Rocket Fizz Shirley Temple

I didn’t even know what a Shirley Temple was before meeting my wife.  In case you’re in the same boat as 24 year old Aaron, a Shirley Temple is what you get when you combine grenadine with Sprite.  It’s like a cherry limeade, but with a lighter flavoring.  They’re quite tasty and I recommend trying one if you haven’t before.  Rocket Fizz apparently agrees with my recommendation and created a bottled version they so cleverly called Rocket Fizz Shirley Temple.  Like other Rocket Fizz products this one is sweetened with pure cane sugar.  I’m so happy they went with the “pure” cane sugar and didn’t scrape the bottom of the barrel for the “tainted” cane sugar that we so often see soda companies’ use.  *Sigh* It’s just cane sugar folks.

View fullsize

Twist's expression is bewilderment 

Well, we’re not starting off on the best foot.  The aroma that wafts from the bottle reminds me quite a bit of nail polish remover.  Having never tried nail polish remover I can’t honestly tell you if it tastes like a Shirley Temple, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it doesn’t. (don’t drink nail polish remover, kids)  With that aroma now bouncing around my nostrils I suppose it’s time for me to give this bottle of Rocket Fizz Shirley Temple the ooooooooooold taste test.

This is not good, nor does it taste like a Shirley Temple.  Rocket Fizz Shirley Temple is a syrupy mess.  If children’s cold medicine had a cotton candy flavor it would taste like this.  The sweet, over the top flavor grabs onto my teeth and refuses to let go.  If there is a cherry sensation to be had it has mutated into some sort of quasi-cherry chemical mixture that my palate does not find to be very pleasant.  The carbonation level is light and fizzy, so at least that has been done well.  I was really expecting a completely different beverage here, but what I’m tasting makes it seem like this particular flavor was just thrown together in the hopes that it would taste good.  I’m honestly confused as to what happened because Rocket Fizz is usually pretty good about getting close to the flavor listed on the bottle.  Perhaps I’ll revisit this at another time to make sure I didn’t get a bad batch, but for now I can’t recommend trying this.

~A