Vegans in the UK have a lot to celebrate as the popular Co-op market is bringing a huge focus to vegan wine. 

That’s right — a lot of wine isn’t vegan because of the use of filtering and fining agents that can come from eggs, gelatin, milk, or a substance called isinglass, which comes from fish bladders. They’re used to remove unwanted bacteria and yeast, and some are used to improve flavor and clarity. But they’re used not because they’re most efficient, but because they’re most common — historied practices that haven’t been updated.

According to the Guardian, the Co-op has been working with “winemakers across the world to develop a wider range of vegan-friendly ‘fining’ agents used to filter wines.”

For vegans, determining if a wine has been filtered with animal products is a near-impossible task. A few websites exist that catalog vegan wines, but producers aren’t required to disclose the ingredients used in the fining process, and most winemakers don’t.

The Co-op says it will have eight vegan wines next month, and expects 100 by the end of the year.

“Now a new generation of animal-free agents made from peas and even potatoes are finding popularity, and favoured by the Co-op along with other vegan-friendly options including carbon and clay-based agents,” notes the Guardian.

While pints won’t likely ever go out of style, it seems the Brits are beginning to develop a taste for grapes, too. “We are anticipating vegan wines to pick up momentum throughout 2018,” Simon Cairns, category trading manager for Co-op wines, said, “so our range will be expanding throughout the year and we will continue to challenge suppliers to make wines vegan where they can without affecting the attributes of the liquid.”

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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If Lady Gaga’s epic Super Bowl Halftime Show performance still has you reaching for a drink every time you think about her jumping off the side of that stadium, we’ve got some good news for you—and something to calm those nerves. Ms. Gaga is launching her own brand of wine.

In homage to the track “Grigio Girls,” a bonus song on 2016’s “Joanne” album, Gaga submitted the paperwork under the same name as the song. She is reportedly launching several wine products including wine coolers, cocktails, and punches, as well as wine—Pinot Grigio, we can assume.

Yes, of course she was born this way—wine, you could say, is in her blood. Lady Gaga’s parents are likely the source of her love for wine—they own an Italian restaurant in New York, replete with a healthy wine selection. This isn’t a new interest for the pop singer, she spent time in Sonoma County, Calif., back in 2012, even eyeing up vineyard real estate at the time.

“Gaga is really into her food and wine,” a source told the Sun. “When she isn’t on tour she is cooking and drinking the most expensive bottles she can get her hands on.”

The “Grigio Girls” song was homage to one of Gaga’s closest friend’s who is currently battling cancer.

“I wrote a song about how me and all of our girlfriends would get together and cry without her when she’s not around because we love her so much and we just want to be strong with her,” Gaga said last year.

Now if she really wanted to turn some heads, she’d teach us all the trick to keeping a good poker face.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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Picking out a bottle of wine should be easy, but when you’re vegan, it’s no easy feat. But it’s about to get a whole lot easier with this guide to choosing vegan wine.

From an organic biodynamic winery to an up-and-comer whose pinot noir is flying off shelves, these are the vegan wine brands you need to try.

How To Tell If Wine Is Vegan

When I first went vegan, I was shocked to learn what is used to process many wines. Fish bladders, egg whites, gelatin, casein?! Count me out. Even many of my non-vegan friends were disgusted to learn what may be lurking in their glass of vino.

These animal byproducts are used to clarify wines during the fining process. But it’s totally unnecessary.

Vegan wine uses bentonite clay (the most popular option), carbon, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel, or vegetable plaques instead. These earth-sourced agents are just as effective at producing delicious wine.

The best source for researching if your wine is vegan is Barnivore. You type in the brand of wine and then if Barnivore has knowledge, it’ll come up with a “Vegan Friendly” or “Not Vegan Friendly” indication.

Unfortunately, not all the info is up to date and a lot of brands are missing. Barnivore is definitely a great resource but I’ve found it’s best to compile a list of wines that are indeed vegan so you don’t have to repeat this lengthy process.

