PRODUCTS: 3 Great Drinks In Cans
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One of the benefits of our job is the introduction to foods and beverages we would haven’t noticed when wheeling through the supermarket. Three of these are our Products Of The Week: two fruity beers and a non-alcoholic fruity kombucha. Fruit and fizz combine to deliver refreshing summer drinks. In 1999, Kombucha Wonder Drink of Portland, Oregon began brewing its probiotic tea, which was launched to a wider market in 2001. Back around 2005 when the kombucha craze began to take over U.S. food news, kombucha was of the traditional type: a fermented tea that originated in the Himalayas, sparkling from the fermentation. Kombucha is a raw food (beverage) that’s full of probiotics: a boon for people seeking to add millions of them in each glass of healthful drink. But its tart, vinegary character wasn’t right for everyone. These days, manufacturers have brought kombucha into the mainstream, removing the tartness and adding fruit flavors: a refreshing, fizzy fruity drink enjoyable by anyone. And the drinks still have millions of probiotics. One brand we’ve become fond of is Köe Organic Kombucha. It’s like sparkling fruit tea (or, more generally, a sparkling fruit drink). With only 35 calories and 6g sugar per 12-ounce can, this kombucha still delivers 4 billion probiotics per serving. The line is gluten-free, non-alcoholic, non-GMO, OU Kosher, USDA Organic and Vegan; and is shelf-stable (no refrigeration required) until after the can is opened. Flavors include: A traditional German radler is a beer that combines equal parts of a hoppy beer plus citrus soda, typically lemon-lime. The flavor is a combination of sweet and tart, crisp with a touch of bitterness. The English version is shandy, a drink of half beer, half fruit soda or ginger ale. In France it’s panaché, in Holland it’s sneeuwwijte. The drinks are meant to be light,refreshing and thirst-quenching. We love grapefruit, and Paulaner has it it out of the park with its red Grapefruit Radler. It tastes like sweet, red grapefruit juice has been squeezed into a can of lager. A balance of 50% Münchner Lager and 50% natural grapefruit, Grapefruit Radler is made with 100% natural ingredients and is 100% delicious. It’s just 2.5% alcohol. We no sooner had our first couple of sips than we planned to lay in a stock. Fortunately, Grapefruit Radler will be available year-round. Here’s the store locator. In 1922, a German innkeeper named Franz Kugler was taken by surprise when a large group of cyclists, riding through the Bavarian countryside, arrived at his tavern. Parched, they called for beer. Realizing he didn’t have enough beer for the crowd, he stretch his beer supply by adding sparkling lemonade. He presented the drink as “Radler,” the German word for cyclist. It soon became a popular sports drink among cyclists—“bicycle beer.” |
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The tavern still exists, 15 km south of Munich, and you can stop for an authentic Radler experience. 21st Amendment Brewery takes you to the tropics with its seasonal release of Tropical Sparkale. A sparkling fruit ale with the yummy flavors of tart pineapple flavor and sweet coconut, the 4.2% ABV ale is a welcome addition to summer beers. Drink it by itself, with a meal, with cheese, even with dessert (or instead of dessert). If you enjoy it outside on a warm, breezy day, close your eyes and think of an island vacation. |
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