Jason Draper (1142 reviews)
E & B Sugarcane Juice
I expected this to be a really sweet water type drink. It is, but the amount of sweetness is insane. Diabetics beware. One drop of this would surely put you in a coma. It's just cane sugar syrup and water (and salt for some unknown reason). I like it and don't like it at the same time. I think it might just be too sweet for me. It really does make me want to go buy a stick of sugar cane like I saw in grocery stores down south. I have no idea how to eat it, but I'm sure I could figure it out.
- Sweetener
- Sugar Can Syrup
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 11/13/2010
Bundaberg Ginger Beer
A friend of ours got this shipped over from Australia for us. I can't say how glad I am. This is one of the best ginger beers I've ever had. It doesn't have much of a burn, but it totally makes up for it in flavor. It's also carbonated with yeast, which is a nice change. It says to invert the bottle before opening to help mix in the pieces of ginger that are in it. You can see them when you hold it to the light, but they aren't big enough to notice while you drink it.
In addition it comes in a super rad bottle. The weird pull top cap is amazing. I like when beverages are fun like that.
- Country
- Australia
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 10/22/2010
- Comments
- 4 Comments. Leave a comment.
Cascade Traditionals Sarsaparilla
Terry worked as a heating and cooling repairman for 13 years of his life. He drove his van around Western New York fixing people’s stoves, fridges and air conditioners. Most days he didn’t hate his job, but there wasn’t much room for advancement. He did love driving around a lot though. Then one day he was fixing a guy’s air conditioner and he got to talking to him. You see Terry loved fixing things, and he liked to explain it as well. The man was so impressed with his passion that he offered him a job at his company. He would make more money and promotions were a possibility. Terry knew he would miss his driving around and didn’t like the idea of being stuck in one play all day, but the money was nice and he needed a change. He took to the job like a fish to water. He took a couple of trips to other states to fix some industrial units, and getting away was nice. Then one day he got asked if he would be willing to go to Australia for a week for the job. Not being a dummy he jumped at the chance. So within six months this fine man went from working a quasi dead end job to working for a growing company and being sent around the world doing work that he found interesting. It’s times like these that I am incredibly proud of my friends. It’s also times like these when I am thankful that I have friends who travel around the globe and bring me back gifts of drinks.
This is a bottle of Australian sarsaparilla that was purchased at a roadside fruit stand in said country. (As a side note, if you don’t take advantage of roadside fruit stands when you are traveling then you are a fool.) I expected this to be a very strong sarsaparilla for some reason, but it’s not and I’m okay with that. It has a very classic soda flavor to it. I could see this being served in a 50’s soda shop with a couple sharing a bottle with two straws. It starts off as just a generic old time soda flavor but when you swallow it has a strong sarsaparilla aftertaste. It’s not what I was looking for but it’s a soda that has its place and I can respect and enjoy that. I do with the licorice flavor was a bit stronger in this. Then it would be superb.
Oddly enough this is made by the Fosters Beer company. I don’t know why I find that weird, but I definitely do. Also the tagline on the bottle is “Refreshingly Tasmanian.” Now that I find charming.
- Website
- http://www.cascadedrinks.com.au
- Country
- Australia
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper 5 days, 12 hours ago
Almdudler 50 Jahre Krauterlimonade
Ladies, gentlemen, councilmen, Mr. President, your highness, or whoever it is that makes any sort of decision for the country of Austria. We have a dilemma on our hands. Our country has found itself without a national drink. Yes general I know we consume way more Coca-Cola than we really should, but let's face it Coke is everywhere. There's really nothing about it that shouts Austria. No headmaster. Bundaberg Ginger Beer simply will not work, as it's made in Australia, not Austria. Do you even know what country you live in? Seriously. We need something unique. Something that people can't get in any little market over in Germany. I'm sick of them stealing the spotlight. I want to have something that will make us shine brighter! Hey, what was it that Archduke Ferdinand was always drinking before his untimely demise? Alma matter? Alms to the poor? No, that's not it. Oh yes Almdudler! All in Favor? Anyone opposed? There we have it from here on our Almdudler will now be the national drink of Austria!
When you're dealing with a beverage that makes a claim of being the national drink of anything you get some crazy ideas of what it might taste like. Especially when it's called "Krauterlimonade," which my friend Nina says translates to "cabbage lemonade." I really don't know what I expected it to taste like. So many different ideas entered my mind. Not many of them seemed appealing. After I drank it I did some research and found out that Nina would have been correct in her translation if it weren’t for that little "er." Those two little letters change the definition to "small-timer." I still don't know what that has to do with this drink.
As the drink first hit my taste buds I thought it was going to be a ginger ale, but that thought quickly faded. I thought I detected some apple, like in an apple malt soda, but I wasn't exactly sure. As the previously mentioned Nina put it "This tastes like nothing more than water does." It tastes sweet, but the sweetness passes soon. I Wikied it to discover that it's a mix of apple and grape flavors. If that's what it is then Austria has some pretty weak fruit on its hands.
The fact that it doesn't really taste like much of anything is actually extremely appealing. I've just about finished this bottle, and I already find myself bummed that I don't have any more after this. It's something that I really, really enjoy. On top of the strange awesome lack of flavor this also has a nice unique bottle.
- Website
- http://www.almdudler.com/
- Country
- Austria
- Sweetener
- Cane Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 4/8/2011
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
- Buy Now
- Almdudler Soda ( 0.33 l )
C+ Swiss The Original Hemp Ice Tea
Several people told me that they have never seen me as excited as when I found this drink in a corner store in New Brunswick, NJ. I screamed and giggled like a small child. I'm pretty sure I also was jumping up and down. Let it be known that I don't smoke pot ever, but I think the idea of this is completely ridiculous and hysterical and just thinking about how many people out there probably think that drinking this will get you high is almost too much for me to handle. On top of that the beverages logo is a pot leaf frozen in an ice cube. It's pure gold.
