No sugar, no sweeteners, nothing artificial. You’d never guess I was talking about fizzy drinks, would you? Making a splash on the soft drink scene is Ugly Drinks, causing a stir and fighting back against the sugar-laden, aspartame-packed bottles of fizz we’re so used to seeing and drinking.
“Why does everything have to be packed full of sugar and sweetener?”, they ask on the website. Good question, and one which is certainly topical at the moment when the sugar debate continues to rage on. With a tongue-in-cheek name, Ugly isn’t just dressed up to look pretty, it is UNsweet and has nothing to hide: just sparkling water infused with natural fruit flavours…
Because you’re sweet enough already.
I think there’s a huge gap in a saturated market for a product like this, refreshing cans of tasty beverages with nothing artificial or sugary-sweet about them. “If that makes us Ugly then so be it”. Cute. I like a brand that isn’t afraid to challenge what’s popular, stand up against an industry that isn’t doing our health any favours and be a bit different.
So let’s go into a little more detail about the drinks and the two flavours:
LEMON & LIME
A popular combination “like Bonnie and Clyde”, when you consider that there are only four ingredients, the taste is pretty impressive. Best served chilled, each sip is refreshingly light with a hint of zestiness without being too overpowering. If you’re used to drinks like 7-Up this will be substantially less sweet, but this is a good thing – let the natural flavours speak for themselves.
GRAPEFRUIT & PINEAPPLE
I’m not the biggest fan of grapefruit, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this combination of tropical flavours, which are subtle but still tingle the tongue with each sip. Again, there’s nothing sweet about the drink, but instead a pleasant taste which makes drinking water (the sparkling type) certainly more enjoyable.
Along with the vibrant branding, humorous personality and quirky name, Ugly Drinks are a winner in my eyes. For those of you wanting to cut down on those sugary or even zero-sugar-but-packed-with-artificial-ingredients drinks, I’d recommend trying out a can if you can spot them (available in Selfridges, Planet Organic, As Nature Intended and Whole Foods).