#beverage review

[kura-reviews]

BDE "Big Drink Energy" Review

I picked this up for 56 cents at Menard's, which obviously means it's great, right?

Well... no. Not at all. It's really bad. The flavor, while it is fairly weak, is not identifiable as anything specific. There is a harsh chemical overtone that lingers for quite a long time in the mouth, it reminds me of the smell of hospitals, and the taste also is reminiscent of cold remedy zinc drops I had as a kid.

This is an extremely obscure brand, the only place you can find anything about it online is the Menard's listing, lmfao. So my hope is that if anyone googles Big Drink Energy Drink they will find this. There is an IPA under the same brand name but it appears entirely unrelated.

0/10. I could not stand more than a few sips.

[captain-oh-no-not-again]

had my first caprisun today. unparalleled

not good but unparalleled

[ebirdwatching]

cheers

[ambassadorquark]

My elixirs of wakefulness. i don’t know what the fuck they put in the sparkling water but the caffeine literally makes me feel like i smoked scary weed like i was still yawning cuz it’s not that much but my eyes got dry i was pacing the floors. from 35mg. Evil drink

[wastehound-voof]

Continuing my quest to find a good drink bottled by Orca Beverage Inc. (this one being bottled under the authority of Monarch Beverage Co.), we have Kickapoo Joy Juice, the "Original Dogpatch Recipe."

For those who don't recognize the characters, Kickapoo Joy Juice is from the Li'l Abner comics by Al Capp that ran from the 1930s through the 1970s which spawned cartoons, radio, and television shows (Li'l Abner is one of those forgotten cultural icons, influencing media and society, and coining terms still used in our lexicon today like "double whammy;" Al Capp is one of the unsung heroes of comics, but I digress). The fictional Kickapoo Joy Juice is a super strong moonshine pretty much unfit for human consumption, so this citrus soda is in likeness by name only.

Enough about these cartoon hillbillies you all never heard of! What's the scoop on the juice!

Do you like Mountain Dew? (I don't.) The first couple sips of Kickapoo Joy Juice tastes almost like Mountain Dew, which makes sense because that is definitely what this drink is trying to ape off of (Kickapoo came out in 1965 with Mountain Dew being the much older drink initially released in 1940, and they both use hillbilly moonshine motifs for marketing). Once again I am greeted with sweetness that hurts the back of my throat, this time with the added bonus of making my teeth and tongue feel fuzzy. But I kept going, and for a moment it grew on me, I thought "Hmm... actually, it's not bad. Maybe with some ice it would be better." Eh, it was a little better with ice, but that moment of mercy soon worn off and I have to admit this soda is just not for me. It loses its carbonation rather quickly so now there is no buffer between the saccharine sweetness ("saccharine" here is used as the adjective, as this soda is made with 100% cane sugar). But now I can tell just what makes Kickapoo Joy Juice different from Mountain Dew: it's citrus flavor is grapefruit.

So really it boils down to this: do you find the idea of a Mountain Dew Fresca appealing? Then try Kickapoo Joy Juice. And it's just a fun name to say.

4/10. It's a bit below average and I may be a little more lenient on it due to the Li'l Abner connection. Would I have another one? Not in the immediate future. And at the end of the day isn't that what any company wants to hear about their product?

[yukipri]

Galaxy's Edge Foodstuffs & Drinkstuffs Reviews!

So last month, I was able to finally visit Black Spire Outpost, aka Batuu, aka Galaxy's Edge, aka Star Wars Land @ Disneyland!

This is a roundup of photos + reviews of all the themed foods & beverages that mum and I enjoyed during our trip.

Note that I visited Batuu West, in Disneyland California. Florida may have slightly different menus, and I know that menus change seasonally too! My visit was in January, 2023.

The rest of the photos + reviews under the cut!

Oga's Cantina

In the early morning on the very first day, we stopped by Oga's! We got some non-alcoholic drinks + some small eats to start the day off.

Non-Alcoholic drinks:

Memory's foggy, but I *think* the drinks are: 

Blurrgfire: Minute Maid® Lemonade, Pomegranate Juice, and Habanero-Lime

Review: Mildly zingy? but otherwise a pleasant juice drink.

