Stewart's Cream Soda

Stewart's began making soda in 1924 with a focus on root beer. Now I've tasted their root beer and it is delicious, but it is a few of their other flavors that really intrigue me. First, their orange n'cream soda. This soda is readily available at my local store and it has been a favorite of mine over the past few holidays. Now while doing research on Stewart's I came across three other flavors that I did not know existed: a Stewart's grape, a cherries n'cream and a strawberries n'cream. All sound incredible, don't they? Too bad I've never had them. Can't even find them! Wish I could just taste them...

Roger...pass me a cream soda. And make it a double

The cream soda, however, is available in my local market and will be the featured cream soda of Day 3 of this, Cream Soda Week. Stewart's began as a root beer stand and the fountain style flows over to their bottles and taste. These bottles are clear with a red Stewart's logo, which is nicely offset by the golden soda behind it. The label itself reads "Fountain Classics" and everything here elicits a feeling of being at an ice cream parlor, ready to make a ice cream float or have Roger behind the counter slide you a frosty mug.

The first sip...for a cream soda...is something completely different from any other cream soda I've tasted. This shock leads me to turn the bottle around and study the ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, a preservative, caramel color, citric acid and...quillaia extract. Is that it? Is that the something special that is giving a tiny bite to this traditionally smooth style of soda? I don't know but let me say, there is a bite to each sip of this soda. There is also a substantial difference in carbonation compared to the last few I've reviewed. The soda almost foams in your mouth and where other cream sodas coat tongue with vanilla creaminess, Stewart's does not. But the taste is so unique that I'm on my second bottle and still being hit with that mystery flavor, still wondering what makes this one so special.

For a traditional cream soda, Stewart's is lacking some of that vanilla flavor and some of that smoothness, but it is still a cream soda and still bears that overall likeness. What sets this soda apart from others is the fountain style that it claims. It is definitely foamy, crisp, worth chugging, and with that unique taste, Stewart's Cream Soda is almost in a class by itself.

Smoothness: 6.8 - It's the bite that takes away the smoothness
Overall Taste: 9.0 - Different, a must try, and a unique experience
Fizz Factor: 6.0 - That foaminess is almost a flavor in itself, the bubbles form in your mouth
Appearance: 8.0 - Nice label, nothing too fancy, and the soda is a golden tan
Flavor: 7.8 - A mild cream soda that satisfies

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 45g of carbs, 45g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Virgil's Cream Soda

We start Cream Soda Week with a unique cream soda from Virgil's, who also make an absolutely delicious orange cream soda in addition to a classic root beer. But what sets this soda apart is the fact that it is made with cane sugar and it is micro brewed. It is considered a gourmet soda and made by REED'S Inc. from ingredients from around the world, is gluten free and contains no preservatives.

Well, he does look like a carpenter

Let's get to the soda but first, the bottle. What I originally thought was a pirate named Virgil on the bottle turns out to just be a bearded man in a flannel shirt, serving the soda to two eagerly waiting children. Unique, and intricate for a bottle label, and as I look closer at this particular label, I read "So rich and creamy you'll swear it's made in Heaven." So is that Jesus serving the soda? Did Jesus wear flannel? The background is definitely clouds...OK, well the label is, different, but the bottle itself is shaped more like a beer bottle than a soda and looks a little larger than only 12 oz.

Being the first sip of the week, Virgil's gets a leg up because cream soda is not a regular taste and that initial hit is like no other, something that may wear off as the week goes on. I don't guzzle cream soda at first; I sip. I want to enjoy that taste because it's not quenching a thirst, it is satisfying a craving. Virgil's is thick, extremely smooth, but filling. The all natural ingredients are apparent as one can almost taste the real cane sugar. It hits on every vanilla cream soda flavor and definitely envelops the taste buds and the tongue, reaching all the way down the throat. There is a substantial lack of carbonation, which is typical of cream sodas but in this sense, it goes unmissed as Virgil's drinks like a beverage compared to a bubbly soda.

So far the week is a success. Virgil's is smooth with no bite, and nothing to distract from that heavy vanilla taste.

