Robinsons Mandolorian Metal Squash - now with Grogu! [@Nli10]

 The original Beskar metallic grey squash was so popular in our house that we had to try the second flavour too.

Surprisingly, even though this is little green alien themed, it's still metallic - those bits you can see swirl about.

It's hard to photograph but looks great in the sunlight.

Even baby Grogu approves.  We still haven't seen the movie.

It's Mango-Lorian! I mean it's mostly apple, and it tastes of apple and mango, but the puns are harder.

And it shimmers and shines!

I'm not sure which I like best of the two - this has another intense fruity flavour.  It hasn't gone down as quickly I suppose, but it's not as hot here at the moment.  Given the choice I think I'd go for the grey one, but the apple and mango squash is really nice too.

Mixing the two kind of cancelled the flavours out and was disappointing. 

This Drink IS Metal - Robinsons Mandalorian & Grogu Beskar Berry Blend Squash [@NLi10]

 My partner got some discount squash because she'd 'never seen a grey drink before'.  And she was right - this is an odd one.

Look - there is Mando - with his hat on of course. And Grogu's name is on there too.  But why is it flavoured after a fictional metal?

This is the old sparkleberry J2O mix turned up to max - it shimmers and shifts like mercury

Double pic to hopefully show this.

Diluted it's harder to see.  You have to shake it first as the flavour floats and the metal sinks but if you do you end up with a nice mix like this.  A metallic grey that TVs struggle to do justice.

It does settle into a more cloudy grey eventually, but what is it like?

It's a vague fruity berry flavour.  Maybe a mix of citrus and berries.  I'll have to look at the ingredients for clues.

It's very nice though, and just crazy enough that it's interesting.  No idea how they'd ever tie this mix in to other brands (terminator maybe?) but hopefully I can sneak some more in before it returns to it's home planet.

KFC Summer - New Upgrades to Meals, Dirty Chips & Kwench Krush [@NLi10]

 We had a late lunch this week - and a movie at 4pm so dinner would be late - so I went larger than large and had a full box meal.  What have I let myself in for!

It doesn't look so bad here.

But - I upgraded the fries to 'dirty loaded' and the drink to 'Krush' which is essentially a bubble tea pop thing

The important detail here is that it's 1566 Kcal, which is generally considered a large lunch.

And nearly £15 which is officially too much for fast food lunch.

I'm a fan of the 'Supercharger' dip which I usually get donated by my friend too, but here I had my own - and the chips had three colours of sauce - but also oddly popcorn chicken too.

I added in my own popcorn chicken from the meal to use all the sauce and dipped in the one solo fillet you get too.  I even had a little tub of beans to eat with them. This part of the meal was a hit - even the sadness of popcorn chicken couldn't ruin these wonderfully saucy fries.  This was the highlight - get this £2 upgrade and ignore all previous instructions.  They are £4 solo, the charger dip is 60p and small beans is a mad £2.

The cherry refresh Krush has a lovely flavour with the lemonade base, and the popping bits were decent quality - and then - it was gone!

You can't tell that well here, but the cup was 60% ice.  And not crushed ice like a slush puppy, but hard solid useless ice.  Your large drink is actually a small cup.  And with a saucy salty meal - that's not enough.  Luckily I had some water with me but for £1.50 extra on top of a normal drink this is a mugging in fruit form.  Stick to the Lipton tea options and hold the ice.  Actually - I wonder if you can hold the ice on a solo order of this and actually get a drink?  Just checked on the app - sadly no.  

Oddly these are only 10p more than the large drinks in the solo app, so the upgrade prices of 1.50 must be vs the regular size one.  It's still a £1 upgrade on the large which is evil.

After finishing all the sides I eventually made it to the sad burger, who hadn't had any innovations so was merely fine.  Honestly - I didn't need it but ate it anyway as it was there.

Overall then - I think you could build your own meal quite successfully without it costing £15.  You'd want some kind of wrap or fillet & dip, and the Dirty Fries and a drink that isn't a solid.  Even that version of the Twister Wrap box meal comes out at £12 though!  Without the beans and bonus fillet it's £10 and a more reasonable 1000 Kcal...  

