# Help me pick some beverages **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2008, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552 "2008-09-28T05:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/1 "2008-09-28T05:53:23Z")
Water is boring and orange juice isn’t much healthier than regular soda. What should I drink? I don’t drink caffeine after about 4 pm. Milk is good and I drink diet sodas. What else do you suggest? What’s in your fridge? ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/2 "2008-09-28T06:24:09Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Water is boring and orange juice isn’t much healthier than regular soda. What should I drink? I don’t drink caffeine after about 4 pm. > > Milk is good and I drink diet sodas. > > What else do you suggest? > > What’s in your fridge? I currently have been on a healthy kick, so I’ve been trying to drink alot more water, and it gets better with time. But I eased into it by those Crystal Light packets. Just pour one into a water bottle and that’s about it. I REALLY enjoyed those actually, and still do treat myself to it (though now I actually prefer the taste of just water). I like the Strawberry ones most, though the fruit punch ones aren’t bad. There’s plenty of different flavors though. But I liked them for the variety of flavors, and because they’d have ones like “Immunity boost! or Energy!” etc, though I never really felt like it did me any good. But it’s like Healthy Kool-Aid for Grownups. So yeah, I drink that, and I love Diet Barq’s Root beer, as it actually tastes quite close to the original w/o the calories. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/3 "2008-09-28T16:21:22Z")
Do you like tea? Herbal tea, served hot or iced, is not boring and is not loaded with calories or caffeine. Plus, it can have some health benefits. I like Tazo a lot – packs a lot of flavor punch. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/4 "2008-09-28T17:08:04Z")
I love [Safeway Brand Clear Sparkling Water Beverage](http://shop.safeway.com/superstore/Search.asp?search=clear%20sparkling%20beverage), which is sugar free, calorie free, caffeine free and sodium free. It comes in a ton of flavors and my favorite is raspberry-blackberry. It’s delicious and refreshing! If you don’t have a Safeway, you can find this same type of beverage in pretty much any store - each store seems to have its own store brand version. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/5 "2008-09-28T17:08:55Z")
The Simply \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ line of juices is fantastic. I especially like the Simply Apple. The ingredients? We press the apples and bottle the stuff that runs out. Simple, eh? Is it really cider, then? No one knows: > **[What’s the difference between apple juice and apple cider?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341564/what-s-the-difference-between-apple-juice-and-apple-cider)** ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/6 "2008-09-28T17:22:33Z")
I’ll second the recommendation for the Safeway stuff; my favorite is the apple/pear. I also tend to drink a fair amount of half-strength Gatorade. Another possibility is a lazy person’s version of lemonade–squeeze a lemon or lime into about a 12-oz glass, add a little sweetener if you want (I use light agave nectar), fill with water, and stir. It comes out pretty weak but is quite tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/7 "2008-09-28T17:23:14Z")
Kefir is generally on hand here. So is spicy V-8 drink. I don’t drink soda much, but when I do, I enjoy a genuine Ginger Beer. Or an occasional coconut or grapefruit soda. Unsweetened tea, brewed from “Constant Comment” style and served iced is popular with me. Hot tea of choice is Lapsang Souchong. I grind my own beans and brew espresso daily at home. Carbonated flavored water of the “LaCroix” brand is on hand too. Otherwise, the usual drink of choice is unsoftened water right from our well. The wife and kids have 2% and skim milk on hand, but I never touch the stuff, except for cooking ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/8 "2008-09-28T17:39:32Z")
I’ve cut way back on the soda and I don’t like any artificial sweetener, so I can’t speak of diet stuff, but right now I’m really into Simply Lemonade, in with the refrigerated orange juice in the store. It is soooo good, especially in the summer or in this case the fall but with continued summer-like temperatures. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/9 "2008-09-28T18:00:17Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > Another possibility is a lazy person’s version of lemonade–squeeze a lemon or lime into about a 12-oz glass, add a little sweetener if you want (I use light agave nectar), fill with water, and stir. It comes out pretty weak but is quite tasty. Or better yet, do it with carbonated water, club soda, or a sparkling water like Perrier or Pelligrino. Refreshing, and calorie and caffeine free! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/10 "2008-09-28T18:20:58Z")
