Alyson Lewis
Bio
beautiful woman doing beverage reviews and recipes
Stories (47/0)
She’s a Peach
Did summer even happen? I’m not being existential here, but I’ve noticed that adulthood doesn’t have a lot of memorable benchmarkers when it comes to time. I’m not in school, and seasons aren’t defined by what I’m doing and when. I do the same thing in the winter as I do in the summer. Months and years blur together, and soon another decade is up. There’s end-of-the-DECADE music lists rolling out right now. 2010 was 10 years ago? Sounds fake, but OK.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Clean Cause Review
After trying the SAP! drinks, I vowed to try more beverages that have a cause or positive message attached to it. I’m looking into more brands that do this (and I’m taking suggestions if you have any). Companies aren’t usually transparent about where their money goes or where the ingredients are sourced, and a lot of us don’t really question it. Why would we? We were raised in a climate where corporate brands have been vying for our attention, and it’s easy to miss smaller companies that are trying to do better. It’s tough deciding what brands or companies to spend your money with, when it really comes down to it. I don’t know that there’s necessarily a right choice in some instances. There’s constant stress and grappling with spending the money you earn, and how to spend it (unless you’re rich, but I don’t believe rich people have any reason to read or relate to anything I write). I even have some skepticism when I do find a brand that seems to hit the right marks with me. What are they hiding? What are their values? Sometimes the lines are too blurry to make a distinction between pandering and genuine mission statements. Do you ever feel that way? It seems like inclusivity and awareness are just brand benchmarkers now. But again, the lines are pretty blurry. It’s rare that I find a brand whose owner has transparency about their motives, so it led me to seek out something and report back.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
- Top Story - September 2019
Sap! ReviewTop Story - September 2019
What do you know about sap? Before trying these drinks, I knew little to nothing about it. In my head, I always confused it with maple syrup. I’m aware that these two things are in fact, different, but I never had a reason to seek out any answers. I guess it was just one of those things I was comfortable in my confusion of. I knew it was sticky and came from trees. That’s as far as my knowledge went. So when I saw the Sap! variety pack of maple seltzer, maple soda and sparkling birch, I thought I could use this as a learning experience.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Kin Euphorics Pear-Cinnamon Tea
Recently, I was thinking about alcohol. I don’t drink, and the main purpose of my beverage blog is to introduce products and recipes that are not alcohol-focused. I don’t enjoy drinking, because I don’t like the feeling of being hungover, and I don’t enjoy the post-drinking haze that sets into my brain. I feel foggy, uncoordinated and like every motion I make through the day is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Alcohol effects different people in different ways, but I actively choose not to have it as part of my life. What other people do is none of my business, and I have no opinion on what other people choose to do with their bodies. That being said, I’ve noticed an influx of drinks lately that tout having relaxing effects. I’ve tried a couple of them (reviews to come later), and my overall experience with them is that they simply make me sleepy. Tired and relaxed are different feelings for me, and I like to keep them separate. I’d yet to discover a drink that made me feel effectively calm without loopy side effects where I felt too tired to even walk across the room in a straight line. I think those beverages have a time and place, but that feeling isn’t “relaxation” for me. If I wanted to feel like that, I could just take two melatonin and watch cartoons until I rolled over and passed out face-down in bed. I wanted to explore something different.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
I Pull up with a Lemon
This is another recipe where I got absolutely fixated on a specific ingredient. I was looking at different spices on Amazon. Because I don’t live within walking distance to specialty stores anymore, the easiest way for me to shop for different spices is online. I can look, and I google to see the notes and get a feel for what I’m looking at. With the green cardamom, I just went for it. I was already ordering different syrups and decided to scroll through the spices that popped up as suggestions. I saw green cardamom pods. I was familiar with black cardamom, but I didn’t know anything about green. I googled and read descriptions that pegged green cardamom as “spicy and citrusy,” and before I knew it, I had a bag of green cardamom pods shipping to me. I wasn’t even sure how I would use them in a drink. I had an idea in my mind to add it to lemonade, but wasn’t sure of how. I’d never used green cardamom before. I knew I didn’t want to make a syrup, so I read up on it some more and saw that the best way to open up the flavor was to toast the pods. That seemed simple enough, and it was. It’s incredible how a drink can be completely transformed just by adding or changing one ingredient. I love that. This drink is made pretty much the same way lemonade is made, just with a little something extra. It makes one pitcher.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Mountain Dew VooDew Review
There are two conspiracy theories I hold to be true: the first one is that Jimi Hendrix was murdered. The second is that there are few “new” Mountain Dew flavors. While I personally have no evidence of either, I’m strong in my convictions. I first started believing the Mountain Dew theory when they came out with their line of Kickstart beverages—a more caffeinated diversion from their staple flavors. While they were indeed heavier on the caffeine content and rivaled other energy drink brands in their own way, there was truly nothing remarkably different about them. In a blind taste test, I could possibly pinpoint Code Red and Baja Blast, but otherwise, could I identify the other flavors? Not really. They are unmistakably Mountain Dew, that much is clear. But with the overwhelming citrus blend base used for every single flavor, we have to wonder what the difference truly is. This isn’t a call to action against Mountain Dew, I have nothing to gain from that. I’m just making an observation. When I brought this theory up to a friend, he likened it to the Taco Bell method of rolling out new items. He explained that while, yes, technically they do have “new” menu items that are given a wow factor of being available for a limited time, few items are truly new. They tend to have the same elements to them (meat, beans, cheese, potatoes) in various combinations. In a way, it’s comforting, because I feel confident that any time I go to Taco Bell for something new, I will end up liking it. I enjoy meat, cheese, beans and potatoes all in their various forms of glory, so why WOULDN’T I like this?