Black Spire Brew: Cold Brew Joffrey's Coffee®, Honey, Falernum, Passion Fruit, and Citrus

Review: Probably the most questionable drink we had, but glad we tried it! The coffee + citrus gave it a sorta...sour? taste? and I'm not sure how I felt about that in my coffee! But it was certainly unique.

Blue Bantha: Blue Milk served chilled with Bantha-inspired Brown Butter Chocolate Chip and Coconut Cookie

Review: Realizing now we didn't get the cookie, sad ;_; It was ok, but idk it felt like it tasted a lot better from the Milk Stand! It was also kinda room temperature, though we *were* in the very first early morning round of people. Overall didn't stand out too much, but wasn't bad either!

Jabba Juice: Simply Orange® with Pineapple, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, and Blueberry Flavor-filled Boba

Review: A slightly mixed-juice but mostly orange juice with some blue popping boba! Was good in a normal, could probably make it at home sorta way.

Food stuffs:

Five-blossom Bread: Warm Pretzel Knot with Hawaiian Black Sea Salt, served with Calabrian Cheese Sauce

Review: It was super warm 'n toasty, surprisingly filling! It was a pretty normal pretzel and the sauce was a pretty normal slightly spicy cheese sauce, but it was still delicious!

Spiced Wroshyr Pods: Seasoned Edamame, Sliced Cucumbers, spicy Citrus-Gochujang Dip

Review: Ngl, these were just straight up plain edamame ^ ^;;; BUT the sauce was really good, preferred it to the pretzel sauce even!

I had another reservation at Oga's on a different night, and this time we tried some alcohol. Now, tbh I am not a huge fan of alcohol; I can drink it, but I just don't really like the flavor, and have never gotten drunk (nor do I really want to), and all it makes me feel is the vague urge to pee. But, I felt obligated to try something alcoholic at the cantina, so here's what I *think* we got!

Jedi Mind Trick (alcoholic): Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit and Rose Vodka, John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum, Bols Blue Curaçao, White Grape Juice, Lime Juice, and Grapefruit Bitters

Review: It was defs sweet? Fruity? But alas, Alcohol taste was strong for me ;_;

Hyperdrive (Punch It!) (Non-alcoholic): Powerade® Mountain Berry Blast, White Cranberry Juice, Black Cherry Purée, and Sprite®

Review: Got one non-alcoholic drink, and ngl it was definitely my fav drink out of the 3 ^ ^; Unfortunately don't remember much of it, other than that I was using it to cleanse the alcohol flavor...

Fuzzy Tauntaun: Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, and Simply Orange® topped with Tangerine, Pure Cane Sugar, "Buzz Button Tingling" Foam

Review: This was the most recommended drink by people we spoke to + blogs I read, so I figured hey let's try it. Other people have described the foam as "tingly," but tbh...neither mum nor I really felt it? It was very foam for sure, messy, hard to get at the drink without getting foam all over your face. Taste was pretty mild (+ alcohol, LMAO).

In conclusion: Kazu, u know u don't like alcohol, plus it's expensive. Let's just stick to non-alcohol next time and save our credits, yeah? ^ ^;

Docking Bay 7

I LOVED Docking Bay 7! It was surprisingly spacious, and perhaps because we went when it wasn't too busy, but there was never any trouble getting seating. With mobile pickup food was ready almost instantaneous, and the whole interior had such an awesome aesthetic with tons of cool design details!

Trandoshan-style Pasta with Braised Bantha: Chile-braised Beef, Buttered Garlic Cavatelli, Seasonal Vegetables, Zesty Avocado Sauce, Balsamic Glaze

Review: This is the green-lookin' dish! I LOVED this one, so much I went and got it again on a different day. It's pasta, which I'm naturally biased towards, but also a lotta meat and veggies too, and pleasantly spiced. It felt like a Good Food, while also being unique and interesting enough it felt sorta Star Wars, I really enjoyed it!

