I’m not going to hem and haw all that much here. I’m about to drink a Ranch Dressing Soda by Lester’s Fixins. With a surprisingly short ingredient list of Carbonated Water, Sugar, Sodium Benzoate, gum acacia, natural flavor, and ester gum, I’m a little impressed/concerned. Let’s just get to it.
Read MoreSweet tea soda. That’s what I’m drinking. It’s a beverage by Melba’s Fixins and according to the ingredients there doesn’t appear to be any tea in this bottle at all. Just Melba’s kind face smiling down upon a porch which overlooks a cornfield. It’s a little odd, but so’s the brand.
Read MoreI recently reviewed Rocket Fizz All Natural Chocolate Soda; today I have a bottle of Rocket Fizz Chocolate Soda. I’m not really sure why this one isn’t considered all natural unless it’s the inclusion of “caramel color”. All other listed ingredients are natural, right down to the vague “natural flavor”. Would they really make a completely different soda where the only difference is coloring?
Read MoreThe soda I’m about to consume is made with real cocoa. Rocket Fizz All Natural Chocolate Soda is what’s at hand and I kinda want to skip all the fluff and take a swig. I’ll of course do that, but the parchment like label complete with “wax seal” make me giggle. That’s how you know it’s fancy, because there’s a picture of a wax seal. Good stuff.
Read MoreThe artwork on this bottle of Nella Bella Chocolate Almond Fizz is beautiful. A grove of white trees standing starkly against a blue sky. The words “Nella Bella” glowing as the sun peers over the first “E”. Even the flavor intrigues me. Chocolate Almond Fizz sounds like a delicious candy, yet this soda only has 10 grams of sugar because it’s also sweetened with Stevia.
Read MoreI’m not sure what butter cake is. I’m not sure how a soda can taste “gooey”. I do know soda though. That’s probably why the fine folks at Excel Bottling sent me this Gooey Butter Cake Soda to review.
Read MoreFrom the makers of “Candy Cane” comes “Sugar Cookie”! It looks like dirty water, but in actuality it’s supposedly a sugar cookie flavored soda. Much like Candy Cane, Sugar Cookie is sweetened with cane sugar and a variety of natural and artificial flavors. You know, just like mom used to make!
Read MoreWhew! Now that I’m no longer at the whim of the holidays or a work schedule in flux I’m finally able to review some sodas again. Today’s soda is Candy Cane… that’s it. There’s no brand, the word “soda” isn’t on the bottle. It’s just a clear bottled liquid titled “Candy Cane”. This could easily be a new street drug I’m not hip to, but for sake of writing a review I’m going to assume it’s soda.
Read MoreConfused, I stare at a tiny bottle of clear “root beer soda”. It’s made by Original New York Seltzer so I’m going to assume that it’s seltzer water flavored with root beer. Even if that’s true I’m still looking at this bottle with a tilted head... because I’m confused and because the ingredients are written sideways. Carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, and natural flavors are what make up this 10oz bottle of mystery.
Original New York Orange Hippo
Flavored seltzer water is usually on the bitter side, but this one has 33 grams of sugar in it so I’m hoping it’ll be quite sweet. The bottle cap states that “The choice is clear” and that’s enough for me to already love this beverage.
Ok, so Original New York Seltzer Root Beer Soda smells like a root beer, but it’s a thin aroma so I’m not sure how rich the taste is going to be. I suppose I shouldn’t assume a rich taste because this isn’t a root beer… it’s root beer flavored seltzer. New things are so much fun to try.
That’s so very odd. The powerful fizz of seltzer paired with the taste of root beer barrel candy. Each sip starts off crisp and refreshing before introducing the root beer flavoring and then eventually fading away somewhat. As far as aftertaste goes it’s fairly honest to the original flavor, but holds on longer than I appreciate.
I’m not sure how to say this, but it’s definitely not root beer… yet it’s root beer flavored. On the sugar front it’s quite the sweet soda. Only a the smallest amount of bitter taste is created by the seltzer, but the crisp mouthfeel is still present.
Such an odd combination yet it works. It’s not going to replace root beer or anything crazy, but at least now I can look fancy whilest enjoying a tiny clear soda. This coupled with a short ingredient list will assure I pick up another bottle or two next time I see them.