Well, the main fridge has diet orange, diet root beer and diet lemon/lime in it. The smaller one is filled with beer and Coke Zero, plus mini-cans of fruit juices. The mini fridge is stocked with water (Arrowhead and Pelligrino)and Lipton Diet Green Tea and Diet White Tea. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/11 "2008-09-28T19:35:59Z")
Brit here … It’s just struck me that I don’t think I’ve ever heard people from the US talk about fruit squashes … the concentrated liquids you dilute to taste in many, many flavours. The sugar free ones are delish and not too unhealthy … just a way of making yourself drink more water. 🙂 Don’t you have them over the Pond? Closest I’ve heard of is Crystal Light … but that’s a powder, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/12 "2008-09-28T21:56:45Z")
Chocolate milk. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/13 "2008-09-28T22:13:46Z")
> [@Shrinking\_Violet](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard people from the US talk about fruit squashes … the concentrated liquids you dilute to taste in many, many flavours. We have them, but they’re not referred to by that term. They’d typically be called “concentrate”. There are two general classes: -The stuff that is intended for making a pitcher (i.e., a couple of quarts) at a time; this is typically frozen till used. This type is very common. -The stuff that is aimed more at one-off single-glass reconstitution. This is much less common. (I’d put stuff like Ribena and other European syrups in this category). In addition to that, we have powders like Crystal Light, Gatorade, Kool-Aid, and similar concoctions. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/14 "2008-09-28T23:07:22Z")
In my fridge: a gallon pitcher of iced tea at all times a 1/2 gallon of vanilla soy milk a 1/2 gallon pitcher of tap water (what the water filter companies don’t tell you is that the chlorine taste/smell that people most object to will disappear overnight, no filter needed) vodka In the cabinets: coffee about 20 boxes of different teas port marsala I really dislike carbonated stuff. I’ll have a diet soda once in a while, but try to stay away from artificial sweeteners, too. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/15 "2008-09-29T00:03:07Z")
Out here in the hot desert, we make ‘Ice Bottles’. Take any cylindrical bottle and fill it one third full of water. Put it in the freezer laying on it’s side with the cap end tilted up slightly. When you get thirsty, just fill the rest with water. The water will stay cold up to six hours depending on the size and how you care for them. You will drink WAY more water if there is some, ice cold, at hand. I have a deep freeze at the shop that holds nothing but ice bottles. The staff lives on them. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/16 "2008-09-29T13:20:08Z")
I drink a fair bit of canned tea, both Lipton and Nestea, and Gatorade in the summer. Our grocer (HEB) has a Gator knock-off that we’ve just started buying since it’s roughly half the price for the large containers, $2.40 compared to $4.70. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/17 "2008-09-29T15:13:47Z")
I like both regular black tea and a variety of herbal teas. I drink the black tea with sweetener and milk and the herbal teas with just sweetener. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/18 "2008-09-29T15:23:23Z")
Fresca is the manna of the gods. Zero calories. Citrus flavor. Delicious. Green. Not 1/100th as green, nasty, or horrible for you as Mountain Dew … but it’s still green. Seriously. Fresca. It’s good. Or beer. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/19 "2008-09-29T15:35:23Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > Another possibility is a lazy person’s version of lemonade–squeeze a lemon or lime into about a 12-oz glass, add a little sweetener if you want (I use light agave nectar), fill with water, and stir. It comes out pretty weak but is quite tasty. > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Or beer. Or, combine the two ideas for a [shandy type drink!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radler#Radler) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552/20 "2008-09-29T17:37:31Z")
I drink club soda with a little fruit juice regularly. I don’t do diet drinks - you guys say they’re delicious, but can’t you taste the nasty chemical taste of them? Blecch. I don’t do regular soft drinks or lots of fruit juice, either - far too much sugar. I don’t like sweet drinks much. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-some-beverages/465552.md?page=2)