As part of Macy’s “Brasil” summer marketing campaign, the former Marshall Fields superstore has added some fun extras to their usual inventory. In addition to Brazilian themed clothes, there are music CDs with killer beats (my personal favorite song was not there), snacks, and even a soda from our southern neighbors, Guarana Antarctica. According to sales associates, the Brazilian-made pop has become quite a hot ticket item. They have been literally jumping off the shelves. Most sales have been casual consumers; however, one customer bought over a dozen.
How could I not give the beverage a try?
First, I looked at the ingredients: water, sugar (not much corn down there), and Guarana extract. “Where had I heard the name before?”, I pondered. Then it hit me this was the same extract that helps some energy drinks wake up folks around the world. Cool, this was truly a Rio Redbull! I popped open the can and took a sip.
The verdict: pretty good. Guarana Antarctica’s flavor is very reminiscent of a watermelon jolly rancher. I was particularly impressed with its sweetness – enough to pucker the lips but not the whole bag. Try it for yourself. It is located by the escalators of the downtown superstore. But if you can’t make it downtown, keep an eye out for it at your local supermarket. PepsiCo recently bought the worldwide distribution rights – so far they have only exported the brand to the Iberian Peninsula.
Andrew Levin 