MiO - 10 Reviews

Deep in the Alaskan wilderness lies a group of people exiled from civilization. They were misunderstood and should have never been banished like they were, in the middle of the night with pitchforks, flaming sticks, and arrows, like modern day Frankenstein monsters. They are occasionally air dropped supplies so that they can live. The people that put them there aren't bad people, just complete idiots because the people that they sent away were the smartest people in each of the towns. When they opened their mouths, genius came out and the townspeople didn't understand or felt threatened. Now there is a small town that is run by geniuses and has things that larger towns don't have like perpetual motion power, no government, friendly robots, fair trade, and a research and development facility that puts the drug companies to shame. Inside this facility they have a type of grape that is indigenous to only there and they dubbed it the "arctic grape." It is a marvel of science that only such smart people could create. Inside and unlike in regular grapes, there are vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes that could only previously be in sugary sports drinks. They use it in a juice that they drink all the time. It's a light purple color and tastes great. It doesn't have and calories so they can all stay as fit as they always were. It tastes a bit between a candy grape and a "real" grape and doesn't taste like a diet drink, which is a nice middle ground for both the adults and children at the town.

There is little to no communication between the people that sent them away and the townspeople so they aren't aware of such technological advances. They like it that way because it's their secret way of getting back at them. They live far better, richer lives among their own kind than with the likes of those dumb dummies.

Who doesn't want to be fit? I'm not saying you have to go the whole nine yards, juice up, and become completely muscle bound, just toned at least. I do. I feel like I used to be due to my incredible metabolism but then the years started catching up to me and I had to be a bit more conscience about what I eat and drink. I've never gone crazy with food, which is why I'm not four hundred pounds, but I could have definitely done better with my food choices in my life.

In order to become more fit, I have taken up bike riding, which I have actually scaled down since having no time to casually ride my bike with a kid. That helped for a little bit. Now it's down to things like eating right since I don't really have time to go to the gym. Either that or I'm lazy and making excuses. If I were to go to the gym, I know that I would traditionally bring Gatorade but with all the other fitness drinks I've had since doing Thirsty Dudes that might not be the go-to anymore. This is another one that should be on your radar. It's diet, yes. It's sweetened with sucralose, but it's not poison like you might think. The flavor is actually pretty light, which you can control with how much you squeeze in to your glass but I followed directions and it was lighter than I expected. It's zero calories, though, and has everything that's going to energize, hydrate, and electrolyte you to get to your target weight. The flavor is that of a berry, whether it be a blueberry, you know, because it's blue, or a black berry or any nondescript berry. It could be raspberry, which it could be in hindsight because of its "blue" color. You know how that is the only blue food that exists in drink form. Whatever flavor it is, it's not bad and with no calories you could drink it all day, in or out of the gym. I've seriously got to think about something fitness related before my body just rejects what little I do to it for payback.

Lemonade, plain old lemonade, is pretty quickly going the way of vanilla ice cream. "What am I talking about?" you say? Well it's just kind of old news. There are better things out there. Vanilla and lemonade are becoming so...basic. You just have to do so much to make them interesting. I guess that adding blueberry isn't that much but you feel me, right dogg?

This lemonade, albeit not really natural, isn't bad. It's blue, which I don't like because I hate things that turn my mouth blue. This doesn't do that, so I'm not counting it against it, but that's why I'm always fearful of blue drinks and candy. It doesn't have a bite like a true lemonade would but the lemon and blueberry flavor is pretty good. It's kind of in the middle of something like a blueberry lemonade popsicle and the juice that you would expect. It doesn't taste diet and doesn't taste bad. That is two wins.

Italian Fest will be next week. I have a strange thing where I don't like to eat Italian food because I feel like I've never had Italian food that is any better than what I can make at home. I know that I have just irritated every Italian that is reading this as well as anyone who is reading this with an Italian lurking over their shoulder. Italian Fest is like St. Patrick's Day where everyone is Italian for the day. Well, everyone except Sicilians since there is some...thing...going on there.

