water in its natural state.  There is something else to flavor I can never quite put my finger on, and for those unfamiliar with coconut water, I’m not sure if I can adequately explain it, you must try it.  The sweetness is very light, and as expected, comes naturally from the water itself.  The aftertaste I can only describe as similar to having just eaten a handful of almonds, it has a similar nut-like quality.  This really makes me miss eating fresh, young coconut at my favorite Thai place, a seasonal delight around these landlocked parts.

Overall, for anyone seeking serious hydration and refreshment, but isn’t too preoccupied with counting calories, this is the perfect way to go.  It’s healthy, all natural, and if you recycle the bottle, not a burden on the environment.  These are by far superior to any average sports drink or ‘health water’, and taste better than most.  Still, if you need to spare the calories, stick with water, you can’t go wrong with H2O.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. A hydration master from nature and better for you, even with the sugar.

– WiseGuise

User reviews: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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**Danithius Review Rebuttal!**

I think Zico has a decent coconut water here.  It has the lowest sugar content that I’ve seen in any coconut water so far, so it does win in the health department.  But flavor-wise, it feels like it lacks a certain body that I’ve found in others.  While snooping around online for coconut waters, I found some Zico customer reviews that were lamenting a recent formula change.  I wish I could have tried some of their previous formula to judge for myself!  But nitpicking aside, it is still a great hydrating refresher, so I’d probably give it a 4.0

4-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water all natural, coconut water, drink reviews

Perfect for chillin' on the couch

Hello libationers! I’ve been absent for a while, mostly due to my own laziness, but partially due to aiding my girlfriend in her ceaseless endeavor to save every homeless dog in the tri-county area.  Any-who, I’m going to be finishing off this string of Zico reviews, first with a tasty-sounding combination of pomegranate, berry and coconut water.  I’ve been enjoying the last few flavors, but feel slightly guilty not adding my opinion, so enjoy my detailed reviews.

Senses: After finding my way through the maze of packaging that would have impressed Daedalus (look it up, kids), I got to inspect the olfactory complexities of this drink.  The distinct pomegranate scent takes the leading position, followed closely by the nutty coconut scent, and a sweet, tangy but vague background of berry.  Off to my expectant tongue.  The taste strikes me as predominantly coconut, then a slight tang of sour and followed by the pomegranate and a hint of something berry-like.  There is a slight, lingering sweetness, which is surprising with the 12 g of sugar in the 14 oz bottle.  The overall flavor leaves me wanting more pomberry and less coconut.

Sensible: There is a total of 60 calories in the 14 oz bottle, all of them coming from the naturally occurring sugar in the coconut water.  There are five electrolytes inside, including more potassium than a whole banana.  I’m writing this review after a hard day working in the ninety-degree Utah summer, and I feel quite refreshed and hydrated after finishing this.  Reading up on their product, Zico claims that coconut water is the only natural substance that can be used as an emergency intravenous fluid, and from what I’ve gleaned from the Internet, it’s true.

Overall, although it is still a tasty and unique flavored coconut water, this is probably my least favorite flavor from Zico.  I feel it lacked somewhat in the flavor category, and could have easily handled more pomegranate flavor.  That being said, I am biased due to my love of pomegranate juice, and I still enjoyed this beverage.  I will personally continue to support Zico by using their coconut water line as a great recovery drink, and for general re-hydration purposes.  The only other issue I can take with this drink is the excessive packaging, which prohibits a more immediate refreshment, and isn’t particularly environmentally friendly.

Score: 4 out of 5. A superb re-hydration beverage that only lacks a little flavor.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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**Danithius Review Rebuttal!**

Took the words right out of my mouth.  Decent flavor, but I think it could be polished up with another trip to the flavor lab.  I want more of a true pomegranate punch with a twist of fresh berry.  I also give this a four.

4-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water coconut water, drink reviews, no added sugar

Howdy, enlightened libation seekers!  Today I’m fresh off a session of Kenpo and ready for my next Zico contender: Tao Mango.  (The logical next step in the tropical fruit spectrum, of course!)  I’m thirsty and covered in sweat, so let’s skip the pleasantries and get right to it.

Aroma: Mango tang!  I love it when drinks nail the nuances of fruit flavors, and it smells like Tao Mango is right on track.  It smells of that citrus-y tropical bite you get when cutting into a real mango.   

