Back in May, the NYT wrote a piece proclaiming the Dirty Shirley as the drink of the summer. Well, dear reader, I am here to counter-proclaim:
I don’t know more than a single person who consumed said concoction over the past 3 months
Unlike what the article posits, the vodka soda is alive and kicking
The real drink of the summer is Celsius.
What is Celsius? I honestly had little idea til mid-July, when—after hearing about it from my friend (and beverage connoisseur) Stephanie and two of my favorite podcasts—I picked up two cans on a whim.
Celsius is a really sweet, 10-calorie per can energy drink marketed—unlike every other energy drink—towards fitness enthusiasts & women. Celsius didn’t win me over with its branding (bland if not ugly) but with its promise of improved performance at the gym and “energy for life”, which I can attest to sorely needing this WFH & nightlife-filled summer. And let’s face it—I’ll try anything that has entered the cultural zeitgeist for less than $3.
After finishing and mostly enjoying the first two cans, I promptly ordered a 12-pack of kiwi guava from Amazon, where I noticed the variety pack is the #1 seller in Grocery & Gourmet Food. Literally everyone is getting into Celsius.
A few other notes to wrap with:
It is sweet. Some flavors (Mixed Berry, prolly more) are EXTREMELY SWEET.
You can mix it with Tito’s for a functional energy-filled pregame.
Each can has 200 mg of caffeine, which is two coffees worth.
I had my best Peloton ride ever after chugging one.
On days I am really tired, it has replaced my morning coffee ritual—the one that has evolved since March 2020 to become both shorter and pricier (pour over > AeroPress > Cometeer > Celsius)
Ooh gotta try this!