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2010-05-19T21:58:00.001-04:00

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Brewhaha: Stone Cup Roasters East Timor Blend

2010-04-22T12:20:00.003-04:00

Hey readers! As promised, I'm back to briefly review Stone Cup Roasters East Timor Blend. The bag, as you can see, is very sleek. It's black, with a mosaic of a cup of coffee made out of stone. The only thing I don't like is the name of the blend being written on, but that's understandable, seeing as it's not one of their official retail blends. Since this was a test batch of beans, there is no pricing info available.

Acidity- This one has a nice acidic bite. Definitely not a flat cup of joe!

Aroma- It's got an aroma unlike any other coffee I've ever encountered. It's good, though, so no worries here!

Body- East Timor has a less than favorable body, but if you like the lighter-bodied coffees, this one is for you!

Flavor- This is where the blend shines. It's got great berry notes, and just is a great-tasting cup of coffee overall.

Buzz factor- It gives me a better than expected buzz!

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10. If only it had a better body! Then, it would be a truly elite blend!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: Back to the 80's!

2010-04-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

Allright, Marty. This week I jumped in the Delorean and headed to the mid-80's. On my way through the timesteam, I hit a quantum pothole, and now the Flux Capacitor is incapacitated. So here I am, trapped in the 80's. To be honest, it's not quite as friendly as the Old West.

Luckily, there are plenty of sodas to taste while I'm there to keep me busy! Sodas that are not available in the 21st century! Here's just a few of my favorites...

Lifesaver Soda
I'm not even sure if this qualifies as a soda, considering it's missing one of the most important ingredients... carbonation. Regardless, this modern "beverage-of-sorts" is available in something similiar to the flavors of normal Lifesavers candy: Fruit Punch, Pineapple, Lime Punch, Grape Punch, and Orange Punch. Lots of punches all around. It sounds a lot like drinking liquid candy... I haven't gotten around to trying it just yet, but it looks interesting to say the least.
image source: TIME

Like Cola
7UP recently developed this cola under the slogan "Made from the Kola Nut." Ok... Great. And it claims to contain no caffeine. First of all, the exclusion of caffeine would result in this not actually being a cola... by law. Therefore, it contains caffiene, but it is almost statistically insignificant.. 1%. Secondly, it just tastes like a cola. Nothing too special here.

Hubba Bubba
Steve Roeder came with with this novel concept by experimenting with soda water and a variety of snow-cone flavors. Supposedly he approached Bazooka Joe with the concept first, but Wrigley's made this flavor possible, also available in Diet. The most notable feature of this soda is the high sugar content - about 46 grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving. It seems like this soda also has a huge love it/hate it division within it. There are even websites in your era touting petitions to bring it back!
image source: BUTTER HOT SHOES

7UP GOLD
This is a variety of 7UP marketed as a "spice soda," featuring a cinnamon/caramel-apple flavor reminiscent somewhat of Vernor's and a reddish-brown color. It also features caffiene, which is a huge change up for 7UP. Especially since their big slogan right now is "Never Had It, Never Will" referring to the pep-inducing compound. I guess that explains why they decided to go with "The Wild Side of 7UP" for this 7UP Gold ad campaigh. While I really enjoy the unusual flavor, something tells me I won't see this for very long.

Feel free to go back and save me whenever you get a chance. There's really no hurry. Jules and Verne are fitting in just fine. I really don't like that Flock of Seagulls hair on Jules though. If only I could harness the static electricity it creates to generate 1.21 Jiggawatts...

Great Scott!

Brewhaha: JoZoara Cupping Experience

2010-04-08T18:41:00.005-04:00

Phoenixsong here once again! Since the soda posts seem to have grinded to a halt, I thought it might be a nice time to do a small follow-up to my last post. You will recall that we last talked about Murfreesboro's newest and best coffee venue, JoZoara, which is located on The Avenue. Well, I've since joined their Facebook Fan page. JoZoara does a great job of letting their fans know what's going on in the store.

On Wednesday morning, I received a message on my phone about a tasting that would take place about an hour before church. Since JoZoara is on my way to services, this was the perfect opportunity to get some caffeine before teaching my class that night. When I arrived, I met the lovely Amanda. She is a salesperson for Stone Cup Roasting Company, a small coffee company out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I found out that they are the bean distributor for JoZoara and many other small coffee shops in the area.

