B63 (Fan Review!)

    I seldom receive the opportunity to review an energy drink from outside the United States. Off the top of my head, I can only recall Ubershot and Hype Energy Drink as the only foreign beverages I have had the pleasure of consuming. I am pleased to announce that they both did well, especially Ubershot, which is probably the 2nd or 3rd greatest energy shot I have tried. Now, the opportunity to review a foreign drink has presented itself yet again. This number comes from Switzerland, a beautiful country 4,000 miles from where I reside. Thankfully, the shipment was successful and I found it on my doorstep within a week or so.

    Inside the box that contained my samples of B63, as it’s called, were two six-packs of the beverage along with a stylish t-shirt, which I happen to be wearing right now. The packaging is, I must admit, relatively generic. It utilizes the well-known 8 ounce aluminum can with blue and red colors. This had me worried. I was starting to get some concern over what the flavor might be, and I really started to hope it wasn’t a Red Bull clone.

    Please don’t taste like Red Bull, please don’t taste like Red Bull, I thought as I heard the unmistakable click, pop of the aluminum cracking open. Desperately hoping for something unique and different, I took my first swig. Unfortunately, my hopes and desires fell way short. I instantaneously noticed the all too familiar flavor of the world’s most popular energy drink. Yes, it is palatable and it has a nice flavor, but it is still frustrating to think that they can’t formulate a unique flavor profile file. Actually, anything different from Red Bull would have been satisfactory.

     Inside each can of B63, you will find the traditional ingredients. A plethora of B Vitamins along with 80 milligrams of caffeine and 1,000 milligrams of taurine are what powers this Scandinavian drink. This is adequate enough to provide a decent amount of effectiveness from the overseas beverage.

    For all of you Swiss readers of The Soda Jerks, I’m quite sure that you have seen this energy drink. Unless I am greatly mistaken, this appears to be your version of Red Bull. If you’ve ever tried Red Bull, then you already know what it tastes like. I say try it if you like Red Bull, but don’t expect something different.

A2E

Duff Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Fans of animated TV should recognize the iconic drink simply named “Duff”.  Portrayed as an alcoholic beverage in its brightly colored native environment the real life version is an energy drink, or at least the version I have.  Apprehensive as to what Duff Energy Drink might be made of, and even more apprehensive of what it might taste like, I grabbed one of the cans in the cooler before me and began to read the label.  Ingredients common to the energy drink world populated the FDA mandated list and included things like HFCS, Taurine, Ginseng Root Extract, and a variety of other substances.  Considering the fact that I have encountered similar components in other energy drinks I decide to do a review and see what this Duff tastes like.

So with the all-to-familiar theme music stuck in my head I open the top and take a swig.  It tastes surprisingly decent.  Honestly I was expecting far worse.  The taste is very slight and most resembles lemon-lime.  So I take another swig.  The carbonation remains strong as does the taste.  The taste does grow a little stale the more I drink.  No after taste is left in my mouth which is a bonus.  The sent is almost nonexistent and mirrors the lemon-lime taste.  So I finish the can and feel a little more energy coursing through my veins than I did before.  Hey Barney let’s have another!

C.W.

Rummy Grapefruit Soda (Fan Review!)

Rummy Grapefruit Soda comes in a cute retro bottle. As a grapefruit lover, I expected it to have a zingy grapefruit "whang," but I was incorrect. The flavor is soft and mellow, and the soda goes down easily. It is very refreshing for a hot day, and I love that it is made with pure cane sugar. Plus, it has only 170 calories per bottle! I think it is a tasty soda, but I still wish for a sharper, more "grapefruity" flavor. There is merely a whisper of grapefruit in the taste. It is a pleasant citrus soda, however.

R.K

Dublin Vanilla Cream Soda (Fan Review!)

from Roy:

I like the retro bottle of Dublin Vanilla Cream soda. Also, I like the smell, and the color is good. I think it has the "proper" amount of sweetness and carbonation. I found the initial flavor very "vanilla-ey," with a lingering vanilla taste. However, over time, the flavor became mediocre. The vanilla taste seemed to fade a bit. However, it's a good soda. Buy a bottle.

from Becky:

The bottle of the soda is done in retro style, which neither attracts nor repels me. The soda is the color that I expected for Cream Soda...amber. The first sip nearly knocked my taste buds sideways. It was very strong...but I never decided WHAT was strong. I thought this fabulously cane-sweetened soda tasted almost artificially sweetened. After drinking a few more sips, I thought maybe the flavor was what tasted artificial. At any rate, *something* about the taste tasted slightly of chemicals. This was an "okay" soda, so I suggest that you buy a bottle.