It’s Giving - Gut Friendly Soda - Black Cherry £1 a can [@NLi10]

 I know I’m older now purely because things that were cheap now feel expensive, but essentially are the same thing.  Case in point - when we were nearing the end of our time at school in the 90s they put a can machine in with Fanta (or maybe Tango?)  and other less fruity, less interesting drinks.

As it was 30p I could essentially get 1 a week and not have to worry about budgeting, then they went up to 35p and then 40p. This was outrageous inflation.  Of course what had actually happened was that they just did an intro offer and kept raising the price til we stopped paying.  As a can from the shop could be as low as 20p for the off-brand drinks it became more of a special treat.

Well guess what - a can of pop from the shop is now £1 - and proud enough of that fact to put it on the can.

My partner picked this one up for me though, so in some ways it was free.  And in other ways probably more expensive.

It’s gut soda, which is essentially like saying Kombucha but drinkable without pulling faces. And while it’s a little sweetener based, it looks more like they have gone for flavour instead - which is the best way. Sour drinks don’t need to taste as sweet to be good.

They have made it very red, which looks good - and the cherry smells are very much those of the sweet-shop.

The taste from the can was a big hit of joy, sipping is where this excels. Big gulps are more in the Tizer territory where you can taste the flatness of the fizz as much as the sweet/sour punch of the cherry.

I’m always wary about drinks, and I only tend to write up the interesting ones (as they don’t get anywhere near as much interest as the alcohol or snacks) but during a heatwave this was exactly what I needed.  Now to find some more pound coins to try the other versions.

Counter Culture - Rhubarb + Hibiscus Kombucha [@NLi10]

 We visited a lovely Japanese shop in Shrewsbury recently and I picked up a drink - but it’s actually more local than that!

It’s in one of those fantastic modern textured cans that gets funny looks in public as it looks like you are drinking beer.

But it’s actually made in Bristol so hopefully I can get more of these.  It’s a lot more tame than my usual Kombuchas and very refreshing - you could have a much bigger can of this and not go cross-eyed.

It’s a nice crisp refreshing taste and you can get hints of both the rhubarb and hibiscus, and I’ll certainly hunt for more of these.

Fanta Pear (Local Shop) By @Cinabar

I came across this bottle in a local off licence we had only popped into once before. Last time we barely looked around, but it turns out they stock all sorts of interesting drinks and snacks. There were plenty of imports on the shelves, although I am fairly sure this Fanta Pear is actually a UK release. It was certainly new to me. This one is the full sugar version, which will please anyone who dislikes artificial sweeteners sneaking into everything.

I chilled it as soon as I got home because fruit flavours always taste better cold. When I opened it I expected something bold, maybe even a pear drops style hit, but the flavour is nowhere near that intense. It has a gentle fruity taste that feels quite natural and it is far lighter than I expected. Shloer does a pear drink that comes across as a bit grown up and almost sparkling wine like in its strength. Fanta Pear sits on the opposite end of the scale. It is soft, sweet and easy going, with a delicate flavour that never becomes overwhelming.

I liked it, although it would not be my first choice next time. It is pleasant enough, but I found myself wanting a lot more pear in the mix.

Medicating Grandma - Grass & Co Liquid Relax Drink [@NLi10]

 I go to visit my partner's grandmother most weekends, and she's taken an active interest in the unusual things I review for this site.  At 97 most of the things I bring along are declared 'interesting' but never really referenced again.

As she's been suffering for anxiety as the nights draw in I thought I'd offer her some of this Grass & Co relaxing drink.  It may sound a little 'magic potion' but essentially it's a tea-style herbal infusion, but jazzed up to look and taste more like a sparkling wine.

The chamomile & peach sounded the most grown up so that's the one we tried.

I didn't spot it had some mushrooms in it too - but as it was from the supermarket I'm thinking they are quite normal ones.  I filled her in on all the details and then let her try some.  She didn't have much - but did like it so drank more than I expected.

I think it had the desired effect on both of us and we had a lovely chat and almost forgot to order our lovely big lunch.

