A new study published in the journal Psychological Science indicates that simple rituals make food or drink taste better. Researchers believe that these rituals – such as a toast,  saying or special way of serving a food – heighten awareness of what you’re eating or drinking by bringing you into the moment.

Researchers from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and Harvard Business School in Boston conducted four experiments about rituals before eating. They tested whether rituals influence the perception and consumption of chocolate (sweet), lemonade (tart) and baby carrots (healthy).

In the experiments, the researchers devised simple rituals for each food type – breaking and unwrapping a chocolate bar, rapping knuckles on a desk before nibbling carrots and stirring and pouring lemonade. Participants who performed rituals reported that they savored the items more than those who did not engage in rituals. The study also found that performing a ritual enhanced the sensory experience and enjoyment more than just watching a ritual.

Many Syfonatics tell us they have special rituals that help them enjoy Syfo even more. Some have a special glass; some put it on their nightstand, sipping it before bedtime to help them get a good night’s sleep and of course Syfo has been a big part of holiday celebration rituals such as Passover, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah.

What’s your ritual? If you have a special method, saying or ritual that involves drinking Syfo, we’d like to know. Click here to share it with the Syfo community and we’ll publish them in a future news post.

You can learn more about how rituals help us savor food in this article on the Greater Good website.

Tell your friends about Syfo!

Celebrate Hanukkah with Syfo Beverages this holiday season. In addition to being one of the healthiest beverages on the market, the Syfo is certified Kosher by the largest and most widely respected Kashruth agency — the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Syfo is sold at all Publix Super Markets throughout the Southeast, Winn-Dixie in Florida and many independent grocers throughout the region.

Try these delicious and festive drink recipes to enjoy during Hanukkah this year.

Manischewitz Spritzer

This is an adaptation of a recipe that we found on the Manischewitz website:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ cup of mixed frozen berries
• Syfo Kosher Wild Cherry Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water
• Manischewitz Blackberry Wine

PREPARATION:

In a large pitcher, mix 1 part of Syfo Sparkling Water and 1 part Manischewitz Blackberry Wine. Mix in frozen fruit and add in ice if needed. Enjoy!

Adult Hanukkah Beverage

This recipe is a variation of the many blue-themed drink recipes that are common for Hanukkah:

INGREDIENTS:

• Blue Curacao Liqueur
• Syfo Kosher Lemon-Lime Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water
• Ice
• Citrus Flavored Vodka

PREPARATION:

Mix 2 parts of Syfo Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water, 1 part Blue Curacao and 1 part citrus vodka, with ice. Stir gently in a glass and drink up!

Non Alcoholic Hanukkah Blue Beverage

Here’s a blue recipe for the kids!

INGREDIENTS:

• Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid
• Syfo Kosher Lemon-Lime Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water
• Ice
• White Grape Juice

PREPARATION:

Combine 1 part Kool-Aid, 1 part white grape juice and 1 part Syfo Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water. Pour over ice and of course serve with a blue bendy straw.

Honey Hanukkah Punch

A tasty but not too sweet punch, adapted from a recipe on Liquors.com

INGREDIENTS:

• Dark Rum or Light Rum
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Honey Syrup (two parts honey, 1 part water)
• Syfo Kosher Lemon-Lime Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water

PREPARATION:

Combine 2 part rum, 2 parts Syfo Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water, 1 part lime juice and desired amount of honey syrup. Mix gently and pour over ice in a glass. Sprinkle a bit of ground nutmeg for garnish, if desired

Rosemary Gin Cocktail

From ahealthylifeforme.com, here’s a refreshing gin cocktail that’s perfect for Hanukkah and includes a homemade rosemary syrup.

INGREDIENTS:

For the rosemary syrup:

• 1/4 cup ground Rosemary1/2 cup water1/2 cup of sugar

For the cocktail:

• 1 and 1/2 oz of Gin (we used Saphire)
• 3/4 oz Rosemary syrup
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon, squeezed)
• Syfo Original Seltzer
• Sprig of Rosemary for garnish

PREPARATION:

Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar and rosemary and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep the mixture off heat for 45 minutes.Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.Fill glass with ice. Add gin, lemon and Rosemary simple syrup and stir.Top with a splash of Syfo Original Seltzer, stir briefly and garnish with a rosemary sprig.We hope you enjoy these recipes and everyone at Syfo would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah.

One of our favorite holidays is upon us. Delicious dinner and dessert, family, friends, and good conversation. But with delectable food, a tasty cocktail is a must. Try one of these fall flavored cocktails at your Thanksgiving soirée.

Cyder Bourbon & Honey Punch

Ingredients:

5 ½ cups of apple cider
4 food-grade cinnamon sticks & additional for garnishes
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large Honeycrisp apples (cut one into wedges and one thinly sliced with a mandolin or knife)
¾ cups of honey
3 ¼ cups of bourbo
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups of Syfo Original Seltzer

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine apple cider, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and apple wedges. Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Let stand for about 20 minutes. Pour cider mixture in a large bowl or carafe, whisking in honey until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for 3-12 hours. Strain cider mixture and discard solids. Pour bourbon, lemon juice, Syfo Original Seltzer and apple slices, stir gently to combine. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and delight your guests!

