Beverages are as plentiful on this planet as opinions-well almost. It seems there is a new beverage on the market every time I turn around. This is a good thing in a world where tastes are evolving and people tend to tire of the same thing day in and day out. The same holds true with our drinks of choice. It's amazing how quickly the beverage industry has evolved in the past and continues to evolve today.



Now you don't have a choice of white milk or chocolate milk, there are many options in between-Vanilla, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry, Blueberry, Banana, and any other flavor the great makers of milk (we all know that's no longer the cows) can think up in order to sell more of their products. The irony is that that's just a small example.

Even water has jumped on the bandwagon. Forget about all the different brands of water on the market today. In addition to the various brands there are interesting flavors for the water as well. With a touch of cherry we can raise the price, but why stop at cherry, add lemon, lime, orange, blackberry, grape, you name it they can create it. The truth of the matter is that most of us on planet earth today could stand to drink a lot more water and milk so if adding a little variety to our selection gets us to behave, as we should, there really shouldn't be a problem.

The beverages that really get to me however, are those designed to boost energy. I will be the first to admit that I've become rather immune to the energy boosting effects of caffeine, perhaps because of the copious amounts I consume on any given day, but of the many energy giving drinks on today's market I've yet to find one that tastes better than coffee.

So I will continue to fight off the urge to snooze mid afternoon while sipping tea and soda and the occasional glass of flavored water. I will also continue to be amazed at all the wonderful flavors of beverages that are constantly being created. My current favorite though is Berries and Cream Diet Dr. Pepper. I have no idea why, but this drink calls my name no matter what time of day it is and I'll be happy to drink it whenever. Of course I've always been somewhat of a soft drink sucker.

The beverage selection that really gets me however is the juice aisle at the local supermarket. I am constantly amazed at the ever-changing selections. Gone are the days when there were two flavors of Gatorade and I didn't know there were so many fruits to create all these wonderful juices and juice blends. This is the kids' favorite aisle by far and we could quite possibly go through the better part of a year without ever choosing the same juice twice, it really is nothing short of amazing.

No matter what your beverage of choice is, there is one thing that is fairly certain if you're ever in need for a change there is probably some beverage on the shelves that you have not yet managed to sample.