Limonad (Fan Review!)

I work in Wheeling, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. For some reason we have a pretty sizable Russian community here, not of whom, I am convinced, are involved in legit activities.

That being said, there is a supermarket here, Garden Fresh, which stocks all kinds of strange products from Russia, Bulgaria, Poland etc. including soft drinks.

I decided to give some a try, this is Limonad from Russia. OK, it’s got a little elf on the front and loads of medals and awards so how bad can it be? I used to drink Jic Jac when I was a kid. I took it to work and asked a Russian colleague to translate the name (because I can’t read it, obviously) and she said “it supposed to remind us of our childhood”.

A friend who saw it was a little troubled that I was going to drink it. “It’s yellow and it’s from Russia. Do you know what the color reminds me of?” It does resemble some samples I had taken to the doctor once for testing.

Undaunted, I opened the bottle to enjoy with my Rahmen noodles tonight. It has an odd smell, like some kind of medicine my mom used to give me when I was sick. When I took my first sip and my taste buds sent terrible signals to my brain.  It’s highly carbonated, not sweet at all, and has a bitter herbal taste, like anise if you’ve ever tasted that. It reminded me of some of the flavored schnapps I used to get in Sweden which had little twigs and leaves in the bottle but was “good for your health”. This, honestly, has to be one of the worst things I have ever had the misfortune of drinking, and I couldn’t even finish the bottle. It boggles the imagination to think that someone is brewing this stuff up, putting it in a bottle and people are spending their hard earned rubles to purchase and consume it.  So now I am trying to figure out what’s really up with smiling elf on the bottle and why it has won all those awards. Maybe it mixes well with vodka and can remove rust.

Hype Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Hello Everyone! My name is Avery, and I will be writing a guest review for The Soda Jerks. I feel very venerated to be able to compose a review for such a lovely website. But before I get a little too supercilious, let’s check out the drink I will be reviewing.

Straight from the depths of the Netherlands comes the energy drink known as Hype. When I started reviewing energy drinks back in the ancient times of 2009 Hype Energy Drinks was a brand that I absolutely had to review. This was mostly due to some popular reviewer giving it an extremely high rating for taste. Email after email, I desperately tried to secure some samples of this drink, but I did not succeed. Miraculously, just last week I received an email from Hype asking if they could send samples. Rather than angrily typing out that I sent them several previous emails, I graciously accepted the package.

When it arrived, I was simply awestruck by the impeccable, sophisticated, and downright gorgeous product display. Instead of simply wrapping their cans in bubble wrap, the folks at Hype Energy put their cans in a sleek, black box. Each can being in their own little compartment. Fantastic! I proceeded to remove Hype Original from its compartment and examine the can. It certainly is not the greatest looking can I’ve ever laid eyes on, but with its vivid and attention-getting blue can with eye-catching silver letters, it should have no trouble popping off the shelf.

 Needless to say, I couldn’t wait any longer and simply had to take a few sips. I must admit, I was expecting a Red Bull clone, but fortunately Hype is so much more than that. Yes, it does have that same tartness that Red Bull has, but the flavor is actually an indescribable mixture of berries. Some individuals may not enjoy this, but I thought it was very unique. It isn’t the world’s greatest tasting energy drink, but it still manages to bring something new to the table. And after all, isn’t that what you really want in a world full of Red Bull clones? I say, if you see this in your local grocery store, do not be afraid to give it a try. You might like it.

Like what you see here from Avery?  Look at so much more of it on his website Addicted 2 Energy!

Did scrolling down the length of this beverage make you feel naughty?

Yardy Roots Malta (Fan Review!)

So I'd been browsing online for a birthday present, weird soda for my brother. Most of the stuff I looked up, good reviews and all. But wait! There was one that wasn't. Yardy Roots Malta, Malt Based Root Tonic.

Sounds Jamaican frankly, and it looked odd enough. I'd already gotten enough "good" soda and one more would put me over the top on the minimum amount I needed to get it shipped. Into the shopping car it went.