Endorian Fried Chicken Tip-Yip: Crispy Chicken, Roasted Vegetable Potato Mash with Green Gravy

Review: Also good! But tasted a lot more "normal." It's a nice piece o' chickin floating in a ton of mashed potato gravy. Warm and filling, but didn't really feel as themed.

Drinks!

Moof Juice: Simply Fruit Punch®, Simply Orange® with Pineapple, Chipotle-Pineapple

Review: Another pleasant fruit juice! Gosh there are so many fruit juice mixes here! Not complaining bc I love them. Don't really remember too much about this other than "sweet."

Phattro: Gold Peak® Unsweetened Tea, Minute Maid® Lemonade, Desert Pear

Review: Another mixed juice drink, mum and I could only tell it apart from Moof Juice bc this one was mildly less sweet, more tea. Both were good!

Cold Brew Black Caf: Cold Brew Coffee topped with Sweet Cream Cheese and Chocolate Puffs

Review: I actually really enjoyed this one!! Much more than the questionable coffee at Oga's. It's got literal cereal floating on top! One thing that we found was that it wasn't as sweet or well mixed right after picking it up (no duh), but if you wait for the cream cheese and cocoa puffs dust to trickle down (or just mix it), it's a lot sweeter and so much yummier!

Also from the Docking Bay:

Vintian Mineral Mousse: Banana Brûlée-centered Dark Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, Vanilla Chantilly, Chocolate Crumble, Cherry Garnish

Review: THIS THING. Y'all, if I had to pick just one food item to recommend from all of Galaxy's Edge, it would be this. Wasn't really sure what it was at first, and almost didn't order because I'm not a huge fan of banana flavor, but I'm SO glad that we did. Each of the blobs is a different flavored mousse, the banana being the largest, and i *think* the blue was Vanilla, pink strawberry, though those may be flipped. They each had a sorta shell like covering with soft mouse inside. They all tasted incredibly fancy and delicate, like very expensive patisserie quality, and each blob was so distinctive so you never got bored. I even liked the banana one, though I preferred the other two. The best way to eat is to take a spoonfull, and then scoop through the crumble to pick up as much of it as possible. The added crunch makes it even better!

Overall, this not only tasted phenomenal, but it had gorgeous and distinctively "Star Wars" visual presentation, and overall was so unique!

Moving on,

Milk Stand + Ronto Roasters

While the Milk Stand and Ronto Roasters are completely different shops and aren't even close, I picked up drinks from the Milk Stand for breakfast on our second day, so reviewing them together!

Blue Milk: Plant-based blend of Coconut and Rice Milk with alluring fruity characteristics

Review: The Iconic Drink. I hear that people have mixed opinions about this, but I actually really liked it—and it also tasted SUPER familiar. If any of you have had ramune before, the Japanese soda drink in a funky glass bottle that you can find at most Asian markets, it tasted SUPER similar. Perhaps part of me is biased bc my Japanese ass associates blue = ramune, but really, if someone made a ramune slush and maybe added a wee bit more citrus, this would be it. I also happen to love ramune, and slushes, so of course this was a win! If you want to taste ramune to see what Blue Milk tastes like (at least in my own humble opinion, backed by mum), make sure to pick up the "original" flavor! Overall this was super chilled and refreshing, I loved it!

Green Milk: Plant-based blend of Coconut and Rice Milk with zippy citrus and tropical characteristics

Review: I read some reviews that this was nasty, but I didn't think so, it was also pleasant. There was a bit of a strange, possibly slightly medicinal aftertaste, and it was also "milkier" than the blue so it felt less refreshing. Of the two, I definitely prefer blue, but enjoyed my cup of the green too!

Ronto Morning Wrap: Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Pork Sausage, Shredded Cheddar, Peppercorn Sauce, wrapped in Pita

Review: A very yummy wrap from Ronto's, only available in the morning! I felt like of the 3 wraps, this one was the richest, with a lotta cheese, egg, sausage. It was filling and super good! I wouldn't say that the food item itself felt particularly unique, but Ronto's has a super cool setup, so just being able to eat in the vicinity puts you into the universe.

Evening on a different day, we tried the other wraps!

