What We Drink: Some Stories for you to Imbibe

NYC has Shrimp in its Tap Water

Craving shrimp? Take a huge swig of NYC tap!

New York City has some pretty good tap water (not as good as Hawaii, but still pretty good for a major metropolitan city). Could it be due to the microscopic shrimp lurking in its waters? Yep, according to this Time article when you are taking a gulp of tap in NYC you are getting something extra, some copepods. They little shrimp are not dangerous, in fact they provide a health benefit by clearing out mosquito larvae from the water system. However, if you are one of the many Orthodox Jews living in the city. It’s not really kosher. For everyone else, whenever you are in the mood for shrimp, just drink the NYC tap. You’ll be getting a lot.

Green Tea that is Bad for You

Drink this or eat four slices of cherry pie. It is all the same.

If you thought VitaminWater was bad, watch out for green tea. In particular, SoBe green tea. Earlier this year, Men’s Health put out a list of “Drink This, Not That!” I had posted on the HGC website earlier about that infamous Coldstone PB&C shake, which is equivalent of 68 strips of bacon. Well, here is a follow-up and some other drinks you might want avoid.

• Worst bottled tea: SoBe Green Tea. A 20-ounce bottle has 240 calories with 61 grams of sugar — the sugar equivalent of four slices of Sara Lee Cherry Pie.
• Worst water: Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water. A 20-ounce bottle has 150 calories and 33 grams sugar, the equivalent of two Good Humor Chocolate Eclair bars.
• Worst energy drink: Rockstar. One 16-ounce can has 280 calories and 62 grams of sugar, the sugar equivalent of six Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts.
• Worst beer: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. A 12-ounce bottle has 330 calories and 32 grams of carbohydrates, the carbohydrate equivalent of a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra.
• Worst espresso drink: Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream. A 20-ounce venti has 660 calories and 95 grams of sugar, the sugar equivalent of 8 1 / 2scoops of Edy’s Slow Churned rich and creamy coffee ice cream.
• Worst margarita: Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita. A 24-ounce serving has 890 calories and 183 grams of carbohydrates, the carb equivalent of seven Almond Joy candy bars.

Source: “Drink This, Not That!”

Coffee Beans May Be More Expensive, but Your Starbucks Coffee Won’t Be Anymore Costlier

Beans may cost more, but your Starbucks cup won't.

Are you enjoy the price of your coffee beans? Well, this NPR article explains that Colombia has had several years of weak harvests. So normal supply and demand rules apply. However, if you are fortunate to have a job that allows you the daily please of Starbucks in the morning, and then may be again after 2p.m. when you bring in your morning receipt for $2 off, not to worry. The true impact will be felt by those of you who get your beans at the grocery store. Time to switch to tea? Probably not, prices should fall if Brazil’s bumper harvest pans out.