I’m making it easy for you by sharing 5 brands of wine that are definitely vegan and can be found at most grocery stores.

Vegan Wine Brands

1. Frey Wine

Image via Frey Wine

Frey Wine is organic, biodynamic, and produced in Mendocino County without added sulfites or synthetic preservatives. The clean winery boasts a wide range of varieties including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and even rosé! Frey wines can be found at Sprouts Farmers Markets and Whole Foods Markets.

I recommend the sauvignon blanc which has crisp, fruity flavors. Pair a glass of sauvignon blanc with this vegan pesto and a plate of vegetable crudités and crackers.

2. Meiomi

Image via Meiomi

Meiomi wine is one of the hottest brands at the moment despite its relative newness to the market. Meiomi wines are produced along the coast of California in Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. Currently, the winery offers two varieties; pinot noir and chardonnay, which can be found at a variety of grocery stores and wine shops.

While I have tried and loved both, the pinot noir is a must. It’s perfect for those who are new to red wines since it’s not overly bitter and is somewhat sweet. But even wine connoisseurs can’t resist this pinot noir’s exceptional flavor. Pair it with a vegan lasagna for a hearty Italian meal.

3. La Crema

Image via La Crema

La Crema, a Sonoma-based winery, is not only vegan but also employs sustainable practices. Its vineyards are CCSW-Certified (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing.) It offers a variety of wines available at most grocery stores and wine.

I recommend the chardonnay which is smooth and almost buttery in taste. It pairs perfectly with this beet and turnip gratin.

4. Wilson Creek Winery

Image via Wilson Creek Winery

Temecula-based Wilson Creek Winery started in 1996 and has gone on to produce a number of uniquely flavored sparkling wines. You can find Wilson Creek Winery’s wines at many stores including Sprouts Farmers Market, Total Wine, and Cost Plus World Market.

My personal favorite is the best-seller, Almond Sparkling Champagne. The sweet wine pairs wonderfully with these vegan crepes for a delicious dessert.

5. Girasole Vineyards

Image via Girasole Vineyards

Girasole Vineyards produces organic vegan wines out of Mendocino, Calif. The wines proudly display “vegan-friendly” on the back of every bottle so no research is even needed. Girasole Vineyards’ wines can be found at Whole Foods Markets.

I have tried the chardonnay and really enjoy the light flavors and mild fruity aromas. Pair any one of their wines with an array of vegan cheese for a delicious happy hour.

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A selection of sparkling, white and rosé wine to keep your summer well hydrated. 

Summer is the time the wine glasses come out in abundance. Warm weather encourages relaxing, and what better way to relax than with a glass of wine – rosé wine perhaps? – in your hand? Yes, this is the season of long dinner parties and entertaining, and you have to keep it well fueled.

We’ve gathered up a few of our favorite bottles for summer, all from wineries that care about their farming and grape growing practices.

1. Montinore Borealis 2013

Situated in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Montinore is a certified Demeter biodynamic estate, and all their wines are noteworthy, but the Borealis deserves a special mention. The Borealis is a special blend of Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. The result is an aromatic, floral wine, that brings the perfect pop to a summer evening.

2. Frey Organic Agriculturist 2012

While you shouldn’t buy wine for the label, the Frey Organic Agriculturist would be pretty hard to turn down. Fortunately though, the wine inside is also well worth the purchase. The white blend has an ability to pair with a variety of flavors, making it the perfect dinner party wine.

3. Montevina Pinot Grigio 2012

Employing sustainable practices in their vineyards, the Montevina winery has owl boxes to encourage natural removal of pests. That means you can feel good about drinking this Pinot Grigio, which with its aroma of pears and summer peaches, makes for a good basic summer white that will please a crowd.

4. Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2013

Made by renowned vintner Charles Smith, this Riesling pairs well with spicy dishes, like a good Thai curry, as well as grilled seafood. All of the Charles Smith vineyards use recycled water and the most minimal pest and disease controls.

