I judge people by what they drink.

I don’t mean to be snobby or pious by any means; I just find it to be a good measurement of one’s personality-or, if nothing else, his or her current temperament.

Drinks shape my mood, they dictate my surroundings, they affect my psyche to the Nth degree. I can’t drink a hot coffee if it’s hot outside-I just can’t. A hot peppermint mocha in the summertime? Surely you jest. Not only is that just uncomfortably wrong, but what am I supposed to drink around Christmastime while wearing my gloves and matching sparkly scarf, parading around downtown, illuminated by the stars, Christmas lights and those obnoxious imitation reindeer that light-up and then turn off every once in awhile so that it looks like Santa’s little helper is eating the neighbor’s grass? A mocha frappuccino?

No, thanks. I’m good.

This doesn’t just apply to my seasonal coffee tastes, either. Orange juice just doesn’t taste as good past noon on any given day. Hot chocolate has to be drunk when I’m relaxing.

Speaking of stress, I can only drink soft drinks when I’m nervous or worried about something. It’s like my comfort food, only in carbonated, tooth-decaying form.

I have to have cider when the leaves start changing; I have to have apple juice when I’m reliving my childhood; I have to have water with me constantly. It’s like a tick of sorts; I just need them.

Temperature, mood and stress aside, something feels right about drinking the right thing in the right situation. I feel better, the people around me feel better, the people around them feel better . In the words of Michael Scott, it’s a win, win, win situation.

One beverage, however, has managed to surpass all of my limitations. I’ve gotten it when it’s cold, I’ve gotten it when it’s hot; I’ve gotten it when I’m thirsty, I’ve gotten it when I’m not; I’ve gotten the drink in a box, I’ve gotten the drink with a fox; I’ve . sorry.

Second only to gelato in my list of the greatest food-related discoveries from other countries, Taiwan’s bubble tea is slowly carving its own, boba-shaped place in my heart.

Bubble tea is, essentially, a dessert-filled smoothie of brilliance. Providing me with said brilliance is the St. Louis Bubble Tea Company (6677 Delmar Blvd. and 12865 Olive Blvd.).

The Taiwanese treat is equivalent to coffee in many Asian countries. Originating in the 1980s, the beverage features a smoothie-like texture and gets its name from the bubbles that arise from shaking the drink when mixing flavoring into the tea. In addition to the tiny bubbles, bubble tea often features boba-small balls of tapioca-sunk to the bottom of the drink.

If the thought of small orbs of tapioca at the bottom of your drink isn’t enough to scare you away, the menu upon entering St. Louis Bubble Tea might be.

Taking up most of the area behind the counter, there are almost too many kinds of tea to choose from. A snow perhaps? An icy slush? A pudding tea? With a menu that contains more than 150 items, including authentic Taiwanese dishes, it’s difficult to choose. Difficult, but worth it.

Sealed with a plastic lid covered with anime-like versions of zodiac animals and drunk with a gigantic straw, even drinking your boba-filled creation is an adventure in and of itself.

So go ahead and try St. Louis Bubble Tea. If nothing else, I’ll think much more highly of you should I see you walking around the Delmar Loop with the cultural drink in hand. And really, isn’t that alone worth it?