Amanda was hosting something known as a cupping. Cupping is a process where you allow the grounds to brew in the cup that you will be drinking from. When brewed, you take a spoon, hold your nose close to the cup, and break through the grounds to get a nice sense of the aroma. Once you have the aroma, you remove the majority of the grounds with a spoon and swish the coffee around in your mouth. After you can taste it, you spit it out, like you would when you taste wine. As you can see, it makes quite a fun mess!

I had never done a cupping. In contrast, Amanda had done many, many cuppings to evaluate for defective beans and to be able to profile the flavor of a coffee. We cupped three blends: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, East Timor, and Sumatra Lintong. The other two blends were fairly good, but I fell in love with the East Timor. I loved it so much that Amanda graciously gave me the rest of the cupping beans (roughly 5 ounces) to try at home! How many coffee shops can you get that kind of personal experience from?! Anyway, the East Timor will undoubtedly be what I review on the next installment of Brewhaha!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Brewhaha: JoZoara Coffee Shop

2010-03-26T21:23:00.020-04:00

Hello, fellow Bevfiends! Phoenixsong here! I'm doing something a little different tonight. Instead of reviewing one coffee, I'm going to review an entire coffeehouse! Enter JoZoara Coffee Shop. I recently came across this fine establishment when a friend of mine from class invited me there to talk about Master's school.

As I walked inside, I was amazed at the spaciousness. Unlike most other shops, they don't try to cram customers into tiny booths or around pint-sized tables. Instead, they give you not only a lot of room to spread out, they also supply large, round tables and sturdy wooden chairs. If wood is not your thing, there are also plenty of comfy leather chairs to take your ease in! The baristas were super friendly, and also very knowledgeable about their product! As we ordered our beverages, we noticed a huge pastry case full of delicious goodies.

After ordering, we were told to be seated and that our beverages would be delivered to us. Almost as soon as we were seated, here came our drinks in large cups. The neat thing about the cups was that they were all the same size, yet had different local businesses and logos on them! What a nice touch!

JoZoara also has live music on Thursday and Saturday nights. I happened to be there during one of these sessions. While the music was nothing special, it was nice background noise as we sipped on our drinks.

As I took a swig of their delicious and full-bodied Sumatra blend, I couldn't help but feel love-struck. This was my first trip to JoZoara, but it certainly won't be my last!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: Links for the Masses!

2010-03-19T19:22:00.016-04:00

Pop from POPS
It has recently come to my attention that there as an amazing location that I will have to visit at some point in my life. Way out on that road of roads, Route 66, there is a location within the confines of Arcadia, Oklahoma referred to as "POPS" that contain within it over 500 different varieties of soda. Being the soda fanatic that I am, I must go there at some point. If not for the soda, then for the 66-foot tall soda bottle landmark. Road trip? Most definitely. Check it out!

photo credit: jenniferrt66

WOOT Enters the Realm of Soda Reviewing
Earlier this week, Woot.com tries it's hand at soda reviewing. And they go all out with the foreign sodas, tasting a bevvy of cola champagnes, whatever Inca Cola is supposed to be, Materva, a couple of Indian Foco bevs, and the Jamacian Ting! Then they proceed to make the most epic multicultural suicide of all time. Check it out!

Vintage Soda Bonanza!

Every wondered what sodas looked like in yesteryear? Luckily for us Flickr user "Roadsidepictures" has compiled a big fat pile of them for our very own perusal! Enjoy such classic gems as RC Cola, Sun Drop, Nesbitt's Orange, the ever-delicious Tahitian Treat, and my personal favorite, Cragmont Diet Orange! Check it out!
photo credit: Roadsidepictures

Can Grips: The Anti-Koozie
Coozi? Cuzi? Kosy? Koozie? However it's spelled, this fancily crafted device has been designed to make it completely irrelevant. Unless they were used in conjunction. (mental note: Make a combination product, market it to complete idiots) Anyways, can grips have been designed to help you hold your soda of choice without actually having to hold it! I imagine this would probably make it stay cold a bit longer as well. Anyways, neat product! Check it out !

