My Taste Buds <3 Tava

One of the things I gave up for lent is pop. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, after all, I don't drink that much pop. But, it's not good for me and when I am in need of a little boost, I turn to it and I feel like I shouldn't. I wish I could be one of those H2O nuts, guzzling away at the cool taste of nothingness, but I just can't do it. I like FLAVOR and I have a major weakness for carbonation.

So, the other day when I was zapping away items for my wedding registry at Target, I decided I needed a drink. Since the Target snack counter fountain mostly contained pop, I only had one choice: Tava.

"What in the world is this?" I thought.

Described as a "Zero calorie sparkling beverage," I was intrigued. The flavor was "Mediterranean Fiesta," and had a taste of citrus + berries (which I later learned should be black berry, tangerine and lime). I was pleasantly surprised after tasting it and I will definitely plan to purchase it in the future.

I didn't know where the heck the stuff came from or who made it (it didn't say on the fountain label), so I did some digging via the Internet. I learned the company was recently acquired by PepsiCo and from what I can tell, its marketing approach is looking to draw from the crowd of what I would call "artsy hipsters." The Web site plays music I've never heard before -- crucial to that type of audience (in fact, I may go download some of the songs...), says Tava supports emerging artists and the list of events where Tava will be present throughout the year include a combo of art/jazz/theater fairs from around the country (none in the Detroit area though -- BOO!).

The other Tava flavors include Tahitian Tamure (tropical fruit/ tangerine/ lime) and Brazillian Samba (passion fruit/ pineapple/ lime). Kind of nerdy names if you ask me, but the flavors taste good and for this artsy type of audience, they seem appropriate.

My research lead me to learn that Tava is one of those drinks fortified by vitamins (vitamins E, B6, niacin and chromium). The sodium levels aren't fantastic (35 mg per 16.9 oz.) and it contains aspartame, which apparently isn't that great for you, but shoot, nothing is bad in moderation. Tava sells for $1.49 for a 16.9 oz., which is comparable to many other energy/vitamin drinks out there.

All in all, for a girl like me who craves the carbonation but not the calories of pop, it does the trick and makes me feel like I belong in the "artsy hipster" demographic. Me likey.

(Side note: Read the story from this week's Fortune here about the changing face of Pepsi and how sassy CEO Indra Nooyi is leading the charge. You go girl!)