As if scanning food labels for animal products isn’t already tricky enough, one thing a lot of us often forget about is checking drinks, too. Seriously, we can’t catch a break.
Some beers — like Guinness — use isinglass (which comes from fish bladders) in their production, and even wines like Barefoot couldn’t pass the test because they’re made using gelatin. And since many sodas contain ester gum and some juices contain fish oil, it can be really hard finding something delicious and animal-friendly. Well, until now.
The LaCroix obsession is still going strong, but after a trip to New York City’s Blossom restaurant, we discovered another epic vegan drink that might just take the cake in deliciousness: Belvoir’s Elderflower Pressé. If this is old news, please excuse us. But whoa is it good. And it even smells fantastic.
Made from freshly-picked elderflowers, fresh lemon juice, and sparkling water straight from the Belvoir springs in the English countryside, the vegan “gently bubbling lemonade” trumps a glass of wine any day of the week. And when you’re feeling like alcohol, you can easily use this drink as a base.
The company itself has been around since 1984 and is now so popular that the community helps out with the harvest of the fresh flowers in their 90-acre orchard. And the part we like the most? Evidently the incredible floral taste is from picking the elderflowers at the perfect time: “Picked in the sunshine when they’re warm and heavy with yellow pollen,” according to their website. Obviously something’s going to taste amazing when it’s basically sunshine in a bottle, right?
At 100 calories per bottle and absolutely nothing artificial in the ingredients list, we’re pretty much sold. BRB, heading to Whole Foods to stock up immediately.