We are living in a golden era of canned and bottled drinks, with companies creating new and inventive varieties. Here are two local options and one regional drink.
Brown sugar lemonade from Peach State Drinks
We had a hard time trying to pick a favorite among the summertime refreshers from Peach State. First, we tried the original brown sugar lemonade. We loved the distinct brown sugar flavor, and the way it played off the lemon. Then, we shared a bottle of one of the seasonal favors, strawberry brown sugar, and loved it. Next, we tried peach, another winner. Finally, we tried mango. It was delicious and ... maybe our favorite? We would drink any of these, any time. Ni’Kesia Pannell and Choya Johnson founded their company in 2019, when they turned a hobby into a business. Their website offers recipes for using their lemonade in cocktails, but we can’t keep them around long enough to do anything except drink them as is.
$17 for a three-pack of 16-ounce jars of original brown sugar lemonade; $20.50 for a three-pack of 16-ounce jars of one of the seasonal flavors; $22 for a sampler pack of three flavors. Available at the Virginia-Highland, Ponce, Oakhurst and East Atlanta Village farmers markets, or at peachstatedrinks.com for local delivery.
Andrew Thomas Lee
Andrew Thomas Lee
Black coffee soda from Bat, bat Soda
We’re enjoying the unusual sparkling sodas showing up on shelves these days. Here’s one from a local maker, Danielle Glasky of Bat, bat Soda. In 2019, she created this coffee soda using flash-brewed iced coffee and adding carbonation, plus a bit of sugar and a pinch of salt. Refreshing on its own, it also makes a great mixer. Spiller Park used it to make their java cream, a rich combination of coffee and chocolate, and Glasky created a holiday cocktail featuring curacao, apple brandy, and her soda. We bet you’ll dream up other ways to enjoy it, besides just drinking it straight out of the can. Glasky comes up with seasonal flavors, too, like her bitter hibiscus and rhubarb soda and Gore Cola, but the coffee is the one that’s available year-round.
$16 per four-pack of 12-ounce sodas; $60 for a case of 24 cans of 12-ounce sodas. Available at Kelly’s Market, Candler Park Market, Videodrome, Little’s Food Store, Elemental Spirits, Sean’s Harvest, Grant Park Market, Spiller Park Coffee, B-side, the Treat Yo’ Shelf Booth at all markets run by the Community Farmers Markets, and at batbatsoda.com for delivery free within Atlanta.
Handout
Handout
Sparkling coffee fruit tea from Husky
Coffee fruit tea, made from the fruit that surrounds coffee beans, is becoming a thing. In the case of Florida-based Husky, the coffee is grown on Las Lajas, a certified organic farm in Costa Rica. The beans are harvested and the fruit (the “husk” in the name of this tea), which often is discarded, instead is collected, processed and turned into an extract that has a floral, fruity flavor, with an undertone of coffee. Then, Husky brightens the fruit flavor by adding grapefruit, lemon or orange juice (which also provides a bit of sweetness), as well as carbonated water. The result is three distinct varieties of tea, rich in antioxidants and lightly caffeinated.
$13.99 per six-pack of 12-ounce cans. Available at drinkhusky.com.
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