Smoothness: 8.5 - Extremely smooth, like you're drinking cream itself

Overall Taste: 8.3 - The taste is definitively vanilla bean, you can almost taste the purity

Fizz Factor: 5.5 - Carbonation doesn't hit you until the soda is in your stomach

Appearance: 7.0 - Not a fan of Jesus serving me soda or wearing a flannel, but the soda is a perfect tan, and darker than some of the others to be sampled this week

Flavor: 8.0 - Nails the cream soda taste and does it all naturally, so no complaints here

From the company: 12 oz has 160 calories, 0g of fat, 42g of carbs, 42g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Dr. Brown's Cream Soda

One thing I love about blogging is that I am actively seeking out and researching sodas and learning about new flavors and old flavors I've never tried. This especially goes for Dr. Brown's soda, of which I only believed there to be a couple of flavors. Hardly. They actually produce 8 different types and, to my surprise, make glass bottles. I've only seen cans and plastic and everyone knows soda is best enjoyed out of glass.

"Very good. You just earned yourself a Doctor Brown's."
- Krusty's dad

Dr. Brown's comes in as a very old soda, originating in New York in 1869 with Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda, which is a celery flavored beverage. Dr. Brown's sodas are also kosher, which is not entirely unique, but gives them some popularity.

Now, I am remiss to say that my review will be based on cans of Dr. Brown's cream soda since so far we've only been trying cream soda in glass bottles. I don't believe it will hurt their review, however, from an appearance standpoint it is hard to see the caramel color of the soda through opaque aluminum. Maybe one day science will create glass cans but until then, I just have to make do.

The cans themselves are quite nice, a dark brown color, with clear branding and, building off their New York origins, a picture of the Statue of Liberty centered on the front. I can see on their website that other flavors bear different New York landmarks, similar to Olde Brooklyn sodas. I poured the contents of one can into a glass to get a better gauge of the color and I was not let down. Despite the dark brown cans, the soda is the classic tan cream soda color and if I'm not mistaken, this one is more on the caramel side than the golden. Pouring it into a glass also let me see that this soda bears a substantial bit more carbonation than the others, with bubbles forming all over the sides and creating a thin head on top.

It's that carbonation that pops in the first sip. This cream soda drinks more like a soda and while it is not overly carbonated, bubbles are definitely present right away, sliding across the tongue and bursting on the roof of the mouth. But the most noticeable component of the first sip is the vanilla. It is not one that lasts but as the soda streams across your taste buds it is all you can sense. It is strong and almost on the vanilla bean or extract side rather than a syrup. That short lasting flavor, rather its intensity, makes this a chugging soda. I feel like all my sips are gulps and that taking it in smaller sips would just fill my mouth with carbonation, rather than cream soda goodness.

It is getting harder to really pick one cream soda over another but there is something special about Dr. Brown's. It isn't the creamiest, the flavor doesn't bite, and while it does have a surprising amount of carbonation, it falls somewhere in the middle with its smoothness and flavor.

"There's that word again. Heavy. Why are things so heavy
in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth's
gravitational pull?" - Doc Brown

Smoothness: 7.5 - Smooth, but it doesn't coat your senses in creaminess
Overall Taste: 8.0 - The vanilla is strong with this one

Fizz Factor: 7.0 - An enigma, very carbonated, but not filling

Appearance: 8.0 - Caramel brown, and the added darkness casts a shadow in the center of the glass

Flavor: 8.5 - This is the classic cream soda

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 44g of carbs, 44g of sugar and 0g of protein.

IBC Cream Soda

"Sidney, relax. Have a cream soda."

Growing up, IBC root beer was a treat to be had on pizza nights and holidays. The fact that the soda comes in glass bottles was a big reason for that, but eventually I began to associate IBC with good times and good food, and honestly, the root beer is definitely a compliment to home cookin'. When I turned seventeen I purchased my first mini-fridge for my bedroom and stocked it with cans of many varieties but also glass bottles of IBC, for those special occasions. And now, IBC root beer is still a treat, to be had intermittently when I'm craving a classic root beer.

