# I need a new drink **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176 "2012-06-14T20:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/1 "2012-06-14T20:53:23Z")
I’m looking for something nonalcoholic to drink at home when I’m just lounging around. I don’t drink soda, and would like whatever it is to be low in sugar. I used to drink a lot of milk, but have recently cut back. Sometimes I’ll have ice water with a splash of lime tonic water added. That’s not bad, but there has to something else. Really, are my only choices water and some sugar laden liquid? Maybe herbal tea? Fruit juice is good, but again, sugary, and drinking too much can mess with the stomach. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/2 "2012-06-14T20:59:27Z")
Iced tea? You can control how much sugar (if any) you put in it and you can make batches of different types of tea so it doesn’t get old. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/3 "2012-06-14T21:02:15Z")
Unsweetened (or artificially sweetened) iced tea. Flavored seltzers. Sugar-free drink mixes such as crystal light. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/4 "2012-06-14T21:11:17Z")
Make some ginger syrup, add a little to ice water ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/5 "2012-06-14T21:13:29Z")
I buy pomegranate juice and severely water it down (10:1 - ish). I find it refreshing and not too sweet. If you want soda, you can use sparkling water instead of tap. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/6 "2012-06-14T21:18:44Z")
I make a killer pitcher of drinks yesterday. 1 bag of frozen raspberries, juice of 5 limes, 1 cup sugar, 6 cups water. Put it all in a pot on the stove to steep for 15 min and strain through a fine wire mesh or cheese cloth. It came out great. It’s maybe a little watery for some so you could cut back on the water but it’s very tasty, not too sweet and really refreshing in this hot weather. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/7 "2012-06-14T21:19:20Z")
Canada Dry seltzer in 2 liter bottles. Some are flavored, I like the orange. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/8 "2012-06-14T21:21:22Z")
My go-to nonalcoholic drinks: - herbal iced tea. I make a bunch, keep it in the fridge - Cans of Minute Maid Light Lemonade (pretty good lemony flavor, low-cal) - unsweetened fizzy waters with flavors like [this](http://www.lacroixwater.com/) - if I really want to live it up, the aforementioned fizzy waters mixed with a bit of juice - Fresca, but you said you didn’t like soda ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/9 "2012-06-14T21:46:24Z")
[http://www.truelemon.com/true-lime.html](http://www.truelemon.com/true-lime.html) I actually just posted this in the Soda Stream thread. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/10 "2012-06-14T22:06:25Z")
Iced peppermint tea. Ice water with FRESH lemon juice–really, you won’t believe the difference fresh squeezed lemon juice is from jarred—and from those cut-in-the-morning-served-in-the-evening lemon slices in restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/11 "2012-06-14T22:16:46Z")
My go-tos are either ice water with a little juice in it \ or, more likely, any of the sugar-free powdered drink mixes they sell at the store. Wide variety of flavors, can add just a little bit so it’s watered down if that’s how you like it. It’s how _I_ like it, and works great. Just don’t mistake ‘marguerita lime’ for ‘lime’. I looooooove me some limeade, but the marguerita lime flavor tastes like…yeah. Marguerita. Gross. Unless you’re into that dirt-flavored kinda thing. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/12 "2012-06-14T22:51:43Z")
Perrier? Or sweeten a drink with an artificial sweetener. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/13 "2012-06-14T22:53:16Z")
My primary beverage of choice these days is lemonade made with lemon juice mixed with water and stevia to taste - I usually just make single glasses by eye. For lemon juice, I prefer Walmart brand to the RealLemon brand, not only for the price, but also the taste. For stevia, I buy a big old box of the packets of Truvia from BJ’s. No sugar, nice dose of VitaminC, and much more thirst-quenching than most other drinks. Alcohol of your choice can be added when you feel the need to put a little edge on it. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/14 "2012-06-14T23:14:03Z")
A pitcher of ice water with lemon and cucumber slices is very refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/15 "2012-06-14T23:28:43Z")
I like San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, because the bubbles are extremely fine. A glass of this on ice plus wedges of key limes (or “limons”, if you buy a net bag of them in a Mexican market) is terrific. I suppose you could also flavor it with a small splash of just about any full-flavored fruit juice. How about iced coffee? Decaf if you’re watching your caffeine, and sweetened with Splenda or Truvia. Mmm, sounds good right about now. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/16 "2012-06-15T00:38:11Z")
We drink a LOT of flavored (unsweetened) seltzer. Primarily black cherry, pomegranate and mandarin orange. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/17 "2012-06-17T00:55:49Z")
A wide variety of suggestions here. I think you’ll need to experiment to find something you like. Me? Iced tea. Strong. No sugar. No lemon. Everyone is different and has a preference. As a child, my family and I drank iced tea at dinner, but Cokes (the original formula) in the evening. (I think this is why my teeth are in such bad shape.) Now I drink bottled water, iced tea (as above), ginger ale occasionally. I think iced tea is something that grows on you. If you want to experiment with the other suggestions here, I suggest you start out slow and go slow as it may take a few weeks to get used to a new drink. For instance, start with plain iced tea (strong), then go to flavored teas, herbal teas, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Noodles\_Fellicini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Noodles\_Fellicini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noodles_Fellicini)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/18 "2012-06-17T01:47:05Z")
Agree with the iced tea and fresh squeezed lemonade suggestions. A can of San Pellegrino Arancita (orange – it also comes in lemon and blood orange) is my occasional splurge beverage. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/19 "2012-06-17T03:44:50Z")
I have become quite the devotée of bubbly water. I used to haul in two-liter bottles of seltzer, but then I got a Soda Stream for home and another for office. Sometimes I’ll add some cranberry juice cocktail concentrate when I can find it, or dark chocolate syrup. But I find the plain stuff quite refreshing and perfect with nearly all meals. If you can afford the stuff bottled-at-source, I think San Pellegrino is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![With\_Rye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176/20 "2012-06-17T05:38:24Z")
My new favorite drinks: [kombucha](http://www.synergydrinks.com/). It’s basically fermented tea. I really like how it’s low in sugar and vinegary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-drink/625176.md?page=2)