Your next side quest = tastings 🙂‍↔️🍹

You can actually try drinks without spending much $$

Author

Angela Haynes
June 05, 2026

Took a little break (unintended), but great things come to those who wait right?

So recently, I did a little “late” spring-time tidying in my email inbox. 

Cause, I cannot stand opening my inbox and seeing 3,000 emails just staring back at me! [ADHD brain]

While I was scrolling through, I saw one of the many emails I get from my local boutique beverage store Zero Co.

I usually either don’t open them or do a quick scan and keep it pushing, but this time — I had time.

Looking through and scrolling to the bottom, I saw that they were hosting their weekly weekend tastings in their store.

The beverage brand that caught my eye was Sunny Dayz, a THC & CBD infused seltzer drink.

I have been eyeing THC-related beverage brands I could try, so the timing was everything. And the best thing about it?

It’s free. 😉 

A phrase you’ll usually find me saying? If it’s free it’s for me. 💅🏾

In short summary I went, tried two REALLY good seltzer (I’m not even a fan of seltzers!) flavors, had a great conversation with their sales rep Chase, and ended up buying a can to bring home later for a lil’ discount!

A successful tasting day in my opinion. 😊 

And why do I consider it successful?

Because of two (and a half) things.

1️⃣ I tasted the drinks so I can get a sense of if this will be something I enjoy and recommend to my peoples!

And 2️⃣ this wasn’t a waste of my money. 🙂 (respectfully in this economy)

Let me be so real with you — the older I get, the less interested I am in wasting my money on drinks I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy or not.

That’s why I’ve become such a fan of tastings — they let you experiment, discover new flavors, and refine your palate without the buyer’s remorse.

So if you’re on the hunt for your next side quest, let me put you on to some places you can check out that you may not have thought about! 👀 

5 Places To Discover Your Next Favorite Drink 🍸️ 

1️⃣ Grocery Store Sampling Events: Think Costco, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc. You may bring home your next go-to bevvy!

2️⃣ Specialty Beverage Stores: Goldmines because they’re usually curating products you may never have even heard of before! If you’re in ATL, my top recs are @zerocoatl & @besoberish (both non-alcoholic bottle shops)

3️⃣Farmers Markets: A haven of great hidden gems in my opinion. That’s where I found my favorite sea moss brand (ATL-based) @cafemossatl 

4️⃣ Brewery, Distillery, & Beverage Open Houses: Lately, places like these aren’t just serving alcohol. Now, there’s NA options, seasonal tastings, and even some that host community events!

5️⃣ Local Food & Beverage Festivals: If you’re in ATL, there’s literally no excuse to not hit up a festival like this, as there’s TOO many to choose from! 😆 Especially since you’re not just sampling one or two brands, but upwards of 10 or 20+! One thing about me, I love options!

CHALLENGE TIME! 

Attend one tasting before summer ends. That’s it.

Try something you’ve never had before and maybe you’ll discover something new or confirm if something isn’t for you.

Either way, you’ll learn something about your palate without wasting money on a full purchase.

And if you do go, hit reply and tell me what you tried! I’m always looking for my next sip recommendation 😉 

Angie’s Corner 🤎 

Just to share some honorable highlights while I’ve been away.

Some of y’all may have seen some of these already via socials, which btw if you haven’t already say hi to me on Instagram! (I do reply back 😄)

  • My first campaign with Total Wine went live in early April!

  • Chick-Fil-A’s beverage cafe, Daybright reached out to ya girl to do a little collab to promote their new matcha menu in honor of Matcha Day (May 2nd). Did y’all know matcha had a whole day? I didn’t, but this collab was HELLA DOPE! Check it 👉️ here 👈️ 

  • Ya girl had her FIRST speaking gig with Ember Sessions! If you’re in Atlanta, Ember Sessions is a meetup for curious minds who love to learn from folks in the community who are passionate about sharing topics they care about with others. Led by Clarke Henderson, I had to shoot my shot and it turned out to be such a great experience! I’ll definitely be on the hunt for more speaking engagements like this and beyond! Just the start, but check out a lil’ recap I did here!

Before You Go…