I digress because this post is about the cream soda. Starting with the all clear glass bottle, sans label, we see the soda in its full glory. IBC cream soda is almost golden, looking like a tanned honey, almost radiating from within. It could very well be the clear bottles that add to this display as nothing obstructs light from illuminating the creamy soda throughout. The bottles themselves have a raised glass label, making them unique, but the label itself resembles something from 1919, when IBC first began creating these bubbly beverages.



The first sip is light, almost airy, and the soda heads for the roof of the mouth, expanding to the sides before slipping down the back of the throat. It is not an overwhelming, powerful first sip but the taste is right there. Actually, when sipping the soda the taste does not linger, making you reach for another sip faster than I did with the Virgil's (Oct. 15, 2012). If you drink it, the tastes persists and quenches the vanilla craving, however, you still eagerly grab for another chug. IBC nails the cream soda and vanilla flavor but does so lightly. Halfway through a bottle and the mild carbonation is not affecting me in any way. In fact., the soda tastes so light it goes up into your smell receptors on every sip.

Like golden sun rays mixed with honey and
 trapped in a bottle

IBC's light cream soda is still strong on taste and might be the perfect companion to a meal, like for instance, a pizza night with family.

Smoothness: 9.0 - So smooth you almost miss it

Overall Taste: 8.0 - The taste is definitely there, but a little mild

Fizz Factor: 4.8 - Almost no carbonation but the feeling that the soda is invading your nose from behind means it is there

Appearance: 8.5 - The golden soda looks like a beverage from the gods and clear bottles accent this, although the label is hard to see cut into the glass

Flavor: 8.3 - A classic cream soda, nothing to make it stand out, but still delicious

 

From the company: 12 oz has 180 calories, 0g of fat, 48g of carbs, 48g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Soda Shaq Blueberry Cream Soda

One of my fondest Shaquille O'Neal memories is him sliding across the floor to save a ball from going out of bounds. I think that clip was on NBA Inside Stuff every weekend. After trying the Soda Shaq Cream Soda flavors thus far, I now have another, newer, fond memory of this basketball player...this entertainer...this one of a kind human being. On this last night of Shaq cream soda, I am going to tip back the blueberry cream in his honor.

How's the Lexus, Neon?

When I crack the top a burst of blueberry smacks me in the face. The first sip is like a kiss. I taste the initial berry goodness and pull away only to instantly want another and the can wants another and before my lips leave the can my mouth opens wide and I gulp and the soda pours down my throat. Then it hits me. This is the first blueberry cream soda I've ever had. Like the Jones Sugar Plum Soda from Christmas 2012, a unique flavor has tons of appeal and like that holiday soda, this one is better than expected. I did not plan to devour the whole can so quickly but the soda was so cold and so sugary good that I could not resist. The thing is, the soda is AS ADVERTISED. It is not a blueberry soda, it is a blueberry cream soda and that is EXACTLY what it tastes like. It is reminiscent of Life Savers Cream Savers candies and those, well, those were juuust fine by me.

Overall Taste - 7.8 - A rare flavor, the best of the bunch, and as blueberry as Violet Beauregard.
Fizz Factor - 5.0 - Lacking like the other flavors but here it doesn't matter at all. Just keep the soda cold.
Appearance - 7.2 - There is a berry hue to the soda. It's not blue, or purple, but the tint gives it a bump up from a 7.
Flavor - 6.0 - Unique and worth trying and while it is not a hardcore soda, it still delivers for a carbonated beverage.

Enjoy the whole family of Soda Shaq Flavors!

From the company: 8oz has 90 calories, 24g of carbs, 24g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Soda Shaq Vanilla Cream Soda

Shaquille O'Neal. Four-time NBA Champion. Rapper. Actor. Soda Entrepreneur.

"Do you think Shaq got rich playing in Orlando?"
                                          

When I first heard of Shaq's new soda my mind exploded. Literally, BOOM! I love Shaq and really, who doesn't? I've never met him but from what I've seen on television, he appears to be a fun guy. His intensity as an athlete is off the charts. He was a Celtic. Due to all these reasons I wanted to try the soda badly, to plaster this former baller's face all over the blog and combine two things I love: carbonated beverages and basketball.