Taste: Coco-mango!  The flavor turned out to be a lot lighter and smoother than the scent led me to believe.  I believe the coconut water has something of a muting, smoothing effect on other flavors that results in something totally new. Evidently when mango and coconut water are combined, you get a bonus banana-like flavor that also springs up to say hi.  I am surprised that the distinct mango tang that I smelled turned out to be mostly absent in the taste, though.

Health Factor: 12 g of sugar in the whole 14 ounce bottle.  Tons of potassium and other vitamins and minerals.  All-natural.  No fat.  Need I say more? 

Overall:  As you may have noticed from previous nitpickings, I’m something of a purist when it comes to drink flavorings.  I dearly appreciate companies that can get spot on flavor profiles.  This flavor is a worthy nod to mango, but at the same time I can tell that it is indeed a flavoring – something that was concocted by a research lab somewhere.  It feels a bit hollow, like it’s missing that distinct bite of a real mango.  It’s still tasty and quite refreshing, don’t get me wrong.  The flavorings in this are all natural.  But the thing is, for a perfect 5 star drink I really want to be WOWed by the flavor profile.  (See: Zico Chocolate)

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water coconut water, drink reviews, no added sugar, reviews

Ahh, pineapple and coconut.  One of the tastiest flavor combinations to come out of the tropics.  (And responsible for the inebriation of countless sorority girls across the country).

Aroma: The second I crack open the seal, I’m greeted by a distinctive citrus-y pineapple tang.  The pineapple scent seems to be right on target – I hope this carries through to the actual taste!

Taste: The sweet tang of pineapple (and possibly a little mango or citrus) does indeed take center stage in this drink.  It tastes light and almost a little creamy.  At first I was concerned that the pineapple would overpower the rather delicate flavor of the coconut water (which has a much lighter flavor than cream of coconut), but it seems to balance out just fine here.  Sweet pineapple-citrus up front, and slightly nutty coconut on the back end. 

Health Factor: Like all its coconutty siblings, Pina Tropicale pulls off an amazing level of sweetness with only 12 grams of sugar in the entire 14-ounce bottle.  Part of this is simply because of the nature of coconut water – it always seems to deliver a big sweetness punch without a lot of sugar.  But out of everything I’ve tried so far, Zico ranks the lowest in total sugar grams per ounce.  That’s quite the accomplishment!

Overall: While deciding my final rating, I had to think long and hard about the flavoring of this drink.  I could nitpick about wanting a slightly sharper, fresher pineapple flavor from it.  I felt like it could be a little more full-bodied.  But after pondering it for a while, I concluded that it is meant to be a light, refreshing sports drink, and it does has a wonderful flavor for that.  And like the other flavors, it kept me coming back for more until the entire bottle disappeared with alarming speed.  I’m taking it for what it is – a light, tasty, and very refreshing sports drink.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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5-Star Reviews, Zico Coconut Water coconut water, drink reviews

Today's model, Edel the corgador.

We’ve reviewed a surprising number of grapefruit-themed beverages on this site (search it if you don’t believe me) and I am pleased to see this flavor being tackled by Zevia, one of out favorite soda companies.  The mainstream attention to this complex flavor is sparse, limited to just about Fresca and Squirt; however, the independent companies seem more keen on their attempts to master it, so we’ll see how this one fares.

The scent is thin and citrusy, like being in a room where someone is cutting open citrus fruits. The taste is suddenly tart and vaguely citrus, with a very light hint of something like  grapefruit, but it fades quickly, leaving me with the iconic sweetness of stevia and just a memory of the flavor.  In fairness, the word ‘citrus’ is bigger than the word ‘grapefruit’, but  I was still hoping for more of a grapefruit taste.

The overall impact of this on my taste buds was less than I had hoped, despite its still unique flavor, and left me wanting the dry, tart, sweet taste of a grapefruit.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still tasty and refreshing, with a perfect fizz factor, it’s just not what I was expecting.  For those not fond of lemon-lime sodas but still crave a fizzy citrus beverage, this might be right up your alley.

Score: 3.5 out of 5. Citrusy for sure, but misses the mark on the grapefruit.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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**Danithius Review Rebuttal!**

Hmm, I agree with WiseGuise on this one.  It is vaguely citrus-y, but if you blindfolded me with a gun to my head and asked what this tasted like, the last words out of my lips would be “Diet Sprite?”  I don’t pick up on the grapefruit much at all, but I wish I did – I’m a big fan of a good grapefruity drink.  I think this one could use a trip back to the lab.  I’ll give it the same score as WiseGuise.

