Arnold Palmer Hard Half & Half

Hard Arnold Palmer Half & Half

Coke Polar Bears! RAWRRRRRR

Coca-Cola Polar Bears

Coca-Cola has teamed up with the WWF and Hulk Hogan (just kidding), the World Wildlife Fund to provide profits that save the polar bears so that Coca-Cola can sell more soda. Did you know that Santa Clause is sponsored by Coca-Cola? Whatever happened to milk and cookies? They should re-think their sponsors and go after OREOS and got milk?

Marley's Mellow Mood

Marley's Mellow Mood

Lifted Boardshop in Rome, NY donated a Marley's Mellow Mood Black Tea flavor to Beck's Brands. The flavor was absolutely delicious, and I was really thirsty at the time. It was the perfect drink for the perfect time, until something happened. About halfway through the drink I started feeling kinda squirrelly. I was drinking it in the middle of the day, and the relaxation ingredients started kicking in. I drank it on an empty stomach and it started to hit me really hard. Do not drink this unless you are planning to relax and you have food in your system, otherwise you will end up feeling quite messed up. Marley's Mellow Mood contains Valerian Root, Melatonin, and Chamomile which I know all calm you down. They also have Passion Flower, Hops, and Lemon Balm that are supposed to relax you as well. The packaging is perfect for this drink, and I have the 16 oz. glass Black Tea bottle sitting on my brand HOF shelf. Overall this is a fantastic product, and I do recommend it to our viewers, however, please eat before consuming and make sure you will be doing something relaxing during and after you drink it. The relaxation will kick in, and you won't want to go anywhere but your favorite couch!

Sobe Lifewater with Coconut

Sobe Lifewater with Coconut Water

Starbucks Augmented Reality App

Available on November 15th. I'm going to have to bring @33Cait88 out for some coffee!

New Aluminum Coke Bottles

Aluminum Coke Bottles

Doritos Battle Black Pepper Jack

Battle Black Pepper Jack Doritos

Late July Chips

Late July Chips

Hi-T Organic Hemp Tea

Hi-T Organic Hemp Tea

Kooky Eyes Contest

Click to Enlarge

Everybody’s Nuts Pistachios is hosting a contest on their Facebook page which ends November 4^th, and they’re giving away a number of great prizes. The rules of the Kooky Eyes contest are simple. 1) upload a photo of yourself with Stach’s signature “kooky eyes” to the Everybody’s Nuts Facebook page (facebook.com/everybodysnutspistachios).  All entrants will have a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000 plus a year’s supply of Everybody’s Nuts.

Stach is being extra generous and awarding weekly runner up prizes as well.  5 runner up prizes will be awarded at the end of the contest ($2,000 each plus a year supply of Everybody’s Nuts). Weekly winners will be selected each week in addition to the runner up winners. The weekly winners will receive 36 bags of Everybody’s Nuts. Not to mention, 50 random fans will also receive Everybody’s Nuts swag featuring everyone’s favorite nut, Stach.

There’s only one week left to participate, so show us your best Kooky Eyes!

Knob Creek

Knob Creek

Gotta love instagram!

BIGS Bacon Sunflower Seeds

BIGS Bacon Sunflower Seeds

"Mouse" Drinks Saranac

Saranac Adirondack Lager

Saranac Adirondack Lager is a brand made in Utica, NY and can be found at http://www.saranac.com/. They are also on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Saranac) and you can follow them on twitter @SaranacBrewery

Monster Energy X-PRESSO

MonsterEnergy.com

While browsing at the local mall I saw X-PRESSO Monster Energy. It was actually the same size as the smallest Red Bull (9.6 FL OZ) and was sitting right next to the Red Bull on the shelf. To see all of the current Monster Energy flavors visit http://www.monsterenergy.com/us/en/products/

ZICO Water and Argo Tea

ZICO Water Mango

Argo Teas

Subway $10 Klout.com Perk

Klout.com

Franken Berry Cereal

Franken Berry Cereal New Logo

Old School

World Classics Trading Company

World Trading

Amazing Glazes - Duncan Hines

Amazing Glazes - Vanilla

Sambazon Energy Drink

Sambazon Energy

WAT-AAH!

For more information visit http://drinkwataah.com/, follow them on twitter @WATAAH and you can also like them on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wataah

WAT-AHH!