Shaq Cream Soda is made by Arizona and comes in four flavors: vanilla, orange, strawberry and blueberry. Beginning with the vanilla, this week will be devoted to the entire line-up of Shaq Soda. Starting with the cans, Arizona has outdone their colorful, and large, cans with a design inspired by the man himself. Shaq's face graces each can and it appears that there are 8 different face contortions to choose from. A Shaq for every flavor. Right from the start, even before you sip the beverage, you are already smiling.

For those of you who regularly read this blog, you may remember Cream Soda Week and using those cream sodas as a baseline I can truly say that Shaq's vanilla cream lacks intensity. It lacks that vanilla flavor. Combine this with a low amount of carbonation and you get a soda that is plain. I can't say the soda is bad though. It could be marketed as a lighter cream soda but not lighter on the calorie count. Each can contains 24oz and 270 calories, comparable to a 24oz Pepsi or Coke.

Despite the drawbacks, I still give a strong recommendation to try this soda. Like I said, it is not bad at all. It's just...light. Me? I want a creamy vanilla cream. Thick and lip-smacking. But maybe there are some who like a hint of vanilla from a soda that doesn't fill you up. If that is you, go out and get a can today.

"I am...Kazaam!" - Shaq

Overall Taste - 4.0 - Not a very strong vanilla but you can taste it.
Fizz Factor - 4.0 - Like the Cherry Lime Rickey, Arizona doesn't go crazy with the bubbles.
Appearance - 7.0 - They're getting a 5 just for the can design. It was so much fun to open my fridge and have 4 Shaqs looking back at me.
Flavor - 3.5 - Not the best vanilla cream soda...but an interesting one. Something to look for if you are out and about.

From the company: 8oz has 90 calories, 24g of carbs, 24g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Cream Soda Week

Cream soda is known for its vanilla taste and it's that vanilla taste that separates this soda from all others. Despite the brown colour, cream soda is made with vanilla, either flavoring, beans, extract, or syrup, and it's vanilla that gives the soda its smoothness. And that's what cream soda really offers: a smooth, classy taste that glides into the stomach, coating every inch of the digestive tract in a palpable, thin layer of vanilla that sticks, long enough to satisfy until you reach for another sip.

This week we're celebrating cream soda with Cream Soda Week, where we will review Virgil's, IBC, Stewart's, Dr. Brown's, A&W and Polar. With many more on the market, the next week will include a few trips to local markets to see if I can't find a few more brands and turn this into Cream Soda Week-and-a-half. We're also going to add one new category to the ratings just for this week to help our analysis of cream sodas: smoothness.

Is there anything more beautiful? Ok, yes, but this is quite nice too.

A&W Cream Soda

A&W stands for Allen & Wright, a fact I did not know until writing this post and a fact that maybe you, the reader, did not know either. Tuck it away in the back of your memory to be pulled out later during trivia. Much of America's familiarity with A&W comes from it's root beer stands and restaurants, which serve classic American burgers and other delicious food and according to their website, still make root beer in store. Growing up I was only exposed to one A&W and trips there always meant a root beer float. I'm looking at their website now and drooling over their freezes and floats and burgers and chili dogs and...

But the cream soda. Right off the bat I'm stating this is the darkest cream soda I've tested. With the lighting, it is truly hard to tell, but I think everyone can see the dark brown tornado center within the middle of the glass. Even coming out of the bottle it looks more like molasses than caramel. The bottle itself is nothing amazing, drawing on only the iconic A&W logo, but within...within is that All-American soda.