To combat Italian Fest my own, stupid way, I decided to make some Italian food myself in the comfort of my own home. I boiled some boxed penne, and put some Goya chipotle marinade in some pre-made mushroom sauce and ate it and it was fantastic. I won. I beat Italian Fest. I decided to accompany my victory meal with a cold glass of MiO lemonade. I didn't know what to expect because my ideal lemonade has a pound of pulp in it. I know the container's restrictions so I wasn't surprised that there wasn't pulp in there. A couple squirts later, the water has turned into lemonade. This lemonade tasted like little kid's lemonade that was a bit watered down. That also means that you could make better MiO lemonade by not following directions and adding "too much" mix. It's got a bit of a diet taste, but it's a diet drink so who's surprised there? Not I. Not I.

Dear Italians. You're wonderful people but can keep your gross, cheese filled desserts.

Water is great. It's super refreshing and I drink it all the time unlike some people I know. A lot of people hate that water tastes like nothing, so that's where companies like MiO come in. The tag line on this little bottle says it all, it's a "liquid water enhancer". Unlike other varieties of MiO, this also has caffeine in it so it turns your water into delicious energy water.

Let's be honest, most energy drinks are gross. Sure we have found a few that are good, but for the most part they are vile things in a can. Most are also carbonated, and I'm not always in the mood for a carbonated drink. As far as energy drinks go, this is one of the best I've ever had. The black cherry taste is delicious and sweet. I know they recommend only using one squirt per 8 oz glass but I put a little extra in because I really like the strong cherry taste.

Now I don't recommend this to other people, but in the name of science I squeezed some of this straight into my mouth. It was INTENSE! It is concentrated for a reason, because drinking it straight is like taking a shot of liquid caffeine. It instantly woke me up. I'm really glad Kraft sent these to us to sample because I never knew a delicious energy drink could come in such a small bottle.

I have to drink more water. It's a fact. You might need to, also. I'm looking out for your health. It's good for you. Drink more water.

Now that me educating you on the basics are done and out of the way, we can get to the nitty gritty. Side fact: if all water tasted like sweet tea, had no calories, and was as plentiful as water, there would be no war, no crime, no funny business. Everyone would just be high-fiving everyone, kissing everyone on the cheek like some fancy European country.

This Mio isn't half bad. I drank a large and a half glass last night and was pleasantly surprised. It was slightly diet, but it's a diet drink. I don't want that to dissuade you. It's not gross. It is closer than many sweet teas I've drank that aren't diet, aren't concentrate, and come highly recommend.

Think of it as a diet sweet tea. It's a getting a thumbs up from me.

I think that if Jesus was straight edge, he might make fruit punch. Think about it. It's either that or grape juice. Grape juice may be the better choice since "grapes is grapes" but let's play along.

It's hot. It's the desert so you really should have brought more water with you. The poorly designed, worse photocopied brochure you had clearly stated that you should have brought more water. Well now you're in for it. When you think all is lost, you come across a stream. Clean, pure drinking water... is boring after thirteen days and nights. You need something else. You ask around and the only person who can save you is Jesus, the dude two tents over. He said he could turn water to low calorie fruit punch. You kind of cringe as you are not currently on a diet although all the mutton you've been eating has been going straight to your hips and inner thigh area.

"Fine, dude", you say to Jesus, "We'll try your fruit punch. " And with one turnaround from Jesus, some strange squeezing sounds coming from inside his technicolor and Hypercolor dreamcoat which he has borrowed from his college roommate Joey, he presents you with a bowl of fruit punch.

You quickly drink every last drop and you are surprised that it doesn't taste more like diet. You thank Jesus for a change of pace to which he responds, "namasde" and starts making strange squeaking noises under his coat elsewhere.

One Christmas, my Mom bought me a case of Kool-Aid. I'm talking recently, like within the last 3 years recently. It had grape, cherry, and fruit punch. They're all great. Who didn't drink it growing up? It's a staple as a kid. Like those Hug barrels that are now like drinking poison. Honestly, if you still drink those, you might have the worst taste in drinks of all time. If someone is having a get together and you drink one for classic times, awesome. Way to have a good time. If you fetch them out and drink one on a Tuesday night because you've had a long day and you don't have kids, you're a dork and need to seriously treat yourself to something better.

