Subject: Functional Foods

• Inside the Offices of 50 Cent

  September 20, 2007

• Bottoms Up: The Jimi Hendrix Liquid Experience Inspires InSIPid Humor

  October 24, 2008

• BEST JAPANESE CONVENIENCE STORE

  Fujiya Market

  September 30, 2004

• Gwen Stefani

  Can't be bad

  October 13, 2005

• Caffiend: Starbucks' Venti Double Shot on Ice with Energy Pack

  My caffeine addiction has lead me to try all manner of caffeinated drinks, and I'll be reviewing many of them for you here in "Caffiend" every week. And as fate would have it, the first drink I'm reviewing is a real ass-kicker that I'd never tried before: the Starbucks Venti Double Shot on ice (with added energy pack).

  November 24, 2008

• Caffiend: Sobe Adrenaline Rush

  I've never been a huge fan of Sobe's juice drinks, but the Sobe Adrenaline Rush energy drink is by far my favorite of all energy drinks (and I've tried tons). It's delicious and loaded with caffeine, and a 16 oz. can of AR contains less sugar than a 12 oz. can of Mountain Dew.

  December 1, 2008

• Caffiend: Socko Energy Drink

  Socko is made right here in the Valley, at Bliss Beverages on Scottsdale Road. The company, founded five years ago by 32 year-old Jordan Harwood, has been fairly successful in its short existence, teaming up with World Wrestling Entertainment to produce the Hulk Energy drink, and raking in an estimated $4 million a year in profits. The upstart company took off so quickly that Harwood was profiled in Forbes just a year after founding it.

  December 15, 2008

• Caffiend: Buzz Bites and FOOSH Mints

  As an MBA candidate in Boston, Jason Kensey loved caffeine, but hated the taste of energy drinks and didn't drink coffee, preferring caffeinated sodas with tons of sugar. His disappointment with caffeinated beverages led him to start Vroom Foods in 1996, a company that makes high-energy mints and chocolates. Vroom's two primary products, chocolate chews and mints, promise 25% more caffeine than a leading energy drink, at about the same price. (A six-count tin of the chews costs $2.99 to $3.99; a six-pack of mints costs about $1.25 to $1.75).

  December 22, 2008

• Mormon Magazine: Quit Energy Drinks Now and Avoid Being Slain by the "Destroying Angel"

  If you know anything about Mormons, it's that they typically avoid coffee and other products with caffeine. Yet many Mormons recognize that caffeine isn't exactly heroin, and there appears to be a healthy debate within the Church of Latter Day Saints over the use of the drug. In the wake of an explosion of energy drinks in recent years that even has some mainstream scientists concerned, Mormon doctor writes in this month's copy of the Ensign -- the official magazine of the Salt-Lake-City-bas

  December 31, 2008

• Caffiend: Ed Hardy's Celebrity Energy Drink

  Tattoo pioneer Ed Hardy was one of the first artists to start using color in his tattoos, more than 40 years ago. His energy drinks (which come in orange, apple, and pomegranate flavors) are touted as "tattoos for the tongue." Hardy's brand of clothing is also popular (especially among the hipster-clubber set), but a little more expensive than his energy drinks, which retail for around $1.99 each.

  January 26, 2009

• Caffiend: Blu Frog Wildly Healthy Energy Drink

  As suggested by one of our readers in the comments of a previous Caffiend, the new Blu Frog "Wildly Healthy" energy drink is supposed to provide an energy boost similar to the most popular energy drinks on the market, but with healthier ingredients.

  February 2, 2009

• Caffiend: AriZona Green Tea Energy Drink

  AriZona Green Tea is one of the most popular pre-made teas, so when we heard the company made a new Green Tea Energy Drink, we figured we'd give it a try, despite our reservations about how strange a "lightly carbonated" green tea might taste.Looks like: The can is black, embossed with cherry blossom trees (also featured on the regular AriZona Green Tea cans), and Asian-inspired images in gold, including two warriors battling in front of a pagoda.Smells like: A regular, leafy green tea.Tastes li

  February 9, 2009

• Caffiend: Red Line Xtreme

  You know an energy drink is "extreme" when more than half the label is filled with warnings in .3 font. An eight ounce bottle of Red Line Xtreme gives a litany of cautions: "Do not consume Red Line on an empty stomach," "Do not exceed recommended serving," "Do not use for weight reduction" (even though the bottle's motto is "Feel the freak, feel the freeze, watch the fat drop off with ease!")So this stuff is supposed to be pretty heavy-duty. It's a legend among tech geeks who used to consume it