~A
This was purchased at World Market
We’re back in Bellville, TX (not literally) reviewing another bottle of Boot Beverages. Today’s flavor is identified as Picture Show Red Hot Soda. I can only assume the “Picture Show” portion of this title helps insinuate that we’re talking about Red Hots the candy like you would find at a moving picture show. I applaud Boots for their creative effort on this one and truey hope it delivers.
I think Twist and Deedie would get along just fine.
You know who else hopes this delivers? Deedie Kristen. Deedie is the face of this particular flavor of Boots and her story goes like this:
Deedie was the official emergency office worker (as in IRS visits). She was flattered when she was told this one suited her to a T. Try it for inspiration! An never underestimate the value of flattery.
Well, I’m quite unsure what a large portion of that meant. Although Deedie seems like a pretty great person if she’s got a Red Hot soda tied to her name. Time to open up the bottle and see what we got.
There is a cinnamon scent, but it’s a faint one. I wanted this to punch me square in the nose and give me some trepidation to try it. Instead I’m greeted with a weaker aroma that has me a little worried. Cinnamon soda is a rarity and should be treated as such. Hopefully the upcoming flavor will kick my taste buds for doubting.
I’m happy to say that there is a bit of a burn on the back end of my first sip. The flavor also does a pretty good job of tasting like the candy coating you’d find on a Red Hot or Atomic Fireball. That said I’d be curious what my mom would think of this as she’s a huge fan of both treats listed.
Carbonation wise Boots Beverages Picture Show Red Hot Soda is on the lower side. This works out perfectly well for the soda because I believe your burn should come from the flavor with little assistance from the bubbles themselves.
All in all, Boots Beverages did solid job on creating liquid cinnamon candy. Just because I’m a Jerk I do wish this was a little stronger in all areas, but I think the message comes across clear enough as is. It’s the difference of saying “Hi” to the guy next to you or yelling “Howdy!” to a room full of folks. Same message, different delivery.
~A
I purchased this at an HEB grocery store
I had chips and salsa for dinner. I’m an adult. I can eat whatever I want, but I also have to pay a mortgage and taxes and keep a tiny human healthy and safe. The only reason I didn’t eat donuts for dinner is because I was too lazy to go get donuts. Isn’t that great! I was too lazy to eat donuts for dinner so I had chips and salsa instead. Now I’m going to have a Maine Root Pumpkin Pie Soda as a dessert to my chips and salsa dinner. Adulthood.
So since this pumpkin pie soda is made by Maine Root you know it’s all natural and of course made with Fair Trade Certified organic cane juice and spices. Dab the worry sweat off your brown and stick with me now as I open the bottle.
Peter Peter Pumpkin Drinker.
The ol’ sniffer is working better today after a week of antibiotics and Flonase brand Flonase. When you need to eventually breathe, eventually try Flonase. I’m not sure what my writing is doing, but I promise you’ll get a review out of this eventually.
So, this soda does smell a little like pumpkin pie. I don’t think I’d identify it as such if I didn’t know the flavor though. It’s a faint smell to begin with and of course that makes me worry about the strength of the taste. Perhaps I don't’ want a super strong pumpkin pie soda. I’ve never had one so I guess I’m going to learn something about myself now.
Tipping the bottle it dispenses three glugs worth of soda. I bet I could tell this is pumpkin pie. It’s not overly pumpkin pie tasting, but just enough to get the good parts. Kind of like a pumpkin pie coverband. It’ll never replace the original, but if it costs 80% less to go see them you might as well. Heck I might buy a CD from them.
I’m enjoying the taste of this soda more than I thought I would. The fizz level is pretty high, adding a bit of a burn with each sip. The Fair Trade Certified spices taste as you would expect Fair Trade Certified spices to taste… spicy. Seriously though, the spices do add a nice aftertaste to the beverage. They keep my tongue guessing which is fun.
All in all it’s a rather sophisticated soda, but not a prima donna. Not an overly sweet experience, but just enough to call it dessert if you wish. Pumpkin pie lovers, or dare I even say, Sweet Potato Pie lovers should probably give this a go. Surprisingly good.
