by Alicia MacLeay
Honey Stinger Waffle samples at Outdoor Retailer in January.
What made me pull a 180 in the crowded, gear overloaded halls of Outdoor Retailer in January? A chocolate Honey Stinger Waffle.
Actually, it was a prototype wrapper of a chocolate Honey Stinger Waffle. Samples weren't yet available, so in fact I was drawn to a piece of empty packaging, or future trash.
The new chocolate flavor Stinger Waffles come out this week. Bill Gamber, Honey Stinger co-founder, says customers have asked for a chocolate version since the waffle's 2010 introduction.
I've been a consumer and fan of Honey Stinger energy gels, chews, and protein bars for several years. I have my own prodigious stash (bought on my own dime), and even have given variety packs of them to more than one runner as a birthday present (I may be a strange friend, but I am also a practical one).
Last year, while training for my first, though not last, ultra, I tried the Stinger Waffles in original Honey and Vanilla flavors. They became a fueling highlight on long runs. I like, or at least tolerate, a number of gels and chews, but the Stinger Waffle was on another level. I timed its consumption for maximum enjoyment. I told people, well my husband and some friends, about it after runs (no one had asked).
Love him or hate him, Lance Armstrong, co-owner of Honey Stinger, gets credit for the Stinger Waffle concept, and face time on the package. It's based on the traditional stroopwafel, a waffle made from two thin layers of baked batter with syrup filling, popular with European cyclists looking for a quick energy boost.
Not surprisingly, the Stinger Waffle is on the sweet side, which isn't for every palette, but in the right doses it works for me. So, I'm eager to try the chocolate version and find out if it lives up to expectations and is as good as it should be.
All Stinger Waffles are 160 calories and certified USDA Organic. Flavors include original honey, vanilla, strawberry, and now chocolate. Lemon may be on the way this summer.
Chocolate Stinger Waffle
- Ingredients: Organic wheat flour, organic palm fruit oil, organic rice syrup, organic cane sugar, organic whole wheat flour, organic cocoa, organic soy flour, organic honey, natural flavor, sea salt, organic soy lecithin, baking soda.
- Available: March 15, 2012
- MSRP: $1.39
Is there an outdoor food or drink you've been inspired to shout about from mountaintops, or maybe regretted for days in the backcountry?
Share it below, or in our Camp Kitchen and Recipes community forums. Or write a review.
