7UP
/I didn’t think I’d be writing a review of 7UP, but here we are. Back in 2011 I reviewed Retro 7UP, the cane sugar sweetened version of what I’m about to drink. Since 7UP, in it’s most common state, is filled with HFCS it felt needed to included on the site. Is this considered stat padding? Perhaps… but it’s different enough to count, just like you. There, don’t you feel motivated now?
Opening the can created a thunderous crack, much more so than any cans I can remember opening in recent memory. The scent that wafts out is a familiar one, more crisp lime than lemon but so bright a smell that it’s hard to not just call it citrus. Let’s drink, shall we?
A somewhat sticky lime/lemon taste immediately coats my mouth. Through no fault of it’s own I remember being sick. You see, 7UP was the “go to” cure all for an upset stomach in my house as a kid, often paired with a sleeve of Ritz crackers. So while 7UP is by far and away my favorite of the mainstream lemon/lime sodas, there is also the curtain of sick nostalgia that weighs it down.
The sips begin with a sharp burn on the back of my throat, and after three or four a burp is summoned burning just a little bit more skin off the ol’ uvula. The lemon and lime play nicely together, sharing my tastebuds equally. The aftertaste is sticky, but pleasant. It mirrors the initial flavor of the beverage instead of being some fun house mirror version of it. All in all I still enjoy the occasional 7UP and often keep it stocked in my fridge along side the Dr Pepper. Are they the fanciest sodas around? No, of course not, but they hold strong in my own personal culture.
~A
Royal Crown Draft Premium Cola
/
I love RC Cola. It’s easily my favorite mainstream cola. Back in the mid 90’s RC released a variation called Royal Crown Draft Premium Cola, which I never got to try. This concoction used cane sugar to sweeten as opposed to HFCS. Eventually Royal Crown Draft vanished from American stores and eventually came to live almost WORD in New Zealand.
Read MoreDr Pepper
/How have we not reviewed Dr Pepper in the year of our lord two thousand seventeen? Perhaps I avoided it as I would avoid cutting myself as the lifeblood that flows throughout my veins is not so dissimilar to the nectar that is Dr Pepper. Often imitated never duplicated (though Dr B from HEB comes pretty close) Dr Pepper stands atop a mountain of others like Dr Thunder, Dr Dynamite, and the now vanquished Mr. Pibb who was so embarrassed that he changed his name to Pibb Xtra even though no one calls him that.
Cracking open a Dr Pepper gives way to a cherry scent, one of the 23 flavors it claims to have. Cherry is backed by plum in my humble opinion, but with 22 other flavors to choose from it’s just as likely a combination of them.
The taste is one of familiarity. With the exception of citrus, Dr Pepper is somewhat of an everything soda. Cola, root beer, cream soda, and fruit sodas are all represented within each sip. Dr Pepper is sweet, sweeter than most colas… even Pepsi. The smooth texture makes coming back to the can easier than ever, but there’s a slight burn in the back of the throat created by the carbonation. The carbonation in a Dr Pepper is sneaky, seemingly smooth, but will immediately remind you within a few sips that you have ingested quite a few bubbles.
Dr Pepper builds on itself a little with each sip, but eventually plateaus before it becomes overwhelmingly sweet. My teeth can definitely feel the syrupy goodness, so a glass of water is usually welcomed after I’ve finished a can or bottle. That said, it’s a delightful soda all around and one I keep in stock at all times.
~A
Old Tyme Kola
/
Ok, I’ll admit that when I see a business called “Shoppe” I find it quaint. Now if that same “Shoppe” were to be called “Ye Olde Shoppe” that’s a bit of overkill on kitchy spelling. Old Tyme Kola has that problem. Yes, I’m aware of the kola nut, but c’mon… I’m about to drink a cola, not a “kola”.
Read MorePearl Vanilla Rooibos
/
Yes, I’m listening to Mama Said Knock You Out to help me feel inspired. I felt uninspired to write and now Ladies Love Cool James and I gotta shake off that funk. What better way to shake off the funk than from a soda sent to me by a soda company. Pearl soda company to be specific.
Read MoreDr. Brown's Black Cherry Soda
/
While I see it most everywhere I go, Dr. Brown’s is not a brand I tend to pick up. There’s not a sane reason for this action, it just happens to be how I’ve operated over the last few years. Checking the list I see that I personally have only had one Dr. Brown soda and I felt it was ok. Perhaps Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry Soda will be more than ok, potentially spurring me to try more of their flavors.
