Soda Pop (992 reviews)
Joia All Natural Soda Ginger Apricot Allspice
I think that the chronology of it happens like this:
- Thirsty Dudes is created.
- Some dudes read the reviews and decide they know the key to our hearts.
- Joia is created solely to please us.
- We find Joia drinks and review them all highly.
All of these drinks are wonderfully handcrafted and include a fantastic blend of ingredients that no other companies let happen. Allspice in a drink? That's crazy. Well, lame drink companies, it's not crazy. It's fantastic. Even if it is crazy, it's done with a logical base and really delivers. You get a little ginger, more flavor that spice, but it's there. The apricot really blasts through but the allspice hangs out with you like the faithful friend. Beginning to end the drink keeps on delivering.
Joia, we know that you used us as a cheat sheet to make "the perfect drinks" but we don't care. Keep up the good work. If this was math class, we would lean over and let you cheat off our paper and sorry about our poor penmanship. If all else fails, answer "C."
- Website
- http://www.joialife.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Pure Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 4/1/2013
- Comments
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Ikea Swedish Festive Drink Dryck Paskmust
It’s that time of year again. The great hunt in Sweden is upon us. Every year in late March Sweden sends its greatest warriors out into the fields and meadows to hunt the most dangerous beast of all, the “Easter Bunny.” The Western world only knows of the cute, cuddly rabbit that is used as a spokesperson for the commercial holiday. Like most holidays there is a darker history to it. In the third month of every year a fierce beast awakens to roam the Swedish countryside murdering children in order to steal their Fish (Swedish Fish to us Westerners). No one wants those children murdered, especially if it’s just for candy. So warriors head out and set up traps made from sugary treats. Once it’s captured (it’s not exceptionally hard since Anni-Frid from ABBA designed a mechanism to hold the devilish creatures) the Easter Bunny is exsanguinated and it’s blood is gathered into barrels, where it is malted. The results are called Dryck Paskmust and the Swedish drink it on the morning of Easter Sunday to celebrate a battle won, and in hopes of a great harvest the upcoming year.
Here at Thirsty Dudes we were lucky enough to procure a bottle of this sacred treat. Look at those hell demons on that label. Each of those foul creatures has been laid to rest and we are celebrating on their life force. For some reason their blood is carbonated, which just cannot feel good as it is coursing through their veins. It has a sweet candied semi-energy drink taste to it that is mixed in with the malt flavor. It’s one of those drinks that tastes a bit strange to those who did not grow up on it, but I’m sure is a much sought after treat to those who have had it since birth. I just keep finding myself wondering if all of this death could be avoided if barrels of Swedish Fish were just left in the fields for the bunnies. Can’t we all just live in harmony?
- Website
- http://www.ikea.com
- Country
- Sweden
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/26/2013
- Comments
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Toko Ramune Drink Melon Flavor
For those of you who do not know, I have a love of melon. I don’t know when it started. I don’t know what brought it on, but over the past couple of years I’ve been drawn to anything melon related. I even got a honeydew Swiss cake roll from Chinatown in Toronto. It was mind blowingly good. I tend to stay away from Ramune drinks, as they tend to be far too sweet for my tastes, but how could I turn down a melon one?
We drank this as part of our second visit on the Buffalo Eats podcast. While I was stoked on it, I was afraid it would be too sweet, and I wouldn’t want to finish it. I figured this was it would be shared, and perhaps we could capture the sound of the marble being popped in for some live magic. Do those marbles serve any real purpose other than fun? I mean they are fun, but it seems like it’s a lot of extraneous bottle design for a little fun, that so many companies have embraced.
This definitely tastes like candied generic melon. I assume it’s supposed to be honeydew, due to the green color (no pun intended). It was pointed out in the podcast that it tastes like a Jolly Rancher if they made a melon flavor. I can see where they thought that, but the flavor doesn’t have the intensity that those candies do. Perhaps it tastes like a watered down, overly sugared version of that. Yeah…let’s stick with that.