5.Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé 2012

Organic bubbles you want? Organic bubbles you will have. And why not have pink bubbles? At $37 a bottle, this Brut Rosé may be on the pricier end for some, but if you’ve got something to celebrate this summer, it’s a good option, particularly since Domaine Carneros grows their wine grapes on certified organic vineyards.

6. Cline 2013 Mourvèdre Rosé

A black skinned grape, Mourvèdre is a common grape in the French Rhone region as well as Alicante, Spain. In fact, it’s what added to Spanish cava to get cava rosé. But you don’t have to cross the Atlantic to get it. Try a bottle of this rosé wine from Cline Cellars in Sonoma, who employ a variety of sustainable farming practices in their vineyards.

7. Frei Brothers Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2010

Some can’t go a summer without a glass of Chardonnay. If so, this wine’s for you. You have a bit of apple and citrus flavors, followed by an oaky finish. Frei’s grapes are all sustainably grown, and they even capture and reuse rainwater in their vineyards. 

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This week’s Link Love it’s World Environment Day and Nepal is setting the treehugging record. Cheap wine can be good wine. Yoga pants are the new blue jeans? Rihanna’s too sexy for the UK and everything you need to know about French style!

Nepal aims to set world record for tree hugging on World Environment Day [via the Indian Express]

How to buy good, cheap wine. [via Eat Drink Better]

Are yoga pants threatening the American tradition of denim? [via Well+Good]

Rihanna’s perfume ad banned in the United Kingdom for sultry, nearly nude pose. [via NY Daily News]

Style secrets of the French. [via Elle]

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As you explore types of wine you may find yourself wondering what exactly natural wine is.

When it comes to wine, there’s a lot out there. There are reds, whites, rosés, bubbles, and within those a whole variety of grape varietals and tastes. But nowadays we’re starting to see even more classification, with wines getting labeled as organic or biodynamic. Navigating the wine world can feel intimidating.

While most people nowadays are used to hearing the words “organic” and “biodynamic” attached to both their food and their wine, there is another vino category that may not have heard mention of: natural wines.

But wait, aren’t all wines technically natural?

Produced from grapes, yes. And this may be what has made the discussion of natural wines so polemic, because if some wines are referred to as natural wines, it puts all other wines in the “not natural” category.

So what are natural wines? First off, unlike with organic or biodynamic wine, there is no certification for natural wines, and therefore no official definition. Natural wines are wines made with as little human interference – that means chemical and technological – as possible. In other words, wine made with grapes and little else, letting nature take care of the growing and the fermentation. Others refer to natural wines as “nothing added, nothing taken away.”

As you can imagine, producing types of wine in this way takes a lot of work. As New York Times writer Eric Asimov wrote, “The fact is that making wine without benefit of chemicals or other technological shortcuts demands precision and exactitude. Far more so, perhaps, than in conventional winemaking.”

Vines are grown organically, or even biodynamically, grapes are hand harvested and the fermentation process takes place in a way that’s as natural as possible. That means minimal to no additives during the winemaking process. Additives that are often used in the winemaking industry include sugar, acidifiers, and tannins. Even sawdust is used sometimes. Who wants to be drinking wine made with sawdust? Laboratory cultivated yeasts, instead of natural, indigenous yeasts, can also be used, and you can also encounter a variety of manipulations of the wine like micro-oxygenation to accelerate aging.

Natural wines are growing more and more popular among people who are concerned about sulfites as well. Sulfites refer to sulfur dioxide, which acts as a preservative in wine. While sulfites are naturally occurring in wine, winemakers can also add in sulfites during the winemaking process and natural winemakers will add little to no sulfites.

In the world of modern day agricultural, natural winemakers are challenging the traditional practices of modern, industrial winemaking, just like other men and women in the food industry devoted to the art of their craft, be it traditional bread baking or beer brewing.