Cue several days and a birthday later. The bottle was opened, and immediately things did not smell good. It smells like molasses, which if you've never smelled molasses, well it is frankly awful. Like tree sap gone rotten. But hey, molasses (in small quantities) can taste perfectly fine. So ignoring exhortations to the contrary into a glass went some ice and some of the dark brown liquid.

Now the good news here is that much like molasses it doesn't taste as bad as it looks. The bad news is that it just doesn't taste very good. A tangy, sweet/bitter taste that frankly reminds one a lot of molasses in taste as well. Sips and gulping it down didn't improve things much. Letting it sit, just for the sake of thoroughness, was a bit unpleasant, clearly not very close to "enjoyable".

I'd not go so far as to say that there isn't ANYONE out there that wouldn't somehow enjoy this strange concoction. I didn't spit it out in vaporized disgust, and managed to drink well enough for a review. But "Buyer Beware" is definitely a warning to take into consideration.

Son of Thomp

*editors note - if you can find a picture of this particular soda I'd be most pleased.  In case you don't know, that's the best way to live... best pleased.*

Gale's Root Beer (Fan Review!)

They sell this at my local supermarket, so I thought I’d give it a try. I opened the bottle and it has a really different taste. It had a hint of vanilla but wasn’t very sweet, it has kind of a spiced flavor. This isn’t A&W. I tried to figure out what was making it taste so “different” and remembered those wise words from my father:

 “When all else fails, read the instructions”.

 So I looked at the label and found it is is flavored with cinnamon and ginger. It’s a unique taste and probably not going to suit everyone’s palate. Available in selected parts of the USA.

http://www.galegand.com/booksandproducts.asp#grb

Gray's Root Beer (Fan Review!)

150 years and five generations ago, Irish immigrant Joshua Gray moved to Janesville, Wisconsin to brew ales and soft drinks.  The Gray Brewing Company is now one of the family owned beverage companies in the country.

 The root beer recipe dates back 140 years and is made with pure cane sugar. It’s a nice grog, good creamy head, rich vanilla flavor and decent carbonation. It’s one of the better root beers I’ve tasted. It’s only available in southern Wisconsin as far as I know, so a road trip might be in order.  Definitely worth a trip to the brewery and the tied house in Verona, WI.

www.graybrewing.com

Black Bear Root Beer - (Fan Review!)

So when I was a kid growing up in Milwaukee in the 60s and 70s, we had loads of local soda bottlers. We used to drink Graf’s, Jo Jo, Jic Jac and Ting. Graf’s was the big one, they had a great Root Beer and a drink called 50/50 which was a grapefruit / lemon line blend. When Graf’s folded, the brands were sold to Canfield’s in Chicago which also eventually went bankrupt.

The one we liked the best was Jo Jo, which came in 7 oz returnables in a wood crate. It was dirt cheap and the only flavor really drinkable was the orange, some were well and truly bad. With clowns and balloons on the bottles, I think it was aimed at kid’s birthday parties, where cheap was the order of the day.  We used to joke the secret formula was crayons, water and a bag of sugar.

Unfortunately, they are all gone now, put under by the marketing machines of Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper / 7up. The only local bottler remaining is Black Bear of Oak Creek, which is doing remarkably well. Until recently, they also did the returnables in a wood case, but now have come into the 21st century with throw-a-way plastic bottles.

OK, so I’m not going to be 100% objective here. But it is a nice root beer, sweet with a whole bunch of vanilla. My bottle didn’t seem to be full, maybe they should check their QC (!). Black Bear also have a great pink lemonade for the summer which I recommend! Still family owned since 1920, not run by Harvard MBAs.  One of the minority shareholders is Junior Bridgeman, a former Milwaukee Buck.

http://www.blackbearbottling.com/

Berghoff Famous Root Beer (Fan Review!)

Berghoff has its roots in the famous Berghoff restaurant of Chicago, IL which specializes in fine German food. The restaurant has been in operation, nearly continuously, since 1898. At one time the Berghoff family also operated a brewery in Ft. Wayne, IN, which sold to Falstaff in the 1950s. The brewery closed in 1990.

Berghoff Root Beer is sold in liter bottles throughout Chicagoland, and is sort of to the root beer world what 40 oz. malt liquor is to beer. It’s a cheap and cheerful sugar rush.

It has a nice taste, a bit of vanilla and sweet and practically devoid of carbonation. One might say it almost tastes flat. A good brew, and easy on the pocket book compared to more upscale brands.

http://www.theberghoff.com/about_us/history.aspx

Triple XXX Root Beer (Fan Review!)

