“UV Lemonade”, eh? And it’s pink…hmmmmmm, a boy’s tempted to stop accepting samples from companies at this rate. It’s like they’re subtly implying, ‘It’s ok, we sent it in plain-brown-paper packing… No one has to know what a little sorority girl you are inside…’ Hmph, okay then, ‘Little girl self, let’s do this!’

And do it we did. The first thing I wanted to do in sampling this product was test it against a known quantity. And as you can see from the picture on the right, known quantity; thy name is Skyy Citrus! Skyy Citrus is what I use for my Cosmopolitans and little else. It does a fair job and I’ve not really given it much thought, but now it’s got a contender; a new lass in town ready to take it to the mat. So, how does my crusty, dusty, and heavy blue bottle hold up to the pink lady of ultraviolet trendiness? It doesn’t. Drinking them both neat, UV Lemonade has a much cleaner, crisper, and truer “lemon” flavor than Skyy. Skyy Citrus came across as extremely dry, and not in a good way. It was harsh with a chemical timbre where UV Lemonade is sweeter but also cleans and leaves the palate in a way you appreciate; unlike the Skyy which leaves your tongue feeling like The Joker after a good bath in a warehouse. This, I was not expecting.

Alright then lady, what say you to a game of cocktails? We do still write from time-to-time about cocktails round these parts, you know…

Pink Flamingo:

• 2 oz UV Lemonade
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• Splash of triple sec

You know the drill, ice, shake, strain…

This is UV’s signature drink for this product, and I have to say, I don’t care for it. I’m not sure they expected people to use straight cranberry juice versus cranberry cocktail. I’m not sure what kind of drink that would make, but this low-rent version of a Cosmopolitan doesn’t show this product off very well. The cranberry juice is 2/3s the flavor and the sweetness of the UV Lemonade fights enough to just barely peek through. The Cointreau (triple sec), it should have stayed home for a nice evening alone with Ms. Grand Marnier; you know she’s been stringing him along for a good long while and tonight might have been his shot, but no, he’s got to muck about with this gang, a gang in which he has no business being. So, a dilemma, I like the product, but I’m not about to sit around and drink it neat and I feel like it deserves a better shot than this. So, what to do?
Let’s turn to another drink, Summer Rain, for some inspiration. Switch it up a bit, subtract this, add the love of a good Collins vs. a Mojito, and voila, you’ve got… Well, I don’t know what you’ve got, but it’s a damned sight better than the Pink Flamingo.

Ultraviolet Pom Collins:

• 2 oz UV Lemonade
• 1 ½ oz Pomegranate Juice
• 1 oz Cointreau
• ½ oz lemon juice
• Club soda

Shake all ingredients except club soda with ice and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with club soda and garnish with what ever you like.

This is really damned good. Hell, I’d be proud to serve it and with UV Lemonade being 70 proof, it’s a nice refreshing drink that will leave you standing for a few more. I was surprised it didn’t suffer the same issue as the Pink Flamingo in that Pomegranate juice isn’t always an agreeable bedmate, but it all comes together very well. A 14oz Collins glass is nice because you get just the right amount of soda without diluting the drink or keeping it from being effervescent. The lemonade and pomegranate juice are very nice together and the lemon juice adds a touch of sweet tartness. I really liked this and will be keeping it, and UV Lemonade, in rotation. Especially given UV Lemonade’s price point; it’s quality outstrips its price by a significant margin. And shit… I just ruined a perfectly good MxMo XVIII: Fizz! entry. Guess I’ll have to go back to the drawing board, a nerd’s work is never done, thank goodness.

Pink Flamingo Rating:

Ultraviolet Pom Collins Rating:

For another positive review of UV Lemonade, click Rick Dobbs’ review here and The Liquid Muse has a slightly less than lukewarm review here.