We had the delivery Toby carvery again - not as spectacular as the first time (the tip is order early to get the freshest bits) but still perked us both up.

While herbal drinks can help your negative mindset in a gloomy December afternoon, I think having a decent meal and someone to talk to is the real calming solution.  That said - the flavours were sophisticated and I could have happily carried on drinking them (but I had to drive back and didn't want to be too relaxed) so I'll save the other can for another day.

Maybe it's a good way to cope with a chaotic family Christmas!  At the very worst its a few needed vitamins and a break from the alcohol.

Drinks in Costa Rica - functional and tasty! [@NLi10]

 In a hot climate like Costa Rica it’s important to stay hydrated - and it’s fun too!  Here we had some fresh milk-shake style drinks made with blackberries (and a chocolate based one for my partner).  Very necessary after a big walk through the cloud forest on a ‘feels like 40 degrees’ day.

There are a few good regional varieties too - the red Fanta was good as expected (we get that imported to the UK enough now that it’s not exciting!) but they did have some mandarin varieties of the orange drinks, which I guess makes sense.  Didn’t see the Mexican drinks but we were a little too far away for that.

And for people like me that maybe forget to drink as much as they should there are electrolytes and rehydration 

And boy are there more choices than in the UK! It was twice the price of the normal drinks so I only had the one on the day where I really needed it.

And if you are troubled by all the bitey insects then tonic water can help to keep them at bay - I couldn’t find my usuals so went for the Canada Dry which was a nice change.

But of course - there are plenty of fresh ingredients with electrolytes and bug repelling properties built in - so it’s much better to just keep having the smoothies and staying hydrated that way.

PRIME is ordinary now - Strawberry Hydration & Strawberry Banana [@NLi10]

 Iceland now sells PRIME for £2 a bottle, which is fairly reasonable considering the insanity when it first launched.  As the Iceland offers on food were very depressing (I forget how much BBQ season ruins their ranges) I got some sad Pizza and a few bits and bobs, and a couple of PRIME to drink that afternoon while ignoring the football.

First up I went for the Hitman coloured Strawberry Lemonade Hydration version.  It was nice enough but still has that slightly artificial taste they haven't managed to dial out.  The flavours are still strong enough that kids can't taste the coconut water and thus aren't aware that they are getting vitamins.  Seriously - this stuff is so much better than Cola I'd be making sure my teenagers had as much as they wanted (but none of the cans).

I mean - look at all that goodness! If there were a little more coconut (or it wasn't from powder like the version I made) then I'm sure it'd be even better for them.

The banana one I had on the following day and is essentially the same but with the odd banana sweet taste (Cavendish?) floating over the top - which is odd as the vitamin and energy profiles are different too.  Maybe the vitamin A hides better with bananas.

Either way - both are still decent enough treats and good to keep in the fridge for when tired, but I'd still much rather have a Pocari Sweat.

Gusto Organic Cola - Real Cola (Gloucester Services) [@NLi10]

 On the way back from exciting places we stopped off in the Tebay services in Gloucester and picked up a few bits.  One we saved for later was this lovely cola.

I think I’ve had this Gusto cola before but it’s nice enough that we can have more,

This is what’s in it - fairly low in ingredients but high in taste. Mostly spring water, but nice and refreshing.

Good strong old-style cola flavours and not too sweet, overall a good cola.

Body FUEL - Swizzles Drumstick Original Raspberry Flavour Drink - not PRIME [@NLi10]

 It's rank - avoid.

Longer version?  I was quite pleased with myself when I found this in Lidl - a knock off PRIME drink themed around a favourite childhood sweet?  Drumstick lollies in the UK are a chew on a stick - with a distinctive artificial fruit flavour, and a kind of custard flavour as it's second bit.  They are lovely.  I'd always assumed it was supposed to be rhubarb, but this says Raspberry!

Here is what it does - some vitamins & endurance? That's a new claim!

I don't think it's designed to be seen outside of the bottle - but that's fine.  Less artificial stuff.

But oh - the smell.  It's like drumstick lollies, but it has these other hints in there that are immediately off-putting.  Looking at the ingredients this is spring water based, instead of coconut water based (presumably to make it cheaper) but that just means they've had to shove all of the nutrients in there instead of just letting nature figure it out.

