Foodie Find: Ayala’s Herbal Water

1 comment

I’m a hunter. Fantastic food is my prey. It’s a fun and tasty hobby. I particularly revel in the thrill of searching for unique and unexpected products and ingredient hiding in specialty stores or farmers markets. Even more, I love sharing my finds – trophies if you will – with my family and friends.

Of course now that I’m a food blogger, the hunting has become more like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s almost as if the products are hunting me. Other bloggers, my readers, friends who know about my foodie fanaticism, food events, conferences, and brands are all sending products my way these days. I am not complaining. And of course I keep my hunting skills honed by containing my own expeditions, so the collection of really interesting food products I’m being introduced to is growing by leaps and bounds. You should see my pantry. It’s overflowing with goodness, which warms my foodie heart.

I often tweet about foodie finds as I come across them, but recently I’ve found several products and ingredients that I think deserve more than 140 characters. To that end, I’m going to start to share my discoveries here on the blog along with thoughts on how they can make your cooking and entertaining world a happier place.

As often as not I come across fun ingredients on my own at a cool market or specialty shop, but sometimes brands go out of their way to introduce me to their products. As always, I will continue to be completely up front about products that a brand shared with me and I won’t ever make a recommendation for any reason other than because I think y’all will enjoy the find.

My Flavor-Infused Water Quest

Because I’m training for a half marathon, and because it’s just good for me, I try to drink plenty of water every day. Sometimes though, I get tired of the flavor of plain water. At home I’ll infuse a pitcher of water with cucumber, lemon, orange, or my favorite herbs, but at work or on the go that’s just not practical. There are plenty of flavored waters on the market, but many of them have natural or artificial sweeteners in them, and I just don’t want sweet water. The majority of the available unsweetened waters are sparkling, and I’m just a still water girl. Glaceau used to make a lightly-flavored, unsweetened still water but they discontinued it (or I can’t find it locally) in favor of their vitaminewater line. So, after much hunting at my favorite stores about town, I’d pretty much decided an unsweetened, still infused water option had gone the way of the dodo.

I’m happy to report that I was wrong. At a BlogHer Food party a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon a bottle of Ayala’s Herbal Water and promptly arrived at infused water nirvana. I’m not typically a greedy hoarder at conference events, but I’m not ashamed to admit I drank two bottles during the party and quietly put two more in my purse to take back to my hotel room. It was just that good.

Not Your Typical Flavored Water

Ayala’s water won me over so quickly because the infusions are interesting and unexpected. With flavors like Clove Cardamom Cinnamon, Ginger Lemon Peel, Lavender Mint, and Cinnamon Orange Peel this isn’t your average lemon or cucumber water. And, as a bonus, the waters are organic so I know the herbs and spices that infuse them are safely and responsibly raised. At about $1.75 bottle when you buy in bulk from Amazon, or around $2 at my grocery store, this water still counts as a special treat after a long run or as a pick-me-up at work, but it’s a healthy one I can enjoy while knowing I’m taking good care of my health.

Entertaining tip: Ayala’s waters would be a perfect offering for a small gathering like a baby shower or an al fresco dinner on the porch. The waters are clean enough that they won’t overpower the food you’re serving. Arrange them in a large colorful bowl with some ice for a fun and practical display.

How do you make sure you drink plenty of water every day? Do you have a favorite infused or flavored water? Please share your tips and sources in the comments.