Gwinnett Daily Post

With summer on the way, cool treats are a must in the kitchen of any Georgia home. From ice-cold mint water to a new take on ice cream, check out a few of the cool items we've found.

Metromint

With a sharp scent and distinct flavor, Metromint, a new line of mint-flavored water, washes down with varied feedback. I opted for the lemonmint flavor, and other varieties include a peppermint, spearmint and orangemint.

The no-calorie beverage is rated on a chill factor system. The coolest, peppermint, is a minus-9 degrees, while the orangemint is only minus-3 degrees.

Tasting like water mixed with gum and lemon zest, the lemonmint is odd but tantalizing. After a few sips, I was satisfied and didn't finish the 16.9-ounce bottle.

It feels a bit like drinking mouthwash, leaving your breath fresh but your stomach mildly tight. The company claims the drink can soothe upset stomachs and cure headaches, but I just felt like my mouth was cleaner.

Retailing for $8 for a pack of four, Metromint waters are sold at Publix and Whole Foods. Visit www.metromint.com.

Milo's Tea

Nothing says summer like a tall glass of iced tea. And no one does tea quite like Milo's. The Southern staple recently introduced a non-sweet line for health-conscious sippers. The new non-sweet blend is made with Splenda rather than sugar, cutting the calories down to zero.

The sweet and non-sweet drinks were equally popular among the Daily Post staff, although some were initially timid to try the un-sweet version. After a few sips, though, the verdict was clear: It was nearly impossible to tell a difference.

Some hard-and-fast sweet tea drinkers may not like Milo's un-sweet variety simply because it's labeled sugar-free. But based solely on taste, I doubt anyone would be able to tell sweet from Splenda.

Milo's tea is sold in gallon jugs and is available at Wal-Mart. Visit www.milostea.com.

Purely Decadent

The name reads Purely Decadent. Well, that sounds promising. And then the ice cream label states it is dairy-free. For a die-hard ice cream eater, the two just don't go together. But for the lactose-intolerant, the thought of ice-cold ice cream, without the stomach pains later, is a dream come true.

Turtle Mountain recently introduced pints of dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to its the Purely Decadent line, as the first dairy-free cookie dough flavor available on the market. The ice cream is delicious. It's rich and creamy rather than gritty, like most non-dairy options. All-natural, gluten-free and vegan-friendly, the recipe is seriously sweet, presumably to make up for the lack of cream.

If you're looking at this as a diet version of ice cream, be warned: there is nothing light about it - from calories to taste. It packs the same nutritional punch as the regular dairy version, with the same satisfying flavor.

Retailing for $3.49 a pint, the ice cream is sold at select grocery and natural food stores. Visit www.turtlemountain.com.