~A
I purchased this at an HEB Grocery Store
You know what takes up a lot of your soda reviewing time? Life. Well, the children portion of life seems to take up the majority of it… mine at least. I’m sure once she can go down to the fridge and get me a soda it’ll be a bit easier to find the time, but right now we’re working on walking. So bear with me if you would.
It's not easy being green...and being next to a can of Minta.
Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way it’s time to review a delicious can of mint soda. Nothing about that sounds good at all to me as the last mint soda I had was a bit on the mouthwash side, I’m guessing this will be too.
Minta is a naturally flavored soda with the following ingredients: Carbonated water, natural sugar, natural flavors (vague much?), and citric acid. It sits in a precious little silver 10 ounce can adorned with mint leaves. I’ve got to give it to them, it really does look refreshing. Time to find out if I can judge this book by it’s cover.
Smells like spearmint gum. Finally I can live my dream and drink spearmint gum, said some weirdo no one talks to. I’m being far too harsh on those that love this drink. I think my time away has made me more Jerk than Soda. Clearly there is a market for mint flavored sodas as Minta is doing just fine in the world without my love/hatred. Who knows, perhaps I’ll come around and like it.
Nope. No I won’t. Not in the slightest. That’s even mintier than Stander. That’s mintier than the mintiest gum. I ate mint leaves as a child… loved them. This is mintier than MINT LEAVES. Why would anyone want liquid this?! It’s hardly sweet at all and the carbonation is easily ignored due to the pungent mint flavoring.
I’ll give them one thing, they definitely deliver on their mint flavored promise. That said, I’ve maybe had four ounces of this and I think I’m done. It’s a very cool beverage and every proponent of it is good, except for the flavor. That’s a pretty big deal in the soda game. As the saying I just made up goes, Flavor Sells. Perhaps when I try Strawberry Minta I’ll be singing a different tune, but until then… no thank you.
~A
This soda was purchased at Sprouts Farmer’s Market thanks to a donation from readers like you!
Wow, I need to clean off my desk. I just checked to see if I’d reviewed Cicero Beverage Company Candied Bacon Cream Soda before, obviously I haven’t, and the search came up with my review of Cicero Beverage Company Salted Caramel Root Beer. Then I looked to my right and saw the half empty bottle of Cicero Beverage Company Salted Caramel Root Beer. To reiterate, I need to clean off my desk.
So as you may have guessed today’s review is of Cicero Beverage Company Candied Bacon Cream Soda and at no point am I going to shorten the name for ease. No, Carbonation, I’m going to type it out every time to emphasize how ridiculous it is. By the way this is sweetened with cane sugar and contains both natural and artificial flavors. With that said, I’m just going to move on.
Twist excretes smoked goodness
The aroma of Cicero Beverage Company Candied Bacon Cream Soda is 85% cream soda and 15% bacon. Honestly it’s not so much bacon as it is “smoked scent”. I guess I’ll find out if it translates to bacon or “smoked flavor” soon enough.
Guess what, this is a cream soda with a “smoked flavor” added to it. The actual taste of bacon is missing, but this smoked sensation does create an interesting taste not unlike roasted marshmallows. Unfortunately, each sip I take steps further away from the campfire and becomes slightly more obnoxious.
Underneath all of the lies is a slightly above average cream soda that would probably be pretty good on it’s own. Oh well, at least they tried to be original with their flavor. I can’t really fault them for that, in fact it makes me happy to see.
Cicero Beverage Company Candied Bacon Cream Soda isn’t gross by any means, it just doesn’t really deliver on what it promised. So if you think bacon cream soda would be gross then Cicero Beverage Company Candied Bacon Cream Soda is for you because it tastes nothing like bacon.
~A
This soda was purchased at World Market
I took November off, so sue me. Please don’t sue me. So how should I start December you ask? You didn’t ask… you probably stopped visiting the site once a review didn’t appear after four weeks. “Soda Jerks?” You said, “More like Soda… Jerks!” Then you high fived the nearest human. To answer my own question, I think I’m gonna try that old Slovenia favorite, Cockta!
Cockta originates in Slovenia as stated earlier and was born in the 1950’s. They wanted to make a familiar drink using local herbs, but original when compared to foreign beverages. Since I can’t read any of the writing on this bottle I’m just ignorantly assuming this is Slovenian Coke.