Remember: A&W = Allen & Wright

What can I say about the first sip other than it is all encompassing. It blasts your nostrils and almost pops in your mouth. The whole sensation is balanced, with no flavor, or bubble, truly dominating but existing within the whole experience is a slightly new taste. Like Stewart's, it appears A&W's secret recipe incorporates something different and looking at this label I see "yucca extract." Now, like with the Stewart's, I'm not going to definitively say this is what makes it unique, but what I will say is that A&W has an aftertaste that almost craves for a food compliment. I'm not sure if it is my memory but sipping this soda I begin to want a burger to go along with it. My mind is almost demanding french fries, which is an obviously sneaky request initiated by my stomach. From a fizz factor standpoint, the soda is, like with the taste, balanced. It is not overpowering but it does bubble and you will feel it inside you as you chug more and more.

After 5 different cream sodas, I'm beginning to find a clear front runner in my mind. A&W right now is not it, but it does offer some things that others can't. First, it might be the perfect one to drink with a meal. Second, it has a unique aftertaste. Third, it is widely distributed and easy to find. Lastly, it delivers on the vanilla taste demanded by cream soda enthusiasts. The soda is not only a must try because of the different taste, it is also a classic American beverage brewed by a classic American company.

Smoothness: 7.5 - Smooth...bubbles and vanilla are balanced

Overall Taste: 8.2 - Unique aftertaste and fountain style beverage

Fizz Factor: 7.5 - They are there and part of the overall style of this soda

Appearance: 7.8 - Dark, but minimal bubbles and no head, the soda is almost a uniform caramel color

Flavor: 8.3 - This is cream soda from the makers of an All American root beer...so you know it's good.

From the company: 12 oz has 170 calories, 0g of fat, 46g of carbs, 45g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Soda Shaq Orange Cream Soda

"Hey Kobe, how's my orange
cream soda taste?"

Remember when Shaq came out at the All-Star Game and danced with the Jabbawockeez? I do. It was just another example of Shaq's awesomeness. The man has some serious moves.

Following Shaq's Vanilla Cream Soda is the Orange Cream Soda. Despite a lackluster performance for the vanilla, I still have high hopes for the orange cream. Pouring it from the gigantic, Shaq-sized can, there is an orange tint to a light tan soda that lacks bubbles but not a distinct aroma. The odor is a creamy orange, not an orange, but the exact flavor of an orange cream candy. I'm giddy.

The first sip is generous and strikes with a solid orange cream sweep of the taste buds. Each additional sip loses a little of that power but the light feeling of Shaq's soda is a benefit here. The refreshing lightness and the tan color make it a unique flavor in the orange cream spectrum, one that is quickly finding its way from the can and into my stomach. The soda is not filling and worthy of a try because it is a new experience, one I might not routinely repeat, but something that might befit other soda enthusiasts.

Overall Taste - 6.5 - The orange stands out and it is light, making it a refreshing drink that's not too sugary, not too sweet and definitely not filling.
Fizz Factor - 4.0 - Just like the other Arizona beverages there isn't much bubble to this soda, but in this case, it doesn't negatively affect the taste.
Appearance - 7.1 - The orange tint is unique and you got to love Shaq's smile on the can.
Flavor - 5.0 - A pleasant surprise! A light but creamy orange soda.

From the company: 8oz has 90 calories, 24g of carbs, 24g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Polar Cream Soda

I am not partial to Polar despite them being local because I am not a huge fan of seltzer water. In addition to that, I find that their line-up of sodas is not as familiar as brands I've been drinking my entire life, even though Polar has been around since 1882. With their home being Worcester, MA, I know that eventually I will tour their facilities and write about it here on this blog. And while I'm spitting out Polar information, a surprising fact I recently learned while watching Chronicle is that the owners of Polar's brothers and sisters own Wachusett Mountain, which is a small, but local, ski mountain in Massachusetts. Soda and skiing, that's the life.

"My uncle Roger said that he once saw
an albino polar bear." - Alan

I can't describe Polar's phenotype in any unique way: its color is basic caramel and the label is nothing fancy. It is worth noting that Polar's labels bear a polar bear named Orson, the company's mascot since 1902, pre-dating Coca-Cola's use of polar bears in their advertising.

