Got an email from one of our readers this week – regarding a beverage product they wanted to share:
“I’ve been a reader of your site since this past Spring, and have watched your red wine reviews and also read a couple posts you had about the Smirnoff drink you like. I just wanted let you know about something I recently tried that was pretty darn good- it is called “Tretap Cranberry-Flavored ‘Pristine Sparkling water from Vermont’s Maple Trees.'” I thought you might like it also.
It is apparently made by a 7th generation maple sugaring family in Vermont and it only has 5 calories. The taste is really light and because it is made from maple water it’s very unique. Also in its mix is monk fruit, so that adds a little sweetness, but the taste is very light overall. I suggest that you give it a try!”
What the heck is tretap water anyway?
Having never heard of this (non-alcoholic) drink before, I asked the reader where they got it from. And while I waited for a response, I checked the TreTap website. I appeared that this is only available in the far northeast regions – and not in our area!
They responded: “We found it at Ocean State Job Lot.”
Oh good, one of my favorite stores! So we checked it out for ourselves.
They had all the TreTap flavors in stock at Ocean State Job Lot.
Why is TreTap at Ocean State Job Lot?
We certainly love shopping at Ocean State – because it’s good for our wallets.
And while they do sell some “regular” products (like Bob’s Red Mill, and various other household items), we were a bit concerned about TreTap, because Job Lot also sells many things that are discontinued – or “closeouts!”
Did they just have to move a lot of product (i.e., expiring soon), or is this small business in trouble? Who knows – but we had to try it nonetheless.
Cranberry had 2g of sugar per can.
$0.75 per can – not cheap, really
Not sure how much this sells for regularly – but Ocean State Job Lot had it for 75 cents per can. Works out to $9 for 12, or $18 per case of 24. Not cheap by any means!
But we picked up a few cans to see.
The first flavor we tasted (Cranberry) was super low in carbs (2g sugar). The other flavors (Blueberry and Cucumber) were similar. The last remaining flavor (Maple) was significantly higher, at 6g of carbs. Not bad for one can – but gets dicey if you drink many.
We tasted them all – and found them to be “okay.” Since we eat nothing with “added sugar,” we feel a bit uncomfortable when ingesting sweet things. But other people in our family enjoyed them. No one begged for more – which kind of says enough.
If you’re interested in trying for yourself – head over to your closest Ocean State Job Lot. The nearest one to Route 22 is in Clinton, NJ – just to the north on Route 31. They have other locations in Franklin Park, South Plainfield, and Sparta.
TreTap Sparkling Water {in their own words}
Here’s what TreTap has to say for themselves…
“Hydrate healthy with tretap, a pristine sparkling water for those who care about what goes into their body.
Made in Vermont by seventh generation family growers, tretap is harvested using sustainable forestry practices and infused with organic flavors. tretap is a refreshing, low calorie, sparkling alternative to soda naturally sweetened with a touch of anti-oxidant rich, organic maple syrup.
Tretap is locally sourced from Vermont’s maple trees, harvested by two of the largest maple sugar families in Vermont. Together, they operate a network of over 250,000 taps.
Tretap owns the sources of production (maple trees in Vermont) and transforms them into refreshing sparkling beverages, truly a unique Vermont experience.
“Tretap is organic, low calorie, low sugar using our own organic syrup as the sweetener, NON-GMO and kosher certified. I challenge consumers to know the ingredients of their drinks and know the source of their water. I promote healthy bubbles as an alternative to all the unhealthy, high sugar choices that are on the drink shelves in retailers.” – Kevin Harrison
[22 Note: If you have soda in your family – drinks like these are certainly WAY better, and could be a good “gateway” drink to get your loved ones OFF the sugar once and for all.]
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