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Motivation
A few weeks back, I posted the recipe for the cold brew drink I make most of the time and said I’d go over how to make cold brew at home. It’s honestly very simple. I guess this post is going to be two recipes in one. Or an explainer and a recipe. Whatever, you get it. Cold brew is way less acidic than coffee because it “brews” longer than a pot of coffee does. It’s enough time for the acidity to lower significantly, and it doesn’t have that bitter bite to it when you sip. The first time I ordered iced coffee for myself, I added lavender and vanilla syrup to it. The barista said it was an “interesting choice.” I think her comments were “nosy.” The iced coffee was okay, but I felt like it could be better. I didn’t have enough knowledge about coffee and flavors at the time to improve upon it myself. I was determined to figure out how to do it myself. There was no reason I couldn't do it! With this recipe, I kept those same vanilla and floral elements I wanted, and made it better. My instructions are for making a cold brew concentrate, so you can tweak your intake day by day. I want to note that if I’m making a cold brew drink and mixing in almond milk or whatever, I don’t water this concentrate down before blending it with the other ingredients. I only water it down when I’m drinking it by itself, which in itself is a rarity. I like to switch things up. If you already know how to make cold brew or aren’t interested in this part, scroll down to the bottom for a recipe for a cold brew drink.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
I'm Not Your Lemonade
Is there a homemade drink as universally beloved as lemonade? Don’t answer that. I don’t know. But I feel like lemonade and all of its variations are the most widely shared beverages on restaurant menus. Often, all it takes is a new twist on an old classic for a drink to seem new and born again. I will never tire of lemonade, but sometimes I like to venture out into the forbidden, uncharted waters and try a spin on lemonade’s lesser appreciated cousin—limeade.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Gatorade Bolt 24 Review
Bolt 24 is Gatorade’s newest addition to their lineup. Honest to God, every time they come out with a new anything I’m like... hmm... I wonder how much longer they’re going to keep doing this. How many times can they try to reinvent the hydration wheel??
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Brain Freeze
OK so this is another freeze and technically not a drink!! Sue me, it’s hot!! I listened to a bunch of songs with 'freeze' and 'ice' in the name while I made this. It isn't required for the recipe, but I listened to "Brain Freeze" by Cousin Stizz a lot. I really try to use produce as it’s in season, and watermelon is one of those beautiful fruits that taste amazing when it’s in season, but once the season is over, it’s really OVER. Have you ever been curious enough to buy watermelon in the grocery store in like, January? Maybe in other regions it’s not as bad, but I live in Ohio. When watermelon season has passed, whatever watermelon we have here from wherever it comes from, tastes awful. It’s just mushy water. It’s something else cosplaying as watermelon. I don’t know. Since we’re having Melon Talk right now, I also want to take time out to praise golden melon. I’d never tried it before this summer, and when I bought it the cashier looked at me very seriously and said “Once you try golden melon, you’ll never want cantaloupe again.” That struck a little fear into my heart. I just started tolerating cantaloupe this past year after trying it in different forms. Now I’m moving on to other melons? This seems so sudden. But I tried it, and I love it. The cashier was right, I don’t want cantaloupe again (DO NOT tell cantaloupe about this). I don’t know how to explain golden melon, but it’s like it doesn’t have that weird aftertaste that cantaloupe has. It’s the little ping in the back of my mouth that’s associated with the dread I felt when I used to see cantaloupe in a fruit salad. The taste was like a pang of terror. I had started to tolerate it, but I didn’t like it or love it. Matcha has that same kind of flavor to me. I’ve been experimenting with matcha in drinks for the past couple of years, and nothing has been a good enough combo to rid my mouth of the bitter (?) taste matcha has. It has lacked a certain smoothness for me. Until now!
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Banana Milkis Review
Banana is a pretty polarizing flavor. I know that. Unfortunately, I have a wide range of flavors I like, including artificial banana. I know it’s odd but I won’t stop liking it. I always loved when my mom bought the variety pack of Laffy Taffys to pass out for Halloween, because while my brother and I rifled through the package to save a few for ourselves, I knew my little banana babies would be safe. No one else wanted them. Honestly, of all artificial candy flavors, banana might be my favorite. It is consistent if nothing else. I always know what I’m getting myself into. I can’t always say the same for other flavors. Banana flavor is mellow and creamy. I’d heard of the Milkis sodas before, but never tried them. The idea of carbonation and milk is enough to send me over the edge. I don’t care for cream soda, really, but I do enjoy the very occasional ice cream float, so I’m at a crossroads I guess. I believe in my heart that creamy and carbonated can be a combination done correctly, if restraint and precision are exercised.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast
Crushed Up
One of the realest horrors of being an adult is not having caffeine at some point throughout the day and feeling like you will drop dead before the day is over. I’ve bought all types of caffeinated drinks and try to alternate my intake so I don’t get too used to anything store-bought in particular. I never used to drink coffee, until this past winter when I saw an iced coffee slurpee at 7/11. I knew I was doomed. I’m not even sure what the ingredients were, or whether or not actual coffee was even IN it, but I decided to start giving coffee a try.
By Alyson Lewis5 years ago in Feast