The Mildly Mental Moxie Man of Maine!
Just try to say that 5 times fast, I dare you. Seriously, it shouldn't be that hard. Anyways, here's a video of a thick-Bostonian-accented fellow talking of his love for the Moxie while some guy actually attempts to try the stuff. They make some fantastic stuff when it comes to blue cream... but the cola? If only I could find it...

Brewhaha: Seven Hills Butter Rum Blend

2010-03-16T23:14:00.006-04:00

No, my dear readers, I did not venture on horseback to Rome to taste this coffee. Instead, this blend ventured on horseback to find me.

Kidding! I ventured to Lexington, Kentucky for spring break. I was then spirited away by my pals to Cincinnati, Ohio for a day. We ended up going to Jungle Jim’s, a delightful international supermarket with everything you could possibly imagine under one roof. Not only did I purchase organic, unbleached almonds, I also invested in a half pound of what promised to be a delightful brew. I was pretty excited, because though I don’t drink, I love the taste and smell of rum. I use rum extract in a few desserts I make, including my favorite one, tiramisu!

Seven Hills is a relatively small coffee company based out of Cincinnati. They supply about 200 stores and restaurants, but their base in mostly in the mid-western states. One pound of any of their blends will cost you $9.00, which seems pretty reasonable. The bag and artwork are a little disappointing. You get what appears to be a paper sack with the cartoon-ish company logo. The clerk even had to write the name of the blend on after I bought it! Let’s just hope the product is better than the container in which it is kept!

Acidity- Not much acidity here. It’s more smooth, with just enough of an acidic property to keep it from tasting flat.

Aroma- The beans were amazing, smelling like they were heavily soaked in rum. In liquid form, it seems to have lost some of the potency, but I still smell rum.

Body- It's got a really good body. In fact, it even has the same type of consistency that you would expect out of a coffee that had heavy whipping cream already in it. Very nice!

Flavor- After showing some promise, this is where Butter Rum Blend fails miserably. Not only does it not taste like rum, it really is not impressive in any way taste wise. It’s a very standard cup of joe.

Buzz factor- I didn’t notice any special buzz from this one.

Overall rating: 7.0 out of 10. I’m really disappointed by the lack of rum taste. So many "flavored" coffees are all aroma and no flavor. This one seems to be in that basket.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Orange Crush: Meet the Whole Family!

2010-03-11T18:01:00.007-05:00

I had planned on doing this post a while back, but after a recent attempt on my and my family's life, I had kind of been postponing it. After a lengthy civil case between my family and Teethbrush regarding the mysterious disappearance of my sister-in-law, Strawberry Crush, I feel as though peace has been made between us enough for this post to be made.
Here's the whole family. Baby, Mom, and Pop Crush. We get along pretty well most days.

As you may well already know, I am an avid soda drinker. I actually met this particular bottle of Orange Crush a few weeks ago on the weekend of my birthday when a fellow absentee blogger presented me with it. We got along instantly.

Orange Crush does contain some amount of high fructose corn syrup, so its taste isn't exactly the most pure in the world. But it definitely gets the job done. It definitely gets points on bottle design - there's not many other soda bottles like this one. Plus, it took my name. I can't be too opposed to it.

You DO that get that quality "cap-opening steam" moment which is always a delight. And the flavor isn't overly fake-orange tasting. It's pretty close to taking a bite out of a slightly stale navel orange that you dumped tons of fake sugar on.
As for Crush Jr, he's just a little bundle of jelly beans as far as I'm concerned. He didn't come into the picture until this past week. He's pretty spry for his age. He may have my eyes, but he looks just like his Mom and is flavored the same way exactly.

Don't give me that look.

Anyways, kudos Jelly Belly. You do good work at copying flavors. And using actual sugar.

As for video options these week, here's the family theme song. Enjoy.
-Crush

Twining's Lapsang Souchong Tea: OOH, Griblack day!!

2010-03-08T20:38:00.007-05:00

How is a raven like a writing desk??

Go ask a Mad Hatter. BUT, if you'd like a review of an excellent tea, just ask me. My favourite cuppa' at the mo' is a nice steaming mug of Lapsang Souchong.