Ronto Wrap: Roasted Pork, Grilled Pork Sausage, Peppercorn Sauce, tangy Slaw, wrapped in Pita

Review: The classic. I was expecting to like this one the most, and while it didn't disappoint, the others were actually so good they all sorta evened out? For being the meat option, it had a lotta veggies and didn't feel unhealthy, at least compared to my usual diet LMAO. I liked this a lot, and like the morning wrap, it was very tasty in a normal food sorta way!

Ronto-less Garden Wrap: Plant-based Sausage, spicy Kimchi Slaw, sweet Pickled Cucumber, Plant-based Gochujang Spread, wrapped in Pita

Review: Usually not a huge fan of fake meat, but this vegetarian option was actually really good! Of the 3, I think I might have even liked the flavoring best? It had a bit of zing to it, possibly due to the kimchi. Either way, I'm glad I was able to split these with mum!

Hard to say which of the wraps I liked most, I think I liked all of them around the same! None of them stuck out as Exceptional, but they were all good!

Drinks from Ronto:

Tatooine Sunset: Gold Peak® Unsweetened Tea, Minute Maid® Lemonade with Melon and Blueberry

Review: Yet another pleasant fruity drink! Don't remember much about it, other than that I liked it, and it once leaned mildly less sweet than the other one ^ ^;

Meiloorun Juice: Pineapple Juice, Minute Maid® Lemonade, with Blueberry, Cranberry Juice, Lemon Juice, and Desert Pear

Review: THIS ONE. If I had to choose ONE fruit juice out of the tons I had, this one is my favorite. I want to say that "Meiloorun" in the name isn't biasing me (it may be), but no really, this one was genuinely so good. It felt denser? than the others, really citrusy but the flavors were really well mixed so it tasted like an all-new fruit, exactly what I'd expect a Meiloorun to be like! I chugged two of these lmao.

Got this on the final day, also from Ronto:

Destran Ice Cap: Sprite®, Orange-Tangerine Syrup, topped with Sweet Cream Cheese

Review: Wasn't sure about the whole "cream cheese in soda," but I'm glad I tried this because I actually really liked it! The cream cheese added a pleasant, well, creaminess to the orange soda of the rest of it, giving it a sort of ice cream float-like feel without the ice cream. Would defs get again!

Lastly,

Kat Saka's Kettle

Picked this up on the last day!

Outpost Mix: colorful blend of seasonal flavors (blend of Caramel and Chocolate-glazed Popcorn)

Review: Honestly just a pleasant popcorn mix! It was good, flavor wasn't too strong, pretty mild. Was a nice easily consumable crunchy snack. It says caramel + chocolate, but tbh I mostly just tasted "mildly sweet." I was hoping for the brightly colored purple/red mix that at least looks a bit unique, but perhaps that's for a different season? Either way, yeah, I enjoyed this but didn't feel it was particularly special ^ ^;

~~

Aaaaand that's my review! I didn't quite eat *everything* at Galaxy's Edge, but I tried a darn good majority.

Overall, the vast majority of food/drink was super darn good and well worth the money! Some was more unique than others, but the quality was consistently high throughout. I did not eat outside of Galaxy's Edge my entire trip and felt very satisfied with that!

My standout favorites were: the pasta & mousse dessert from Docking Bay 7, blue milk from the Milk Stand, and Meiloorun juice from Ronto's!

I also got all 3 of the thermal detonator-shaped water bottles, but well, the flavor inside was just your regular Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite. Still cool souvenirs!

But yes, in general, just so many fruit juices haha. Luckily I do love fruit juices, and also I'm glad that all of the bathrooms in Batuu were both clean, spacious, *never* had lines, and were also super cool-looking. Because given the amount of sugar water I was chugging, yeah. I visited them a lot!

While there's a good variety of food on Batuu and I think they did a great job with the menu, there were a few things that I hope they expand on in the future.

First, while there were some options for folks with dietary restrictions, they were extremely limited. Unsurprising, as most of the food shops already have an extremely limited menu with single digit menu items total. But it would still be nice to see these menus be expanded in the future, or possibly adding additional shops so that something, somewhere might work.

