# What is the best non-alcoholic beverage you've ever had? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854 "2017-09-09T00:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/42 "2017-09-10T01:12:32Z")
1.)Iced tea made with filtered water. 2.) Cherry Limeade from Sonic 3.) Ice cold skim milk served with chocolate chip cookies In my mind, shakes seems closer to food than a drink as they don’t really quench one’s thirst. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/43 "2017-09-10T01:24:11Z")
Cafe’ Sua Da …from Pho Grand in St louis. Vietnamees Iced coffee…total bliss! ---
**Author:** ![Murderface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Murderface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murderface)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/44 "2017-09-10T01:38:18Z")
I tried an egg cream when I went to New York back in August, and it was what you would imagine a chocolate soda would taste like. Super delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/45 "2017-09-10T01:42:57Z")
Reading this thread I realize I really missed out on a lot of foods. For me probably. 1. Root beer float (hard to pinpoint which root beer and vanilla ice cream was best though). 2. Roy Rogers with coca cola. I know OP said non-alcoholic, but a cold can of beer after working outside all day in summer really tastes good for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/46 "2017-09-10T03:56:30Z")
I’m gonna be pedestrian and say - A classic Orange Julius - Mango lassi, after having my first try at Indian food, because I would have died without it. Also it’s delicious. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/47 "2017-09-10T04:50:00Z")
A bananaberry freeze from Applebee’s. Haven’t had one in years. I think I’ll change that soon. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOldKJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GoodOldKJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOldKJ)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/48 "2017-09-10T05:10:11Z")
My Grandmother made the best lemonade. I would spend Summer weekends helping my Pap around the farm, nothing could ever taste better at meal time! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/49 "2017-09-10T05:12:21Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > … > Second place: a passion fruit smoothie, sweetened with sugar cane juice, from a Vietnamese fruit juice stand. OMG, how could I forget fresh passionfruit juice! I had it in Cambodia and it was divine! (Headed to Vietnam in a couple of months, your post makes me exceedingly happy!) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/50 "2017-09-10T05:21:34Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Right. A Bloody Mary with Clamato is a Bloody Caesar (god knows why), and Clamato with beer is a Michelada (ditto). > > Next time you hit Fatso’s, report back on the fried shrimp. They’re famous for their fried shrimp. I’m skeptical (on my two visits I had an exemplary grilled full-on Chicago dog and a “smashburger,” a cheeseburger smooshed on the grill), but curious. And the milkshakes are dynamite. I’ve only had their fried shrimp in the form of the shrimp po boy (back when it was still Phil’s Last Stand and the po boy was a “secret menu” item), and I thought it was fantastic. The smashburgers are still a relatively new addition to the menu (in the last two years). I didn’t realize they were even on the menu until the last time I was there a couple months ago. I just always ordered the Double Fatso with Cheese reflexively. I’ll have to try the smashburger next time, since I actually do prefer a griddled burger to a char grilled one. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/51 "2017-09-10T05:42:19Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Right. A Bloody Mary with Clamato is a Bloody Caesar (god knows why), and Clamato with beer is a Michelada (ditto). Oh, and Micheladas don’t have to have clamato, but even with clamato, there’s usually more to it than just clamato (lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and sometimes Maggi sauce.) And some don’t even have tomato juice in them, and some places make a distinction between “cheladas” and “micheladas,” and so on and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/52 "2017-09-10T14:26:02Z")
I’ve never tried it but I assume Bhang packs one hell of a non-alcoholic punch. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/53 "2017-09-10T17:47:10Z")
After eating, cold milk sometimes hits the spot like nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/54 "2017-09-10T18:53:58Z")
“Best Ever” is a tough one. Favorite right now is an easy one: Jorma’s Rhythm Tonic Tea. An herbal tea made for Jorma Kaukonen by the Herbal Sage tea co. It’s flowery and mildly spicy, and I think I’m becoming hooked. It’s even been cutting into my beer drinking time! [https://www.herbalsage.com/2017/03/14/jormas-rhythm-tonic-tea/](https://www.herbalsage.com/2017/03/14/jormas-rhythm-tonic-tea/) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/55 "2017-09-10T19:03:41Z")
Best what now? 😉 Not sure I understand the question. Raspberry Iced Tea is pretty good, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/56 "2017-09-10T21:04:21Z")
Buttermilk with a big pinch of black pepper and a dash of Johnny’s seasoning salt. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/57 "2017-09-10T22:22:48Z")
Best is a toughy. Let’s try: Harney & Son’s Earl Grey Supreme tea or their Lapsang #1. Coffee? Probably a natural process coffee from Yemen. Doubt I’ll be able to find it again. Liked it better than true Jamaica Blue Mountain. Would love to try the Bourbon variety coffee they grow on Reunion Island. Context matters. Few things tasted as good as the water I had in 100 degree temps in inland CA, facing heat stroke. Bad day, no deer, but a lasting memory. CA has some steep, if not super high, terrain. Covered with all sorts of bushes that love to pierce you or poison you. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/58 "2017-09-10T22:29:12Z")
For those of us who find slightly tart flavors refreshing, I have several favorites. One is Agua de Jamaica, which is a Mexican hibiscus flower water. I also see it translated as “hibiscus tea” but it’s more of an iced tea. Gorgeous deep red color and aroma, a little like cranberry juice but with less of a bite. Green mango shake is another sweet-sour-tart superstar. Fresh grapefruit juice, if carefully squeezed to avoid the bitter pith, is amazing too. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/59 "2017-09-10T23:27:54Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > But for a single event, it was a 2-liter bottle of water I drank after changing a car tire-In Abu Dhabi-in the desert-in August. Like a gift from the Gods. I hadn’t thought of the OP in those terms, but now that I have… When I was a kid I shoveled several inches of snow from an elderly neighbors sidewalk and driveway. It was cold out but I was sweating from the work. When I was done he came out and handed me an ice cold Coke in a can. I thought WTF? (or something similar) but accepted it and downed it. Damn, did that hit the spot. This was 45+ years ago and it is still fresh in my memory. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/60 "2017-09-11T00:02:51Z")
A Chocolate Malted I had in a small diner, in Central Wisconsin, sometime in the 1970s. Dad bought it for me. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854/61 "2017-09-11T00:12:22Z")
When I lived in Russia, there was this soda we used to buy that was supposed to be pear-flavored. I don’t know that it really tasted like pears, unless Russian pears taste really, really different from American pears, but it was wonderful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-non-alcoholic-beverage-youve-ever-had/795854.md?page=4)