Mix 1 All-Natural Protein Shakes

Thanks Mix1 for sending me an excellent package! For more information visit the Mix1 website - http://mix1life.com/ on twitter @mix1, and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mix1life

Mix1 All-Natural Protein Drinks

Sheets Energy Strips - Cinnamon Rush

Sheets Energy Strips - Cinnamon Rush flavor. We did have nervous, twitchy energy later, but @AShort315 and myself do not like energy products. We just had to try these things! For more information visit http://www.takeasheet.com/

Sheets Energy Strips

Who's Next? - Pepsi

Here's to the Crazy Ones...

This week has been very inspiring, and you will see it in my newest projects.

New Chobani Champions Site

Visit the brand new Chobani Champions website at - http://www.chobanichampions.com/. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter - @Chobani

For those of you interested in packaging design, I found this awesome old packaging on Google Images:

Old Champions Packaging Design

Get Crackin' Ads

Follow Wonderful Pistachios on twitter @getcrakin. There YouTube Channel is amazing.

Dr. Pepper TEN

Dr. Pepper TEN

The SLIZ

@dirtyjerzimages and his first time trying the Sliz. To purchase, and find more information on the SLIZ, visit http://www.sliz.com/. You can also follow SLIZ on twitter @SlizCup and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesliz

The SLIZ

Color Options

LARABAR - Peanut Butter Cookie

LARABAR Peanut Butter Cookie

I did an audio review with @AShort315 on this one - Click Here To Listen

Pink Ribbon Bagel - Panera

Pink Ribbon Bagel

The first time I heard about the Pink Ribbon Bagel was actually on twitter because I follow Panera (@panerabread). The Pink Ribbon bagel is to help support Breast Cancer. "It's made with cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar." - Panera Website. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I already love bread and bagels, so why not help out a great cause. The wild berry fruit smoothie was also yummy, and matched the whole pink theme (I wish I can say I did that on purpose!). Below is a picture of my meal. You can also follow Panera Bread on Facebook here - Panera Bread.

Pink Ribbon Bagel

Bolthouse Farms

Bolthouse Farms Strawberry Banana

I love Naked Juice, so I decided to try a competitor the other day. This time it was Bolthouse Farms Strawberry Banana Fruit Smoothie. I really enjoyed the taste of the product, and it had lots of real fruit in it. I think I loved everything about this product, but it still wasn't Naked Juice. Don't get me wrong. I will purchase Bolthouse Farms products if Naked Juice is not available, but the Bolthouse Farms Brand does not connect with me as well as Naked Juice does. Bolthouse Farms' packaging and design looks like it is market to sophisticated adults who eat and drink healthy brands. I just love Naked Juice's bottles and design a lot better. You will like Bolthouse Farms, it's just not for me. Definitely try it for yourself. I highly recommend it, especially if there is no Naked Juice around :)

IZZE Sparkling Pomegranate

IZZE Sparkling Pomegranate

I would be lying to you if I didn't specifically buy 2 of these to make a mix drink with. I didn't feel like drinking beer last night so I went in the grocery store looking for Red Bull to mix. That's when I saw IZZE in a can. I have been wanting to try IZZE for the longest time now and have always seen it in bottles (below). This drink was so tasty! Ever since my friend told me about sparkling water I have been on the look out for it, and if you know me you know that I love POM Wonderful, so I am always on the look out for pomegranate flavored drinks. I would also like to try the Sparkling Blackberry flavor sometime, and maybe even Sparkling Clementine. What experiences have you had with IZZE?

IZZE Flavored Sparkling Water

Coca-Cola Happyfication

Where's The Beef? Re-Launch

Monster M3

Monster M3

I have one of these sitting on my desk, but to be completely honest with you, I am afraid to drink it. The Monster M3 is a Super Concentrated formula. Gives you the same kick as the 16 oz bottle, but in a 5 oz glass bottle with a pry-off bottle cap. The Monster M3 fits in between a shot and a regular energy drink. On the bottle it says "A shot it's not...but then you don't have to plug your nose to drink it". This bottle reminded me of a bottle of Red Bull that my friend @AShort315 picked up in Thailand:

Red Bull Thailand

Rockstar 2X Energy

Rockstar 2X Energy

Saw this amazing can yesterday. Has anyone tried it yet?

