PRODUCTS: For Summer Sipping
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Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sipping some new water and wine products, with happy results. LILA WINES: QUALITY IN CANS We haven’t had much success with canned wines. They’re too sugary-sweet, more like soft drinks. But Latitude Beverage Company has introduced what they say is the first-ever premium wine collection in pull-top cans (top photo). Selecting good wines from wine regions that are well-known for the varietals, we can finally respond, “Bring on the cans!” The three varietals are just right for lighter summer fare: with a sandwich, some cheese, a pasta salad. Lila suggests these pairings: The 8.4-ounce cans come in four-packs with an MSRP of $12.99 (more at e-tailers). The four cans combined contain 33% more wine than the standard 750ml wine bottle. We stuck them in the freezer to partially freeze. They kept cold for quite a while outside in the heat; and since each can holds two servings, when it was time for the second, the wine was nicely chilled. Zero Water* turns your tap water into purified water—more pure, the company says, than the leading brand (Brita). Even if your municipality could clean your tap water to remove almost all the total dissolved solids (TDS), the water can pick up chemicals on its way from the treatment plant to your faucet. Zero Water’s unique filter removes 99.63% of all TDS. The filtered water tastes crisp and refreshing. Pitchers are available in 6, 8, 10 and 12 cup sizes; in a 23-cup countertop model; and in a 26-ounce travel tumblers. The 10-cup model shown in the photo is $32.99. You can see the entire line at ZeroWater.com. |
[1] Lila premium wines in 8.4-ounce cans (photo courtesy Latitude Beverage Company). [2] [3] Zero Water, with a patented filter that removes virtually all dissolved solids from your tap water, is available in home units and portable tumblers (photos courtesy Zero Water). |
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Bonus: You can use Zero Water in your iron and other devices instead of purchasing bulky gallons of distilled water. The only difference between distilled and purified water is the process: distillation versus other purification processes such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange and Ozonation, among others. __________________ *We used a Zero Water system we received from the manufacturer, and did not test it against other systems. There are numerous online articles that compare the major brands. |
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 This model of Define water bottles is ideal for infusing fresh fruit (photo courtesy Define Bottle). |
DEFINE WATER BOTTLE: BEST FOR FRUIT INFUSION We love “spa water”: plain water infused with fresh fruit. We’ve tried half a dozen water bottles with fruit-infusing options, and the Define Bottle Sport Flip Top is our favorite. The superior freezing mechanism, the detachable lower canister, gives you options: |
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We drink the water quickly, but if you freeze the bottom part, you can keep adding new water and it will chill down. The bottle is made from Tritan, the standard in quality plastic food and beverage containers. The total capacity is 16 ounces. The bottle disassembles for easy† cleaning and the cylinders are dishwasher safe. There are other bottle designs and colors. See them all at DefineBottle.com. You can purchase this bottle on Amazon.
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