Try it! Desert Drinks and exotics
If you find yourself with a sweet tooth that can’t be satisfied by ordinary treats then Desert Drinks and Exotics is the spot for you.
Desert Drinks is located just off of the corner of 18th street and McDowell in a quiet corner opposite Palabras Bilingual Bookstore. Desert Drinks stocks many familiar favorites from your childhood like hot Cheeto balls and familiar cafeteria donuts.
Desert Drinks also stocks exotic snack foods from around the world including Japanese drinks and chips shipped all the way from Thailand.
The candy and soda selections at Desert Drinks may be the most robust of the selections. The candy features regional staples and oddities like Dr. Pepper cotton candy or Sunny-D flavored gummies that resemble Starburst gummies. Candy selections also come from all over the globe featuring such goodies as Japanese Kit-Kats and foreign cereals.
If something more substantial and filling is more attune to your palate there are several rare and elusive cereals in stock. The cereal selections range from the obscure but familiar-like banana cream Frosted Flakes- to the entirely new-like the Drumstick flavored puffs.
Customers may be caught off guard by the prices on some items but cheaper items are also available throughout the store. Sodas are often the most expensive items especially when they come from overseas but other snacks come in much cheaper. Snacks range anywhere from $1-$10 while sodas can get as high as $15 per bottle. The unique flavors and experience are easily worth the price.
Desert Drinks has regular hours Tuesday-Sunday from 12:00-8:00pm or check out Desert Drinks on Instagram.
Japanese Kit-Kats
Large bags of Japanese Kit-Kats are available for $7 a bag. They are a welcome departure from the familiar flavors of domestic Kit-Kats. The strawberry Kit-Kat has an almost over powering flavor that tastes more similar to strawberry milk than it does any natural strawberry flavor. The matcha Kit-Kats have a wonderful flavor that is radically different than any flavors in the western palette. The matcha Kit-Kat may be a bit unpleasant for those who do not like tea of more earthy flavors.
Thai Chips
Thai chips may be within the most reasonably priced of all things available at the store. Flavors range from the sweet and spicy chili chips to the scorching hot Thai chili chips. Lovers of Hot Cheetos will fawn over the selection of spicy Thai chips available for just $2-$3. For those who don’t like the heat-there no need to stay out of the chip aisle- there are many alternatives from all over the world. If something more local strikes your fancy Desert Drinks has regional rarities like Rap Snacks to fill your empty stomach.
Drumstick Cereal
The Drumstick cereal is one of the most delicious things available in store. Of all the regional cereals this one may be the most unique and worth trying. Small balls of slightly malted flavor litter the cereal. Balls of chocolate replace the drippings usually found around the cone and Chex replace the cone itself. The result is a cereal that taste shockingly close to the food it’s imitating. The milk interacting with the slight malt of the cereal creates a flavor comparable to the ice cream.
Sunny-D Gummies
The Sunny-D gummies were by far the most predictable thing in the tasting. They were very similar to Starburst gummies but had less of the gooey exploding filling that the snack is known for. The flavor of the snack was excellent but it left a lot to be desired.
Limited/Regional Ginger Ale’s
These are not your grandfather’s sodas nor are they the same as the ones you downed the last time you were sick. These are complex and delightful flavors that don’t overwhelm your palate or the other snacks you may be consuming. These sodas are some of the most reasonably priced in store and go great with the chips and candies.
