Mr Q, cucumber soda. Fan-fuckin-tastic stuff.
Also, this stuff is amazing.
If you have a local Vietnamese place, ask them if they have some. I have found that often they have it for the staff and will sell it to you even if it's not on the menu.

I drink plenty of alcohol (mainly wine). But when I don't, my two favorites are:

Mugicha, a cold Japanese roasted barley tea. MrsEaster became smitten when she lived over there in the '90s. Amazing on a sticky summer day:

https://www.tastingtable.com/drinks/nat ... rink-ideas

Borjomi, an extremely salty, somewhat polarizing mineral water from the Republic of Georgia. It's popular in the whole of the former Soviet Union but is apparently just now making inroads over here. Good for digestion or w/a plate of kebabs:

https://fabnews.live/battery-launches-b ... -everyone/

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 4:43 pm I drink plenty of alcohol (mainly wine). But when I don't, my two favorites are:

Mugicha, a cold Japanese roasted barley tea. MrsEaster became smitten when she lived over there in the '90s. Amazing on a sticky summer day:

https://www.tastingtable.com/drinks/nat ... rink-ideas

Tried one last time I was at a Mitsuwa market. Mugicha is great, indeed.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 4:43 pm Borjomi, an extremely salty, somewhat polarizing mineral water from the Republic of Georgia. It's popular in the whole of the former Soviet Union but is apparently just now making inroads over here. Good for digestion or w/a plate of kebabs:

https://fabnews.live/battery-launches-b ... -everyone/

Sounds like water they get from cleaning their amphora between wine vintages.

enframed wrote:Tried one last time I was at a Mitsuwa market. Mugicha is great, indeed.

Was it already prepared? We usually buy the DIY version that comes in teabags. That said, I've never been disappointed by mugicha, prebrewed or otherwise.

enframed wrote:like water they get from cleaning their amphora between wine vintages.

Hahah! MrsEaster says Borjomi tastes like carbonated swimming-pool water. But I love it, particularly the version in glass (as opposed to PET) bottles.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:08 am

enframed wrote:Tried one last time I was at a Mitsuwa market. Mugicha is great, indeed.

Was it already prepared? We usually buy the DIY version that comes in teabags. That said, I've never been disappointed by mugicha, prebrewed or otherwise.

It was in a can or bottle, can't recall. Have not bought the loose/bag version, but I will next time I am there. I need something to drink at night besides alcohol.

Nick W wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 1:58 pm An interesting page about the original Aqua Libra:
http://www.the-buyer.net/people/produce ... qua-libra/

Ha, reads like every business profile of a product development cycle. Neat bit of history though.

steve wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:31 am Ha, reads like every business profile of a product development cycle. Neat bit of history though.

Did you zoom in on the label and see the full list of ingredients? It’s pretty impressive!

INGREDIENTS: Sparkling spring water, passion fruit juice, grape & apple juices (from concentrates), natural flavourings & extracts: melon, sesame, sunflower, tarragon, angelica root, coriander seed, elderflower, and siberian ginseng.

Nick W wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:34 am INGREDIENTS: Sparkling spring water, passion fruit juice, grape & apple juices (from concentrates), natural flavourings & extracts: melon, sesame, sunflower, tarragon, angelica root, coriander seed, elderflower, and siberian ginseng.

It struck me at the time as a really nice, complex drink with a lot of unfamiliar overtones and I'm glad I got to experience it.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:08 am

enframed wrote:Tried one last time I was at a Mitsuwa market. Mugicha is great, indeed.

Was it already prepared? We usually buy the DIY version that comes in teabags. That said, I've never been disappointed by mugicha, prebrewed or otherwise.

Bought the tea bag version today, just finished cold-brewing. So good. 52 tea bags for $2.49. Each bag makes 48 oz of tea. My new fave NA bev.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 4:43 pmBorjomi, an extremely salty, somewhat polarizing mineral water from the Republic of Georgia. It's popular in the whole of the former Soviet Union but is apparently just now making inroads over here. Good for digestion or w/a plate of kebabs:

https://fabnews.live/battery-launches-b ... -everyone/

[...]

MrsEaster says Borjomi tastes like carbonated swimming-pool water. But I love it, particularly the version in glass (as opposed to PET) bottles.

I became interested and ordered a bottle. I had the "pool water" remark floating around in my memory, and this was the first description I reached for when I had a smell. But not exactly. Chalky, probably? A video reviewer said it smells like the sea and yeah, there's some of that. I read chloride in the contents list, so that explains the swimming pool feel.

I was surprised at how unremarkable the taste is. Maybe my Swedish palate is just numb to saltiness. After a couple of sips I can sense a hint of brackish seawater. It's way smoother than regular mineral water. I like it a lot.