Breaking the seal on the bottle elicits a quick burst of vanilla in the air, however, that is where the vanilla ends. The first sip is smooth and there is a thin layer of bubbles that cascades across the tongue but there is a distinct absence of vanilla. It could be a week of testing cream sodas has made me immune to a vanilla taste but I really don't think that is it. I believe that this cream soda just lacks a strong vanilla taste which is sad because in other areas, this soda is on par with others. There is a modest but apparent amount of carbonation and the way this soda bubbles is tangible, small ones that tickle the tongue. But this soda begs for more, more vanilla, more taste, and because of this, it does not deliver. It could be a perfect beverage for someone looking for a subdued cream soda but is anyone looking for that when it comes to cream soda? I hope the owners of Polar don't read this but I'm being honest after a week of rating cream sodas and this is just how I feel. I would hate to be banned from their facilities and even worse, the ski mountain.

Smoothness: 7.0 - This soda does not lack a smoothness
Overall Taste: 6.0 - Light on the vanilla, light on flavor, a weak cream soda
Fizz Factor: 7.0 - Not much head, bubbles are small and uniform, but gets watered-down towards the end
Appearance: 6.5 - Nothing unusual, nothing special, but still has that caramel clarity
Flavor: 5.5 - Possibly the least flavorful of the sodas tested

From the company: 8 oz has 120 calories, 0g of fat, 30g of carbs, 30g of sugar and 0g of protein.

Hooker Mountain Farm Rock Maple Cream Soda

FOTB Melissa again contributes to the blog in a major way by transporting a bottle of Hooker Mountain Farm Rock Maple Cream Soda back over the border and delivering said bottle into my grateful hands. Rock Maple Cream Soda? Sounds like they combined syrup and soda, right? Right? Looking at the bottle, that is EXACTLY what they've done.

Who you ask? The folks at Hooker Mountain Farm. They make a line of sodas including cream soda, root beer, spruce and lime, orange cream, blackberry and mulled cider. Interesting flavors. I'm intrigued. Let's do this.

Popping the bottle there is no strong odor except the smallest hint of spice. This concerns me so I take the first sip and find nothing. Oddly, the flavor of the soda is not overtly present and barely brushes the taste buds as it flows flatly across the tongue. The expectation of sugary syrup mixed with cream soda is crushed beneath a liquid that lacks sweetness, creaminess, and bubbles. From the soda perspective, I can be extremely negative because this might be one of the least flavorful sodas I've ever sipped. However, that does not make it a bad beverage. Looking back, that first scent that emulates from the bottle is the fire maple syrup. It's slightly smokey. The lack of bubbles hurts it as a soda but the spice and that indistinct smokiness combine to form an adult beverage, a drink for those looking for minimal sweetness and limited carbonation.


Overall Taste: 5.0 - Not for me, but I think I know a few who might like it.
Fizz Factor - 2.5 - Not even sure this one is carbonated.
Appearance - 4.0 - Clearer than you would expect but the bottle screams Vermont-made.
Flavor - 6.5 - Here is where I will concede that this is something unique. I've never had a beverage like this and honestly plan to recommend it to a few friends that do not appreciate soda and its bubbly personality.

Soda Shaq Strawberry Cream Soda

Who is the man, that can jam over any man? SHAQ! Can you dig it?

The third can in Arizona's Soda Shaq Cream Soda quartet is the Strawberry Cream, a flavor that is unique but not the only in the industry. Coming off the orange cream I have high hopes for the strawberry; hopes that are only fueled by cracking the can and launching a strawberry splash into the air.

"Keep yo eye on Big Shaq and
 put yo money on the Lakers"

The strawberry odor is strong and the soda has a pink hue, features that enhance the experience. The first sip is as advertised, a strawberry cream, but just like the orange cream, the lightness to the soda creates a refreshing beverage that does not overwhelm. Sure, those craving something sugary and heavy should look elsewhere, but the two fruit flavors of Shaq's cream soda I've tasted so far satisfy in a way a heavy soda cannot and complement a snack or dinner without weighing you down.