What does this mean for you the drinker?

If you’re used to traditional, industrial wines, switching to natural wines is going to taste different. Natural winemakers have to depend on the natural elements – soil, weather, yeasts, etc. – to produce their wine, and instead of adding and manipulating wines which can help to stabilize a wine and standardize its flavor, their wines will taste as nature wants them to taste. That means that natural wines can often be a little less stable, murky because they haven’t gone through a filtration process, and you never know what you’re going to get. But that means that you get more of the terroir in a natural wine, and you get a wine that’s true to the natural fermentation process.

Just like traditional wine, not all natural wines are good, but there’s also an element of surprise that is special. Alice Feiring, a well-known source on natural wine, once said this in an interview with The Splendid Table:

One of the best examples that I have is when I was at a party, when Frank Bruni just came over to the states to be the dining critic at The New York Times. I said, “Hey, Frank, taste this.” He burst into laughter and he said, “Alice, what the hell is that? That is the most beautiful example I’ve ever had.” He went out and bought a case the next day. A conventional wine never can do that to you.

Think of it in terms of a tomato. When you buy a regular tomato at the grocery store, it’s a bit bland and you get a taste that you expect. Buy an in-season, heirloom tomato on the other hand and you’ll find yourself diving into a sea of flavors. Two different heirloom tomatoes can have two very different flavor profiles.

Where can you find natural wine?

Since natural wine isn’t a certification, for the consumer, it’s not always easy to find. Start with the back label, if you seen any indication of “made without additives” or “made with just grapes” that’s a good thing. It’s also helpful to find a knowledgeable wine seller who knows a thing or two about natural wines and can help point you in the right direction.

France is known for its natural wine culture, but now there are more and more natural winemakers in the U.S., including La Clarine Farm, Donkey and Goat, Kelley Fox Wines, Montebruno and Wind Gap.

If you are looking for natural wines from abroad, Jenny and Francois Selections are NY-based natural wine importers, and they are well known in the business. Natural Wine Company out of Brooklyn is another great resource.

Winelandia is a food and wine blog that last fall launched a retail component selling natural wines. Currently they only ship to California, but we can hope that eventually they will expand.

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Is the image of boxed wine changing?

When you hear the words “boxed wine,” what comes to mind? While just a few years ago your brain may have immediately gone to Franzia (and the college-sized hangovers that came with it) the image of wine in a box in the U.S. has begun to grow up. Nowadays, its easier to get good wine in a box, which raises the question: is the American image of boxed wine about to change?

Jordan Salcito, the beverage director at NYC’s much talked about restaurant Momofuku, wrote an article for the Daily Beast, announcing that the restaurant would soon be serving a new Italian wine… from a box. She aptly titled her article “Taking Boxed Wine Seriously: It’s Not Just for Hobos and Teenagers Anymore.”

When a well-known restaurant in one of America’s food capitals starts serving wine from a box, you know that change is afoot.

While in the U.S., boxed wine has for years gotten a bad rap, in other parts of the world it is simply part of the wine culture. In fact boxed wine, otherwise known as bag-in-box, started in Australia in the 1960s, and while bottles have certainly entered the picture down under, boxes still makes up almost half of the country’s wine sales. You know who else loves boxed wines? The French.

So if other wine producing regions are loving boxed wine, why are we so behind?

Wine writer Talia Baiocchi wrote a couple of years ago that it all has to do with quality. “Still, the major obstacle for production of boxed wine here in America is one of quality; in order to see a legitimate revolution with this sort of packaging the wine has to actually be good. Much of the high quality boxed wines produced in Europe never make it to the states, and the wines that are boxed in this country come from industrial plonk producers simply because they’re the ones with the money and the access to filling machinery.”

Industrial plonk producers? No, thank you.

