Right this Minute

I have this never-ending quest to find the perfect thirst quenching beverage outside of water. I'm not a soda fan, although I definitely have gone through some years of Pepsi addiction. It's never really quenched my thirst, though - it simply helped to satiate my desire for sugar. Beer is too bitter, and the beer that's so light that it's not bitter just tastes like nothing - so why bother? And sports drinks make me crazy with all the added sugar.....is that really necessary? So I'm delighted that recently I've discovered O.N.E. Coconut Water! 100% pure coconut water is from the green young coconut...you know - if you've ever bought your own coconut and poked the holes, it's the 1/2 cup or so of liquid that comes out first. You do have to enjoy the flavor of coconut - although the water is extremely mild and really has just a hint of coconut. It is fat free, higher in potassium than a banana, has no added sugar (and is naturally low in sugar content, at only 14 grams per 11 oz. container), and five electrolytes which is what the sports drinks are always trying to convince you that you need to replace what you've lost during exercise. Ry and I discovered this at Farmer Joe’s one day while waiting for Si to have her piano lesson. We thought we'd run over and quickly get something to drink, and spent 30 minutes reading labels, amazed, as always, at the sugar content in EVERYTHING. One warning-there is another brand out there called VitaCoco. While it seems the same, the flavor isn't. There's some strange aftertaste that I don't care for. So be sure to get O.N.E.

Another thirst quenching favorite for the past year has been my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. I always thought iced tea took too long to make so never did so, but now it's a breeze. It literally takes 10 minutes. You can either throw in tea bags, or use a filter and use loose tea. I love to mix and match. So maybe some Celestial Seasonings True Blueberry with English Toffee, or Republic of Tea Pomegranate Green Tea with Ginger Lemon Grass. The possibilities are endless.

And finally, my favorite alcohol-infused thirst quencher? Discovered last summer in Barcelona at the home of new friends, the Clara. It combines beer with either lemonade or lemon soda (like Pellegrino Limón). For me, it's that just-right combination of sweet and bitter....and actually very thirst quenching on a very hot day. There are different names in different countries - it's Shandy in England and if you click on the link, you'll see all the other world names and variations. Yummy!