Soda Pop (797 reviews)
Dr. Brown's Diet Black Cherry
I accidentally purchased this. I just looked quick and thought it was the non-diet version. Oh well. I’m not a huge fan of black cherry sodas, nor do I like diet drinks. Give me a came sugar “regular” cherry soda any day. Oh that would be nice right now. Instead here I sit with aspartame and my friend’s darker cousin. Wow, that sounded racist.
If this wasn’t diet, I actually think I would really enjoy it. It has actual cherry juice in it, which is a rarity in the world of sodas. It starts you off with a nice sweet fruit flavor, but unfortunately the devil’s sweetener calls for a mutiny and the flavor is upset into a gross diet aftertaste. It’s still decent and I would choose this over most diet drinks. It’s also kosher, so if you’re Jewish the doctor says, “You’re welcome.”
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Aspartame
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 2/4/2012
Jolly Rancher Green Apple
You may ask yourself, "Why would they make a pop in the worst flavor candy they make?" The answer to that is, "What? Do I run the company? I don't make the decisions." If I had to give you an answer, it would be that kids probably love puckering their youthful cheeks and chug this stuff down like it's the water they should be drinking because they are only eight and already are on the fast track to tooth decay.
Honestly, it tastes like a carbonated version of the candy you may or may not love but remember regardless. Your mind knows that this is terrible for you and I would like to see an adult who can look me in the face, drink this entire bottle, and tell me that they still feel good about themselves.
Drink half this bottle and call it a day because although it doesn't have all the sugar you would expect, this drink slays your taste buds and you need those for dinner. If you can't taste your spaghetti because you drank a whole bottle of Jolly Rancher pop, your mommy is going to be so sore at you.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 2/3/2012
Real Soda Gardena Grape
Grape soda comes in two varieties. The more natural version and the classic generic children’s party drink. The prior is grape juice, sweetener and carbonated water. The latter is loads of sugary syrup, a flavor that doesn’t actually taste like grapes that we have accepted as a grape flavor and carbonated water. I’m no fool. I knew that a pop made by Real Soda was going to land in the fake category. I was perfectly fine with that. Fake grape is actually a soda flavor that I can really get behind. It’s not something that I would drink all of the time, but it has its place. This drink surprised me though by falling somewhere in-between the two poles. It’s definitely more fake grape than carbonated grape juice, but it actually has hints of real grape flavor and not just the garbage fake kind. Also, since it is sweetened with cane sugar instead of HFCS it’s not as thick as most grape soda. Calling it light isn’t quite right because it is still bursting with flavor. The consistency is just different. In the barbeque and kid’s party filled world of fake grape soda this is the best I have ever tried.
- Website
- http://www.realsoda.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 2/3/2012
Sweet Blossom Soda Lavender Flowers
Shoppers played a show in Buffalo last night and I was so excited when I saw this lavender soda in Derek's cupboard. Watch the video to see what I thought of it.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Meredith Graves- Guitarist of Shoppers on 2/1/2012
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
Best Health's Gourmet Soda Raspberry
Mark, I quit. I thought this was going to be a dream job for me, but everything went wrong. Dealing with soda day in and out is what fills my mind grapes as I sleep. You know how people count sheep to help them fall asleep? Well, I count soda bottles. I know it sounds insane, but it’s my passion. The thing is I can’t have my work be a lie. When I submitted my resume to Best Health I believed this company believed in the betterment of the state of our fellow man’s health. I suppose it’s my fault that I didn’t do more research on the company, but I really thought that what we made here was going to be carbonated fruit juice with no sweetener added. That is what I think of when I think of healthy soda. That’s not what we make here at all though. What we produce and peddle is flavored sugar water with some bubbles in it. Actually the bubbles aren’t a part of the problem at all. They are actually pretty great. The problem is that this soda isn’t even close to healthy. Sure it’s better for people that corn syrup sweetened soda, but what isn’t? On top of that our flavors aren’t even that grape. I’m really only basing this statement off of our raspberry flavor. When it’s in your mouth it is just sugar soda. There is only the smallest tinge of fruit flavor. When you swallow it does have a generic berry aftertaste, but that’s not what a good soda is. Mark, I really think this company needs a complete overhaul, and unless that begins now I’m walking out that door and never looking back.
Sir I assure you that no matter what number you write down it’s not going to change my mind. Fine write it down and then I’m out that door. Oh wow! A quarter raise?! If you need me I’ll be down in the bottling area. We can’t afford to miss a single shipment!
- Website
- http://www.brooklynbottling.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/30/2012
Joia All Natural Soda Blackberry Pomegranate & Ginger
I turned 30 one hour ago. Most people fear turning 30, but I have actually been excited for it. It's probably because I have a lot of friends who are over 30 (including our very own Jason Draper) and they are still awesome.