bai antioxidant infusions

Bai Antioxidant Infused Beverages

While at my local Dippin' Donuts I came across some bai drinks. My youngest sister works at Dippin and the bai waters just keep staring me in the face, so Sunday I was thirsty and I jumped in the ice bin. I asked an older gentleman if I should go with the Sumatra Dragonfruit or the Jamaican Blueberry and he said Dragonfruit. I actually ended up buying and drinking both flavors. Blueberry was my favorite, but @ngocvnguyen preferred the Dragonfruit. Their claim to fame is the Coffee Fruit, the fruit that actually surrounds the coffee bean. Why coffee fruit? Well there is a method for measuring the antioxidant potency in foods. "Utilizing this method, coffee fruit is often found to provide 30-40 times the benefit of fruits like acai and pomegranate per gram." - BevNet.com. If you know me, I am a big fan of POM Wonderful and the antioxidant powers of pomegranates. What threw me off on the label of the drink is that it only contained 6% juice. How can it be good for you if only 6% is juice? Maybe bai can help me out here. All of their flavors are exotic, like the coffee fruit. I would like to see some less exotic, more popular flavors, but then again they are breaking into a new market and exotic flavors paired with the coffee fruit might just be the perfect combination. I just like drinking things that I know what they are. I guess I am just going to have to drink more bai so that I know what coffee fruit is. Upon further review, I am looking for a little more substance in my drinks. This was more like flavored water and I busted through two of them very quickly.

WAT-AAH!

WAT-AAH!

I haven't had a chance to try these yet, but I did see them at the Carousel Mall in Syracuse, NY. What flavors have you tried?

Searching for "Substance"

Naked Juice Blue Machine

On my way to work this morning I went to 7 different beverage retailers to find a drink with "substance". What do I mean by "substance"? Well, it is any food or drink that tastes real, is not watered down, and packs a healthy punch. A good example of a drink with substance is the Naked Juice line of drinks. POM Wonderful is another drink with some serious substance. These drinks are sold for around $3.50 - $4 for a personal size bottle, but it is totally worth it. After being sick for 6 months I am trying to eat and drink brands that are good for me. How am I testing that? If a food or drink gives me stomach ache it goes on the DO NOT EAT LIST and so far my favorite brands with substance are Naked Juice and POM Wonderful. Yesterday I was extremely thirsty, and I stopped at a convenience store on my way to work. I ended up getting a .99 cent 20 oz Raspberry Nestea. This drink looked and sounded tasty, but it had no substance and I was disappointed. Everyday consumers are faced with this dilemma: purchase what is healthy and good for you, "substance", or purchase what is affordable. I have no choice. I don't want to be sick ever again, so when I am offered food or beverage that is on the DO NOT EAT LIST, I nicely say "No Thank You" because I know how I will feel after eating it. Don't get me wrong, I did have a couple Oreos yesterday and we are all just humans. If you are having trouble with your health, start making a DO NOT EAT LIST and make super small, tiny little baby steps towards introducing healthier brands for yourself. Eventually I will get more into organic and locally made products, but you have to go slow. Keyword - slow. My body has 24 years of eating and drinking whatever was available, and whatever it craved. Now that I have noticed that I am what I eat, and I haven't had a severe stomach ache in about 2 weeks. I literally do not even crave cheeseburgers anymore because I know how it will make me feel and if the feeling after is worst than the joy of eating, than it is just not for me. Your body is worth the $3.50 for a Naked Juice instead of .99 cents for zero substance. Good luck in your daily food and beverage choices. I will still try wacky and unique products, but trying is different than daily consumption.
If only products like Naked Juice and POM Wonderful had the distribution that Coke and Pepsi Products have. Prices would drop, and people would actually have a choice for a healthy beverage. I think the healthiest beverage that is widely available now is Honest Tea, but I am not a huge tea fan and I look for something to drink about every other day.