Well dang it. I didn’t get any Cockta rewards points under my cap. Nor am I getting any sort of Coke aroma coming out of the bottle. In fact it smells a bit more syrupy root beer with an odd flowery scent. Color my tongue interested.
That’s unique alright, but my mind is trying to decide if it likes it or loves it. Cola flavored Dimetapp. That’s what Cockta tastes like. It has an initial cola taste but once I swish it around in my mouth and consume it an oddly familiar grape mouth feel rises to the top.
Twist has rosehips as well, but he won't let me photograph them.
Even though I used “grape” to describe the mouth feel it’s not an primary flavor of Cockta. Yes, there are hints of a grape soda in each sip, but I’d be wrong to lead you to believe the taste was grape. I’m going to have to see what’s in this… give me a moment to research.
Rosehip! That’s what’s causing my pallet to struggle. It also uses lemon and orange in the makings. According to the website they use the same 11 types of herbs that originally created the first bottles of Cockta. They also don’t use HFCS and it’s caffeine free.
All of this creates a really unique soda. It’s a fruit flavored cola with rosehips. Now that I know some of the ingredients it makes a little more sense to me. It still doesn’t completely explain why it tastes like Dimetapp Cola, but who cares.
It’s a little syrupy and hangs onto my teeth a bit longer than I’d like, though this could be due to the fact that it was delivered to me via plane and is about 6 months old. With that said I’ll keep the mouth feel critiques away from the score.
Cockta is a lot for my brain to wrap around. Why did I pick this for my return to soda reviewing? Perhaps it’s just showing me how new I still am to the soda game. Perhaps it’s revving up my tastebuds to be on their best game. Either way I’m glad I had it and I’m glad to be back.
~A
This bottle was supplied to me by my friend Jibbity D
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a Jones soda. Probably because I don’t run across them in the wild as often as I once did. So a smile hit my face when I stumbled upon a bottle of Jones Peanut Butter and Jelly Soda which will from here on out be called JPBJS.
I’ve had a PB&J soda before by Lester’s Fixins, so this isn’t my first foray into the world of sandwich sodas. My bottle of JPBSJ has a picture of a man who has taken several bites out of his PB&J sandwich. The look on his face is so full of contentment and joy that he now makes me want to stop this review and eat a PB&J sandwich. If PB&J were a brand this man would be the best advertising icon of the 21st century. Man, that looks good!
Hopefully the flavor of the soda will bring the same expression to my face. The fact that it’s sweetened with cane sugar is a good start. Let’s see if the taste is a good finish.
Twist is so happy he's a vibrant green.
The scent of JPBJS is one of the most bizarre things I’ve come across. It smells like two separate scents from two separate items. The grape is very “grape soda” smelling and not so much jelly. Standing right beside this grape scent is that of a very dense peanut butter. It’s quite odd how these two aromas are so distinct coming out of this bottle. This gives me hope for the taste.
That’s pretty dang accurate. I may not be making the face of the greatest advertising icon of the 21st century, but the expression I am making is one of quiet respect. An initial burst of mild grape soda, which would honestly be quite good on its own, starts the show. A moment later the peanut butter catches up and completes the C-C-C-Combo. This combination of flavors works seamlessly together as they would in the food dimension. Even though I’m sure at least a portion of this taste was created chemically (the soda contains no peanuts) my brain doesn’t have the constant thought of “fake flavor” running through it with each sip.
As you read prior, I’ve only had two PB&J sodas so far on my infinite soda journey. So I can without a doubt say that Jones Peanut Butter and Jelly Soda is the best PB&J soda I’ve ever had to date. There you go PR people. There’s the quote you can use, slightly edited, for the cover of your magazines.
“Jones Peanut Butter and Jelly Soda is the Best PB&J soda I’ve ever had…” - Aaron of The Soda Jerks
Seriously though, it’s a great soda and it’s to its credit that even though it’s an odd flavor I could still see myself drinking this on the regular. Perhaps you should too.
~A
This soda was purchased at World Market
I’m reviewing Plantation Style Mint Julep today and I have some questions right off the bat. Why did you name your drink that? Wouldn’t Mint Julep Soda have worked out just fine? Is your line of drinks named Plantation Style? If so, why is your line of drinks named Plantation Style? Are there other Plantation Style beverages out there? You realize the imagery this portrays right? A bunch of folks sitting on the porch of their plantation enjoying mint juleps while looking out across their land at other folks not enjoying mint juleps. Yes, I’m aware not all plantations are those in the South during the Civil War era… but when you pair it with a flavor like mint julep then it most certainly is.