But it’s not just the quality that Americans have been upset by. It’s also the image. When we hear the words “boxed wine” we think of a huge, clunky box. Again, it all goes back to Franzia. But even that is changing. Thanks to Tetra Pack, you can now get 1-liter boxes of wine if you want to, and Tetra Pak boxes are made with 75 percent paper, much of which is Forest Stewardship Council certified.

When it comes to shipping costs, boxes win out over bottles, with a much lower carbon footprint. The environmental and economic reasons for putting wine in boxes instead of bottles has prompted some to call for American vintners to get on the boxed wine bandwagon.

And as the quality improves, we can hope that more and more American vintners do in fact get on board; because when it comes to truly sustainable drinking choices, you want to look for wines that are produced locally.

There are after all, plenty of bad boxed wines out there, and cheap ones can have a lot of additives. As with anything, know what you’re buying and where it came from. And next time someone serves you wine from a box, drink up. You’ll still be able to stay classy.

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Image: Wikipedia Commons

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You look for the organic label on apples and eggs, but what about when it comes to wine? There’s more to a bottle of wine than just bouquet and alcohol content. In fact, when shopping for the best wine, the organic label may be the most important factor.

We don’t usually think about wine in terms of health, because there are so many other aspects to consider when shopping for the best wine. But once you’ve settled on a region and a grape, the next thing to consider is whether or not it’s organic.

In the same way you qualify food choices, it’s worth taking note of how the wine you drink is grown, or rather with what is grown. The grapes can be treated with all sorts of harmful chemicals — to say nothing of the various preservatives, colorants and other additives. So make the best wine choice possible before you pop the cork!

3 Reasons The Best Bottle of Wine Is Organic

1. Organic wine offers many of the same benefits as organic produce. When a wine is organic it omits the use of up to 240 chemicals inherent in convention viticulture and wine production.

2. Organic wine is produced from grapes grown according to organic farming regulations, which excludes the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, among others. This is, of course, better for the environment, which should be of concern when choosing a bottle of wine.

2. Sulfites draw a lot of attention in the debate on what constitutes organic wine. Sulfites are used to preserve even the best wine but also carry their share of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. While an organic bottle of wine may have naturally occurring sulfites as a byproduct of fermentation – must be less than 20 parts per million — it cannot have added sulfites. A wine that says it is made with organically grown grapes may include added sulfites. If the sulfite content of a bottle of wine exceeds 10 parts per million, the wine must reveal this information.

When searching for the best bottle of wine, whether it’s for a dinner party or housewarming present, be sure to pick a wine that’s labeled “organic,” bears the USDA organic seal and provides information about the certifying agency.

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The labels say natural and organic, but how can we know for sure?

It’s rare that a global supermarket chain retains the atmosphere of an intimate neighborhood grocery store. But in the five decades that it has been in operation, Trader Joe’s has managed to do just that, attracting a loyal following of conscious consumers with an extensive array of quality, feel-good, low-priced grocery items.

But how exactly is Trader Joe’s able to offer such seemingly gourmet foods at such a markdown? The company is notoriously opaque about its sourcing practices, claiming that it wants to protect itself and its suppliers from competitors. But without any information about Trader Joe’s practices, can we really trust the “healthy” and “organic” products we purchase from there?

In its early days, maybe. In 1958, Joe Coulombe opened the first incarnation of Trader Joe’s, then called Pronto Markets, in Pasadena, California, after returning from a trip to the Caribbean – hence the South Seas branding. Joe wanted to bring the exotic flavors from his travels to the corner supermarket, and his first stores were stocked with then-unknown ethnic food, California wines, and convenience items. Within ten years, TJ’s had expanded to 20 locations.

Coulombe’s venture attracted the attention of Theo Albrecht, the German entrepreneur who owns Aldi, one of the world’s largest discount supermarket chains. The Albrechts purchased Trader Joe’s in 1979, growing it from a small California business to a multi-million dollar chain, now with more than 365 locations.

