Drink up! The makers of Joia all-natural soda want you to reach for a cold one. Theirs is an unusual blend of fruit, herbs and spices with carbonation. Sip it as is (slowly as you would a wine rather than guzzling like a soft drink), or use as an ingredient in mixed drinks or smoothies. Joia (pronounced JOY-uh) comes in four flavors: lime (with hibiscus and clove), blackberry (with pomegranate and ginger), grapefuit (with chamomile and cardamom) and pineapple (with coconut and nutmeg). My favorite? The pineapple-coconut blend, but then I'm partial to anything coconut.
You'll find it at Lunds, Byerly's, Kowalski's, Whole Foods and some food co-ops, as well as specialty stores and some local restaurants. A four-pack of 12-ounce bottles costs $5.99. From Boundary Waters Brands of Minneapolis, www.joialife.com.
LEE SVITAK DEAN
Apples and history
The Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life compares the lives of pioneers and Indians who lived in the region through replicas of how they lived and their interactions through Jane Gibbs' friendship with the Dakotah, who camped on the site on their way north to gather wild rice. This weekend an Apple Festival is added to the mix, with costumed interpreters such as Johnny Appleseed telling how apples provided quick food for settlers and could be stored year-round. There also will be apple-themed games, crafts and foods, live music and a hay-bale maze. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. at 2097 W. Larpenteur Av., Falcon Heights. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 2-4. For details, visit www.RCHS.com.
KIM ODE
Three cheers Well, we knew the writing was terrific, so it's no surprise Rick Nelson's story on the Kenyan farmers near Lake Pepin landed in "Best Food Writing 2011," edited by Holly Hughes. You can read the story, published last September, at startribune.com/taste or, of course, in the book.