Triple XXX had its origins in the Galveston Brewery of Galveston, TX and dates back to 1908. Following the advent of Prohibition, the brewery put its full efforts into soft drinks in order to survive.

By 1923 Southern Beverage had licensed 150 Triple XXX bottlers and 100 “Thirst Drive-Ins”.  The Washington state distributor had developed a unique twin barrel design for his Triple XXX restaurants along the West Coast.

In the 1950s the brand began to decline and in 1960 the FDA ruled that Sassafras could no longer be used in food products which robbed Triple XXX of its distinctive flavor and head.  Eventually chemists were able to develop a substitute but sales and outlets continued to decline.

The brand changed hands a number of times and had a brief resurgence in the 1980s, but the brand was basically doomed as the number of independent bottlers declined, and both Coke and Pepsi had their root beer flavors.

The brand is now marketed by the Triple XXX Family Restaurant of West Lafayette, IN.

It is a pretty good root beer, not too sweet, but seems to have too much carbonation and a bit of seltzer kind of aftertaste. Not bad, though I’ve tasted both better and worse.

John

http://www.triplexxxrootbeer.com/history.html

Zevia Ginger Root Beer (Fan Review!)

       The last time the sweetener Stevia & I met it was not a pleasant experience. Me & Mrs. G were on a sugar substitute diet at the time & were trying everything. Let’s just say we & Stevia went our separate ways leaving on non-speaking terms. So you could imagine my apprehension when Mr. A asked if we could review the Stevia infused Zevia Ginger Root Beer drink. But I believe myself to be a man of second chances especially since Mrs. G has been giving me those second chances since 1997, so why couldn’t I do the same for this drink? (Not exactly the same, but it is…)

       First I gathered the group & popped open the can. Before giving each of them a sample, I took a whiff of the drink & found it to be surprisingly pleasant. It was a nice blend of a ginger & root beer scent, which apparently is the flavor the can says they’re going for, so that’s a good start. Now let’s get to the group’s reaction.

       Five year old Miss S’s initial reaction to the drink poured into her glass was:

       “Ooh, it’s so bubbly!” So far so good I guess.

       “And how’s the taste?” I asked.

       “It’s spicy & sweet. I like it!”

        I was surprised. Was this the same sweetener that left such a terrible taste in my mind I swore I wouldn’t touch the stuff again? Maybe my kid’s got a different set of taste buds. Let’s turn to three year old Miss P & see what she thought.

       Once I poured it into her sippy cup, she started to drink…

              …& drink…

                     …& didn’t stop drinking till it was all gone. “Can I have some more?”

       I was getting the sneaking suspicion this drink might be pretty good.

       However, Mr. Little O was next. He’s in the copycat stage of his two years so though he may have said,” It’s sweet,” like his sisters, his scrunched up face told me the story. To top it off, he shoved the drink right back at me & wouldn’t drink another drop. I guess that’s a no for him.

       Next were Mrs. G. & myself. When I mentioned to the missus that we were doing this, she wasn’t too thrilled. We braced ourselves. The first sip hit me with a strong ginger taste. Then the root beer flavor was next. “Exactly as advertised” I thought. I looked over at my wife & saw the same reaction. Now we waited for that dreaded Stevia aftertaste...& we waited...& waited. To our surprise, it never came!

       So to sum up we were pleasantly surprised by the taste of this Stevia flavored drink. Little O may not have liked it too much, but four out of five of us found it quite nice & flavorful.

- RGSPO

Not even Twist could compete with the level of adorable this review has now reached.

Zevia Lemon Lime Twist (Fan Review!)

This is the first review of any soda/pop I’ve ever done so please go easy.

I was excited to get a chance to review the Zevia zero calorie soda. I admit I don’t drink many sodas. I’m more of a water guy and treat soda as a guilty pleasure, so when I do drink soda, I don’t just grab a Coke or Pepsi. I enjoy the pure cane sodas such as Jones, unique flavors, or an ice-cold moxie. I’m always looking for a zero calorie soda such as Zevia so I can enjoy one more often.

I received the Zevia Lemon Lime twist the other day and put it in the fridge to get it ice cold. I was hoping it would be a refreshing change on a sunny day. I’ll have to keep dreaming. We haven’t had sun in a week, however this has potential to be very refreshing. First taste the carbonation was very crisp like a 7UP. The lemon seemed to be the dominant flavor of the very mild lemon/lime. It was more like club soda with a lemon. It had a very mild flavor, sort of a watered down 7up. The mild flavor quickly fades almost leaving that chalky club soda taste in your mouth.

