June 18
The Tripwire is reporting of some new labels coming to Jones Soda bottles soon, including ones featuring the bands Bad Brains, Less Than Jake, and Thursday. Check out a picture of them and the full article here: http://www.thetripwire.com/news/2009/06/16/jones-soda-brings-us-pop-punk/
June 11
Boysenberry soda? Really? I was pretty shocked when I saw this, but also excited to try it. It’s a local Portland soda made by the people who run the Hotlips Pizza chain. It has a strong berry smell, but luckily the taste isn’t as strong. I was afraid this was going to taste like carbonated juice, but it definitely was not the case. The boysenberry is represented perfectly: not too sweet, not too watery.
The only major complaint I have is the price. At $2.50 a bottle, it’s one of the most expensive specialty soda’s I’ve seen in a while. I could see myself picking this up once in a while as a treat, but my wallet would never forgive me if it became a regular drink of mine. I am excited to try the other flavors Hotlips sells, especially the blackberry and pear flavors.
Edit: I wrote this review when i was half way through the bottle. I just finished it and was suprised by little chunks of boysenberry near the bottom. This might make some people happy, but when you’re not expecting it, it’s a little off-putting.
June 10
The first thing I noticed about this was the kind of odd packaging, it being in a small carton, with a screw top lid, kind of like a medium sized orange juice container. Upon opening, I was please that this wasn’t like a mango nectar (which tends to be heavy, and overly sugary), it passed the smell test, and it was a nice orange color. All seemed well, and at first it was, the initial taste was awesome, until I swallowed it. Then came a strange mild body odor taste(which you can get with a unripe mango). As I continued to drink it, the taste got more and more powerful. I really wanted to like this, I just couldn’t get over the after taste. It has hints of grape and peach, which doesn’t help the taste at all. Its only plus is that it’s cheap (about a dollar), but I still have half of it left and its been a week and a half. I would pass on this if I were you.
June 10
Warning: do not take a big sip of this the first time you try it. You will be in for a big surprise as the strong taste of lemon juice stings your tongue and singes your insides all the way down until it settles into your stomach. If you have ever drank pure lemon juice, then you know the feeling I’m talking about.
That being said, Columbia Gorge knows how to make a good lemonade. If you like yours extra tart, then this one is for you. It’s sweetened with agave syrup, which i’ve never seen before but I welcome the change. It really lets the lemon in the lemonade shine through when it’s not loaded with sugar.
June 10
I have yet to meet a cream soda I have not liked. Luckily, Natural Brew’s Vanilla Creme Soda does not break my streak. As the name states, it has a strong vanilla flavor that sits on the tongue very nicely. One really nice thing about Natural Brew is they use evaporated cane juice as a sweetener. Cane juice is processed much less than sugar, therefore it retains a lot more of the naturally occurring nutrients in the sugar cane.
Natural Brew is manufactured and distributed by Smucker Quality Beverages (yes, the same Smucker’s that makes jam). I’m holding out for a peanut butter and jelly soda.
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