February is Locals Only Month:Pat's Exotic Beverages

That's right. For the first-ever theme month here at coolbrews, it's locals only. Meaning I'll be reviewing drinks made in and around New York City. Support your local beveragemakers (especially the good ones).

First up, Pat's Exotic Beverages. The company started when Pat Lindsay started making Caribbean-inspired beverages for church gatherings out of her home in the Bronx. In 2000, the company began selling their beverages to West Indian restaurants throughout New York City. Today, Pat's Exotic Beverages has a loyal following and can be found at dozens of restaurants and stores in the New York metropolitan area. Pat's beverages are available in (somewhere around) 18 different all-natural flavors (mostly fruit juices). But, as you can see below, some of their flavors are truly authentic and a real treat for those of us without a Caribbean upbringing.

Stagga Back
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I have no idea what "stagga back" means...I'd like to imagine it's a clever euphemism for curing a hangover, but it almost seems more likely that it's the name of a dance move. Regardless, the stuff pours like eggnog and really coats the glass (yes, I poured it into a glass) with little bits of nuts & oats. It smells sweet, like eggnog, or cheesecake, or peanut butter pie. Tastes sweet and creamy and delicious. The grittiness from the cashews might be a bit of an aquired taste, but it doesn't bother me. There's almost a citrus tanginess that serves as a nice contrast to the creamy nuttiness. I didn't think I was going to make it through the whole 16oz, but I did, no problem. Looking at Pat's website, Stagga Back isn't mentioned in the current product line. I'm not sure if it's been discontinued... If so, that's too bad, because I can't think of a better beverage to wash down a spicy beef patty on fresh baked coco bread.

Stagga Back
Is it delicious?: B+
Is it interesting?: A-
Drinkability: C

Sour Sop with Lime
Sour sop (aka guanábana) is a tropical fruit that is native to the Caribbean. This drink has an interesting look...it's white and kind of viscous like saliva. Like Stagga Back, it also has bits of stuff in it. It smells kind of sweet and fruity, like pineapple juice. Pretty refreshing, like a tropical cocktail. It's sweet and a little bit tart and a little bit creamy (like it contains coconut milk...but it doesn't). I'm not familiar enough with the flavor of sour sop to pick it out, but for me this just goes down like a sweet tropical fruit juice, with a slight mouth-drying characteristic.

Sour Sop with Lime
Is it delicious?: B
Is it interesting?: B-
Drinkability: B+

Sorrel
Sorrel (aka roselle) is a species of hibiscus that has many uses. In the Caribbean, it is often made into a drink flavored with ginger and rum. (This one, however, contains no booze). The drink has a deep, dark red color, like pomegranate juice. The predominant smell comes from the ginger, but I also sense a tart, fruity smell. The most interesting thing about the flavor is definitely the powerful, fresh ginger. The rest actually seems pretty familiar. Smooth, sweet, and fruity like grape juice. But the two flavors are completely separate...which is strange. Overall, pretty refreshing with a lingering spiciness. Though this bottle was bought at the same time and place as the other two, it clearly sports a fancy new label. Unfortunately, it also sports red food dye #40 and sodium benzoate (as a preservative). Hmm...

Sorrel
Is it delicious?: B
Is it interesting?: C
Drinkability: B