In my opinion, this has potential to be a very good no calorie soda, but as it is, I wouldn’t buy it.

B

Dr. Zevia (Fan Review!)

  I just received my can of Dr. Zevia today.  I cracked it open and took a whiff and thought hey this is going to be an awesome soda.  It smells amazing right away.  I’m thinking of an all-natural healthy soda that is going to taste like the real thing.  At first I was right and then this medicine after taste hits you kinda like a bad tasting sparkling water like a flavored club soda.  A few minutes in after drinking i had a horrible stomach.  It’s too bad i am a health nut and I love diet sodas so i was stoked to try this.  Over all it’s not the worst soda i have ever tasted but def not the best soda of all time.  I like the can I like the "health" factor   I like zero calories and all that and it’s just the after taste that I’m not to fond of. 

J.W

Zevia Cola (Fan Review!)

Let me introduce myself by telling you that I am a female who doesn’t normally drink sugar-free or diet soda. Thus, I am a good reviewer of Zevia Caffeine Free Cola for those who don’t like “diet” drinks, but I am a poor reviewer for those who prefer such drinks. Keep that in mind.

Zevia Caffeine Free Cola is advertised as an “All Natural Soda,” which may appeal to those who don’t care to drink chemical concoctions. In addition to being caffeine-free, it also purports to be gluten-free, calorie-free, and sugar free. I could not imagine gluten being in sodas, but after a little research, I discovered that a few dark sodas use a gluten by-product to make the soda carmel-colored.  Luckily, Zevia Caffeine Free Cola is NOT one of those drinks.  Zevia is sweetened with Stevia, and a serving contains 20 mg of sodium.

The can design is very plain: I suspect that the manufacturer’s aim is to convey an idea of sparseness for the serious dieter or avoider of sugar and/or caffeine. 

Upon the first sip, I thought, “Diet cola. It tastes like a diet cola.” However, I didn’t hate it, and after several sips, I established that Zevia Caffeine Free Cola has a softer, gentler version of that bitter, “off-spec” taste shared by all sugar-free drinks. It whispered to my taste buds rather than screamed. I could almost pretend that my beverage really included that nectar of the gods: sugar. 

The “fizz” level is average or slightly less. There is a bit of a Stevia aftertaste from each swig.

If I drank diet sodas, I would try it. If I were desperate for a cola and could not have caffeine, I’d buy it.  According to the manufacturer, “It’s what soda should always have been.” You decide.

RLK

Twist comes in all shapes and sizes... actually that's just a cat.

Zevia Orange (Fan Review!)

   I never thought in my entire life that I’d be reviewing soda. Honestly? It’s like a dream come true. I love soda, always have. I drink it like the average person drinks water. I love trying new soda, bizarre flavors, little known brands, imports. I just effing love soda. Get it?

   And I love reviewing things. I review video games, music, films, so getting to review soda is basically like a dream.

   I guess the first thing I’ll say is this soda, Zevia’s sugar free all-natural orange soda, is pretty good. Underwhelming? Okay, it’s absolute carbonated pleasure wrapped in a folly of decadent flavorgasms hitting you one-by-one in rapid succession with the ferocity of a trillion lions made out of lightning. It’s pretty good.

   The first thing I noticed was how tame the carbonation was in contrast to how pungent the flavor was. It was interesting, I suppose I’m so used to pure cane soda that I’ve become accustomed to the hard hitting bite of Jones Soda, for example. It’s certainly not that intense to the mouth but the flavor is all there. There is a subtle tang to the drink, one can assume that’s the orange in there, but it’s also kind of masked behind the sugar substitute used.

   The substitute is…lemme make sure I get this right…erythritol. It’s a sugar alcohol derived from fruits themselves. It’s certainly not bad, and unlike most substitutes I’ve tasted in my time the aftertaste is actually almost more pleasant than the sip, but it is strong enough to make you wonder where the orange flavor went.

   All in all the drink tastes wonderful, it’s got a sweet kick to it with a unique tame sort of texture and a nice aftertaste. It’s all packaged nicely into a vibrant orange can with a sort of style that’s reminiscent of the cans Fresca comes in. It’s simplistic and stylish and even has a little symbol that lets you know it’s vegan. Vegans get their own soda?

