Posts Tagged ‘drink’

Steve
Steve

Taste of the Caribbean: Pink Ting, World’s Girliest Soda

World's Girliest Soda/SBPR

Could there be a more girly-looking drink anywhere in the world? I mean, just look at this bottle – if there was a life-size Barbie  Dream House (oh wait, there is one?) the fridge would have to be loaded with these Tings…
Now I’ve never been a guy to have a problem with pink. My high school fascination with pink flamingoes probably didn’t help me with the ladies, and the pink cumberbund/bow-tie combo I rocked to junior prom may have contributed to my turning in early despite three dates (no names), but I liked pink, dammit, and I didn’t care.
Even now I don’t really care.

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Steve
Steve

Taste of the Caribbean: Lucozade, the Energy Drink that Tastes Great

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

You know what 2:30 in the afternoon feels like, right? Sleepy? Groggy? Dying for a nap? What do you do?
I don’t know about you, but the first thing I do is change the channel (I hate that friggin’ commercial). Next, I grab a Lucozade.
Like Peardrax, which we profiled a few weeks ago, Lucozade is a UK product adopted and fully integrated into the Caribbean cultural milieu over time. The drink was originally conceived in Newcastle to help combat the common cold and flu. At the time, it was known as Glucozade, and only available in hospitals. In 1929, the name was changed to Lucozade, but it wasn’t until the early 80′s that the drink became known for its sports energy attributes, rather than any medicinal value, thanks to a little marketing magic.

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Patrick
Patrick

Taste of the Caribbean: The Sweetness of Soursop

soursop-post-thumbnail

The other day, our dad came to visit me in Brooklyn and we got to talking about what Stephen and I have been up to with Uncommon Caribbean. He’s a pretty avid reader (hi, dad!), so he’s noticed that I’ve been writing about my favorite West Indian soft drinks like Peardrax, and Mauby Fizz. These posts seemed interesting enough to him, but he had to ask: “Patrick, do you think writing about drinks is really going to get people to travel to the Caribbean?”
The simple answer is “of course not”, but that was never the intention. My real hope is that when any of you good readers are enticed to travel to the region to experience the many hikes, dives, concerts, hotels, and islands we discuss… you won’t quench your thirst with a Diet Coke, but will instead try a Ting.

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Steve
Steve

Saturday Video: Drink More Ting!

Ting

In honor of Patrick’s deep love for Ting, we’re jammin’ to this catchy commercial today, and running out to our favorite Caribbean grocery here in South Florida to pick up a bottle or two. We’ll be enjoying a nice Ting ‘n Sting by the afternoon! Here’s hoping that Ting is available in your neck of the woods so you can join us…
Cheers!

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Patrick
Patrick

Taste of the Caribbean: Peardrax Sparkling Pear Drink, Trini to the Bone?

peardrax

There’s a sentiment in the Caribbean that people or things originally from the islands are inherently better than transplants. That those “bahn here” (born here) should get more respect than those from abroad. I’ve certainly used this prevailing mindset to my advantage in the past to go places and experience the Caribbean in ways that would be more difficult for others, but with some openness and time, anyone or anything can be adopted into the island way of life. Just look at Peardrax.
This sparkling pear drink has been a staple of my diet since my days growing up on St.

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Patrick
Patrick

Taste of the Caribbean: Mauby

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Anyone who’s known me for any small amount of time knows I have a terrible memory. As a result of my wretched powers of recall, I can’t always remember specifics of my childhood growing up on St. Croix with Trini parents. Instead, familiar smells and especially tastes are what usually help me relive those lost years.
One such taste, unique to the Caribbean, is mauby—an island beverage made by boiling a specific buckthorn bark, Colubrina elliptica, with sugar and a variety of spices. The thing about mauby is that it’s not for everyone. I’m not saying it’s as odd a taste as Marmite or anything.

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Patrick
Patrick

Taste of the Caribbean – Breakfast with Lucian Cocoa Tea

Cocoa Tea by Kathleen Bennett

In the states we have Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme to help people start the day with a filling, doughy, sugary rush. Although, I know Stephen likes to “run on Dunkin’”, I’m sure he’d concede that few things kick off your day quite like a steaming bowl of cocoa tea. (Not that Cocoa Tea!)
First off, cocoa tea is obviously not tea. There are only 4 actual kinds of tea that come from actual tea leaves – white, green, oolong and red or black. Your bush tea? Not tea.
What cocoa tea is, however, is a rich concoction made from cocoa grown locally around St.

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