Got milk? Chocolate Flavored Straws, recently released by The San Francisco Chocolate Company, are a great example of fun, functional packaging to bring out the kid in all of us (milk drinkers). Within a sealed, wider than normal straw, chocolate beads are encased. You simply put it into a glass and sip. We tried it with organic non-fat milk and soy milk. The straw is definitely for casual as well as hardcore chocolate milk enthusiasts. It's not overwhelming, but a healthy balance. I've been waiting for an accessible version of the overseas flavored milk straw product to make it to the U.S. – and it finally did! What do you think of the concept? Have you tried the Australian or European versions?

NYC has culinary gems like I have never seen. The best part is, there are the great classic restaurants, but there are also always new diamonds in the rough popping up to challenge the classics– keep em honest if you will. The art of creating a sublime cocktail is, in my book, a very culinary, focused, and difficult process to master– a truly astute cocktail is every bit as impressive as the plated delights. Mike Arauz has transferred his appreciation of finely crafted adult beverages into his newly launched site, The Lush Life: Guide to Manhattan’s Best Cocktail Bars. It looks like Mike is setting his site narrowly and with the utmost discretion, focusing on only his all star team of establishments, probably chosen through some sort of secret scientific method he’s concocted. But who knows, maybe he’ll add some others after we flood his inbox with tips of our own favorites. May I start with my own recommendation? The Randolph at Broome– most insane cocktails I encountered in the city.

The salt revolution is coming. I know, we all thought artisan salts were totally passé in the gourmet world, now that everyone and their mom has had Himalayan pink sea salt. It's time to put it on something else besides bread and meat. The latest drink accessory? Salt. My salty source tells me the master cocktail craftsman (he hates being called a mixologist) at Cyrus is paving the way with Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt rimmed specialty cocktails ... we're not talking about your $5 happy hour Chevy's margarita. While this new concoction of Cyrus' famous Scott Beattie has been unconfirmed, ask for the Caprese Martini rimmed with Grey Sea Salt. If you are looking for a way to add salt to your non-alcoholic repertoire, try adding the buttery and rare Aguni Japanese Sea Salt to your morning espresso — it will remove any unwanted bitterness. Whether its Fleur de Sel, Grey Sea Salt or the Alaea Hawaiian — its totally in.

Luxury. Binary. Juice. Is there a limit on what people will pay to nourish themselves through the medium of fruit juice (and, um, nutritional gel)? It seems as though MonaVie has set out to answer that question — a little social experiment if you will. “Let’s pack 19 fruits into a wine bottle (including acaí — wooo!), chalk it up to the Balance-Variety-Moderation philosophy, and charge about $45 per bottle.” MonaVie has been around for a few years now, but I just heard about it. Given that it is sold through a MLM (multiple level marketing) system, that doesn’t surprise me … maybe those peddling it are too ashamed to announce the price to potential customers. At any rate, I (reluctantly) can’t wait to try the stuff. Hopefully it’s coming to a martini bar near me someday soon.

I have a couple of questions for our readers: (1) Have any of you tried the juice? (2) What are your thoughts about products sold this way (is it an automatic turn-off or do you let the quality of the product speak for itself)?

It seems like the last thing the world needs now is a new brand of spring water. But if it’s being sold by a puppet dancing to Snap’s “Rhythm is A Dancer,” the folks at Drench spring water have me convinced otherwise. Their minute-and-a-half-long masterwork of a commercial, created by the U.K.’s Chi Advertising, is so exhilaratingly funny that it makes us thirsty for more. The ad features a hydrated hipster (aka Brains from Thunderbirds) who could just as easily serve you some Drench or serve you on the dance floor. We’d go with the former … that puppet’s pretty talented.

via Brand New

So many energy drinks, so little bladder control. For most health conscious people out there, the biggest problem with the plethora of Gator, Power, Sobe, and other prefixed aides and waters is that we all want to believe that they’re doing a bit of good to our addled bodies. If you’re going to reach for a bottle of vitamin infused H20, shouldn’t you be able to quantify the goodness? The team at Activate Drinks realized that for the average one-a-day pill consumer, you need to be able to see the proof in the neon colored liquid. As you turn the cap of the bottle, a packet of essential vitamins and minerals is released into the drink — the thought being that you store your vitamins in a cool, dry place, why shouldn’t the same logic be applied to your vitamin drink? The flavor options come in low-calorie concoctions such as: Vitamin, Antioxidant, and Immunity. We’re sure there are scientists that could tell us all about the effectiveness of this technique, but honestly, after this weekend, we’re just looking for something to make our kidneys usable again.

The E is for Energy, and the Boost is for….boost. If you’re too old for Flintstone vitamins and too young for Centrum Silver, consider EBOOST, an orange effervescent tablet that contains a full day’s supply of essential vitamins and minerals like B12, C, Zinc, and other too-healthy-to-be pronounceable supplements. Plus, it’s probably better for us than our usual 10-12 sugar free Red Bulls, half a pack of American Spirits, and the Diet Coke chaser that we modestly refer to as “wake-up juice.” Kidding! Kidding. It also comes in single-serve powdered packets, great for emergency stashing.

Having tended a bar (or seven) on a previous career path, I still find myself rather drawn to well-crafted bar accouterments. Josh Owen’s Jigger Aluminum Cube is inspired by traditional sake cups and measures a mere three-inches cubed, and is designed to accurately measure the four most utilized alcohol measurements in the smallest possible dispenser. It’s available for pre-order at Unica Home now — just in time for those summer margarita sloshfests.

