For a while, I used the flavored water packets that suddenly surged in popularity a few years ago. I'd either buy water and tip the packet in, or I'd bring water in a Nalgene and use it, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I'd open my purse and find that the packet had ripped and gotten grit all over the bottom. Or that there were clumps of undissolved powder in my water bottle. Or that the execution would go perfect, but the overall flavor was just chalky and dry on the tongue.So I switched to a Vitamin Water habit that I still haven't quite kicked. What can I say? Ease and flavor have always been priorities for drinking. Around the house, water is known as anti-juice. I wish I could strike a good balance. But when I was given the opportunity to try MiO, a new liquid water enhancer, I was mystified and intrigued. Visions of ketchup packets filled with syrup danced through my head, staining my purse, my pockets, my fingers...the thought of that and the inevitable stickiness triggered my OCD whereupon I hid in my apartment, coming out only to solve complex mathematical problems during my janitorial work hours. Life is hard.
MiO, despite its chatspeakesque moniker, is nothing like my bleak expectations. Spoiler alert: It's good! It comes in an aesthetically pleasing bottle and features a controlled dosage of liquid to squeeze into water. It has a lot of features that may seem simple, but if they weren't there, you'd be scratching your head and saying, "They could make it better if..." And they did. Back to the controlled dosage- the bottle has a locked seal that releases a certain amount, and only when squeezed rather firmly. The cap has two sections for locking it up tight and two clear clicks so there's no ambiguity about knowing if it's closed or not and no risk of sticky, gummy caps. Eugggh. All this is explained on the side of the bottle.
Esportoe gives two thumbs up for this product.I was sent two flavors by Ketchum PR's Marissa Beck, in Strawberry Watermelon and Peach Tea. There are four others as well. MiO recommends using two squeezes per eight ounces of water but places a strong emphasis on customization- you can add as many or as little squeezes as you'd like and then store it for later. After squeezing your desired amount, you have to mix it in its receptacle. It mixes together quite smoothly with no particles at the bottom or strange oiliness to the enhancer. It really comes together quite seamlessly. The strawberry watermelon was the one I tried first, and for a non-caloric beverage, I was really impressed with the flavor. It reminded me of a slightly less sweet Vitamin Water, with a quenching melon and berry taste. It erred a little toward the artificial side, but was overall my favorite of the two. The peach tea definitely needed more than the recommended two squirts- it came out tasting a little diluted and bitter, but with another squeeze, mellowed out into a sweet peachy drink.
Though MiO savagely advocates customization, perhaps strawberry watermelon peach tea isn't the best way of demonstrating it. Neither is having a swordfight with the two streams in the mouth of the glass. (Name that film, Dumptruck.)I think that there are aspects of these that need improvement, but for a newly released products, it has the makings and potential of solid workmanship and ease of usage. I've had experience with products that ignore some of the smaller features and let me tell you, it makes a huge difference in quality. If Kraft came out with a cherry limeade flavor, I think I'd get "MiO" tattooed on my forehead. Also any product that uses Sassy Gay Friend to advertise is a winner in my book. I'm confident that this is something that will save me money and disappointment the next time I reach for a beverage.
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