- Country
- Japan
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/26/2013
- Comments
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Faygo Candy Apple
Detroit, what?! Danny Brown, you are a lucky guy to be from a place that makes this. Yes, I'm talking to you, Danny Brown. I saw you when you played Buffalo and you turned me around. I like you, man. I watched your Nardwuar interview and you were totally likable. You get to get candy apple whenever you want now because of this drink. Sure, you're on the streets touring and you can't drink it every day but if you ever cross paths with ICP, I'm sure they've got some that you can borrow.
Danny, man to man, not all Faygo is bad and this is as artificial as they come. I'll admit it. This tastes like a melted candy apple. Although that might not exist, it's imaginable and not far from that. It's way too big for me and I've shared this with five other people and they all agree; this isn't too bad at all.
Danny, keep it up. Seriously, you do good work. Good collaborations and good solo stuff. I await your new record and XXX was good.
- Website
- http://www.faygo.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 3/22/2013
- Comments
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Mug Root Beer
It’s been some time since I’ve had an “everyday” root beer. That kind of hurts my head, since in the past I used to consume it by the bucket. Oh man, I wish there was a place that served root beer in buckets. You know, like those bars that serve drinks out of fish bowls or whatever weird receptacle they have. Anyway, when I’ve had a root beer in recent times it’s been something more on the fancy side of the root.
With the first couple sips I thought to myself, “Self, I really miss this. It’s simple, but it tastes great. It’s a classic.” Then about halfway through the bottle I started to realize how thick the soda was, due to the HFCS sweetener. In fact I started to get in my head that the whole thing tastes like carbonated syrup. I still enjoyed it, but not with as much vigor as I had the first half. In my mind there is nothing wrong with Mug. Chances are that when you think of root beer it’s more of this variety than a microbrewed one or anything fancy like that. It’s a completely average root beer, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
- Website
- http://www.mugrootbeer.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/20/2013
- Comments
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Push Black Cola
You’re walking down a city street. Can’t you see and feel it now? The trees, the buildings, the never ending smell of old urine from each and every alley. There you are minding your own business, sipping on a bottle of Pepsi and someone runs up behind you and pushes you into an alley. “Oh great” you think, “I’m about to fall into a ginormous puddle of hobo piss” when you just keep falling, until your feet lightly touch the ground. The city looks the same, but everything is slightly off, but off in a way that is kind of appealing. The trees are a little bit greener and fuller. The shapes of the buildings are just a little more interesting. The alleys now smell of cinnamon sticks, and not like the toilet of some dive bar at 4am. You look down and in your hand is no longer the familiar red, white and blue bottle. In its place now sits a black and green bottle that reads Push. You untwist the cap and take a sip. True to form with the rest of this alternate dimension the pop contained within tastes just a little bit better. It’s nothing that you would stand on the street corner and rant about to every passer by, but it tastes better than the Pepsi you normally drink. It tastes crisp and dark, with a classic cola taste. It’s better than Pepsi, but it doesn’t taste exactly like Coke or store brand either. It’s its own cola that has its own unique subtleties. It’s much better than the label led you to believe. You take the last sip and toss the bottle in a recycling bin on the corner. When you look up you realize that you’re a block from your work, and everything looks normal again. Strange times indeed.
- Website
- www.http://pushbeverages.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/17/2013
- Comments
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Tahitian Treat Fruit Punch
I hate myself for spending money on this. I knew I hated it. I’ve known for as long as I can remember that Tahitian Treat is pure sugar swill. Thirsty Dudes must march on though, and we have yet to review this, so I suppose I should get to it.
Think of a fruit punch that lies somewhere in the middle ground between generic and Hawiian Punch. Take that overly sweetened garbage that is in no way shape or form juice and add some tiny bubbles to it. There you have what is in this bottle. If that sounds appealing to you, well…good for you. To me, it sounds like an instant stomach ache and tooth decay.
I wrote that review before I even opened this up. After taking two sips I can say that it’s pretty accurate, but I think that if I tried I could get this whole bottle down. I don’t want to, nor am I going to, but if I chose to, I could. For that fact and that fact only I will give this two bottles, instead of one. You’re welcome Tahitian Treat. While we’re at it, I would like to wager that the indigenous people of Tahiti are disgusted that they are being associated with this. If I’m wrong, let me know where to send the money, and I will avoid Tahiti for the rest of my life.