I’m in Chicago right now, and it’s cold. Really, really cold. That means two things around the JS headquarters: lots of hooded sweatshirts, and warm drinks. Thanks to the folks at Two Leaves and a Bud Tea, we’ve been enjoying a fantastic blend of quality teas, like this one here, African Sunset. Only teas that are grown in single geographic regions using traditional growing methods are used — that means lots of time picking, testing, and tasting. It also means they never blend with less expensive “filler teas,” which is party of the reason these teas taste so delicious.

The company is based just down the road from Aspen, Colorado in a little place called Roaring Fork Valley. It was originally started because founder Richard Rosenfeld was frustrated with the US selection and couldn’t find the high qualities he so much enjoyed during his travels through Asia and India. We’re glad you brought some new and unique teas back with you. Thanks Richard!

Have you ever imagined your cup of afternoon tea as a hot steaming sea of soothing flavor? Well, if you have, have you ever stopped to think that instead of adding some sugar or milk to make that body of water complete, what it really needs is a seafaring ship? Okay, maybe you haven't, but then again your name isn't Elisabeth Soos (or is it?). The Austria-based industrial designer has come up with the tpod, a novel idea that turns that tag at the top of your teabag into a beverage boat that sails around your tea sea until it's ready to drink. However, we have to warn you: when you go to take out that ship you might want to make sure there are no sharks lurking about.

Dear Nameless Caffeine Addict,

I see you every morning at the local java joint, filling up on fuel before your workday begins, and just like you, I feel that if I were to break this cycle, my life might come to some hurried, apocalyptic end. The heap of paper or styrofoam cups, wide-mouthed syringes previously full of liquid promising to deliver happiness, has been mounting because of our need to put our morning crankiness at bay. I know you feel as bad about it as I do. As a gift, I’ve enclosed in the accompanying package the I Am Not A Paper Cup, a double-walled porcelain beauty with silicone lid that you can use on your next coffee run. You can even run it through the dishwasher alongside your lucky “Instant Human: Just Add Coffee” mug. Have fun with it and know I’ll be right there behind you in line with my own I Am Not A Paper Cup ready for filling. Really, we should be able to enjoy our vice with a better conscience.

Sincerely,

Fellow Nameless Caffeine Addict

P.S. Shall we try to switch to tea? Green tea apparently has the ability to give a big wallop too.

Way back in November of 2007 the folks at Snarfd dubbed Brooklyn based Industrial Designer Joey Roth's Sorapot, a radically minimalist reinterpretation of the teapot, the "Sexiest. Teacup. Ever." This set off a chain reaction in which our own David Vo put said teapot on his Christmas wishlist, inspiring Roth to create a companion teacup. Okay, so maybe it didn't quite go down like that, but we're glad to announce that the teacup now has a female or male companion, since its sex had not been previously specified. The companion cup is "designed to complement Sorapot's modern lines and glass brewing chamber. But unlike the Sorapot, there's no stainless steel: just a deeply grooved, minimalist flange for a handle, which flows smoothly below the cup to form a raised base." One thing's for sure, they make for one sexy couple.

Our pals at Metromint are at it again. Back in March of 2006 they launched Spearmint (I’m still waiting on my stock options), then in early 2007 the super-genius mintologists launched Lemonmint and Orangemint — also stellar flavors. But who could have seen this one coming? Chocolate mint water, the most original beverage since mint water. Choco-mint is delicious. In fact, if you close your eyes and drink it, the essence of chocolate left in your mouth afterwards feels like you just chomped down a chocolate bar. Same great taste, zero calories. Oh my god! It will be in stores for Valentine’s day, and I’m telling you, it’s damn good.

Still looking for that perfect gift for the guy who has everything — and I do mean everything? Well, if he’s a scotch or whiskey drinker, here’s the answers. As most fine whiskey fanatics will tell you, it’s almost sacrilegious to water down your scotch with “regular” ice cubes. In fact, so much so that companies are storming the market with products that solve just this…problem.

The first I noticed was IceRocks. IceRocks are premium “spring water ice cubes”. These guys are willing to go so far as to let you water down your fine whiskey, but only with Evian-style ice. Anything less would be unconscionable.

The next two solutions to watered down whiskey are a bit less forgiving in their approach: fine whiskey should NOT be watered down. So in the interest of keeping your spirits strong (bad pun, sorry), have a look at the Ice Stones from Teroforma, a brand I’ve been working with lately, and a similar solution from Sippin’ on the Rocks, making an appearance on Thrillist today. Both offer a more natural and reusable solution to this quandary: rocks. Put rocks in your freezer and then in your drink, and they do the job of ice without diluting your whiskey.

And if your man who has everything doesn’t have fine whiskey, maybe you should add that to the list as well. Anyone care to recommend a favorite?

If a constantly revolving door of roommates has left you with anything positive, it's probably the large variety of leftover liquor lingering around your kitchen area. While that sounds like a blessing in disguise, your lack of bartending know-how may be your own worst enemy. If you're wondering how you can turn those bottles of créme de menthe, tequila, and apricot liqueur into a savory concoction for Cocktail Hour look no further than Esquire’s Drinks Database. Just punch in the ingredients you have on hand and voila; the Drinks database will provide you with a list of libations that you can gear up to guzzle in no time.