One day back in 1995, Liz (yes, there’s a “Lizzy”) was riding her bike. As usual, she had a carton of grapefruit juice and a bottle of sparkling water in her backpack. You see, it was her habit to mix juice and seltzer and the only way to get that combination was to make it yourself. So she got off her bike, started mixing and had her “aha” moment
A healthy soft drink
The number of carbonated beverages in the drink aisle of a grocery store is staggering. Most drinks have little nutritional value and, in many cases, contain mystery ingredients that are unhealthy or harmful, like Glycerol ester of wood rosin and Phenylalanine. Very few carbonated beverages are derived from anything natural anymore, plant or fruit based, and most are loaded with sugar, corn syrup, or sugar substitutes.
All soft drinks are not hopelessly unhealthy however. New York based Fizzy Lizzy is a carbonated drink company that has been producing a line of natural fruit flavors for more than ten years now. There are no added sugars, the juice content of most of the flavors is around 65 percent, and the average calorie content is somewhere in the range of 100 calories. In its purest form Fizzy Lizzy is nothing more than natural fruit juice and carbonated water. It appeals to people who are looking for healthy and natural ingredients – in their food and yes, even their soda.
While founder and president Liz Morril started the company on a shoestring budget of $45,000 in the face of many who doubted the company’s viability, the company has grown nationally with a presence in more than 40 states and even globally to Japan.
In New York City Fizzy Lizzy is available in Whole Foods, Sullivan Street Bakery, Citarella, and the Blue Hill Cafe. In Albany you can find Fizzy Lizzy at the Honest Weight Food Co-op.