On a closing note, I’d like to point out that Canadians love this stuff for some reason. The last time we went up to Soda Pop Central in Ontario they had us bring up more cases that I was comfortable purchasing. I don’t want the cashiers in the stores around here thinking I have terrible taste. How could they ever take this site seriously?
Ha. I just went to the Soda Pop Central Website and on the front page it says, “Tahitian Treat is out of stock until further notice, sorry.” I know your body Canada.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/11/2013
- Comments
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- Buy Now
- TAHITIAN TREAT SODA 2/12 pks
Capone Family Secret Orange
I liked Atari Teenage Riot. It's probably still good but I haven't really listened to "60 Second Wipeout" in a long time. Either way, all I have in my head is "Sick To Death" in my head because this winter has gone on too long. I am just done. I now completely sympathize and understand why old people move from the Northeast to Florida. Florida sucks, but at some point, you just, and rightfully so, don't feel like having to deal with it any more. I just wear coats all the time and I'm sick of it. I was thinking last week that I want to go to a barbecue and I'm almost to the point where I will stand outside in eleven jackets just to make myself a couple of hot dogs on the grill.
Barbecue is where this pop comes in. It's orange pop. Plain and simple. It's not great but it's orange. It isn't gross and it isn't fantastic. Right, smack dab in the middle. I didn't expect anything more because it's orange pop. I don't think I've ever had an exceptional orange pop. I don't know if it exists. I would like to be proven wrong but I don't care if I'm not. It's orange pop. It's only drunk at kid’s parties and, to a lesser extent, adult barbecues. Don't ever offer me an orange pop anywhere else. I will be mildly offended.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 3/6/2013
- Comments
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Boylan's Seasonal Release Shirley Temple
It’s been quite some time since I’ve come across a new Boylan’s flavor. Luckily I came across this one waiting at my front door for me. Gifts are always nice, especially when they are a limited release pop. I don’t know what exactly makes a Shirley Temple a seasonal release. I mean you can go bowling any time of the year and while beer may be the official drink of most bowlers, those of us who do not drink alcohol know that there is no other choice on the lanes than a Shirley Temple.
I just looked it up and I was shocked to discover that the actress Shirley Temple is still alive. I had always assumed that she had passed on…crazy. I also discovered that her birthday is April 23rd, so perhaps this soda will be seasonal in celebration of her birth. I can accept that.
The best part of this soda is that Boylan got it correct. They used the proper base of ginger ale and not lemon lime and some people who like to cheap out use. Everyone knows that ginger ale is a superior soda, and it is what belongs in a Shirley Temple. You take that superior soda and put a splash of grenadine in it and bam there you go, a tasty beverage. This tastes exactly like it should. The only thing more I could ask for is for there to be a cherry floating in the bottle. Now that would be true magic. Well, that and me bowling a 300 tonight.
- Website
- http://www.boylanbottling.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 2/28/2013
- Comments
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Ramune Drink Lychee
It's been a while since I’ve had a bottle of Ramune. I had forgotten how hard it is sometimes to push that marble down. Or perhaps I’m just getting weak/old. I bought this bottle on our last trip to the Asian market because I love the little face on the bottle. It looks happy because of the smile, but it's almost a mischievous look. It’s as if he's saying, "go ahead, drink this... I DARE you." Maybe I’ve been watching too much of The Office, but he kind of reminds me of Dwight.
Actually, that is the perfect analogy to this drink. Lychee is great so you think this soda is going to be great. Then you see the mischievous character on the label and you start to second guess yourself. Then you turn it around and notice there is high fructose corn syrup in it and you think to yourself "I thought only Americans used that awful sweetener?" Then the marble is really difficult and gives you a really hard time. So by the time you finally taste it, it's delicious but you're really scared that it might actually be poison.
This drink is Dwight K. Schrute. If only it was beet flavored.
- Country
- Japan
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 2/27/2013
- Comments
- View and Leave A Comment