I’ve been trying out some new things and there are a few you can bring to the 4th to share with your friends, or have on hand.  I like surprising people and getting them to have a taste on my dime.  Sometimes you’ll don’t mind tasting something new that someone else brings just because you know you’re not wasting your money.  If you like it, then you can buy it yourself next time.  This time you can be the supplier.

Here are some suggestions:

• Zevia -  This is a new sugar free soda made with stevia – a plant based sweetener.

I’ve had stevia before, and I was not thrilled with the taste.  From Wikipedia:  The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

What I experience was the bitter concentrations and swore off Stevia.  However, some FDA changes came about and now an extract form can be used in foods that is much sweeter tasting without the aftertaste that some of the earlier powdered stuff had.  Zevia was really delicious.  My husband and kids and I all tried it and agreed that we would buy it.  Here’s how good it was – I was drinking it and it popped into my head that since I usually drink sugar free sodas, I should look for a sugar free one – and then thought duh!  they’re all sugar free. Really, I’m not that dumb, it was so good I forgot – especially the cola. 

I should tell you that some of the flavors are a little bit different as they are all natural including the coloring. For example, the Black Cherry contains geraniums, clove buds, and spice oil from the bark of the cassia tree. The Orange Zevia contains annatto, because it was the only way to get the natural orange coloring.  Whole Foods carries Zevia as well as some natural food places.

•  Truvia – While you are at it, try truvia also.  It doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste either.  I bought it after I tasted the Zevia, just because I was impressed with the Zevia.  Now Truvia is my first choice, splenda my second – though restaurants don’t have truvia, so I’m stuck there.

 

•   Agavero – This is something for the adult crowd only.  Agavero is an ultra-premium spirit that is created from a blend of 100% blue agave añejo and reposado tequilas hand blended with the essence of Damiana flower for unparalleled smoothness and taste. My husband loved this stuff.  I enjoyed it, but he absolutely loved it.  He drank it on the rocks – without anything else added.  The Damiana flowers are said to be an aphrodisiac, but I can’t attest to that – or maybe I won’t attest to that – or maybe I’m just not telling.

Agavero is made exclusively from blue agave plants that are a minimum of 10 years old when harvested. The production process begins with the delicate baking of the piña, or heart of the blue agave.  The heart of the blue agave is then crushed to obtain the aguamiel (honey water).  The aguamiel is put through natural fermentation and then subjected to two slow distillations to produce tequila.  Before bottling, the tequila is aged in new, French limousine oak barrels. The añejo tequila is aged eighteen months and the reposado tequila is rested up to one year. The long maturation allows for the full benefits of the slightly charred, limousin oak casks to be blended into the liquid. Then the secret ingredient, the essence of the damiana flower, is hand blended to the tequila blend for unparalleled smoothness and taste.

The bottle is lovely to look out blue for the blue agave plant with leave coming up from the bottle.  It’s really a special looking bottle, something that would make a nice gift, or would stand out on your bar.  It would definitely be noticed no matter where it is.

If you like cooking with tequila – here’s a recipe using Agavero:

Grilled Garlicky Agavero Tequila Shrimp Kabobs with Lemon and Fresh Bay Leaves – Serves 6 (courtesy of Diane Brown)

• 2 tablespoons Agavero
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 lemon wedges
• 12 fresh bay leaves Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley Wooden skewers, as needed.

Mix the Agavero, olive oil, pepper, and garlic with the shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat a gas grill or broiler until moderately hot. Thread the shrimp, bay leaves and lemons on skewers and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil skewers basting with additional marinade and turning every 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

• Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise – This condiment adds a little zing to your sandwiches.  It’s really a great combination made with a  proprietary blend of black, white, pink and green peppercorns that are then mixed with Boar’s Head Mayonnaise and its Deli Mustard.  It’s great on hot dogs and also hardboiled egg sandwiches. I think it would go well on chicken or as a sauce for salmon.  I’ve been using it on different things and I think the hardboiled egg sandwich spread is one of my favorites, though I love it on deli-meat sandwiches too.