   Overall I think Zevia’s orange soda hits a really great mark for sugar free sodas. It doesn’t taste like they tried to make up for the fact that they were using an alternative sweetener, it taste like they really worked with what they had and it shows. It’s sweet and pleasant. I’ll always say pure cane sugar is king but if you’re going the sugar free route this is about as good as it gets.

~K

Mountain Zevia (Fan Review!)

   Let me preface this by saying "Mountain Zevia" is not the worst soda I have ever had.  But it is definitely not the best soda I have ever had either.  Perhaps that is because Mountain Zevia, made by the people over at Zevia contains neither sugar nor high fructose corn syrup.  Well what’s the big deal, neither does coke zero or pepsi max, or even diet mountain dew right?  Well this doesn’t have aspartame or sucralose either.  This has a new "artificial sweetener" I suppose would be the term, called Stevia.  The ingredients list is very short: Carbonated Water, Erythritol, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Reb A (Stevia Extract), Caffeine, and Beta Carotene.

   Two things about that list stand out.  First, what the hell are Erythritol and Reb A? I mean do I need to worry about priapism or growing a third armor hearing RebA songs in my head?  The answer to this (thank you Wikipedia) is no. Erythritol apparently is a sugar alcohol discovered in 1848 by a chemist.  Apparently it occurs naturally in fruits and fermented foods.  I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, so I am not going to say that it is 100 percent safe or natural, but from the little bit I have read, I have no fears about it.  So that’s good.  Now Reb A appears to be the same thing as Stevia, which is a in the sunflower family.  So again, I am not going to worry too much about it.  Now on to my second question.  Why the hell is there Beta Carotene in my soda?  Well I have no idea, so lets go with a random government conspiracy to subsidize the carrot industry.... because let’s face it, corn was so early 2000's.

   Now that all of the thinking is out of the way, let’s talk flavor.  I would have to surmise from the name that Mountain Zevia is going to be in the citrus soda family a la Mountain Dew and Mello Yello.  I grew up drinking both of those (thank you Days of Thunder, and damn you Tom Cruise) and they are, to this day, some of my favorites.  I haven’t had a very good run with "diet" sodas, but Zevia isnt a diet soda, its an "All Natural" soda.  

   The color is a yellow/green which further validates my theory that it is going to be an "All Natural" version of Mountain Yello.  The smell, well the smell makes me think that this is going to taste like a combination of baking soda, and fail bucket.  Time for the first sip.  Okay, it tastes absolutely nothing like Mountain Dew, or Mello Yello.  HOWEVER, the initial taste is actually really good.  It’s very crisp, very refreshing.  The carbonation level is absolutely outstanding.  It provides a great bite that compliments the initial flavor very well.  Now if you were wondering what that initial flavor was, the best way to explain it is a lemon/lime combination, but without the orange juice that makes Mountain Dew what it is.  Sounds like a pretty good deal right?  A crisp, refreshing lemon lime soda that is all natural yet contains no sugar or HFCS.  Well hold on.  I haven’t finished.  There is an after taste.  The after taste is the absolute deal breaker for me.  It lingers for a very long time, and the sweet citrus taste slowly dissolves into a very powerful bitter after taste that reminds me of eating baking powder/baking soda.  In fact the after taste is worse than most diet sodas.

   When it is all said and done, Mountain Zevia is nowhere near as good as Mountain Dew or Mellow Yellow.  However, it is all natural, so for those of you concerned with the calories of soda, there are none, and personally, I enjoy it more than most diet sodas, plus.  I love the fact that it is all natural, and for the millions of diabetics that can’t have regular sodas due to the sugar spikes, this APPEARS to my non trained, uneducated eye to be a safe alternative.  In the end, all that matters is Mountain Zevia as it stands.  

P.S. If you pour Zevia over ice, it seems to cut the after taste a good bit, unfortunately the outstanding initial flavor is also reduced.

To the people at Zevia, Keep trying.  I think you are on to something, you just need to find a way to counterbalance the after taste.

D. Dub

Natural Brew Vanilla Crème Soda (Fan Review!)

Hey fellow Cream Soda fans, Steve W here, and it's time for a guest review. This week, we're gonna be reviewing Natural Brew Vanilla Crème Soda. Now, if you've had or read the review for Natural Brew's Ginseng Cola, you may remember that a key factor in the soda's unique flavor is the Bourbon Vanilla. Well, it makes a return as you may imagine with this Cream Soda, and it's of course much more of a prevalent flavor this time around.