Acknowledgement: Photo and recipe from https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/cider-bourbon-honey-punch

Pomegranate Sangria

Ingredients:

2 oranges
750ml of Spanish red wine
1 ½ cups of pomegranate juice
1/3 cups of orange liqueur
¼ cup of brandy
1 ½ cups of Syfo Original Seltzer
2 tablespoons of lemon juicy
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 large apple (chopped into ¼ inch pieces)
½ cup of pomegranate arils (seeds)

Preparation:

Using one orange, juice orange in to a large pitcher or bowl. Thinly slice the second orange using a mandolin or knife. Combine wine, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, brandy, lemon juice, and sugar to the pitcher with orange juice. Stir gently and add the apples, orange slices, and pomegranate arils. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, then serve.

Acknowledgement: Photo and recipe from https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pomegranate-sangria.html

Smokey Blackberry Smash

Ingredients:

4 oz blackberrie 
1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
juice 
Half of a lemon
1-2 tablespoons of honey
1 ½ ounces of Mezcal
A few dashes of orange bitters
Syfo Original Seltzer for topping

Preparation:

Combine blackberries, rosemary leaves, lemon juice, and honey in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the ingredients to release the flavors. Add Mezcal and orange bitters to the muddled ingredients, strain solids if desired. Pour the mixture over a glass of ice and top with Syfo Sparkling Water. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and enjoy!

Acknowledgement: Photo and Recipe from https://www.crateandbarrel.com/blog/black-widow-mezcal-cocktail/

Labor Day weekend — the last hurrah of the summer. Labor Day is looked forward to as a great opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and have fun. Need we say BBQ? To help ease the sorrow of the end of summer, enjoy these refreshing beverage recipes with a sparkling Syfo touch.

Rangpur Strawberry Crush

From delish, here’s a perfect late-summer recipe:

Ingredients:

4 strawberries
1 1/2 oz. Tanqueray Rangpur
1 1/2 oz.  Syfo Lemon-Lime Naturally Flavored Sparkling Water

Preparation:

Prepare strawberries in a highball glass. Add crushed ice and Tanqueray Rangpur and top with Syfo Lemon-Lime Naturally Flavored Sparkling Water .

Sparkling Cojito Cocktail

Courtesy of the kitchn website, here’s a cool refreshing variation of the mojito. The recipe serves six.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh mint, keep a few sprigs to the side for garnish
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
4 limes juiced
3 cups coconut rum, like Blue Chair Bay
1 liter Syfo Original Seltzer
Ice
Lime wedges for garnish

Preparation:

In a large pitcher, combine the mint, sugar and water, and muddle. Add the lime juice and rum, and stir to combine. Fill the pitcher with ice and add the seltzer. Pour into ice filled glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge.

Red, White & Blue Spritzer

Ingredients:

White Wine (we chose Moscato)
Lemon-Lime Syfo Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water
Frozen Blueberries & Strawberries

Preparation:

Pour 4oz of chilled Moscato and 2oz of Syfo Lemon-Lime Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water in a glass. Top with frozen blueberries and strawberries and enjoy!

Watermelon Slush

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of Watermelon
1/3 cups of Pomegranate Juice
Syfo Original Seltzer
1 cup of ice
Vodka (optional)

Preparation:

Blend fresh watermelon, pomegranate juice and ice. Add 1 part of slush blend and 1 part of Syfo Original Seltzer in a glass. Add an optional shot of Vodka or liquor of your choice.

Summer Breeze

Ingredients:

Cranberry Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Syfo Wild Cherry Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water
Ice
Pineapple Wedge
Vodka (we chose citrus flavor)

Preparation:

Pour 1 part cranberry juice, 1 part grapefruit juice, and 1 part citrus vodka in a shaker over ice. Shake well. Pour mixture in a glass and top with Syfo Wild Cherry Naturally-Flavored Sparkling Water. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple and enjoy the summer breeze.

NOAA is predicting the most active hurricane season since at least 2005 for 2024.  And Hurricane Beryl is the strongest Atlantic storm on record for this early in the season. For any storms that may come our way this year, it’s important to be prepared and ready to keep you and your family safe.

Part of that preparation is ensuring that you have plenty of non-perishable food, water and other healthy  beverages on hand.  Syfo Original Seltzer and Naturally Flavored Sparkling Waters are great to have in supply in addition to water because they’re purified, taste terrific and keep you hydrated, unlike soda and some other sweetened drinks. But because products often sell out when a storm approaches, be sure to always have plenty of Syfo on hand.

Of course there are other steps you’ll need to take to keep you and your family safe for the 2014 hurricane season. Click here to read informative hurricane preparedness tips on Ready.gov and be sure to to stay tuned to your local news outlets and weather forecasts as storms approach.