The supermarket aisles can be a confusing place keeping in mind the sudden increase in the beverage section. Ginger ales, packaged coffees, mocktails, sodas, boba tea, and whatnot. The list of beverages is endless. In this ever-evolving food industry, it is tough to leave some old staples and sometimes it’s hard not to welcome a few new additions. This year, and over the past many years we have reviewed some divine beverages (hot and cold) and here are our best beverages recommendations for this year.
Table of Contents
1) Heavenly Hot Chocolate
Even though hot chocolate is categorized as a kiddy beverage, we take no shame in revealing that we enjoy it as much as a strong LIT on a Saturday night. We tried three brands of hot chocolate, and boy-oh-boy, the 5-year-old in us knew no bounds of happiness.
The hot chocolate was reviewed on the basis of appearance, aroma, and taste. After 2 days and over a dozen mugs of hot chocolate in our system, we had a winner… “Best Hot Chocolate”
- Mixes well, no lumps
- Fresh chocolaty aroma
- Tastes best amongst contenders
- Mimics the taste of roasted cocoa beans
Horlicks Nutrition Drink Pouch|| 750 g
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2) The Best Green Teas We Recommend
Packed with antioxidants, green tea is a favorite amongst everyone trying to lose weight or just to push down a heavy meal. It is a drink that is good for health and known to be a diet-focused best beverage for so many trying to lose weight. Not only that, but it also helps in reducing stress if you have the right infusions. Read about all the varieties of green teas and the health benefits associated with them.
Dip, Dip – The Best Tea Bags
The convenience attached to tea bags is not an unknown aspect. Easy to carry and make, green tea bags are all the rage in the market. We reviewed green tea bags and green tea leaves. The deciding factors for teabags were – color/appearance of the tea, flavor, steeping time, shape of the teabag, paper quality used in a teabag. The winner was Twinings, which is a great option for everyday consumption.
- Flavorful
- No bitter aftertaste
- Offers more tea per bag (2g)
- Teabags don’t have metallic staple pins
Brew Up A Storm With Our Best Green Tea Leaves
To test our green tea leaves, we divided the testing into three stages – dry leaf inspection, infusion of the leaf and finally the tea itself. We considered the color of dry leaves, size of the dry leaves, consistency in shape and style, leaf-stem ratio, the infusion process and of course aroma and flavor are paramount. Lipton took the cake with this one. Wagh Bakri came to a close second.
- Mild flavor
- Pleases the palate
- Value for money
3) The Calming Potion – Chamomile Green Tea
Chamomile tea is calming and helps your mind and body relax at the end of a long day. It also helps to stimulate weight loss and reduce bloating. Some brands sell this infusion mixed with green tea leaves, some sell it caffeine-free. After reviewing 8 brands and brewing over 40 cups of chamomile tea, a winner emerged in our review kitchen.
- Caffeine-free
- Mildly sweet
- Nutty flavor
- Pleasing aroma
- 100% chamomile
- Fresh and calming
4) A Berry Fruity Kick – Kritea Cranberry Organic Green Tea
A cranberry-infused, health beverage that is full of antioxidants and too good to resist. As soon as you open the packaging, the entire room is filled with the sweet aroma of cranberries.
Kritea Cranberry Organic Green Tea
- Fresh and different
- Green tea and cranberry flavor are well balanced
5) Good Times with Kingfisher Radler
Kingfisher launched their first-ever non-alcoholic drink. The brand claims that it has 100% natural ingredients and 30% less sugar than usual counterparts. Available in three flavors – Mint & lime, lemon and ginger, and lime, Kingfisher Radler is a good product and can be your best beverage for the summers if you like things fizzy and delicate, especially if you want to give alcohol some rest or if you are a teetotaler.
Kingfisher Radler
- No alcohol content
- Available in 300 ml glass bottles and 300 ml cans
6) Party Starters – &Stirred cocktail mixes
Water + ice + alcohol + &stirred cocktail mix = VOILA! No need to call the bartender, the perfect cocktail maker is here. Cocktails are the life-line of a party, and now you can enjoy them in the comfort of your home. &stirred has introduced 4 classic cocktail mixes that can be made in the comfort of your home – Bloody mary, mojito, cosmopolitan and margarita.
- Quick to make
- Can be made without alcohol
- Value for money
7) Summer Favorites Best Beverages– Paperboat’s Mango Drinks
Famous for their twist on Indian beverages, Paperboat’s mango drinks are not to be missed. The aam panna, aamras and alphanso aam drinks remind you of the glorious summer days, the vacations at Nani house, monkeying around with cousins and feasting on mangoes. If you love mangoes as we do, this might top your list and be one of the best beverages in the summers.
Paperboat Mango Drinks
- No added colors
- No added preservatives
- Anti-oxidant in nature
- Contain no bioengineered ingredients
8) B Natural Guava Juice
Beautiful pink goodness of guava poured into a tetra pack. B Natural, an ITC brand launched a guava juice that made its way into our hearts. Best consumed chilled, this juice is made from 100% Indian guavas (both pink and white guavas are used in equal proportion). Drink it as it is or add it to a cocktail, the guava juice is a favorable addition to our pantry.
B Natural Guava Juice
- Available in a reusable pack.
- Must be consumed within 5 days of opening.
- It contains added sugar and permitted natural colors and flavors.
Gorging on a tall, cold glass of minty goodness on a hot day or sipping on a hot cup of coffee on a cold day is equally gratifying. What’s your favorite summer and winter best beverage? Is it something from the list? We would love to hear from you!