Twist invented the mint julep
Anywho… stupid name aside. Time to review this Plantation Style Mint Julep soda which has been sweetened with cane sugar. Right off the bat the most amusing ingredient I see is “flavor”. They don’t even differentiate between natural or artificial. I just picture a guy dumping a big barrel with the word “flavor” on it into a vat. “Did you add that flavor, Johnny?” “Sure did, Car!” “Good, don’t want to rob people of flavor.”
This smells like mouthwash, ACT to be precise. It’s not surprising that it smells like mouthwash being that “mint” is in the name of the drink, but it’s still off putting. Perhaps the flavor will be refreshing.
Yeah, that’s pretty refreshing. A light mint soda accented by a citrus burst throughout. The mint used appears to be spearmint which is complemented easily by the light fizzy carbonation. Even though there is an overall light mouth-feel about the soda it finishes heavier than I thought it would. It’s not terribly noticeable, but given the light tastes used within I wouldn’t expect it to be there at all.
They did a good job on making it seem like mint is a normal flavor for a soda. While odd, it’s not so overpowering that I’m reminded of that with each sip. The citrus taste, which favors lime, also does well to mask the oddity of mint soda. With all that said this still really isn’t my thing. The aftertaste and mouthfeel that I’m left with after each sip would keep me from buying multiples of this soda. I still suggest seeking out a bottle for yourself, but one is probably enough.
~A
This soda was purchased at World Market
Ever had a red velvet cake? If not you really should try some. The cake is always so rich and the cream cheese icing is really the icing on the cake. For those of you who have had red velvet cake how many of you wanted to liquify it and drink it? Three of you? One of you is a child and another is clearly on some sort of drug. So that leaves you, Theodore. Theodore wants red velvet cake to be a part of everything in life apparently… even our sodas. Well lucky for him Blue Plate Special Red Velvet Cake Soda is a thing that exists in this reality. It’s sweetened with cane sugar and made with all sorts of chemicals. That enough introduction for me; let’s get to drinkin’.
Oh Mylanta. That smells like cake. This soda smells like cake. Like CAKE. What contract with the devil did they sign to make this soda smell like cake. Theodore, what have you done?! Who did you kill to make this possible? Why are you grinning like that with red velvet cake all over your face? That is cake, right?
Even Twist is uncomfortable with this level of black magic.
Whatever Theodore did it worked like gangbusters. Here I thought this was going to be some sad facsimile of red velvet cake taste, but no this is the real thing right down to the cream cheese icing. How many people did you massacre, Theodore? Each sip is rich, smooth, and has a hint of chocolate to it. The chocolate flavoring isn’t strong enough to overpower the red velvet cake taste, but enhances the reality of what I’m drinking.
The carbonation levels used her are low… because who ever heard of a carbonated cake? I can taste the cream cheese icing. Have I said that yet? Theodore, put down the knife. So very often these “food” flavored beverages fall short of their real world counterpart. Blue Plate Special Red Velvet Cake Soda nailed it to the point where it’s creeping me out a little… much like Theodore. This isn’t something you would drink this with hot dogs, duck, or any meal really. This is quite literally a dessert soda. A desert soda that knocks it out of the park.
So how do I rate Blue Plate Special Red Velvet Cake Soda? As I’ve said many times now, it replicates the flavor very well and has minimal downside. Since it’s such an accurate representation you end up with a very sweet, slightly syrupy soda. That’s all I could say. I guess the label art could look cooler, but I’m just picking nits at this point. Truth be told the flavor started to show its seams as I was finishing the bottle, but everything stayed sewn together well enough for me. Sewn together like Theodores creepy Red Velvet Cake dog. I’m not even sure how he created it, but it’s just another case of classic Theodore.
~A
This soda was purchased at World Market
Gonna do something a little different today. Instead of a soda review I've recorded an idea review. Watch me suffer and decide if you want to join in on your own time.