I don't know why my Mom got me this stuff. It's in a cabinet at work. There were like 40 powder packets in there and it's taking me an awful long time to finish it. I don't drink one every day and since I've been doing Thirsty Dudes, I haven't had the time. I think it's ever since my mom found this dude called Anthony who sells old dry goods at a fraction of the price. My mom found this dude in some parking lot by my grandma's house and swears by him. I think between April and August, she only buys things like cereal, fruit snacks, granola bars, and all those types of things from him. "Oh, I got it from Anthony!" she exclaims more times than you can imagine. Dude's cheap and she's a lunch lady. It makes perfect sense to me.

So this drink doesn't give me a lot of pomegranate, but it does give me a nice, under-flavored grape Kool-Aid flavor and that I can get behind. I don't need the sugar. Sure, it makes the real thing taste like magic as it makes its way down your gullet, but I'm smart enough to know that drinking Kool-Aid can easily be supplemented with something else. This is a good "something else."

Smells diet, doesn't taste diet. Is that a clear winner? We're going to have to go over to our line judge to determine. John?

Well Mack, can I call you Mack? Anyway, it's a difficult decision to make when it comes to diet drinks. On one hand you've got the taste and on the other you've got the smell.

Mack, that's very true and also very obvious. I hope we don't pay you by the word because everything you said was quite stupid.

Thanks, John.

You're welcome, Mack. So honestly, what did you think of the drink?

Well, John, this tasted just fine. One squirt per eight ounces of water and I was on my way. It definitely would make me drink more water. It's gulp-able. It's got a real high gulp-ability factor.

Gulp-ability...is that a technical term, Mack?

Why yes John, it is. You can drink and know you're not drinking a tea, but you're drinking more than water. It's good and I think that people are really going to gravitate towards this. Dieters or not, this product doesn't scare people away.

You really redeemed yourself with that one, Mack. Thanks for coming down.

Thank you, John.

I did not know what to expect when I heard of MiO. I love the idea of having a drink mix in a super-concentrate and not having to fuss with powder. I don't hate powders, but from a practicality standpoint, it's easier to carry one thing than many things. Women, do you have purses? Carry this and don't carry 24 drink mixes around with you. Problem 1 is solved. Problem 2? Diet drinks are gross and often really gross. MiO scared me at first. It's a concentrate, so the flavor is concentrated, and you know what else is? The artificial sweetener. I didn't think that I was going to like it from the smell alone. I was still going to try it, obviously, but that caught me by surprise. Oh wait, I didn't solve problem 2. So I made the drink, and we at Thirsty Dudes don't mess around when it comes to mix drinks. We follow directions to a T so that it's easily reproducible. For this, I did the recommended "1 squirt" per 8oz. of water. It did not taste diet at all. There wasn't a hint of diet. It tasted like if you had juice, drank three quarters, filled the glass back up with water, and started re-drinking it.

I don't want to say that it tasted like weak juice; because here's the best thing about it...you can just add more mix. Oh, it's too weak? Add more mix. Done. It's completely customizable. You can mix flavors if you want. It could be good.

I like this as a product as I, as well as many others, wish that MiO had used Stevia or something natural since everyone is up in arms about chemical sweeteners. That being said, sucralose might have been a more disguise-able sweetener. Stevia might have had more sweetness that they didn't want. I'm sure they looked into it.

Look, this is clearly a well thought out product. It eliminates the need for many and consolidates into one easy to use, easy to travel, thing. It tasted good and I feel confident about the whole packaging not opening when it shouldn't do to a rather sturdy click.

This is a brand spanking new product and since it's not gross, even if you aren't on a diet, give it a try. I'm happy that Kraft and MiO took the time to send us some samples so that we could share this with you. I feel like we're breaking ground with crisp new, revolutionary products.