Drink of the Week: Maine Root’s Blueberry Soda

Stuck in winter’s chilly rut? Pick up a bottle of Maine Root’s Blueberry Soda for an advance taste of summer. Handcrafted in Scarborough, Maine, and made by brothers Mark and Matthew Seiler, this purple soda is the perfect substitute for those roadside blueberry stands we’re missing right now. The smell of fresh blueberry jam and freesias abound, while flavors of blueberry syrup intermingle with a spike of bright acidity and a pure, fresh-picked blueberry finish. Maine Root makes other lip-smacking flavors, like Lemon Lime, Ginger Brew and Mandarin Orange. And not only do these sodas taste good, but they’re also good for the environment—all of the sodas are sweetened with organic, evaporated cane juice and all local deliveries are made in a bio-diesel VW Jetta, converted to run on recycled cooking oil by brother Matt. They’re also fair-trade-certified. These summer-ripe sodas are available year-round at Whole Foods and other natural food grocers, or can be purchased online at maineroot.com. If buying from their website, add “Plant a tree for ME!” to your shopping cart, and for $5 the brothers will plant a sapling for you in the Pine Tree State.