I had to do a double-take before accepting an offer to try ALO, makers of aloe vera beverages, but I’m glad I did.
The aloe vera comes from leaves harvested from sustainable farms in Thailand. It is combined with fruit and vegetable juices to make delicious plant-based beverages.
Alo has a line of 100% juices, which just added passion fruit and sugarcane to the lineup. Each 10.8 oz. slim can ($32 for a 12-pack) has just two ingredients: juice and pulp.
Both the peach (140 calories, 36 g. carbs) and the mango (120 calories, 32 g. carbs) versions were outstanding. I liked that they weren’t carbonated, they were perfectly sweet and the pulp was an enjoyable feature (don’t worry, it was not as pulp-y as orange juice can be).
The other flavors are watermelon, pineapple and lychee, plus two pulp-free watermelon varieties.
I also got to try ALO’s original line, which features natural aloe vera juice and pulp that’s harvested on the company’s organic farm and combines them with a splash of real fruit juices.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. From the outside, the green bottle resembled the aloe gel that you would rub on your body after a sunburn, but it is not that way at all. The refreshing (and clear) beverage reminded me of bubble tea in which the jelly-like bits of real minced aloe vera pulp were the pearls. I tried the flavor called Exposed, and I really enjoyed the sweet honey flavor.
The original line also comes in Allure (mango and mangosteen), Comfort (watermelon and peach), Crisp (Fuji apple and pear), Appeal (pomelo, grapefruit, lemon), Awaken (wheatgrass), Enrich (pomegranate and cranberry), Spring (mixed berry), Blush (strawberry) and Blue (blueberry). Each 500 ml bottle ($34 for a 12-pack) has around 120-180 calories, 31-45 g. carbs and 50-69 mg calcium.
Of note, ALO also makes sparkling beverages.
In Madison, you can buy ALO at Whole Foods, CVS and Hy-Vee.
Photos by ALO
Tags: juice
