’Tis cotton candy season!

Though the person who declared National Cotton Candy Day for the end of the year, on December 7, might disagree. So that day will live in infamy and, apparently, in fairy floss. But to me, cotton candy is a summer treat.

Instead of going to a carnival, state fair, amusement park, cotton candy vending machine (yes, they exist), or crashing some kid’s birthday party, you can get your cotton candy fix from the fine folks at Alani Nu.

Now, you might be thinking, “Drinking an energy drink isn’t the same as biting into a cloud of sugar that gets stuck to anything that has a hint of moisture. Also, Alani Nu already has a cotton candy flavor.” True and true. Yes, and the original Cotton Candy variety is crazy delicious, but this is Purple Cotton Candy.

If you’re assuming the “purple” here means grape, you’re correct. If you thought cranberry, nice try. Oddly, it smells like blue raspberry, but once you get past that, it has a nice grape flavor with a hint of cotton candy that’s reminiscent of the original Cotton Candy variety.

The grape flavor in the aftertaste occasionally leaned medicinal. Maybe I drank too much Dimetapp as a kid, or something that makes me think of that. It wasn’t every sip, and it wasn’t full-on medicinal, just a slight detour in an otherwise pleasant flavor.

So if you can’t get to a carnival, state fair, amusement park, or cotton candy vending machine, or you get kicked out of a birthday party before partaking in the fairy floss, cracking open a can of Alani Nu’s Purple Cotton Candy (or the original) might be the next best thing. It isn’t as great as Alani Nu’s Cotton Candy, but it’s still pretty good. And if you accidentally grab this one instead of the original because they both have colored stripes running down the sides of the can, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 12 oz can
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 200 milligrams of caffeine.