Overall Taste - 6.5 - Equivalent to the orange cream and far above the vanilla.
Fizz Factor - 4.0 - Again, Arizona sodas seem to lack bubbles and this one is no different.
Appearance - 7.2 - Giving the strawberry a notch above the orange because the pink tint is cute, and really, I don't see too many pink cream sodas.
Flavor - 5.0 - Can't say it's better than the orange, or worse, and the choice really comes down to what you like better - orange soda or strawberry soda.

So choose, but choose wisely.

From the company: 8oz has 90 calories, 24g of carbs, 24g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Jones' Supports Breast Cancer with Special Flavor

"Your credit card called. They wanted to make sure you're
the one buying all the cream soda in bulk." - Kenneth
to Liz (30 Rock)

Jones' released pink cream soda this past October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Read more about it here. Personally, I'm ecstatic. When I did my cream soda review I did not have any Jones' Cream Soda, and since Cream Soda Week I have tried it and I like it. It's different, a little mild, but it has this bubble bite and a weird ability to feel colder than you'd think when it runs across the tongue. Think the way mint cools the mouth, HOWEVER, there is no mint flavor. Please don't let me confuse readers by saying mint because I do really enjoy Jones' robust range of flavors and it is fully creamy and smooth.

Getting back to these special editions, the reason this makes me so happy is that (if you didn't read the link above) is that a portion of the profits from soda sales will be donated to an organization determined to raise breast cancer awareness among young people. Kudos to Jones for doing this and showing that soda companies bring more to the community than delicious beverages.

The Fizzary

Never in my wildest soda dreams did I ever imagine a place like The Fizzary existed. Years of seeking out special brands on the Internet dulled my soda senses and with that I lost my edge; my ability to go grass roots and uncover flavors hidden in bodegas and high-end grocery stores in every area I visited. I thought finding sodas from across the country would mean a trip across the country. Never did I fathom a store, a beautiful little store, could offer me this and so much more.






The Fizzary is a Graceland of mind-blowing proportions for soda fans and worth a pilgrimage to Haight Street in San Francisco. The sign on the wall says it all: 900 Flavors. 900 flavors!!! I couldn't and still can't believe it. 900 flavors...and I only had 2 hours before a flight to drink what I could because I firmly believe if I drank what I wanted the gas bubbles in my body would expand and cause me to literally explode once the airplane ascended to 10,000 feet. Instead I opted for four bottles (because the nice clerk told me buy three and get one free!).

With 900 to chose from and not a great deal of time I formulated the plan to try two cherry colas (possibly my favorite soda), a cream soda and a root beer. I wanted to see what sparked my interest as well as what I should try based on geographical limitations that could prevent me from obtaining the same soda brand at a later date. For the cream soda I picked Waialua Soda Works from Hawaii since the likelihood of going to Hawaii soon was small. My root beer was Crater Lake from Oregon, another location far from my home. My two cherry colas were closer, Cicero Beverages Cherry Cola out of the Windy City and Squamscot Cherry Cola from New Hampshire. I'll save my reviews for a later date because this post really belongs to The Fizzary.

The soda selection is overwhelming and it would take weeks to truly sample all The Fizzary has to offer. For those reading this that are irked by the idea that these bottles are warm, The Fizzary has a solution: a chiller that cools soda bottles in four minutes by submerging them in a bath of cold water so if the soda you would like to taste is not located in one of the two refrigerated coolers you can still walk out sipping your beverage of choice. Every wall is lined with shining bottles of soda and arranged by flavor, such as colas, orange sodas, root beers, etc. There is even an area for ones that can't be categorized as well as one for foreign sodas.


The Fizzary also offers a selection of candy, naturally, for those bozos who want to get an extremely ecliptic sugar high on. One candy that surprised me was Super Ropes, 34" of licorice I have not had in years. But my main focus here was the soda and when it comes to soda The Fizzary can not be topped. A true store for soda aficionados and my first stop the next time I am in San Francisco.

Jones Ginger Bread

I built a ginger bread house once, during the only Christmas I remember spending with extended family, my aunt and uncle and cousins in upstate New York. It is a fond memory, and I'm much more fond of the memory than the taste of ginger bread itself. I have little expectations for this soda.