The Good

Though Trader Joe’s doesn’t call itself a health food store, it stocks a wide array of natural and organic foods, from organic virgin coconut oil to gluten-free pancake mix. TJ’s states that all of its private-label products, which comprise an estimated 80 percent of inventory, contain non-GMO ingredients, no MSG, no added trans-fats, and no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. All Trader Joe’s-brand eggs come from cage-free hens, and ground beef is guaranteed to be “pink slime” free.

These conscience-friendly items are available at near-Walmart prices, a fact that both confounds and thrills many conscious consumers. One explanation lies in Trader Joe’s streamlined operations. According to Fortune magazine, Trader Joe’s purchases all of its products directly from manufacturers, which then ship straight to TJ’s distribution centers. Contracts are simple, which eliminates the need for corporate middlemen. Says Fortune:

Trader Joe’s is a supplier’s dream account: It pays on time and doesn’t mess with extra charges for advertising, couponing, or slotting fees that traditional supermarkets charge suppliers to get their products onto the shelves. ‘It’s all transparent – no BS,’ says a former executive.

Since Trader Joe’s purchases such large quantities, it is able to fetch lower wholesale prices for its products – a discount that is then passed on to the customer. Trader Joe’s also carries less product variety than competitors – 4,000 SKUs, as compared to 50,000 at most grocery stores – and products are retired if they’re not able to “earn their shelf space” in sales.

The Bad

Many of Trader Joe’s private label items are the same products you’ll find at other supermarkets, just with different packaging and prices. According to Fortune, TJ’s Pita Chips are manufactured by Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, which is managed by Frito-Lay and owned by PepsiCo. Trader Joe’s yogurt is produced by Stonyfield Organic (a Groupe Danone company), while its popular Indian Fare instant meals are made by Tasty Bite, a Mumbai-based manufacturer that also supplies Whole Foods.

Though these bits of information have leaked out to the public, Trader Joe’s is generally secretive about its product sourcing, claiming that it wants to protect both itself from the competition, and its suppliers from other supermarkets that may demand the same cut-rate pricing. While this rationale makes business sense, it means that in most cases, shoppers have no idea where their purchases come from, or whether they are truly safe, healthy, and ethically-produced.

A prime example of a Trader Joe’s product with suspicious origins is its famous Charles Shaw wine, also known as “Two Buck Chuck.” According to Business 2.0, the Charles Shaw line is produced by California-based Bronco Wine Company, the nation’s fourth-largest wine producer. Bronco also manufactures wine for budget labels Estrella, Forest Glen, ForestVille, Montpellier, and Silver Ridge, and its owner, Charles Franzia, descends from the family behind Franzia boxed wines.

While Charles Shaw bottles advertise a Napa Valley origin, most of Bronco’s grapes are actually grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley, which is known to produce lower quality wines. According to Inside Scoop SF, these grapes are then supplemented with additives like Mega Purple (a syrupy, concentrated, 68-percent-sugar concoction that is used to add body and flavor to “deficient” wines) and wood chips (which are thrown into wine barrels to mimic the taste of oak aging). The result, according to wine expert Jon Bonné, is “industrial wine that is the equivalent of a Big Mac or Velveeta.”

The San Joaquin Valley is also known for its unethical factory farming practices and large concentration of migrant workers. These issues came to a head in 2008, when an undocumented pregnant teenage worker died from heat stroke while picking grapes on a Bronco-owned farm, after working more than nine hours in hundred-degree temperatures. The death led to protests and petition efforts from the United Farmworkers National Union, calling for supervisor arrests and jail time. Bronco’s labor contractor, Merced Farm Labor, escaped relatively unscathed, but has been fined multiple times for violating workplace safety rules.

The Questionable

On its website, Trader Joe’s states that

Curiosity is a virtue. We value the inquisitive mind and enjoy the opportunity to satiate it (as well as the tummy that accompanies it).

