Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Foodtrainers' Favorite Daytime Drink


I am a sucker for packaging. I buy wine based on the label and my favorite skincare has a clean modern design. Ultimately though, if it isn’t good wine or there aren’t good ingredients in a food or cosmetic, I will not purchase it but I like pretty things. In full disclosure I will tell you that I received an email last Friday from Paige at Herbal Water. I’ve loved these interestingly flavored water for a while. They have no sweeteners or juice added and instead use natural flavors like lemongrass and cardamom. My only objection to these drinks was the container…plastic. Paige told me they were sending me out some of the new sparkling waters to try.

When I arrived at work on Monday, the packages from Herbal Water were already there. I opened the box of sparkling water and my excitement intensified. They were beautiful frosted, large, GLASS bottles. The labels were in bright colors and the flavors, Ginger Lemon Peel and Cinnamon Orange, were right up my alley. I put them in the refrigerator and then realized I didn’t have much time before my first client arrived. Into the freezer went Ginger Lemon Peel with a little worry that the bubbles would make it explode. It didn’t explode and with the enthusiasm of a 3 year old I poured a glass of my new sparling water. I also left the bottle on my desk to show it off.

It isn’t easy to get giddy about water but this water feels special. They have a lot of flavor (think lemon zest not lemon). They could easily work as a hostess gift. They’re also great for pregnant women who cannot have “real” drinks and just fun for a change of pace. Is it non-nutritionisty that I also wonder how these zero calorie mixers will work in drink drinks?  I hope not.
Do you fall prey to pretty packaging? What are you favorite water variations? Are you sparkling or “flat”?
*Be sure to comment there’s a sampler of Herbal Water we’re giving away to someone who does and here’s a coupon ($12 off) in case you do not win.

10 comments:

  1. I'm all about packaging. If the function is there, I will always choose pretty form over ugly. Those Herbal Water bottles look gorgeous! I'll be sure to look for them in Dallas.

    We like sparking water over flat, especially with our own Sodastream machine at home. (Another case of pretty winning...we opted for the pricer version of the Sodastream because it uses glass bottles and looks like a penguin.) At work, it's flat filtered water w/ lemon and/or cucumber to garnish.

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  2. This water sounds so good. And I agree that the packaging is so pretty!

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  3. Check back guys, at the end of the day tomorrow I'll announce the winner of the giveaway. The packaging is so pretty, I did a CBS segment on spices and they shot the bottles as props.

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  4. Oooo they are very pretty indeed. I do like a little fizz and flavor in my water. I wonder where the Herbal Water is available in CT? I'll be on the lookout. Lauren, when is your segment airing on CBS?

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  5. I asked Herbal Water to post some CT stores, I did link to online ordering and there's a coupon too (or maybe you'll win some). CBS segment airs 11am tomorrow (thurs) and possibly again 5pm Friday depending on Xmas eve schedule. Which Lisa is this? Thanks for the comment.

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  6. I would love to try that! I love sparkling water and my 2 year old thinks it's soda, so we're both happy!
    Oh, and I love great packaging too! I hope I don't get ripped off often ...

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  7. Hi Lisa S!
    In CT, Ayala's Herbal Water (16oz) is available at quite a few retail locations. We recommend calling your local store in advance to make sure they stock your favorite flavor on shelf. Since our Sparkling Herbal Water (25oz) is so new, we don't have an updated list of retailers yet - but almost every location listed below can special order the Sparkling Herbal Water at your request. Don't hesitate to email info@herbalwater.com with any additional questions...Happy Holidays to all!

    Whole Foods Market • Greenwich
    90 E Putnam Ave, Greenwich CT 06830
    203-661-0631

    Whole Foods Market • Darien
    150 Ledge Rd, Darien CT 06820
    203-662-0577

    Whole Foods Market • Westport
    399 Post Rd W, Westport CT 06880
    203-227-6858

    Chocopologie Cafe
    12 S Main St, Norwalk CT 06854
    203-854-4754

    Edge of the Woods
    379 Whalley Ave, New Haven CT 06511
    203-787-1055

    Food Works
    1055 Boston Post Rd, Guilford CT 06437

    Food Works
    17 Main St, Old Saybrook CT 06475

    Garden Of Light
    2836 Main St, Glastonbury CT 06033

    Mrs. Green's Natural Food Market
    1916 Post Rd, Fairfield CT 06430
    203-255-4333

    Mrs. Green's Natural Food Market
    950 High Ridge Rd, Stamford CT 06905
    203-329-1313

    Nature's Way Health Foods
    922 Barnum Ave, Stratford CT 06614

    New Morning Natural Foods
    738 Main St S, Woodbury CT 06798

    Puritan & Genesta
    2 Holmes St, Mystic CT 06355

    Thyme & Season Natural Market
    3040 Whitney Ave, Hamden CT 06518

    Willimantic Food Co-op
    91 Valley St, Willimantic CT 06226

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  8. I tried Herbal Water a few weeks ago because I thought the lavender vanilla flavor sounded interesting and found the packaging design to be fresh, modern, and elegant. Needless to say, I am hooked now. :) The use of plastic bottles doesn't bother me: I looked at their website and found that the plastic they use in their bottles is BPA-free and recyclable, which is good. I'm looking forward to seeing more flavors released in the future, and I plan on finding a store that has the sparkling water so I can try that too.

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  9. I have been reading your entries all through my morning break, and I must admit the whole article has been very enlightening and rather well written. I assumed I would assist you to recognize that for some reason this weblog does not view well in Internet Explorer 8. I wish Microsoft might stop converting their software. I’ve a query for you. Could you thoughts replacing weblog roll hyperlinks? That would be in point of fact neat!

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  10. The winner of the giveaway is Marie. Marie, please provide your mailing address. Thanks everyone.

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