"Ok, I'll tell you...Do you
know...the Muffin Man?"
 - Gingerbread Man

Twisting the top (oh yes, Jones are glass bottle twist tops), I get a whiff of cinnamon. I'm surprised...not slightly, but greatly surprised that my anticipation for drinking this beverage just skyrocketed. The ginger bread aroma smacks me in the face and my lips literally lunge to take that first sip and it is an amazing first sip. It is complete ginger bread and an instant reminder of holiday cookies. The soda is creamy and while the carbonation is mild, that lacking adds to the soda's appeal by giving an enhanced smoothness.

As I imbibe more I get a little concerned that the taste will lose its luster and the appeal will fade because that happens with many special flavor sodas. While the soda does, the drop off is not immense and I never bore with the taste. It is a filling soda and one that needs to be sipped, but it brings a solid taste all the way through. My initial reservations on this flavor have been overturned and in this third sampling from Jones Holiday 4-Pack I've found a taste to revisit each year. Here's to hoping Jones puts this back on the shelves for Christmas 2013!

Overall Taste: 6.3 - Surprising, and what you could call a must have for ginger bread fans.

Fizz Factor: 3.5 - No bubbles? No problem.

Appearance: 7.0 - Again for Jones, the color of the soda is something to marvel. Like the perfect purple for the plum, the transparent hint of yellow for the pear, the ginger bread is a natural brown, almost like a cream soda color but missing that honey/golden touch.

Flavor: 6.3 - Perfect ginger bread. Wouldn't have thought to make it a soda, but it works.

 

From the company: 12 oz has 190 calories, 0g of fat, 47g of carbs, 47g of sugar, and 0g of protein.

Long Time No Blog

It has been a while since the last post and a can of Soda Shaq Blueberry Cream soda still sits cold and mysterious in my fridge. A long month of training for a race limited my sugar intake while general summer activities burglared my time. Now the race is complete and while I still need to pop my shirt off to cool down at the beach, I'm OK with carrying around the few extra el-bees that come with a diet rich in soda and candy.

I shared a Peach Sprite, Barq's Vanilla Root
Beer, Lime Fanta and of course, Cherry Vanilla
Coke, with this beautiful machine

This doesn't mean the past month was a total fast. I visited my friend the Coca Cola Dream Machine. I tried some new candies, including pomegranate gummy bears given to me by a friend at work, the new Starburst bites which will have their own review, and some non-Sour Patch sour watermelon candies. Very eventful month but not from a writing standpoint. I apologize for the long delay but following this post the blog will be back to business as usual, which doesn't mean daily posts, but more frequent than once every month and a half.

Thank you for following.

Is This Too Many Jelly Beans?

Each holiday brings holiday candy and candy lovers must take advantage and indulge while the offerings are available. Jelly beans, the classic Brachs ones, are what I grew up on and the cherry beans are some of my favorite candies. In a recent trip to buy some I saw a wide range of jelly bean brands and figured some blog time should be devoted to this seasonal legume.

I've known about other brands for a long time and definitely get my fill of Starburst jelly beans every year. But now there are multiple flavors of Starburst and this year I was exposed to Mike & Ike jelly beans for the first time! Over the next few weeks I'm going to sample a selection of jelly beans and hopefully find a clear best bean (although as we saw with Cream Soda Week, I'm not very good at crowning a winner so don't expect one. Plus, I'm biased. I just love the Brachs red ones, of which they now make an all red bag!).

"Well, I hope you also carry a spare bowl of candy beans."
- Gob Bluth

The jelly bean line up consists of:
Brachs Classic Jelly Bird Eggs
Brachs Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs
Mike & Ike Jelly Beans
Lifesavers Jelly Beans
Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans
SweeTarts Jelly Beans
Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans
Swedish Fish Jelly Beans
Gold Emblem Jelly Beans
Starburst Original Jelly Beans
Starburst FavReds Jelly Beans
Starburst Crazy Beans


I can't even say which I'm most excited about...Swedish Fish? Brachs Tiny? I couldn't help myself and already dipped into the Mike & Ikes and they were awesome. This is going to be tough.