Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Weekend Assignment #221: What Are You Drinking?

With the warm weather upon us, Karen wants us to talk about what we drink to keep hydrated for this Weekend Assignment.

Weekend Assignment #221: What do you like to drink? Do you prefer Coke, or Pepsi, or neither? Do you start your days at Starbucks, or end your days with a nice cup of herbal tea? Are you a connoisseur of beer, or do you like to keep a pitcher of lemonade on hand? Do you carry a bottle of water around, and refill it as you go? Tell us about your favorites!


For me, it depends on where I am and what I am doing, as I guess it would be with most people. At work I drink water for the most part. I usually buy one bottle and refill it over the course of a week or two, rinse and repeat. Most people at work wouldn't dream of drinking the water out of the drinking fountain, but I don't find it to be bad. If I get some kind of heavy metal poisoning, I'll just sue. That's what we do, am I right? I'm just kidding of course. (Anyone know a good injury lawyer?)

About two or three years ago I got on a Mountain Dew Code Red kick. It started innocently enough when I was working a midnight shift, then it got out of control. I finally had to stop because I was drinking too much of it and it was making me sick. I'll still have one on occasion, but I find it too sugary, and I get an instant headache.

I also had a short thing with Cherry Coke, I'm pretty much over that too, but sometimes I am tempted when I walk by the soda machine at work. She's a very beguiling soda, always promising a nice sugar rush, but then you crash at your desk at 3pm and she is nowhere to be found.

Now I will have Dr. Pepper when I need a caffeine kick. I usually drink the cherry vanilla or berries and cream variety. They seem to be a little more soda-like and less cough medicine tasting than the regular Dr. Pepper. I'm trying to cut out caffeine all together, but it is a work in progress.

I love the smell of coffee, but I have never liked the taste. I think if I went to Starbucks I could probably find some hyper-sweetened variety that I would like; that is why I stay away. We have one just up the street from my house, I don't want to live at their drive-thru.

Lastly, I like beer. But, as my wife says, I'm kind of a beer snob. I don't like Bud, or Miller, or the basic domestics. Some of my favorites are Sam Adams Summer Ale, Fat Tire and Leinenkugel's Big Butt. In college I was just like everybody else, whatever was the cheapest was my favorite. Except Milwaukee's Best, I could never handle that. Then one of my friend's introduced me to Sam Adams, and eventually I got hooked. Good thing it was near the end of college, I was able to finish my time with the cheaper beers.

Extra Credit: Have you ever invented your own drink sensation?

Never a sensation, but in college I would drink Southern Comfort and orange pop. Most people thought that was disgusting, but it wasn't bad. Really!

What do you like to drink?

8 comments:

Florinda said...

I keep mentioning things you have in common with my husband - this time, it's liking the smell of coffee but not the taste. But you have something in common with my son too - beer snobbery. If it's not a microbrew, he's not interested.

I refill my water bottles at work from the drinking fountain too, and I haven't noticed anything wrong with it either.

Karen Funk Blocher said...

I've drunk a lot of the Code red and Cherry Coke, but in the diet varieties. My husband John bought some Sam Adams the other day, but has expressed a preference in the past for Samuel Smith instead.

DC said...

I drink water all day at work. I'm not a big fan of soda and prefer diet sodas as the regular comes off too sweet for me.

And I love beer! My all time favorite is New Castle. Fat Tire is great too. I can't drink Bud or Miller or any of that cheap domestic stuff. Some of the freshest crispest beer I ever had was at the Anheuser Busch brewery. The beer was 24 hrs old! You can't get any fresher than that! I miss the brewery! :)

Mike said...

Florinda: I don't get it. How can something smell so good, yet not taste good? I'm glad your son has learned well. :)
I should say, occasionally I have to work inthe basement, and the water is funky there. I go up a level to refill on those days.

Karen: I tried the diet varieties as well but the fake sweetener gave me a headache. Weird I know. My friend likes Samuel Smith's Oatmeal stout. I've tried it, but it wasn't for me.

DC: I've tried New Castle, but can't remember if I liked it. Maybe I did since I can't remember. :) Was the beer better that fresh? I want to go to the Sam Adams brewery in Boston sometime.

DC said...

The freshest beer you could get at the store would probably be a week, if that. So 24hr fresh brewed beer is SO good and SO crisp! And even better that it was free! :) I definitely recommend visting the brewery.

Anonymous said...

Orange pop and Southern Comfort togeteher DOES sound disgusting. But I'll have to try it something before I judge you. :)

-Sarah

Mike said...

DC: I had thought of brewing my own, but I'd probably blow the house up. Or poison myself. But it would be fresh! :)

Sarah: Well, I liked it in college, I don't know if would now, and I don't know if I'd recommend it. :) Let me know if you decide to try it.

Kiva said...

It's funny the things we try in college. I never tried orange pop and southern comfort, but I did try SoCo and ginger ale which wasn't bad at all... then...