What inspired my procurement of this you ask? I had gone to a small Chinese restaurant(not that the owners were diminutive, all though they were) and as always ordered hot tea. The tea that this small restaurant served was a bit smoky. It was entirely delicious. I wanted more.

Twining's calls this a "strong, golden tea with a distinctive smoked character. Now, when I buy tea, I usually sniff the outside of the box before tossing it in the cart. I really don't know why I do this, but hey I've gone 'round the twist. Anywho, at first sniff, my thought's were "hmm, must be the cellophane smelling odd." Tossed it in the cart anyway. Got it home, opened it up, sniffed again. Wow, i really thought i had made a big mistake. It wasn't the cellophane smelling odd, it really was the tea that smelled like a lumber yard. Shrugged, said "Meh, what can it hurt??" Put water on the boil, brewed for a few, sniffed, smelled like fresh cut lumber now, and sipped. This is where the fun starts. This is a very deep, aromatic tea. There is no taste of pine(my big fear). So where does the lumber smell come from you ask?? Well, unlike ravens and writing desks, Lapsang's flavour comes from smoking the tea leaves over burning pine wood.

My big tip, do NOT over sweeten this stuff. It won't kill anything, but too much sugar(pure cane people! not the cheap beet crap) decreases the depth.

So, get some Lapsang and have a tea party. NOW!!!!

Brewhaha: Christopher Bean Vanilla Nut Butter Cookie

2010-03-08T12:09:00.006-05:00

‘Lo, readers! Today, we’ll be looking at another Christopher Bean brew: Vanilla Nut Butter Cookie Blend. I had the good fortune of trying this out while staying with my chum Crush over Spring Break. I won’t waste time going into the bag design or the costs, since they are practically the same as those of CB’s Winter Wonderland (WW) that we reviewed earlier in the year. That’s not all that’s the same, as we will soon discover…

Acidity- It’s acidic, but not strongly so. It doesn’t have the coconut flavoring to help spike the acidity as WW did. It still seems to dry you out pretty decently.

Aroma- I think this is where I really started to notice how similar WW and this blend actually are. I smell vanilla, hazelnut, and something else that was a little different from what I smelled in WW. Consulting the bag, I see that the ingredients are nearly identical, except this blend supposedly has the cookie instead of the coconut and white chocolate in it!

Body- It's the twin of WW in this department as well; it has a very standard body that probably needs cream.

Flavor- This is where the coffees finally diverge. WW was much more complex than this blend. I was even a little bit disappointed with how bland this one is in comparison to WW. I discovered, however, that once you add in cream and sugar that this blend becomes much, much better. The sweetener definitely helps you taste the cookie notes of this coffee.

Buzz factor- Average, just like WW.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10. I like this blend, but without cream and some type of sweetener, it’s a pretty ho-hum coffee.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: Now Featuring Regional Exploration!

2010-03-01T20:20:00.011-05:00

Soda Pop Stop
A UK student by the name of Aaron Scales created this little project (titled Project Bottlestop) to adorn Versailles Road right here in Lexington, KY. During the daytime, it adorns the side of the road and proclaims the delight of Ale-8 to all passersby. At night, however, it uses sunlight it acquired over the previous day to create a delightful glow! Next up for Aaron scales: Peanutstop! A bus shelter built from Jif peanut butter jars and Smuckers Jam Jars!

If you're interested in finding it, here's a link to the location of it on Google Maps. Don't worry that the bus shelter doesn't actually show up in GMap photo... I'm guessing the Google truck doesn't get around to Lexington very often.
source

It's Alive!!! IT'S ALIVE!!!! And Tasty!
Ran across this Youtube video that discusses how to create your very own soda, without having to buy one of those fancy machines. Try it, and let me know how it turns out!

Also, keep your eyes open for amazing completely not-fake moustaches.

