Summer Drinks for All Weathers - We Are Tea & Ugly Drinks Review

It's the first day of summer and currently it is raining, it's a difficult decision as to whether or not to head to the fridge or put the kettle on.

It's good to have a choice though and with We Are Tea and Ugly drinks I have that option, in fact I believe it was Peter Kay's mum who said that having a cup of tea will cool you down, so these are both perfect for summer days.

We Are Tea make award winning loose leaf tea, which, if you like proper tea like I do then, is perfect. Along with their fabulous Simpicitea infuser, it couldn't be easier to make yourself a wonderful cup of tea.

I have messed about for years with tea infusers, forgetting to use the tea strainer and ending up with several cups of tea that i've had to sieve, so for me this is a genius piece of tea making kit which has made tea making that much easier.

You pop your tea leaves into the Simplicitea pot and then fill with water to the desired level, leave to stew for 2-3 minutes and then when you are ready you place the pot onto your cup and push gently down, the water comes out of the bottom, filtering any leaves and bits of tea.

This is such a clever idea, and whilst it won't ever replace the decadence of having a teapot, cups, saucers and a tea strainer, for every day easy proper tea drinking it is ideal, great for home and work.

It costs £18 which is probably more than you might pay for a cafetiere, however if you love fresh leaf tea then it is an investment in good tea.

The tea itself from We Are Tea was delicious, they sent me a gunpowder green tea, I am not a huge caffeine drinker anymore so this was ideal for me, it was tasty and I loved watching the tea unfurl in the water.  They do a small selection of teas including good old English Breakfast and Early Grey both loose leaf and bags, the bags are biodegradable and with enough space to ensure the tea infuses properly.

For those warmer days, which I am sure will happen soon but as I sit here watching the rain I am not so sure, there is Ugly, a new drink which offers fizzy pop but without the sugar and sweeteners, which personally I am not a fan of.

As a former drinker of a certain caffeinated fizzy pop I have missed having a fizzy drink at times, and there is only so much water you can drink before you feel a bit like a fish. So when I heard about Ugly I straight away though i'd like to give it a try.

Firstly I understand the name is a bit odd, I mean can you imagine asking for an Ugly Grapefruit and Pineapple drink, but I suppose thats what makes it stand out.

My husband loves fizzy water but I am not usually a fan of it on it's own so I was intrigued to try the Ugly drink to see how it faired.

The lemon and lime is very subtle and you certainly get the smell more than the taste, it is a very light taste and if you love fizzy water but want a little hint of something then this would be great, the grapefruit and pineapple is definitely my favourite with the pineapple coming through without being a sweet and sickly aftertaste.

This is the perfect drink for summer, fresh summer smells make you just want to sit and chill out in the garden.

So on that note, who is now singing U G L Y you ain't got not alibi?

NB: We were sent samples of both products to form this review, all words and opinions are my own.