MATEUS Rose Wine

Mateus Rose Wine

When someone asks me to get wine, I am going to find the most unique wine in the entire liquor store. That's how I discovered MATEUS. It's brilliant and unique bottle + name of MATEUS = Beck's Brands Purchase.  It is a Rose wine that was quite bubbly, but not too bubbly where we didn't like it. MATEUS was semi-sweet and @33Cait88, @dirtyjerzimages, and @jillydukez all enjoyed the taste as well. An overall great product, with the bottle being worth saving and displaying. I will definitely purchase this product in the future. Thanks MATEUS! I couldn't find a website, so you can check Wikipedia for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateus_(wine)

GT Vodka

GT Vodka

It all started out with searching for "Vodka" on twitter. I wanted to try something new and unique, and also find a brand that interacts with their customers. GT Vodka caught my eye on the first page. The name GT instantly makes you think of GT muscle cars and race cars. AKA an upgrade from stock. @33Cait88 said that it reminded her of Jersey Shore, so "Gym, Tan, Vodka?" It's made in the USA and has ZERO impurities under a verified scientific test. During the taste test we discovered that it went very well with mixers like tonic, cola, and red bull. I also heard online that it tastes good with @SPEED_ENERGY. The GT logo with wings is my favorite part of the bottle. GT Vodka is Headquartered in Winter Park, FL and is made with ingredients from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. They sponsor NASCAR drivers and JR Motorsports. You can follow them @gtvodka on twitter or like their facebook fan page here - https://www.facebook.com/GrandTouringVodka. For more information visit http://www.grandtouringvodka.com/.

Product Flashback - Mentos Fruit

Mentos Fruit

Every once in a while I remember a product that had a huge impact on me at some point in my life. Mentos has recently come out with the UP2U gum, which I will be blogging about in the near future. This product then reminded me of Mentos Fruit that all of the girls in High School would eat. I am pretty sure the only flavor I liked in the wrapper was the purple / pink colored one that tasted somewhat like blue raspberry? I probably only bought Mentos Fruit once in my life because I only liked one flavor in the pack. This is why I would just steal them from the girls. Anyways, I am going to have to pick up some Mentos Fruit soon so I can relive some good memories of the past. Isn't it amazing how a product can take you back to a specific period in time? I think that is amazing. Where were you when you ate Mentos Fruit?

Cheribundi

Cheribundi

My friend Nick who is in the Beverage Industry told me about Cheribundi. It's a Tart Cherry Juice drink that Nick says "tastes just like cherry pie". I am not a fan of cherries or cherry pie, so I will not be tasting this product. If you love cherries you should check out Cheribundi and let me know what you think of it. I do really enjoy their logo below:

Cheribundi Logo

Metromint

Guest Taste Testers - @AShort315, @33Cait88, and Murray

Metromint

Reese's White PB Cups

Special thanks to B. Ryan for the product donation. 

Guest appearances by @AShort315, @33Cait88, and Murray.

White Chocolate

SEI Water and Fred Water

SEI Water

Nothing was special about the water inside SEI. Just good old fashioned spring water from the Catskill Mountains. I just had to have the brilliantly designed SEI bottle. It's simple, bold, and flask like. This water bottle design reminded me of Fred Water, which has the same sort of shape, but if I was to recommend one based on taste it would be Fred Water. Fred Water has a very distinct and unique velvety taste unlike any water I've ever had. SEI water just looks good. The water is good and natural, but you have to try Fred Water! Below is what Fred looks like. All this talk about Fred Water is making me want to get a bottle right meow.

Fred Water

Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water

Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water

When grabbing lunch at a locally owned cafe in Rome, NY I decided to try Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water. I was immediately drawn towards the cobalt blue bottle, and I had to have it for my collection of awesome packaging. About a week prior, someone had me try a generic brand lime flavored sparkling spring water. I was really intrigued with the flavor because it tasted like Sprite, but minus all the sugary chemicals and additives. The Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water was light and refreshing, but I was craving a little more flavor so I went to the counter and grabbed two lemon slices to mix in. The lemon slices just hit the spot. I then did some research to see if Saratoga makes any of the flavored Sparkling Spring Water. I found out on http://www.saratogaspringwater.com/ that they make an Essence label that includes a Lemon Lime flavor:

Saratoga Essence

I am going to have to try and locate where I can purchase Essence Lemon Lime. They also have Orange-Tangerine and Wildberry flavors under the Essence label. The funny thing is, is that I went to LAVA the night after trying the Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water and noticed that they now carry it. LAVA has now replaced Voss Water with the Saratoga which angered me a little because I wanted to get a Voss Water bottle for the collection. Let me know where I can find Essence in Central New York!