Make Your Own Soda - WIth Korean Fruit Vinegar (I Promise. When Have I Lead You Wrong?)

Orange, pomegranate and blueberry vinegars

Nothing makes grocery shopping better than free samples, and that works even if you don't know what you're sampling.

A smiling woman at Lotte in Catonsville got us to try drinking vinegars.  They're sweetened vinegars that we were served as a shot.  Good tasting, and "good for digestion," according to the woman at Lotte.

Honestly, we bought the first bottle on a lark, but these vinegars -- pomegranate, cactus fruit, orange and other varieties -- have become the flavor of this summer as we have learned to mix them down.

Start with bubbling water.  Could just be a bottle of seltzer.  Could be that SodaStream that you splurged to buy.  Either way, a dash of pomegranate vinegar turns a glass of water into a spectacular drink.

We disagree on intensity.  Mrs. HowChow tints the water.  I pour at least a shot, maybe more.  It's a sugary mix, but you definitely get the taste of vinegar to balance out the sweet.  It's a nice refreshment.  Easy for you to personalize.  And ripe for a mixing with vodka or soju if you wanted to experiment with a signature drink.

One problem:  I can't read the bottle because the only English is the ingredient sticker.  Check out the bottles above.  On our last visit, they were in the first row of shelves looking over the produce section.  Show the photo to someone there, and they should be able to find the bottles.  They had large bottles of pomegranate or cactus pear or three-packs of smaller bottles with orange, pomegranate and blueberry.

I haven't looked, but I assume they sell these vinegars in the Lotte in Ellicott City and the H Mart in Catonsville.  All those stores are worth exploring for vegetables, fruits, fish and all kinds of international packaged goods.