Milk alternatives have never really been a part of my life. I don’t drink all that much milk, and when I do, I don’t question that it comes from a cow. When I learned that now, you can find not only soy, but also almond milk, I was intrigued. The brand I found was made by Blue Diamond, whose almonds I have enjoyed extensively in my life. In my parents’ house, a can of “smokehouse” almonds is a household staple. So before I even knew they made almond milk, they had my brand loyalty.
First I tried just drinking a glass of it. I rarely just drink cow’s milk, but I thought I should make the comparison. I found the almond milk to have a surprisingly understated flavor. The end of the sip conveyed a hint of the drink’s nutty source, but mostly the drink was refreshing, clean tasting, and decidedly milky. For avid milk-lovers – and Melanie DuPuis demonstrated they are many – might not be satisfied, but since I don’t particularly like drinking milk on its own, I actually think I prefer a glass of this “Almond Breeze.” Certainly for vegans or anyone who doesn’t want to support our dairy system, almond milk can rival its soy counterpart. I haven’t had very much soy milk in my life, but I don’t have very positive memories of those few times. The Blue Diamond website goes so far as to guarantee the taste of their milk. They say they will fully refund any customer who doesn’t think “the lusciously smooth taste of Almond Breeze is more delicious1” than soy milk. I know I won’t be asking for a refund.
I also tried this milk in a bowl of Cap’n Crunch. Much like my experience with tofurky, when the mild nuttiness of the milk was hidden by the cereal flavor, I really couldn’t tell I wasn’t consuming cow’s milk. Therefore the merit of almond milk as a substitute very much depends on how you consume it. I thought it was delicious in both contexts, but I don’t see it replacing cow’s milk any time soon.
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