On a hot sunny a bag juice is a cheap and cheerful way to hit the spot and cool you down. Beloved by children and adults alike this little delights are popular in Jamaica and are fun to drink too!
What Is Jamaican Bag Juice?
Bag Juices are a popular cheap drink in Jamaica that are traditionally made from water, sugar syrup, artificial colors, and flavorings that are literally sold in a clear bag. Available to buy from vendors on every street corner in Jamaica for as little as JA$30, bag juices are super delicious when slightly frozen as the frosty sweetness keeps cool and delicious for longer.
How to Drink a Bag Juice
After seeing the brightly colored liquid tightly packed into delicate clear bags for the first time, you could be forgiven for wondering how to get to the juice inside the bag without it all exploding everywhere!
The Jamaican method of opening a bag juice is super easy and straightforward and can be easily achieved by anyone!
- Hold the bag juice by one corner so that a tiny air space can be seen inside the bag
- Place this (cleaned) corner of the bag juice into the mouth, tightly closing the lips
- Carefully bite a small hole in the bag juice and suck out the juice!
- You can get more flow if you gently squeeze the bag while sucking out the juice
- Lastly please DISPOSE of the plastic bag in a proper waste receptacle to keep Jamaica beautiful
Bag Juices and Jamaican Schools
Popular as a thirst-quenching and super cheap beverage at school, bag juices are often sold in the ‘tuck shop’ and by the vendors that set up little stalls right by the school gates every day. At break time a stream of children rushes to pick their favorite color of bag juice, which was rarely representative of the flavor!
The highly sought-after colors would be the brightest, such as red and orange, with the green and clear bag juices being taken up last. The clear bags were a gamble as to whether you would get a bag of water or a bag of sweet, sugary cream soda!
If you were lucky enough to get a fully frozen bag juice, it would be knocked on a hard surface until the contents had broken up into a slush which would be super satisfying and long-lasting when sucked out from a hole bitten in the corner of the bag.
Often drank alongside another school break staple, the Nutribun. Nutribun is similar to the traditional Jamaican bun (think bun and cheese), but it’s fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Bag Juice and its Influence on Jamaican Music and Culture
Bag Juice is so ingrained into Jamaican culture, that it is mentioned in several dancehall tracks with varying degrees of flair and reverence. However, with much of the rest of the lyrics of an adult nature, I will leave it to your discretion if you wish to hear the full song at your own leisure!
- Aidonia in his infamous ‘Ukku Bit’ dancehall smash sings… ‘Nah drink no bag juice fi give you no cavity’ …
- Ishawna in her dancehall track ‘Equal Rights’, sings… ‘Deal with me like a bag juice’…
- Mr. Vegas in his dancehall classic ‘Road’, sings… ‘Bun a bag juice stop gap a road’…
Although bag juices are popular among Jamaicans, and especially children, there comes a time when they are no longer on the agenda…
There is a widely used expression ‘Hot gyal nuh drink bag juice’, – meaning ‘hot women don’t drink bag juice’ implying that the cheap beverage sold in a plastic bag and intended for children, is below them.
Jamaican Bag Juice Recipes – How to Make Bag Juice 3 Ways
If you want to make a bag juice at home they are super easy providing you have a sweetner and some water.
Jamaican Bag Juice Recipe Method One:
Ingredients:
- Sachet of Tang, Fresh Start. Kool-Aid, or other powdered drink
- Enough Water to mix sachet as per instructions on the pack
Method:
- Mix flavored sugar syrup with the quantity of water on the bottle
- Pour equal amounts into small clear plastic bags
- Put juice-filled bags into fridge or freezer until chilled
- Drink and enjoy!
Jamaican Bag Juice Recipe Method Two:
Ingredients:
- Sachet of Tang, Fresh Start. Kool-Aid, or other powdered drink
- Enough Water to mix sachet as per instructions on the pack
Method:
- Mix powdered drink mix with the quantity of water on the sachet
- Pour equal amounts into a small clear plastic bag
- Put juice-filled bags into fridge or freezer until chilled
- Drink and enjoy!
Jamaican Bag Juice Recipe Method Three:
Ingredients:
- Natural fruit juice
- Water – if required to dilute the fruit juice
Method:
- Mix fruit juice, with water if required
- Pour equal amounts into small clear plastic bags
- Put juice-filled bags into fridge or freezer until chilled
- Drink and enjoy!
FAQ’s About Jamaican Bag Juice
Everything you wanted to know about Jamaican Bag Juice…
What Is A Bag Juice?
A ‘bag juice’ is water usually flavored with sugar syrup and tied into a clear plastic bag.
Are Bag Juice Healthy?
Although most bag juices are made from artificially flavored sugar syrup and water, some brands are now making an effort to use considerably less sugar and/ or fruit juices to make these popular children’s drinks more healthy.
Additionally, the Bureau of Standards of Jamaica (BSJ) did a review of the bag juice industry in Jamaica in 2005 and set standards as to their production to protect the children that mainly drank them. With around 40 registered manufacturers and an estimated 100 more unregistered producers of bag juice in Jamaica, the BSJ has stepped up to regulate the industry.
How Do You Drink A Bag Juice?
Simply place one corner of the bag juice in your mouth and carefully bite a hole through the plastic bag, then suck out the contents!
How Much Does Bag Juice Cost in Jamaica?
A single bag juice can be bought for around JA$30 from shops and street vendors, or you can buy a pack of 12 bag juice for around JA$200 at the supermarket.
Where Can I Buy Bag Juice in Jamaica?
A single bag juice can be bought from shops and street vendors, or you can buy a pack of 12 bag juice at the supermarket.
