Recently, I received two free bottles of Torani flavored syrup to try in exchange for a product review post on my blog.
Being the coffee and tea lover that I am, I was looking forward to getting these products so as to liven up my drinks a bit and try some new recipes. However, when my package arrived from Torani, to my disappointment it contained a large bottle of Classic Hazelnut syrup and a large bottle of Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie made with Splenda.
Torani … Are you kidding me!
First of all, hazelnut is a very common coffee flavor. I already have great hazelnut flavored coffees in my home and was not the least bit impressed to receive another. And as for the sugar-free pumpkin pie … while I love pumpkin pie, I could never write a positive review on my health blog about a product made with artificial sweeteners. Sorry Torani, but I will definitely be looking for a new home for this sucralose laden liquid.
All that being said, Torani is a successful company that has been in existence for 80 plus years. It produces flavored syrups (made with natural flavors and pure cane sugar) for coffees, teas, and sodas. And Torani sells these products in over 40 countries. I knew, despite my lack of excitement for the flavors I received from Torani, that I needed to follow through with my review. So off to Cost Plus World Market I headed to find some Torani flavors of my choosing. Luckily, Torani also provided me with generous coupons so I could do just that. I ended up with a bottle of blue raspberry syrup, a bottle of peppermint syrup, and a bottle of bacon syrup … yes bacon! Now, it was time for a little Torani sampling party at home.
Using my family as my taste testers, I proceeded to whip up a few different drinks using recipes I found on Torani’s website. I made teas, coffees, lemonades, and shakes using hazelnut, blue raspberry, and peppermint flavors. And to my delight, I enjoyed them all. The flavors I used were made with pure cane sugar and had a very good flavor. The recipes were simple and provided a nice alternative to my usual drinks. And with the many flavors Torani offers (over 122 of them), there are numerous drinks and desserts that could be made for the holidays. The recipes I used mostly called for a 1-oz. serving of Torani syrup, which equaled 80-90 calories per ounce. While I wouldn’t suggest making these drinks on a daily basis, they certainly are good for an occasional treat.
Here are some oh-so-easy recipes for you:
If you would like to purchase Torani online, you can receive a 10% discount by ordering through the ad on the left. (Note, this is not an affiliate link and I do not make any money from your purchase. This review came to me through SheSpeaks.) To receive a 10% discount when purchasing online at Torani.com, use the promo code “shespeaks”.
The sugar-free product did not get sampled during my taste test as artificial sugars always leave me with a migraine the following day. Plus, I am just not a fan of artificial sweeteners as I believe long term use of them to be dangerous, and I believe pure cane sugar to be the best option. However, I am also not blind to the fact that many people have a health issue, such as diabetes, which does not allow them to consume pure cane sugar, and their options are more limited than are mine. Sugar-free recipes can be found at Torani.com.
I also did not yet sample the bacon flavored syrup. The recipe I planned to use calls for bourbon. After an afternoon of drinks containing different flavored syrups, coffee, tea, lemonade and ice cream, I did not feel it a good idea to top it all off with bourbon and bacon. Perhaps on New Year’s Eve. To be continued ….