this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024
34 points (80.4% liked)

Asklemmy

44380 readers
1349 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Wanted to try an energy drink since I usually never drink them but didn't want one with tons of sugar etc but also didn't taste terrible. This would just be a once in a great while occasion.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] scytale@lemm.ee 28 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Ginger Ale. 0% caffeine. There’s also sugar-free versions.

[–] hamms@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Canada Dry makes a damn good zero-sugar ginger ale

[–] Webster@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Vast majority don't, but I found after awhile that my favorite does (Ale8). That was on me - it's clearly marked.

[–] bunkyprewster@startrek.website 21 points 5 months ago (2 children)
[–] HipsterTenZero@dormi.zone 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I just wish it wasn't so expensive. I can pick up a big case of cola for cheaper than a modest sized case of fizzy water.

[–] Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.win 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You should be able to find it for the same price as most other sodas. Admittedly it is one of the only canned beverages that doesn't go on sale though so that's probably what you mean.

You say carbonated drink in the title but specify energy drink in your text. I don't think there are any energy drinks that avoid caffeine. It is one of the cheapest means to chemically boost alertness the food industry is allowed to use.

Non energy drinks should be extremely easy to find. Literally read the ingredients list. Caffeine will either be in the list as it is an additive, or listed in the daily allowance chart (if your country uses those). If you don't find it in either you're good.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 3 points 5 months ago

(The person you're replying to isn't the OP)

[–] subignition@fedia.io 4 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Get yourself a countertop carbonator like a Sodastream or Drinkmate.

I have a Drinkmate, and they have a CO2 cylinder exchange program where you can get a heavy discount on more cylinders by returning the empty ones beforehand (prepaid shipping label included with cylinder packs.)

Other than the initial cost of the machine and any additional cylinders you want (I have a total of five, so I can install the last one and ship back four empties for a coupon, but that's probably a little overkill for one person), the ongoing cost is reasonable. I make 1-2L of soda water pretty much every day and I get a little over a month out of each cylinder. Works out to less than $15 a month for me.

[–] PixelTron@lemm.ee 7 points 5 months ago (18 children)

Sodastream is from Israel, so that’s a big no from me. Only learned that recently when I was considering if I should buy one.

Not heard of Drinkmate before. Thanks for reigniting my hopes of home made carbonated water!

[–] subignition@fedia.io 4 points 5 months ago

That's interesting, didn't know that either. I would normally caution against painting an Israeli business the same as the Israeli government, but I skimmed their Wikipedia article and it looks like the company has treated Palestinians pretty badly itself :(

Truthfully, I couldn't remember any of the other competitor brands that I considered when deciding on a Drinkmate originally. Sodastream was just the one that came to mind.

load more comments (17 replies)
[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There's a paintball place near me that advertised that they refill soda stream tanks.

Don't play paintball, and don't have a soda stream, but I remember this for some reason.

[–] subignition@fedia.io 4 points 5 months ago

That's mildly concerning! There are risks associated with using less-than food-grade CO2 in beverages.

[–] WanakaTree@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I do this too. Then I discovered spindrifts and find them fucking delicious, so I started making my own spindrift at home by squeezing fresh lemons or limes into a cup before filling with homemade soda water.

I haven't actually done the math but I think this system is more economical than bulk-buying cans of spindrift

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Anissem@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago

Polar Springs and Waterloo are both good options. I love Topo Chico but apparently it has a lot of PFAS

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 17 points 5 months ago

Many root beers don't have caffeine, or rather there are a few brands that introduce a small amount for taste or other reason. And there's lots of variations in taste in those.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 14 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I'm always perplexed by surveys that ask about brand loyalties and "on a scale of 1-10 how likely are you to recommend X product to your family, friends" questions.

But reading this thread, I can see there's a lot of people that buy into these.

[–] howrar@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

I've always wondered how they expect people to answer those. I rarely recommend specific brands to people even if I really like them, so do I answer 1? Or are they secretly asking how much I like the product and I'm supposed to answer 10 even if I'd never make the recommendation?

[–] Zahille7@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I don't have any brand loyalty, but I do get certain brands of things because I know I don't like the other stuff.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 7 points 5 months ago

V8 Energy is pretty good. The caffeine amount is relatively low and the ingredients are decent.

[–] Alaskaball@hexbear.net 7 points 5 months ago
[–] Nemo@midwest.social 7 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Topo Chico or San Pellegrino. Sparkling mineral water in general. Gotta have those minerals, though.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It took me a long time to realize that la Croix and sparkling waters aren't lacking flavor. It's that my palette was so overwhelmed with sugar that I couldn't taste those flavors. Once I stopped drinking soda everything else kind of popped with flavor

[–] BertramDitore@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Yeah, I honestly don’t know how la croix does it, but that water has serious flavor, without any of that gross chemical aftertaste. I drink so much la croix…

[–] WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 months ago

Topo Chico is what Austinites call water.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

The no caffeine sodas I like best have too much sugar to drink often. Ginger Beer and Jarritos Grapefruit soda.

[–] ciapatri@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I really enjoy the Bubly canned sparking water. Cheaper than Perrier, so many different flavours, and zero sugar or caffeine.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 months ago

Plain sparkling water is like drinking alkaseltzer to me. gags just thinking about it

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago

I'd rather drink regular water than these drinks that taste like you refilled a glass that had previously been used for a drink that actually had flavor, but enjoy it if that works for you. It's certainly healthier than regular sodas.

[–] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Just don’t. There’s not too much of a benefit but adding to the grocery budget. 1-2 Monster a day habits add up quick.

For lower amounts of caffeine I was going to suggest a tea of some kind - but if it we’d like for it to carbonated then maybe Kombucha?

[–] yuuunikki@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 months ago

My post literally says once in a great while occasion, but I have a disposable income anyways

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 5 points 5 months ago
[–] Protoknuckles@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Target's got a caffeinated Seltzer I am all about. They have a few fruit flavors, then a few sods mimicking flavors.

[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Sunkist orange soda or my preference, Barqs root beer. Both have a very limited amount of caffeine to impact the flavor. "Barqs has bite" because it has a tiny amount of caffeine. Caffeine has an apparently bitter taste.

[–] apotheotic@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago

To most its an acquired taste but to me its like I can't get enough!

[–] Philote@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago (6 children)
[–] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 3 points 5 months ago

This was going to be my choice until I realized they wanted some caffeine.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] FanonFan@hexbear.net 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

There's quite a few caffeine free, sugar free sodas, at least in the states. Taste is subjective tho

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] bradboimler@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago
[–] Nemoder@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I've developed a taste for Sparkling Ice lately, especially their Black Cherry. It's got a bit of real fruit juice in it and tastes way better than most other seltzer type drinks that usually rate somewhere from meh to vomit inducing.
They also have caffeinated versions but those have a bit too much for my liking.

[–] xelar@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago

Espresso Tonic ^^

load more comments
view more: next β€Ί