Read MoreI hold in my hand the final gift from my two friends Alice and Diane. Our journeys in life have taken us different directions to never meet again. Their parting gift was a bottle of Gross Gus’s Dragon Drool which could better be identified as a black licorice soda. “Black licorice is disgustin’” you yell. “You uncultured rube” I respond. Ok, perhaps that was a bit harsh, but I do realize that a lot of folks hate licorice in any form. I am not one of those people. I like Blackjack chewing gum, the black jelly beans, and yes actual black licorice. So here’s hoping that Dragon Drool will Dragon RULE!!! OH YEAH SEE WHAT I DID!!!!!!! I’m so very sorry, there is now a baby in our lives and I’m seriously short on sleep.
This smells of the black jelly beans one might find around Easter time. I have no proof of it, but I'm pretty sure my mom would slowly eat all my black jelly beans. My love of licorice is genetic and it may have had a negative effect on my jelly bean accumulation.
Twist bottled his drool once. It was 160 proof.
THIS IS LIQUID BLACK JELLY BEANS! Ok, let me expound on that a bit. The flavor that is hitting my tongue does indeed resemble that of a candy black licorice. Not the real deal stuff you find at an Olde Tyme Candye Shoppe (you know it’s good because of the e’s), but the kind you might associate with gum and jelly beans. Sadly the taste Dragon Drool holds isn’t quite as strong as one aforementioned candies. There is a slight dilution at work here, but the overall idea is still delivered well.
Oddly enough there is a hint of “diet chemical” taste that appears every now and again. Ultimately it works its way back into the flavor trying to be forgotten, but you won’t forget. The carbonation is on the stronger side working along with the tastes it has been paired with. Not overly bubbly, but still very noticeable with each sip.
Gross Gus’s Dragon Drool is so very close to being an amazing soda. Sadly it’s weakened flavor and occasional odd chemical taste keep it from achieving perfection. With two strikes against it Dragon Drool still manages to hit a triple in the basketball game of life. Sports.
~A
I’ve never met Alice and Diane, but if I did I’d cautiously hug them. I’d hug them because they’ve been so very kind to purchase sodas for me to review just on the knowledge that I enjoy doing so. I’d hug them cautiously because even though they seem to be kind ladies they always present me with an “interesting” soda to try. Take today’s soda for example. I’m about to drink a soda called Pimple Pop by Gross Gus and somewhere Alice and Diane are laughing at me. That’s ok; it’s the best kind of soda… free. Now of course Pimple Pop isn’t puss flavored soda, it’s marshmallow. Why does a marshmallow soda need to exist? Let’s find out together shall we, but before that one thing. I know of zero people that pronounce it marshMALLOW. Everyone I know says marshMELLO. How do you pronounce it and where are you from? Send your answers to the Nickelodeon Studios and you could win a trip to Orlando, Florida!
Hnnnggg, that’s a sweet smelling soda. I mean it’s a sugar sweetened soda, but jeez. Marshmallow essence (chemicals) have certainly been liquefied and poured into this bottle. Going by smell alone I’m not really sure if I’m ready to experience this. Curse you Alice and Diane. Curse you and your kindness.
Twist is dismayed by what's before him
Surprise! I don’t particularly like liquid chemical marshmallows. In other news, Gross Gus (an Indian Wells Brewing Co. brand) makes a fairly realistic marshmallow soda. The carbonation is at the proper level to keep this soda from being too syrupy while allowing to it to bite the back of your throat. Truthfully, this could be confused as a cream soda that just went a bit heavy on the cream and then decided to pour nonsense into the ingredient vat. One aspect I did not expect to find is the “diet” taste that greets me at the beginning of each sip. I assume that’s a result of the ingredients used.
An almost fuzzy curtain of syrup sits within all the crevasses of my teeth after my mouth is empty of soda. It is now in my best interest to take another sip just to remove this feeling from my mouth. Sadly this takes me on the same ride I just got off. Take a sip, diet taste, marshmallow cream, fuzzy teeth. Sip, diet, cream, teeth. Sidicreeth. I want off, now. I don’t like Gross Gus’s Pimple Pop . It doesn’t taste horribly, but it’s certainly not good either. At the beginning of this review I would have said “buy a bottle”, but the flavor wears on itself in a detrimental fashion thus lowering its overall quality.
~A