Consequently it's a mess, and the massive artificial smell on top just adds to it.  The lollies rely on the sugar - clearly, but here we have just 1 k calories per 100ml and it just doesn't work.  All the sucralose in the world can't save this.

It's only just about drinkable, and I'll probably finish it just to avoid waste - but it's not a pleasure and more like a challenge from an endurance based game-show.

If your child desperately needs vitamins, and is actually willing to drink this then 2 bottles a day will give them all they need.  But seriously, PRIME is more affordable than ever now, you might as well just buy the real thing and save yourself from the risk of them just pouring this down the sink.

Chaibibi's Green Apple (tea?) {@NLi10]

 I sometimes buy things and then don't get around to trying them for ages.  over NY I decided to crack into a few of them. 

Here is a see-through can of bright green liquid that is kind of Chai?  Seems unlikely that it's milky or spicy.

Apple tea is a thing so I assumed it'd be like that.

Essentially it's a flat apple tango style drink,  a little sour but not too bad, and doesn't have any of the odd stimulants in it.  A fairly sophisticated little drink - but more pop than tea.  Great for cocktails!

As this has been a short one here is Flo in the fort at the top of the stairs that is supposed to stop the cats from murdering each other quite as often.

ChuLo - Lemon & Apple Sours, from Japan, in a can in the UK [@NLi10]

I do like Japanese soft drinks, and Sainsbury's have a little sushi counter with lots of treats hiding on the sides - including ChuLo for £1.60 a can!

Naturally I got both flavours

Reduced sugar and vegan friendly - and Inspired in Japan! Wait - what? At the bottom it says that it's made in Manchester.  Guess that's why its cheaper - lets see if it's good.

This lemonade version is a little sour and pretty strong.  Basically it's the traditional lemonade that Fentimans sell - and a lovely refreshing drink.

And next we have the Apple.  These can's are so lovely I've kept them on the top of the fridge with the Star Wars Beer

Even though this stereotypical Mancunian is a little strong!

I expected this to be artificially green - but instead it looks like apple juice and tastes great! Like a more sour, and richer version of the Apple Tango I had as a child.  I'll be getting this flavour again.  

And maybe I could package them up with imported sweets and make Christmas In Japan packages for family for Christmas presents.  I'm sure no one else would mind with the flavours being that good.

0Kcal Drinks - AliENergy Lychee & Dong Feng Shu Ye Jasmine Tea [@NLi10]

We are truly in the confusing era of the 0 Calorie drink.  Tap water is 0 Calories and mostly free, but when you are out it's nice to have a similar experience and a cool healthy drink.  So I picked a few up and then drank them at home anyway! 

This one - I mostly liked the portmanteau of Alien and Energy - I'd not seen that before. It's very 90s and pretty cool. I'd forgive them if the drink was bad.

No calories and a bunch of sprayed on vitamins, it's basically PRIME.

Only this is based around water and sweeteners (boo) but with a lovely fruity taste.  This is unmistakably Lychee, and really refreshing.  Even though I dislike the sweeteners this is very subtle and suitable for most people's tastes.  A win.

And here we have a drink that is usually zero calorie - tea!  Putting milk in (as I usually do) or sugar (as I did in my twenties) makes it less of a healthy proposition - but the natural botanicals of the jasmine tea remove the need for this - IF it's done properly.

They put in some things to keep it fresh, but otherwise this is tea and water - result!  Sure - we haven't quite got to fortified vitamin teas yet, but without the negative parts you can literally drink as much of this as you like and not need to worry.

And it's a good one too - very basey flavour, deep and earthy teas.  The jasmine is very subtle, but does rise towards the end making this a very easy tea to drink.  I'd certainly have this again (even though I do default to the Mr Kong version which is a lot closer to American Pop than this serious adult tea!)

While bottled water is a bit of a menace in nations that have clean and safe municipal supplies (just stick it in the fridge!) it's nice to have flavoured alternatives that are neither too expensive or bland and can give you a little shot of vitamins or cafiene to get through the shopping experience.