3-Star Reviews, Zevia all natural, drink reviews, Stevia, Zevia

Now this is something completely new to me, but has been around for a few years, and maybe has just barely made its way into out little burgh in the mountain valleys of Utah.  A company called Rising Beverage Co. has released this Activate “performance beverage.”  This is the first completely unique bottle design we’ve seen in a while, so I’ll get into that first. The cap of this bottle has a pouch of vitamins in it that you are supposed to ‘release’ prior to drinking to ensure their freshness, which I’m not entirely sure is just a gimmick or actually plausible.  The design of the bottle itself is colorful and clean, and the square bottle is usually easier to keep a hold of in extreme drinking situations.

Okay, so now that I’ve sipped the design elements, it’s time to try the contents.  I’ll have to stop typing for a moment release the vitamins . . . the powdered vitamins dropped and after a vigorous shake the bottle went from mostly clear to yellow.  Awesome.  With a whiff I am convinced that the flavor is actually going to be lemon-lime, the tartness is almost palpable.  The taste isn’t as extreme as the scent, but still gives your taste buds a good smack.  A distinct sourness gives way to the sweetness of Stevia, which enhances the citrus flavor nicely.  A crisp water taste is the background to this, which fades into a minute sweet-sour aftertaste.

The calorie count is only 5 per bottle, with zero sugar thanks to the Stevia.  Vitamin counts are 100% for B6, B12, Niacin and Riboflavin, my personal favorite.  50mg of caffeine (derived naturally) is added for a kick, and with that you have Activate Energy.  Even if the fresh vitamin trick is a gimmick, it’s a good one, and I’m impressed.  The flavor and taste are about right for this type of drink, which should compete well with the likes of SoBe Lifewater and its bastard cousin vitaminwater.  No contest with Gatorade, this is far superior, but only lacks electrolytes (a gimmick so blatant it was made fun of in the movie Idiocracy).  I can bet you might see me drinking this one again, maybe on my next trip to the gym.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. A sugar-free sports type drink that may make its way into the healthy beverage pantheon.

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Activate, Stevia drink reviews, energy drink, independent company, Stevia

You read that right, this is a beverage based off of the well-known cleaner and folk remedy vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar is supposed to have several health benefits and potential for aiding in weight loss, but can have negative effects if used excessively.   I’ve used it before in attempts to rid my throat of a stubborn cold, with dubious results, though I’m not very patient when it comes to experiments like that.  Anyhow, I spotted this at my local Sunflower Market and my curiosity overwhelmed my distaste for consuming vinegar, so I decided to give it a shot, all for you, our awesome readers.  Today, I happen to be feeling the effects from lingering illness, so it should be as good a time as any.

The label has a old-timey, folksy feel to it, which fits with the theme of this drink; there’s a Jesus-fish on the back with a fairly benign scripture reference in it, 3 John 2.  The first smell is a little overwhelming, strongly promoting its namesake ingredient, but with a pleasant overtone of concord grapes.  The first swallow slides over my tongue with little hints of the fruit juices it contains, and the vinegar marks its presence at the entrance to my throat.  It’s not a strong burn, but not entirely pleasant, either.  Subsequent mouthfuls go down easier, the vinegar not becoming as apparent.  The flavors are mild and almost not sweet, not something you would expect from a sugary juice like grape.  This is sweetened with stevia, and only has 10 g of carbs in the whole 16 oz bottle, so bonus points for that.

This drink rates a little more toward the extreme end on the drink-o-meter, not something I would personally drink all that often.  The power of the vinegar takes some getting used to, but when you do it isn’t a terrible experience.  This could have been much worse than it was, but wasn;t quite what I expected, even though I’m not sure what I expected, really.  The aftertaste feels a little on the dry side, like after  mouthful of wine, but has no unpleasantness to it (unless you happen to burp–don’t do this).  I didn’t think I was going to finish the whole bottle when I started, but I did anyway, I almost started to like it by the end of the bottle.

After some consideration, I would recommend this to anyone daring enough to try things out of their comfort range, anyone looking to cut down on the sugar content in their diets and anyone looking for interesting homeopathic remedies to their daily woes.  I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone why can’t handle acidic or non-sweet beverages, leaving their comfort zone or folk medicine.  The after effects of this remain to be seen, but my nose seems to be clearing up already and I feel fuller, another effect of vinegar.  Come on, you know you want to try it.

Score: 3.5 out of 5. A strange concoction bound to test the limits of your palate and might keep you younger!

