I have tried boiled peanuts in the past. At least 20 years ago, at some gas station in South Carolina, I think. I hated them. Since then, I have used them as a measuring stick to describe other items that were bland and mealy. I figured enough time has passed that it was time to [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
I think this is the last of my alternative summer beverage columns, because I’m not sure I can take anymore. St. Ides was one of the original 40′s of Malt Liquor that I was aware of. It is on the Mount Rushmore of 40′s alongside: Olde English 800, Colt 45 and Steel Reserve. St. Ides had commercials featuring an impressive [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
In the spirit of Cinco De Mayo, and the continuation of my alternative summer beverage series, I present to you: Four Loko Margarita. Once you start looking, these alternative high-alcohol-content beverages are everywhere. Four Loko has an interesting history. After its rise and fall as an alcoholic energy drink it has been reinvented as a series of flavored malt beverages. [...]
Tags: Booze · I Try It So You Don't Have To
I make no secret of my love of drink. After last weeks Straweberita mess, I was inspired to try a few other alternative cold summer beverages. While I prefer beer, an icy cold gin and tonic or perhaps an alcoholic lemonade, I’m always on the hunt for alternative, portable drinks. Hard cider can be a hit or [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
Yet again, I need to blame Andy for a potentially terrible food-tasting experience. Once a probable monstrosity like this is brought to my attention, I have to try it. I think it’s a sickness. Oh well, at least it’s not bugs. Before I get started, I want to comment on the size of the can and [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
I have to admit, I picked this can up at the store, thinking it was actual duck in a can. By the time I got to the register, I had realized that it was mock Peking duck, not the actual fowl I was hoping for. It was still interesting enough to give it a whirl. [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
One of the nice things about writing this column is that I routinely get recommendations and links from friends and fans. One of the terrible things about that is that it is hard to say no when someone takes the time and effort to send something along. So I eat more bugs. A friend of [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
I attended an event this past weekend at an Asian market that featured the flavors of Laos and Thailand. All of the food they served was incredible and the cultural background they offered throughout the event, from the staff in traditional clothing to the history of Laos in maps and stories, added great depth. Of [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
This is one of those items that, when I saw it on the shelf, made me ask myself ”Why is this a thing?” I picked up the can and looked over the ingredients list, and it did not alleviate my confusion. Basil seeds and artificial cream soda flavoring just don’t go well together in my [...]
Tags: I Try It So You Don't Have To
I was actually a bit surprised to see these in the store. I guess I assumed that hemp products in general were verboten. Shows my ignorance. As it turns out we can import it, but we just can’t grow it. These seeds came from Canada. I was also greatly amused by the Ziggy Marley tie-in; Woody Harrelson must [...]