Upon opening the bottle, my nose is quickly welcomed to the soft smell of Vanilla and what seem to be one or two other spices. It's a sweet smell, but it is faint. However, we're not here to smell this stuff. Now, for the moment you and I have been waiting for. *insert swig here* Well, I'll definitely say that the Vanilla doesn't hide with this soda. It's a relatively strong flavor, but it's not too strong, though it does have a bite. It's a complex taste, with the Bourbon Vanilla certainly standing out, but not letting whatever the other spices may be go by unnoticed. The various ingredients certainly complement one another, giving way to a unique Cream taste. Even after swallowing, the flavor lingers on the palate for a few seconds, before gradually giving way to a very smooth aftertaste.

Now I've had a good deal of Cream Sodas in the past (Virgil's, Henry Weinhard, etc), and this one definitely stands out. I can't say it's my favorite, but its flavor is unique enough that I'll certainly pick it up again at some point. Natural Brew really did another good job with this soda, and I'm eager to try more of their products after my experience with their Cream Soda.

[Steve W]

Stars and Stripes Root Beer (Fan Review!)

   After failed attempts to clarify how the wacky Germans mix sodas, the Soda Jerk guys asked me to stop sending emails and in a "put up or shut up " like invitation asked me to write a review.  Now first off you need to realize I'm in Europe and American commodities have their price.  After a few years of residence you soon learn to live without things you never imagined you'd miss. Like Root Beer!

   Some of the upscale supermarkets sell US stuff in a limited section at the end of an aisle at outlandish prices. My daughter had been shopping and mentioned seeing Root Beer and I suddenly had a hankering for it so I made the 15 minute trip (to Kaufhof) only to find out that either she was hallucinating, or they were sold out.  Well after coming this far, I was not giving up.  I then went 10 minutes further to their competitor (Karstadt) in the central shopping district and found these brown 12oz cans of Stars and Stripes for... get this $2,05 per can.  Flush with my Christmas bonus I bought 4 cans. The last time I had Root Beer was probably 3 years back so I splurged.

   This is indeed a US product and the can is marked for deposit in many US states. I haven't found but one German who tried and liked Root Beer.  Germans travel to the US a lot and many have had the experience and it's always a negative one.  "Bahh"  (eng.=Yuck) Apparently they relate the taste to medicine.

   Well the Stars and Stripes can decoration is Ok nothing elaborate. Thank god it's not decked out for 4th of July.  Simply done in a rust brown, it bears a similarity to another Root Beer can I saw here called Jones.  This product carries markings for Hoover's Barrel and uses a  "Y" emblem with H,R;B. (HMmm, isn't there a brand called Hire's Root Beer?)  So let's crack it open and see what we get.  Well no immediate aroma breaks forth just cold steel.  It's well cooled and some noisy carbonation cries for joy.  I placed it down to type these words and now faintly the aroma has reached my nostrils but only faintly.  Let’s get closer.  I pour some in the glass, but the aroma only increases a bit more.  The foamy head rises noisily and dissipates almost as quickly.  As I raise the glass expecting more aroma ...still about the same.  It hits my mouth and settles into the taste centers after I swallow.  There is a very strong wintergreen taste that fades.  I immediately thought of some pink candies my grandmother always had for us.  This isn't root beer I thought, where's that sassafras taste?  I took a longer draught satisfying my thirst and looking for the sugar kick.  Ok,sugar kick there, sweet where it resides and now a gentler permeable "taste" but still primarily wintergreen. The taste leaves quickly with a little aluminum can backlash.  The pleasant sweetness abides.  This isn't a creamy beer or soda consistency, or, for my memory a root beer.  Its soft drink characteristics are similar to cola with a loud noisy head that fades to nothing quickly. It is only satisfying in that first moment.  It falls short of satisfaction or excitement. I 'm disappointed.  Sigh!

   Verdict - I'd say don't bother, but if I truly believed that, I wouldn't be writing this review.  I think of all us poor slobs living here .. What???  No Root Beer!??  Well we've got Stars and Stripes and for no other reason than for the sake of Ol' Glory .. Where have I head that metaphor before?

Enjoy,

CF

Bet you didn't know that Twist had a German cousin named Tiger.