  March 9, 2009

• Caffiend: 24:7 Coffee Energy

  Cold coffee drinks have been a cool commodity since Starbucks introduced its Frappuccino line. Since then, makers of energy drinks like Rock Star and Monster have added cofffee-type drinks to their line of products. The latest energy drink to jump on the iced coffee bandwagon is 24:7 Energy. Let's see how it stacks up.Looks like: Something pretty bland. The can is a dark caramel color with limited decorations.Smells like: The aroma of a coffee filter, a couple days after a pot of coffee's been b

  March 16, 2009

• Caffiend: Sucker Punch

  Ed Hardy might have tried to corner the rockabilly and hot rod market with his own designer energy drinks, but he's got some tough competition in Sucker Punch, a new drink made by old school motorcycle and chopper company Sucker Punch Sally's.Looks like: A vintage soda, with a retro design featuring an old car on a dark can. The drink itself is a mellow yellow color.Smells like: A subtle, fruity cream soda.Tastes like: Cream soda, with a hint of lemon and orange. Sucker Punch lacks the strange s

  March 31, 2009

• Caffiend: Java Monster Loca Moca

  Monster is one of the most popular energy drinks on the market. The brand offers a plethora of flavors, including coffee-flavored energy drinks like the Java Monster Loca Moca. Looks like: A big ol' can of whoop ass.Smells like: Sugar-laden espresso.Tastes like: Chocolate coffee with an extra sweet kick.Caffeine and other contents: About 140 mg per 16 ounce can. That's 60 mg more caffeine than an 8 ounce Red Bull. The product is supposed to contain half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, but

  April 6, 2009

• Let It Ride

  Aaron Homoki

  September 29, 2005

• X Man

  The guy behind the high octane, glow-in-the-dark energy drink Liquid X is working overtime to create a buzz - in the market, and in your brain.

  August 8, 2002

• Caffiend: MacAlpine's Coffee Shake

  Walk into vintage soda shop MacAlpine's (on 7th street, between Thomas and McDowell) on a hot day and ask for something special, something with a super-kick, and they just might make you a delicious shake with coffee in it. It's not on the menu, but it's their suggestion, and while you might not get the hyper wattage of the typical billion-shot espresso or carbonated energy drinks, it'll probably be the tastiest thing you drink all week.MacAlpine's Soda Fountain Coffee ShakeLooks like: A yummy,

  April 20, 2009

• This Week In Chow Bella

  Another week has come and gone leaving us to ponder the upcoming events that will shape our lives and, more importantly, our dinners out. But before we move on, let's have one last look at the blog posts from this week: Chef Talk: Josh Hebert, Posh Bashas' Closing 10 Grocery Stores Battle of the Tortas Beauty Food: Strawberry Yogurt Masque CityScape: Chef Aaron May and Mojo's Among Nine New Tenants Announced Today

  July 17, 2009

• Caffiend: Xyience's Xenergy

  E. Groves​The Xyience Xenergy drink is "the official energy drink" of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). That factoid, combined with all the "x" references in the brand (as in "extreme," we assume), had us thinking that this drink was gonna either majorly kick our asses or help us kick some major ass.Unfortunately, it did neither. Usually, we don't mind if a drink touted as some sort of super-charged elixir doesn't live up to its hype, so long as it tastes good. But taste is not a virtu

  October 5, 2009

• Caffiend: Bawls G33K B33R

  E. Groves​Anybody who ever attended a LAN party has seen Bawls, the Guarana-based drink of choice for geeks. This is a reputation Bawls clearly embraces, as they named one of their concoctions "G33K B33R."G33K B33R is a high-octane root beer that tastes great, like old time Sarsparilla. And the energy rush is unbelievable, packing 100 mg of caffeine from the Guarana plant. But don't call it an "energy drink" -- unlike most energy drinks, Bawls G33K B33R contains no B vitamins. It's not designe

  October 12, 2009

• Caffiend: Guru

  E. Groves​There are seemingly a gazillion energy drinks on the market, loaded with sugars and artificial flavors and colors. And while we're fans of the sweet stuff, sometimes we like to try and get a boost without all the artificial additives. Hence, the appeal of a product like Guru, a "100% Natural Energy Drink." The ingredients include sparkling water, white grape juice concentrate, cane juice concentrate, and lemon juice concentrate, along with a blend of herbs including things like ginse

  October 26, 2009

• Caffiend: Jolt Orange Blast

  E. Groves​Since it was introduced in 1985, Jolt Cola's had a well-deserved reputation as one of the world's most caffeinated sodas, proudly standing by its motto of "All the sugar and twice the caffeine" -- at least until the cane sugar in the original recipe was replaced with high fructose corn syrup. Now the tag line is "All the flavor and twice the caffeine."And oh, how many flavors Jolt has added to its line since its birth 24 years ago. There's Cherry Bomb, Citrus Climax, White Lightning,

  November 2, 2009