– WiseGuise

User Reviews: (6 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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3-Star Reviews, Bragg all natural, drink reviews, organic, Stevia

Hi all!  Today I’ll have a look at this sparkling number from Santa Cruz Organic.  I’ve tried out their line of lemonades in the past with some success, but I had no idea they did sodas until this number caught my eye at the grocery store.  Let’s see if them California hippies know how to do root beer!

Scent: A lightly spicy scent with a hint of licorice. 

Taste: Wow.  What’s the best word to describe this?  Flat.  Yes, I’ll go with flat.  It’s limp, it’s weak, it’s just not a lot of anything.  It’s like a weak root beer aftertaste in some sweet fizzy water.  And the aftertaste isn’t even a true, satisfying root beer flavor… there’s something “off” about it, like it’s slightly musty or stale.  This is just not doing it for me.

Health Factor: Nothing special here, except for the natural/organic angle.  Sugar content-wise, it’s about the same as a typical can of Coke.  (Of course, this uses evap. cane juice instead of HFCS.)

Rating:  1.5 out of 5 – Organic is nice, but it’s not enough to carry a weak root beer flavor.

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (2 votes, average: 1.50 out of 5)
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1-Star Reviews, Santa Cruz Organic drink reviews

Today I’m going to look at a libation from Reed’s, who pride themselves on brewing soda the “old-fashioned way”.   This entails brewing soda flavors out of fruit juices, herbs, and spices, and allowing the finished product to age.  To be truly old-fashioned, this would also entail using yeast to carbonate the beverage, but Reed’s site does not specify whether or not they do this.  But the phrase “naturally brewed” would lead me to believe that they do.

I dig old-school “home-brewed” sodas a lot, to the point that I have even turned my own kitchen into a soda brewery multiple times.  But I have also found that sometimes the brewing process can bring in less than ideal flavors.  Getting a naturally brewed soda to meet or exceed all your flavor expectations really is a master craft.  So I’m curious to see how this raspberry brew measures up.

Scent: Off goes the cap, and out comes a spicy ginger aroma with a background of tart berry and citrus scents.  There is also a significant honey presence.

Taste: This brew has some very deep and complex flavors going on.  First, there’s the ever-present ginger bite.  This fades into a big blend of fruit juice flavors that all want to stand up and be counted.  Perhaps the most prevalent fruit note is the tart lemon, followed by the various berry flavors.  It finishes slightly dry and astringent, without a lot of lingering sweetness.  Its curious combination of tart/dry lemon and fruity berry/apple/pear flavors makes this land right in the middle of the spectrum, somewhere halfway between a true dry and a sweet ginger ale.

Health Factor: Points for all-natural ingredients, 20% real fruit juice, and a generous dose of fresh ginger.  However, there is still a significant sugar presence of 37.4 grams per 12 oz bottle, just slightly under the sugar content of your average Coke can.  So use this occasionally as a refreshing tonic or pair it with a spicy meal, but don’t guzzle it like it’s water.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 – A pleasing blend of natural flavors with a ginger kick

-Danithius-

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

Hey there Libationers!  Today I’m going to tackle a classic soda flavor that I first discovered long ago in Michigan: Birch Beer!  If you’ve never heard of it, it’s something along the lines of a root beer but with an almost wintergreen overtone.  I had to go for a few years without birch beer after coming to Utah, but then I discovered this contender from Boylan’s at the store.  They claim to be keeping it old-school since 1891, so let’s see how it measures up!

Aroma: Definitely wintergreen.  That’s the first scent that jumps to my nostrils, followed by a rich root-beery-vanilla fragrance.

Taste: Whooo-wee, that’s minty indeed.  The birch beer flavor that I knew from Michigan had a root beer flavor with wintergreen overtones, but this one has switched the two around.  It’s not a bad thing, though, and as you might imagine, it’s quite refreshing.  The mint and vanilla flavors come off very clean and fresh.

Health Factor: Obviously this uses real cane sugar and not HFCS, otherwise it wouldn’t be making an appearance on our blog.  It also uses natural flavors and extracts, which I like.  However, in the sugar quantity area it won’t get much love from me.  It packs 28 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving, which is actually more than your Coca-Cola’s sugar content.  This beverage should be considered a nice occasional treat, a “dessert” item.

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 - great flavor, but loses points for high sugar content.

-Danithius-

User Ratings: (2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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3-Star Reviews, Boylan's drink reviews