Tiffany Dogett, otherwise known as Pennsatucky, is one of the “Orange Is the New Black” characters who has certainly seen a lot of development throughout the series. While during the first season she was trashy, violent, and offensive, she has really grown into a lovable and kind character. I used to hate her, but she has become one of my favorites. “Yellow drink” is something she recently introduced to Litchfield, adding to the reasons why she is so lovable.
During season 5, which premiered early this June on Netflix, Pennsatucky went around the prison offering her “yellow drink” to the other inn-mates with a smile. When questioned on what exactly “yellow drink” is, she explained that she crushed up lemon candies from commissary and swirled them around in water, making a drink just like her mom used to. The other inn-mates loved her drink (and Angie and Leanne tried to mess with it, rude), so I knew I had to try it for myself in honor of my girl Pennsatucky.
Before I began the concoction I tried one of the candies, and it was a lot to handle. It was way too strong for me and tasted very sour on the outside, as a lemon candy should. I hoped that when I made the drink that some of the sour would go away. Still, I kept a positive attitude and got to work creating the yellow drink. I decided I would attempt to make it two ways to see which one worked best.
Yellow Drink Method 1
I started with the method Pennsatucky described. I put some lemon candies, which I bought at Rite Aid, in a plastic bag and pounded them down to as powdery of a consistency as I could.
Then, I poured my crushed candies in water and mixed it up. Because this method caused some clumps, I allowed the candy to flavor the water and then strained it out.
Yellow Drink Method 2
I also tried a bit of a ~fancier~ strategy. I put some of the candies in boiling water and melted them down, like the pro-chef that I am. After the candies had fully melted, I poured the mixture into a cup.
The Results
This crushed-candy version of the yellow drink smelled more flavorful than the other one, and was very strongly sweet, but pretty good. It was basically like a lemonade, but one that a 5 year old would make since children are crazy for sugar.
The other yellow drink was warm since I had made it by boiling the candy. This definitely tasted less sugary than the other one (Maybe the sugary-taste had boiled away some? I’m not too sure how that works.) and was a bit thicker and syrupy. I decided to add some ice and a bit of water to this in order to dilute it and cool it down.
Once it was a colder drink I tried it again. The ice and water definitely helped with the texture. If you’re not into super-sweet drinks, this option is the better of the two since is tasted less sugary, however it’s still quite sweet.
Both drinks tasted very good to me, but I had to put them in the fridge because there was no way I was chugging them quickly and giving myself a sugar rush. I can definitely see Pennsatucky as the type of person who would enjoy this drink, and I’m not surprised she was raised with it.
If I were to make yellow drink again I’d probably just stick to the crushing method. Although it is more sugary, it requires less work and doesn’t create any sticky pots. It’s also the #OG OITNB method.
If you’re ever craving lemonade and happen to have some lemon candies around, this can be an easy substitute for powder lemonade mix or lemons and sugar. Embrace your inner-child and go for it. While we’re all anxiously awaiting season 6, at least you can sip on Pennsatucky’s yellow drink.