It was real. Some may remember last month a call for a taste tester to try out drinks from Swig, the implausibly trendy soda and drinks shop that’s taking the nation by storm.
There’s four locations in Arkansas, with the closest to here being Conway. The other three are in northwest Arkansas with the most intriguing being in the new Walmart corporate headquarters. It might have been a press release about that location opening that caught the attention or it might have been a random YouTube video that popped up.
Who’s to say?
Anyway, doing something on Swig might be fun. So the call for a taste tester went out with the mission being fairly straightforward. Go to Swig, order some drinks, write down how they taste and send it back. ArkansasNewsroom.com will pay for the drinks and also compensate you for your time. That means, in very practical terms, you’ll get $50 by Venmo, order four or five and keep whatever what’s left over for your troubles, mileage or other assorted expenses.
Katherine Covington said that was fine with her, so she was dispatched. Covington has a degree in community nutrition, so that was helpful and her report follows but first a Q&A on the experience.
>> How often have you been to Swig before this?
About five times.
>> Were they fast or did orders take their time?
Extremely fast. You order with an employee that is standing outside. By the time you move to the window, your order is ready.
>> On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Swig?
10/10
>> Do you think a Swig could work somewhere else in central Arkansas?
Yes
>> Anything else you’d like to add?
The only thing that could make SWIG better in my mind is if they had gluten free pretzel bites ;)
Some notes, Swig is an upscale-ish soda fountain that’s drive-through only. Even though we suspect the one in Walmart is a walkup because it is Walmart and they also have a Wright’s BBQ.
The soda drinks start with Coke or Dr Pepper, in the leaded (sugar) and unleaded (sugar-free versions) then mixed with various fruit purees, some kind of cream, and the good ice. The kind that Sonic has, for those unfamiliar.
The creams can be in different flavors, say vanilla, but they’re most famous for adding coconut cream, which in Swig speak makes it “Dirty.”
Swig started in Salt Lake City, which though some research has a median income of $100,000 and a million people, who drive around and also don’t drink coffee or tea. Because Mormons.
They used to not drink soda either, but things change and soda’s fine now.
What follows are the drinks Katherine ordered along with size, the ingredients and cost. We thank her for her efforts and might enlist her to try the weird snacks from Aldi and Trader Joe’s but not right now.
Summer Sips: A Swig adventure
It was real. Some may remember last month a call for a taste tester to try out drinks from Swig, the implausibly trendy soda and drinks shop that’s taking the nation by storm.
There’s four locations in Arkansas, with the closest to here being Conway. The other three are in northwest Arkansas with the most intriguing being in the new Walmart corporate headquarters. It might have been a press release about that location opening that caught the attention or it might have been a random YouTube video that popped up.
Who’s to say?
Anyway, doing something on Swig might be fun. So the call for a taste tester went out with the mission being fairly straightforward. Go to Swig, order some drinks, write down how they taste and send it back. ArkansasNewsroom.com will pay for the drinks and also compensate you for your time. That means, in very practical terms, you’ll get $50 by Venmo, order four or five and keep whatever what’s left over for your troubles, mileage or other assorted expenses.
Katherine Covington said that was fine with her, so she was dispatched. Covington has a degree in community nutrition, so that was helpful and her report follows but first a Q&A on the experience.
>> How often have you been to Swig before this?
About five times.
>> Were they fast or did orders take their time?
Extremely fast. You order with an employee that is standing outside. By the time you move to the window, your order is ready.
>> On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Swig?
10/10
>> Do you think a Swig could work somewhere else in central Arkansas?
Yes
>> Anything else you’d like to add?
The only thing that could make SWIG better in my mind is if they had gluten free pretzel bites ;)
Some notes, Swig is an upscale-ish soda fountain that’s drive-through only. Even though we suspect the one in Walmart is a walkup because it is Walmart and they also have a Wright’s BBQ.
The soda drinks start with Coke or Dr Pepper, in the leaded (sugar) and unleaded (sugar-free versions) then mixed with various fruit purees, some kind of cream, and the good ice. The kind that Sonic has, for those unfamiliar.
The creams can be in different flavors, say vanilla, but they’re most famous for adding coconut cream, which in Swig speak makes it “Dirty.”
Swig started in Salt Lake City, which though some research has a median income of $100,000 and a million people, who drive around and also don’t drink coffee or tea. Because Mormons.
They used to not drink soda either, but things change and soda’s fine now.
What follows are the drinks Katherine ordered along with size, the ingredients and cost. We thank her for her efforts and might enlist her to try the weird snacks from Aldi and Trader Joe’s but not right now.
16 ounce Hula Girl
Sprite, lemonade, strawberry, mango, pineapple, vanilla cream
Cost $3.84
Very light, fruity, sweet but not too sweet
8/10
Would get again in a larger size
24 ounce Birthday Girl
Dr Pepper, blackberry, vanilla cream, fresh lime
Cost $4
Crisp, you can taste each individual flavor as they compliment each other
10/10
Would get again because it’s my own creation and it’s amazing!
24 ounce Ring King
Dr Pepper, cupcake, strawberry puree, vanilla cream
Cost $4.25
Crisp, very sweet, taste like a vanilla birthday cake
7/10
Would get again
24 ounce Poppin’ Pineapple
Sprite, pineapple, watermelon, strawberry popping pearls
Cost $4
Crisp, light flavor, not very sweet, popping pearls may be a choking hazard so drink at your own risk, pearls explode with flavor
6/10
Would get again but it’s not my favorite
24 ounce Just Peachy
Coke Zero, pineapple, peach puree, fresh lime, vanilla cream
Cost $4.65
A little flat, subtle flavor, chunks of peach remind me of a fruit cup
4/10
Would not get again-not a fan of Coke Zero
Photos are from the Swig website