I strangely don't mind the flavor of this either. The way the flavor washed over your mouth is like watching a good DJ making a perfect transition between songs. It starts off tasting like a normal lemon iced tea. The lemon is actually pretty strong. Then as the lemon is slowly fading out the faders on the hemp flavor are moving up. There is a brief moment when they are in perfect balance, but before you can acknowledge it the hemp gets louder, while the lemon just fades away. There's really no other way to describe the hemp flavor other than it tastes the way a bag of weed smells. We've all got stoner friends who usually have weed on them, and we all know exactly what that dried plant smells like before it's smoked. That smell is the flavor. A friend who enjoys getting "lifted" says it tastes like stems and seeds. Ridiculous. I can't believe I don't hate the way this tastes, but I find it interesting.
I don't mean this as an afterthought, but I figured I should actually talk about the way the drink tastes first, but check out the packaging of this drink. It's way cool. It's a cardboard can. It's pretty much a drink in a Push Up Pop container. I absolutely love it, and I wish more drinks came in this format.
- Website
- http://www.cswiss.com
- Country
- Austria
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Iced Tea
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 12/21/2011
Qizil Quyu Fizzy Drink Armud
The fine folks of Azerbaijan have dreams, big dreams. In case you didn’t know it Azerbaijan is a country in Eurasia that borders Armenia. If you didn’t know that you certainly did not know of the countries collective love of all things bubblegum. The people of Azerbaijan dream of a world where all things have a bubblegum flavored equivalent: ice cream, steak, asparagus and even sugar. They have come close to their goal. In fact just recently that have perfected a bubblegum flavored pickle that I’m told will knock your socks off.
Now that their goal is nearly achieved they have decided to up the ante a bit. They now want different flavors mixed with the classic bubblegum flavor to give people options. You know that classic Azerbaijan saying, “Life is all about options. Without them people are no better than a tortoise.” Well they take that very serious, so their scientists have been hard at work at splicing flavors. So far they have perfected the coupling of bubblegum with mint, cantaloupe, cardamom and the often sought after artichoke. Rumors have it that recently the scientists have set their sights on the flavor of pear, you know apple’s bastard cousin. I believe what I hold in my hand here is a concentrate of the pear bubblegum flavoring. I say that because the flavor is so strong and sweet that to think it was an actual beverage blows my mind grapes. I hadn’t even twisted the cap off all the way before the entire room I was sitting in suddenly smelled incredibly strongly of pears. It is strange because once you get the cap off and smell the liquid directly it smells more of bubblegum than pear, but it’s still detectable. The flavor is that of the strongest cola champagne I have ever tasted with slight undertones of pear. I guess it’s true what people say that the people of Azerbaijan love their bubblegum flavor, but sometimes like a pinch of something else. Had I not known the history of this fine country I would have not expected this beverage to taste like this at all. I would have expected simply nothing but sparkling pear juice. That is why you must learn the history of the world, so that bubblegum flavored drinks don’t sneak up on you.
- Website
- http://ayan-az.com/
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Sweetener
- Couldn't Read Ingredients
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 3/29/2012
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
Looza Peach Nectar
When I was in Europe a couple of years ago, this is what I drank in most of the bars we were at. I instantly fell in love, and was pumped when I found it back in the States. It's a nice thick puree made from the world’s most perfectly ripened peaches. If you even remotely like peaches I highly recommend that you try this out.
- Website
- http://www.looza.be/
- Country
- Belgium
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 9/24/2010
- Buy Now
- Looza Peach Nectar ( 6x33.8 OZ)
Looza Mango Juice Drink
I thought this tasted slightly different than I remembered. Apparently Looza makes mango nectar (what I had before) and mango juice drink (which is this). This isn't as thick as the one I had before. I loved how thick the nectar was. This is still pretty great. I imagine sipping a glass of it with breakfast while on vacation in some tropical location. Maybe I'd even be wearing a Hawaiian shirt and some Bermuda shorts. I like to mix up my attire names after tropical getaways. It's just something I do. Mangos are seriously one of the best fruits ever, and Looza took care not to mess up their natural wonder. I salute them for that.
- Website
- http://www.looza.be/
- Country
- Belgium
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/4/2011
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
- Buy Now
- Looza Mango Nectar ( 6x33.8 OZ)
Barritts Ginger Beer
I really liked the label on this bottle. Unfortunately, the contents of the bottle weren't as great. There is only the slightest of burns to this drink. It has a strange taste to it besides the ginger. It tastes like a ginger ale (not ginger beer) that was poured into a bottle that formerly held a cleaner. Need I mention that said bottle wasn't properly rinsed? I for one am not a fan.
- Website
- http://www.barrittsgingerbeer.bm
- Country
- Bermuda
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 1/1/2011
Brazil Gourmet Mango
100% Juice? Check.
No Sugar Added? Check.
Rad looking toucan on the carton? Check.
We're off to a good start here. This is nothing but mango pulp and apple juice. Apple juice is the great stretcher of fruit juices. Seriously almost every juice has it mixed in to keep costs down and make the central fruit last longer. It's perfectly fine because apple juice is great, and it never overpowers the other fruits. This still tastes like nothing but mango. Remember how there's no sugar added? It's still crazy sweet. I'm talking 27g of sugar sweet.
- Country
- Brazil
- Sweetener
- Naturally Sweetened
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 4/19/2011
- Comments
- 1 Comment. Leave a comment.