I decided to break out a fancy soda for my first soda of my 30's. I've been waiting to try this one for a while, and it was well worth the wait. The blackberry is the first taste that hits your tongue, and it tastes like the juice that sits in your mouth after you just ate you're 20th blackberry in a row. A tangy pomegranate comes next, but it doesn't stick around long.
The only disappointing thing about this is the ginger, or should I say lack of ginger. It's what I was most excited about and it's barely there. I wanted it to have a deep burn in the aftertaste, but it's so subtle it's barely there. It's still a great soda. I just wish the ginger had more kick to it.
- Website
- http://www.joialife.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Pure Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 1/29/2012
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
Bennetts Lemon Cola
Old-fashioned taste means different things to different people. There is a place around here that is legendary for "old fashioned" subs. I could go for one of those subs every day and as the years progress they only get better. New bread, new sauces, new ingredients, but at the heart, they are fantastic subs made fresh right before your eyes. I honestly believe that eighty years ago these subs would have tasted the same as they do today. I would do an awful lot to go back in time and try that theory out. I would order a turkey sub and have it with a Bennett's lemon cola and test the "old fashioned" waters. I'd sit down with my inevitable fancy pants, hat, shoes, and pocket watch and eat a sub and drink a pop.
You know what I would say? I would say that this sub is delicious and this pop leaves much to the imagination. It's kind of thick and the cola and lemon are a bit...abrasive. I would also wager a guess to say that in "old fashioned" times, they didn't use artificial sweeteners. Between this and a lemon Pepsi, I would take a Pepsi, but since I'm in old times, I'd have a soda jerk whip me up a genuine vanilla Coke.
Although this would never happen and I will always and forever be stuck in present day like a dumb dummy, I can imagine and know that things haven't changed for subs but have changed for Bennett's.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 1/28/2012
Cooper's Cave Ale Company Birch Beer
When I saw the Cooper’s Cave sodas in the store I bought every flavor they had. They are a quasi-local company (about 4 hours away) and the labels looked great. Seriously, look at the design on any one of their flavors. They all have a cool comic book look to them. Remember what your mother said; “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This is one of those times when that nugget of wisdom works in the opposite way of what she meant. I guess “All that glitters is not gold” is another way of putting it.
This is one bland birch beer. An average amount of birch beer flavor hits you as soon as you take a swig, and just as quick it’s gone. It tricks you in much the same way that diet pop does. You’re greeted with a nice flavor that quickly dissipates, but instead of the gross sting of sucralose you’re left with nothing. It’s strange, it’s sad and it leaves me wanting more flavor.
- Website
- http://www.cooperscaveale.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Pure Cane Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/27/2012
Oogave Strawberry Rhubarb
I went into this drink without knowing what to expect. I didn’t think I had ever tried rhubarb before, so I wasn’t sure what this would taste like. As soon as I took a sip I instantly remembered sitting in the kitchen of my grandparents farmhouse and taking a generous bite of a stalk after some urging by my grandmother. At the time I wasn’t a big fan. I didn’t think it was terrible, but it wasn’t anything I needed to eat.
I now recognize a lighter, dryer version of that flavor in this drink, except now I’m an adult and my tastes are refined. I actually like it and it makes me wish it were summer so I could go cut down a stalk and gnaw on it. As I said the flavor of the rhubarb isn’t very strong in this. The same can be said for the strawberry. Both flavors are obviously there, but they are mellow, like Ben Murphy in the film Riding With Death (the best episode of Mystery Science Theatre ever). This could have very easily had a “down on the farm” taste to it, but since they chose to sweeten it with agave it has a modern soda flair to it. Out of every sweetener (except zero calorie ones) agave has the most distinct taste to it, and I love it.
- Website
- http://www.oogave.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Organic Agave Nectar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/26/2012
Briar's Premium Lemon Cream
When I purchased this I thought that the ice cream company of the same name made it. It wasn’t until I was looking up the website that I realized that the ice cream company spells their name Breyers. Oops. It has the same name (different spelling) and it’s a cream based soda. I don’t think I was too far off base. Oh well.
Where Breyers makes quality ice cream, Briar’s makes a mediocre lemon cream soda. I wanted this to be a really creamy cream soda, but instead I got a bottle of lemon soda with trace amounts of cream. Actually, the lemon wasn’t even that strong. This would have been awesome if it was strong lemonade mixed with cream soda, but alas it’s lackluster lemon soda.
Briar’s red birch beer looks pretty great. I can’t wait to try that. Breyer’s Blasts Snickers looks more than great. It looks otherworldly. I should probably mix the two together and lose my mind for a while.
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UPDATE
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We received an email from the company asking us where we purchased this because this flavor has been out of production for several years. They also said, "It would be more like an antique bottle with liquid in it than a soda pop!" Ick.
- Website
- http://www.briars.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/23/2012