Next, I felt myself wishing for more take-home souvenir-type food. Liked boxed cookies, chocolates, y'know? Sure, you could technically take home the popcorn, but it's just in a brown bag. I'm genuinely shocked they didn't have Grogu's blue macaron cookies, I'm sure those would sell insanely well. Mouse-man, u listening?

Again, I know a lot of food menu items are seasonal/limited, so I hope I can visit again when things have switched around!

If you've been to Batuu, what were your favorite things to taste there?? Any hot items I missed?

Anyway, I hope you found this review to be interesting! Thanks for reading!!

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork onstage in Houston, Texas, on October 27, 1979. Photos via rockinhouston dot com.

“[While working at the Great American Food and Beverage Company in 1979, Peter and Danny Carey] played one of Michael Nesmith’s songs [together], called ‘The Girl That I Knew Somewhere.’ [Peter] played piano, I knew the guitar parts, and he and I sang it together, and we were really rocked it down, we knocked it out of the park. It was a lot of fun. I worked with him just before I joined [a band]. And he was very happy for me that I got a record deal. (laughs) Something that stands out in my mind is that I remember that DJ [Barker] was promoting some kind of get rich quick scheme, and it irritated Peter to no end and he got really vocal about it… all I remember Peter telling him is that it was a pyramid scheme, ‘It’s nothing but a f***ing pyramid scheme, you should be ashamed of yourself for promoting that.’ He was taking DJ to task on that. I just had fun with him. He could play the shit out of the banjo, and he was a really good piano [player], and he was a smart guitar player, too.” - Danny Carey, Tales of the Road Warriors, 2019

“I remember [Peter] whipping out that banjo in the piano room [at the Great American Food and Beverage Company] and duck walking like Chuck Berry, and, like, he really had it down, he was exceptional. […] He was a consummate musician.” - Hal Aaron Cohen, ibid

“My mom [k]new and worked with Peter [T]ork at the [G]reat American [F]ood and [B]everage Co. on Wilshire [B]lvd in Santa Monica during the early 80s. Nice guy.” - Kent V., Vintage Los Angeles FB comment, 2013

“Before performing in Vicksburg, Tork and the band played in spots in Denver and Houston, where he rated the response as ‘pretty good.’ ‘It’s still a trial run at this point,’ he said of the road tour. ‘I think the guys sound tight, but there’s still lots wrong with it. We really came out underprepared.’ [...] In the midst of the applause, however, a few voices could be heard mocking the lyrics of the songs. The jeers didn’t go unnoticed by the performer. ‘Tonight, there was one guy here who obviously wasn’t enjoying himself — and he was letting everyone know it at the top of his lungs,’ Tork reflected backstage. ‘I tried to ignore him and listen to the applause, but somehow, my attention kept drifting back to him.’ […] [Should music fail] he’s even considered going back to school to pursue a career in law. At the moment, however, his thoughts are directed toward developing his style as a musician on stage. He says that performing for smaller crowds than he did a decade ago is the least of his worries — although he finds it hard to put the rude behavior of the heckler out of his mind. ‘But,’ he added with a sigh, ‘I guess that’s just part of the trip.’“ - The Clarion Ledger, November 1, 1979

More about Peter's time working at the Great American Food and Beverage Company in this post.

[tallpiscesgirl]

Nobu KL Festive Omakase Menu 2023

As 2023 draws to an end, the spirit of togetherness and joy takes centre stage, weaving its magic through festive gatherings with loved ones. Nobu KL believes that the essence of these end-year celebrations is intricately linked to the pleasure of sharing extraordinary meals. It serves as the perfect crescendo to bid farewell to the old year and an explosion of flavors to usher in the new year of…

[yekokataa]

i drank a clearly canadian sparkling water beverage for the first time since high school (or maybe even middle school???). verdict: not good, would not buy again.

[ritahayworrth]

got the starbucks blackpink drink and it is not good 💔

[kura-reviews]

Dr. Pepper Creamy Coconut Review

I love a good coconut treat, and picked this up on a whim. I didn't know it was released until seeing it at the store. The refreshing taste of coconut is at the forefront with this new Dr. Pepper. I wasn't sure if the flavors would mesh well, but it actually tastes great along with the signature Dr. Pepper flavors. Unfortunately, the high fructose corn syrup taste is quite noticeable and lingers in the mouth for quite a while after taking a sip.

