Sippin’ on Lipton
Nothing says summer like a nice tall glass of iced tea. I even bought a massive jug for dispensing of the summer iced tea. And I got to use it once before I dropped it on the kitchen floor the other day and smashed it to smithereens. At least it was plastic and didn’t shatter in a trillion pieces (just a thousand or so).
But the universe knew that I needed tea sent my way, and Lipton showed up at just the right time to share its tasty new flavors. Now, I’m pretty boring when it comes to my ideal tea, typically drinking it unsweetened. If I have a lemon, great. Or I may add sugar if I’m feeling particularly sassy. But I was willing to give up my au naturale tea stance to try the company’s new 100% Natural line and all of its myriad flavors. Read on for my bag of thoughts on the flavor-flaves!
Lipton Tea Flavors
Green Tea Passionfruit Mango. My husband almost stole this before I got a chance to try it—shame shame! It was sweet, almost syrupy-tasting, but not in a bad way, if that makes sense. Would be very refreshing with a lot of ice on hot day. And for 130 calories for a 20-ounce bottle, it’s a splurge, but not a crazy one.
Diet Green Tea with Watermelon. Refreshing, calorie-free and a hint of watermelon flavor. I like the zero-cal feature, but it did leave just a touch of an aftertaste (as zero cal drinks are wont to do).
Green Tea Citrus. I typically hate fake citrus tastes, but this one wasn’t overly powerful. In fact, I couldn’t even really tell this was necessarily citrus. Just yummy. But maybe I couldn’t decipher the citrus action because I had a head cold that screwed up my taste sensors. However, you do pay the caloric price with this one at 180 calories for the bottle (because who stops after 8 ounces?).
Iced Tea Lemon. Nope. Taste buds, even under the influence of head cold, discovered that it’s specifically lemon that I don’t like. It’s just too acidic or harsh, and tastes nothing like lemon to me. Glad to know I can skip this one—and its 130 calories—in the future.
While I’d probably skip the higher-calorie options solely because I’d rather eat my calories, I’d crack open the diet options—which are free of artificial colors and flavors—any day of the week.
Lipton has also partnered with Pandora in its campaign to spread the natural love. Just like Lipton caters to your summer-tea cravings, Pandora will cater to your every musical whim. Lipton’s Pandora stations include pop (great for finding new workout tunes!), country (gets me back to my Midwestern roots), rock and hip-hop that you can further customize to suit your mood.
How do you like your tea? With a lemon? Au naturale like me? Or with a side of Long Island? —Erin
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Gen-Yknot on behalf of Lipton and received Lipton product samples and a subscription to Pandora One to facilitate my candid review. Gen-Yknot also sent me a promotional item to thank me for my time.*
*We’re passing along the love from Lipton. Who wants a Pandora One subscription ($36 value!)? Comment below to enter to win it and any additional promotional items they send. U.S. residents only, please. The winner will be picked in a week.