Product Review Archives

Every so often we'll review products, be it tonic water, coconut water, condiments, etc.

Best Tonic Water – Are the Gourmet Brands Worth the Price?

By PDX Food Dude Last Update February 14, 2021

We’ve all seen expensive tonic waters in the grocery store, but are they worth the price?

2/21 – Whole Foods Market is back with an updated version.

1/2021 – Fentimans is back, but stay far away.… Read the rest

What are the Best Coconut Waters – We Rate 43 Brands

By PDX Food Dude Last Update February 24, 2021

Best Coconut Waters

Updated 2/24 – Added Coco Roots. Whole Foods is back with two new versions an organic version in cardboard and another non-organic in a can. We’ve sent them to tasters for their opinions – preliminary notes below.… Read the rest

Review: Fentimans Tonic Water

By PDX Food Dude Last Update May 13, 2020

This review has been superseded by my tonic water roundup, which you can find here.

Continuing my interest in tonic waters, I decided to review another brand which is appearing on store shelves: Fentimans Beverages.… Read the rest

Interview: Steven Smith Teamaker

By Karen Woods Last Update January 3, 2017

“Portland is a beverage town,” Steve Smith says simply. And his beverage of choice is — and always has been– tea.

Note: sad to report that Steve Smith died in 2015. However, Steven Smith Teamaker is still in business

Back in the early 1970s, Smith started Stash Tea, which sold teas and herbal infusions to natural food stores.… Read the rest

Q Tonic vs. Fever-Tree Tonic

By PDX Food Dude Last Update May 13, 2020

In January, I reviewed Q Tonic. Now Fever-Tree, another gourmet version has hit local store shelves. I thought it was time to go back and update this post with a comparison between the two.

Gin and tonic - what my dad would call "an honest drink." No fancy juices; direct and to the point. Just about anyone should be able to take the two ingredients and, measuring, come up with a good cocktail.