A celebri-quote: Alyson Hannigan

• Alyson Hannigan, part of the ensemble cast of the TV series "How I Met Your Mother," and actor husband Alexis Denisof are expecting their first child this spring. She made this comment about her current eating and drinking choices in an interview with US Weekly:

On food: "I basically went from being a vegan to ... well, now it's meat and cheese -- and ginger ale!. ... I didn't eat any meat or cheese before. Now, I have to."

On drink: She says she craves ginger ale. "Ginger ale, I love. Apparently, my mom craved ginger ale when she was pregnant with me. Maybe it's a hereditary thing."

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Drinking water deal in Saratoga County, NY

• From the Albany (NY) Times Union:

The federal government moved to defuse a dispute over Hudson River drinking water safety during the PCB dredging project by getting General Electric, which is paying for the project, to also cover the added cost of piping in outside water from Troy.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that GE has agreed to pay $7 million toward a new $8.2 million water line connecting Waterford and Halfmoon to Troy's drinking water. Moreover, GE will pay for whatever water the towns get when PCB levels in the river become unsafe, or when there is not enough time to test Hudson water before it reaches the towns' drinking water intakes.

The dispute over drinking water has dragged on for months, with EPA refusing the town's request to cover the cost of buying Troy water unless it exceeded safety levels.

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Ferguson on whiskey and coffee

Craig Ferguson, the hands-down best standup act/talk show host on television, offers excellent riffs nearly every weeknight.

Here's one that fits into this blog's drinks genre, ranging from whiskey to coffee.



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Toronto joins bottled water ban

If you're in Toronto and have a thirst for a cold bottle of water, you might have some problems finding one.

The city has decided to outlaw the sale of bottled water in all municipal buildings, including local arenas.

While banning bottled water, the city did not ban any other bottled beverage.

The ban was approved in December by City Council, with the target of stopping such sales for all municipal premises from City Hall to golf courses by 2011.

Mayor David Miller's spokesman, Stuart Green, said the ban is part of the city's plan to divert 70% of its waste from municipal dumps by 2010.

Not only is the city eliminating sales of the plastic bottles, it also is instituting the following steps:

• A five-cent charge for every plastic bag customers use from a grocery or retail store, starting in June.

• A ban on biodegradable and compostable plastic bags.

• A ban on retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year.

• A request that retailers also provide shoppers with alternatives to having the pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers.

According to the Polaris Institute, 17 municipalities from five Canadian provinces have banned the plastic bottles, while another 45 municipalities are planning restrictions on bottled water.

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About that VitaminWater lawsuit: Oh, snap!

Glacéau VitaminWater has been marketed by Coca-Cola Inc. as a healthy alternative to other beverages because of its added vitamins and minerals.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has taken issue with claims such as "rescue," "energy” and "endurance" associated with the drinks. So it, filed a class action lawsuit against Coke for making what it says are unfounded health claims.

When the suit was announced on Thursday, Coca-Cola had no public response. Today, it does.

Says spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante in a beautifully cutting way:

"Glacéau Vitaminwater is clearly and properly labeled and shows the amount of vitamins and calories in the product.

"Consumers today are savvy, educated and are looking for more from their beverages than just hydration. Many people know that they are not receiving adequate nutrients from their diets, so they have turned to products like Glacéau Vitaminwater in order to help supplement what they are not receiving from the foods they eat," she said.

"This is not about protecting the public interest. This is about increasing the readership of CSPI's increasingly irrelevant newsletter."

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Coke sued over VitaminWater claims

The Center for Science in the Public Interest today announced it is suing the Coca-Cola Co.

At issue is what the nutrition advocacy group calls "deceptive" claims about the company's VitaminWater line of drinks.

The Washington-based group is accusing Coca-Cola of selling what is says is basically sugar water by claiming it has vitamins that boost immunity and reduce the risk of disease. It said the health benefit claims Coca-Cola makes are "nonsense."

The suit was filed as a class action in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.

Coca-Cola bought Glaceau's VitaminWater for $4.1 billion in June 2007. Since the acquisition, sales have improved by a double-digit percentage in the third quarter.

"It truly shocks the conscience that a company like Coke would try to keep customers by selling them a soft drink and telling them it's a vitamin," said Stephen Gardner, director of litigation for the group.

Coca-Cola did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The same advocacy group sued MillerCoors last fall to stop the brewer from selling Sparks, an alcoholic energy drink. Last month the company agreed to remove some stimulants from its formula.

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Starbucks debuting new tea-based drinks

Starbucks is scheduled to introduce several new antioxidant-rich tea beverages in its more than 11,000 U.S. stores beginning Saturday, January 3.

The new Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes and Tazo Tea Infusions will be available along with tea drinks already on the menu, although they will be the first to use full-leaf tea bags in stores, allowing customers to steep to the strength they prefer.

The hot tea lattes are made with Tazo tea and steamed milk in three flavors: Black Tea Latte, Vanilla Rooibos Latte, featuring a naturally caffeine-free South African herbal tea, and London Fog Latte with a blend of black tea, bergamot, French lavender and vanilla. The price range, depending on where you are, will be $2.85 to $3.50 for a tall.

The non-dairy Tazo Tea Infusions, available hot or cold, include black chai tea steamed with fruit juices in Berry Chai Infusion and Apple Chai Infusion flavors. Price range: $2.40 to $2.70 for a tall.

All have fewer than 200 calories for a 12-ounce, or tall, serving, except the Apple Chai Infusion, which has 250.

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