However, TJ’s secretive practices and lack of transparency don’t lend to an easy inquisition. The company’s FAQ page lists cute responses to questions like “Why do you guys wear those Hawaiian shirts?” (“Because we’re traders on the culinary seas, searching the world over for cool items to bring home to our customers”) and “What do the bells mean at my local Trader Joe’s?” (“Those blustery PA systems just didn’t feel right to us, so we came up with a simple system to communicate – island style”).

But as for the tough questions on product origins, labor practices, supply chains, and just how it’s possible to manufacture a decent-tasting Cabernet Sauvignon for under $2, Trader Joe’s is notably silent. Perhaps it’s because of the competition, as they say. But perhaps it’s also because the stories behind TJ’s products resemble that behind Two Buck Chuck: questionable labor practices, sugary additives, and poor quality ingredients.

Trader Joe’s friendly atmosphere and yee-haw branding make us want to trust them. But until the company becomes more open about the way that it operates, it’s impossible to know for sure if Trader Joe’s is the more socially responsible supermarket choice.

SEE ALSO:

Behind the Label: Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value

Behind the Label: Investigating FreshDirect’s Local Commitment

Behind the Label: The Kashi Controversy

Behind the Label: McDonald’s See What We’re Made Of Campaign

Behind the Label: Chipotle, Food With Integrity

Check out all Behind the Label columns here.

Images: trekkyandy, Kables

The post Behind The Label: Trader Joe’s Secretive Sourcing Practices appeared first on EcoSalon.

Amp up your summer ice cubes with these 10 cool ideas.

A scorching Summer calls for cool beverages – preferably iced. But where’s the fun in run-of-the-mill ice cubes? Sure, they cool things down, but they also dilute many an iced coffee or a cocktail, which is not okay. This is where flavored ice cubes enter the scene – they’re easy on the eyes and add more taste than water ever did. Impress guests (and yourself) with these 10 flavored ice cube ideas.

Coffee

Cool down your coffee without diluting it! Freeze coffee that you would normally drink hot and throughout a sizzling week, use the cubes in your daily cup or blend them into a smoothie for some extra coolness and caffeine.

Herbs

Wow a crowd by adding chopped herbs to an ice-cube tray. Cool water with cubes infused with chopped mint leaves and dried ginger and bring extra taste and sophistication to the table.

Coconut Water

Coconut water has an electrolyte balance similar to human blood, so it’s super nourishing. Add coconut water ice cubes to an smoothie or glass of water in place of regular water ice cubes for a refreshing energy kick.

Colorful Fruit

For a beautiful presentation, add raspberries and blueberries or slices of pineapple, mango, and other sweet fruit to an ice-cube tray. They not only make a glass of water look festive but also leave it with a fruity hint that intensifies with each sip.

Edible Flowers

This one is mostly for show. The summer is all about outdoor barbecues, pool-side treats, and nature. Ice cubes with colorful edible flowers sprinkled in simply fits the bill.

Lemon Juice

Save the slice. Freeze lemon juice, and cool down on a blistering Summer afternoon with a tall glass of water with lemon ice cubes.

Old Wine

Old wine can be salvaged! Freeze remaining wine into cubes and melt them on the stove top into recipes that call for wine. And don’t dilute that sangria with water ice cubes, use red wine ice cubes instead to retain the alcohol level (very important) and taste.

Wheat Grass

It may be one of the healthiest juices on earth, but it sure doesn’t have a shelf life. Wheatgrass in its liquid state goes rotten quite quickly. Freeze the juice into cubes and use them in smoothies or use them to cool fruit and vegetable juice, all the while offering you some blood-cleansing benefits.

Milk

Milk ice cubes can be added to a hot cup of coffee or tea to cool it down but bring up the richness of the drink.

Chocolate

Melt dark chocolate, let cool to room temperature, and freeze into cubes. Toss the frozen chocolate cubes into a glass of milk. As the chocolate melts, you have yourself an increasingly richer chocolate milk that is as fresh and cooling as it is decadent and delicious.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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