Read MoreLipton Sparkling Iced Tea Citrus Green Tea
/
So for the 800th review I decided to go with tea. While the green and silver can of Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea really called to me it was the Citrus Green Tea flavor that sealed the deal. For those not in the know, Lipton is a brand synonymous with instant tea here in the ol’ U.S. of A. It’s not of super high quality, but you can get a dang good iced tea out of it when you need one.
Read MoreDirty Girl Skip Orange Cream
/
A tattooed young woman (we’ll assume her name is Lydia) stands in front of an American muscle car. That’s the label for my orange cream soda that sits before me. Honestly, it’s what got me to pick it up… well that and the name. Dirty Girl Skip Orange Cream. There’s so much in that name that intrigues me.
Read MoreCrystal Pepsi
/
Well, it’s happened. My soda powers have culminated and the three sodas I wished back onto this plane of reality are here. First Surge, then Sprite Re-Mix, and now Crystal Pepsi. If there are any other extinct sodas out there you’d like me to channel back into existence just shoot me an e-mail.
Read MoreRamune Lychee
/
I don’t know what lychee tastes like. The more worldly fellow in front of me compares it to passionfruit… kind of. Fortunately for me I have a bottle of Ramune Lychee with me today so I can at least expand that horizon. I’ve already been told that this has a good carbonation by the aforementioned fellow, so it at least has that going for it.
Read MoreMelba's Fixins Sweet Tea
/
Sweet 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 MoreSprite Tropical Mix
/
I was asked years ago what “retired” sodas I would bring back if given the opportunity. My answer was Surge, Crystal Pepsi, and Sprite Tropical Re-mix. Apparently my answer was then run through a series of computers and control groups which found it to be profitable because all of these sodas from my past exist again.
Read MoreDiabolo Tangerine Pomegranate
/
Back again with another Diabolo review. You all remember Diabolo, right? It’s the French Soda with cane sugar, erythritol, stevia extract, and vitamins. If you don’t recall Diabolo check out our review of (Name of other Diabolo review) here!
Read More1893 Ginger Cola
/
So last week I tried Pepsi’s semi-new beverage, 1893. It was good, in fact it was very good. Today I try the Ginger Cola variety of 1893 and something tells me I’ll like it just as much if not more.
Read More1893
/
So to stay current I felt it necessary to review Pepsi Cola’s offering of 1893. For those not in the know, 1893 is made with kola nut and sweetened with sugar. This is Pepsi’s take on craft soda and the can is full of words telling you so. It’s a “Boldly blended cola made with: Kola nut extract, Dark brown malt flavor, a touch of aromatic bitters, sparkling water, real sugar.”
Read MoreDiabolo Mint Lemonade
/
Diabolo makes me immediately think of the words diabolical and diablo. Neither of these words are all that positive, unless of course it’s in reference to the video game Diablo which is pretty fantastic. Diabolo, as you might have guessed, is a soda brand and the flavor at hand today is Mint Lemonade.
Read MoreEmpire Root Beer
/
Ever consumed liquid tree? I’ve only had one soda by Empire and it tasted like tree, a spruce tree to be exact. It wasn’t very good as you might expect liquid tree to be, but I had to respect it. Why would I pick up another bottle of Empire you might ask? Well even though I didn’t like their tree soda they did a really good job in making it. So if they’ll put that much love and care into spruce soda then surely they’ll make a root beer that’s easy to love… right?
Read MoreDublin Texas Red Creme
/
I love it when I get the chance to drink a soda made in Texas I haven’t tried before. Fortunately for me I’m terrible at keeping up with what Dublin Bottling Works has put out so I occasionally get a “new” Texas treat. Today’s treat is called Dublin Texas Red Creme. While I do love a good red cream soda they can be hit or miss at times… like most anything. Here’s hoping that Texas Red Creme is a hit.
Read MoreTizer
/
Another British soda is at my hand today, Tizer. All I know about Tizer is that it has a “Fruit Stripe Gum” look to its can design, is “The Great British Pop”, and only cost 49p. It sweetened with sugar aaaaaand that’s about it. Oh, it also calls itself a “Sparkling Mixed Flavour Soft Drink with Sugar and Sweeteners”. Just gets your mouth watering, doesn’t it?
Read More