I have yet to try the zero sugar version of this, but I'll reblog this post if I can manage to pick one up.

For this I will rate 7.5/10.

[gophotographer]

"Guardians of the Galaxy 3: The Cosmic Comedy Extravaganza"

If you thought the universe couldn’t get any zanier, think again! “Guardians of the Galaxy 3” catapults us into a cosmic comedy extravaganza that had us laughing our way through the stars. Director James Gunn delivers a hilarious and action-packed joyride that proves even superheroes have a flair for comedy. From the moment the film starts, it’s clear that the Guardians haven’t lost their knack…

[alanjporterwriter]

Books Read in 2023 #34 “A History of the World in Six Glasses” by Tom Standage.

Beer, Wine, Spirits, Coffee, Tea, & Coke. Six drinks that could be argued literally changed the world and the way we live.

Standage looks at their origins and cultural and historical impacts to examine selected eras in mankind’s story.

It’s an entertaining and informative read that I ended up recommending to several people over the last few weeks as I was reading it.

It certainly made me appreciate the history and impact of some of my favorite beverages.

[danortizdigital]

Ozempic Queen or Buccal Fat Removal? Regardless of how you identify, Liquid Death is clearly playing into the beauty trends of the moment by focusing their latest campaign on plastic recycling, or rather, Plastic Surgery Recycling in a new spot starring Whitney Cummings. Most recycling facilities send our plastic to landfills or oceans because it’s not actually profitable to recycle. So what should we do with all of this plastic trash? Introducing the Liquid Death Recycled Plastic Surgery Center. A revolutionary new approach to useless plastic garbage.

Learn more at: http://liquiddeath.com/plasticsurgery

(copy via Brand)

[wastehound-voof]

Round Four of the Orca Beverage... challenge? We have Teem, FOR A REFRESHING PICK ME UP

ENJOY

TEEM

LIME

Citrus Refresher

Another citrus soda? Wrong. This isn't a Mountain Dew monstrosity. This isn't another boring old lemon-lime soda. This is Lime. Period. And boy is it ever.

Lemon-lime sodas, I can take them or leave them. Don't @ me about Sprite or 7Up (well, do @ me when they put the lithium back in 7Up), or God forbid Starry. I do not care. Lemon-lime sodas just happen. Lemon-lime soda is for when I want to be "healthy"—it's clear, therefore healthy. So seeing Teem up next I was fully prepared to write this entirely way too long elaborate review about anything but the actual taste and at the end say "It's Sprite 4/10" and move on with my life.

Then I drank it.

Teem is teeming with lime flavored through and through, lemons need not apply. It is ab-so-lutely "a refreshing pick me up" just as advertised. Perfectly crisp, Teem is fresh squeezed effervescent limeade in a bottle. I am pleasantly surprised by the natural taste (no artificial flavorings), which honestly the best part is that tart lime zing at the end of each sip.

A 12 fl oz serving has 36g of sugar, less than the three major citrus sodas, and 40mg of caffeine, which is a little surprising since the citrus sodas are usually caffeine free and 40mg is more caffeine than a Coke or Pepsi.

Teem Lime is an absolute winner. One of these ice cold on a hot summer day? Good. Night.

7/10 My expectations were low, but this is how you do a citrus soda. Mm. That tang gets me every time.

[bloodenjoyer]

Sodiepop is good my controversy is liking Coke Zero out of habit and not liking Dr Pepper. It quenches a thirst much more primal than water does and sparkling water does not even come close to comparing. These ppl do not know the hubris of a Coca Cola freestyle machine.

interesting !! i recently had some coke zero and realized i don’t care for it much, there’s an almost..limey? aftertaste it’s a sharp aftertaste whereas diet coke has a more stale/dry seeming aftertaste which i actually really like. i used to not care for doctor pepper but it’s really grown on me tbh …i can only handle it in small doses tho bc it’s SO sweet ..also have never used a coca cola freestyle machine but i really really reallyyyyy want to..