For The Removal of Bottlecaps. Or Headcrabs.
Thinkgeek, once again, offering some fancy bottle openers in the shape of a crowbar this time! Always handy when you feel like listening to boring men drone on about your destiny, running from weird zombie-like creatures, or driving a dune buggy aimlessly for what seems to be hours. Be prepared - they'll cost you a pretty penny at $24.99. If you feel up to a full Half-Life reenactment, they also feature some sweet stuffed head crabs!
source

On an additional note, I recently had a birthday upon which I received an amazing soda-related gift! Many thanks to my good friends Dave and Rose McGee for the YAVAglass glasses! Prepare to see these prominently displayed in future blogs. THANKS SO MUCH GUYS!

Brewhaha: Jack Daniel's Old #7 Coffee

2010-02-28T23:37:00.007-05:00

A teetotaler reviewing a beverage inspired by another alcoholic beverage on a Sunday seems a little strange, no? Well, that’s what’s happening today at Beverage Fiend! I’ll be reviewing Jack Daniel’s Old #7 Coffee. Both the liquor and the coffee are owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation, and based out of Lynchburg, TN. The funny thing about Lynchburg? It’s located in a dry county. Go figure. This blend is something I sampled at my internship. 12 ounces will cost you between $8-10 dollars, depending on where you purchase it. The package, as you can see, looks very much like the design on an Old #7 bottle of whiskey: Simple, yet elegant!

Acidity- It's not terribly bitter, but it does have a small bite. Not really sure it’s drying out any one area, though.

Aroma- I smell a lot of earthiness, but just a hint of sweetness in there! I like that!

Body- It could be better, but it could be worse.

Flavor- I can’t taste any sweetness... odd that I was getting sweet on the aroma. No, this is a stout, strong, earthy blend!

Buzz factor- It gave me a slightly better than normal buzz.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10. I like it, but don’t love it.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Ale 8: Party at Work

2010-02-24T23:50:00.007-05:00

So, the other week at work, a co-worker of mine had a birthday much as she has every year. So far in her life, the only new thing at each of her birthdays was a number. This year, this was not the case, as i brought in a lunch of chili, deviled eggs, choco-dentures and most importantly, a six-pack of Ale8-1. Why would the Ale8 be the most important you ask?? Well friends, this is BEVERAGE fiend. Not chili or choco-dentures fiend. All though, I could do a deviled eggs blog.....

Anywho, on to Ale8 1. Or Ale8 as it's called by most folks. Stands for "A Late One" as in it was the latest thing to come to the soda market in the '20s. Also, it stands to note(as my co-worker was entirely hard to convince), this is a SOFT drink. After that, this has become the only ginger ale that I drink. A lotta bit fruity, and a WHOLE lotta gingery. Ingredient list is a bit iffy with the sweetener listed as "corn sweetener or sugar". OR. I don't get this "OR" thing. PIck one. PIck the right one, but pick one and go with it!!

I've been told that Ale8 is quite high on the caffeine end of things. So, the googling type that I am I, I decided to find out some real info. I stumbled onto this site. Extremely comprehensive. For a more concise breakdown see here. I do find it interesting that diet gets more caffeine than regular.

Now, to finish off the review, I'll leave you with some reviews of the feasters.

Dr. Reza's opinion is "One of the best, very good, go ahead try, very very good." It should be noted that he is VERY anti- soda.

Kelly is quoted as saying "It's good, I can't imagine sitting around drinking it all day, but it's good.

Taste.............Quite gingery with perfect hints of fruitiness.
Meal Pairing............. excellent with chili, burgers.
Refresh Factor.............9
Buzz Factor.............7
Belch Factor..............7

Barrel Brothers Root Beer: Donkey Kong's Got Nothing On This One

2010-02-18T23:11:00.007-05:00

So there I was, trying to save the princess again, and that stupid monkey... or donkey... whatever... just keeps throwing those barrels at me. And fires. And I couldn't even find one of those sweet hammer things to go to town on that Donkey with.

Then I misstep. He actually hits me and I fly off the beam.

There I am, in the hospital, laying in traction. And my only visitor is this stupid barrel that hit me. Apparently he's trying to make things right between us. What a jerk. We'll settle this in civil court.

Wait... what's this? A label? Barrel Brothers? Root Beer? And a tap? Ok, I'll bite. Or at least drink.

Label Design... very refreshing. Prominently displays the two Barrel brothers in question, pictured as caricatures. Definitely sells it from the shelf.

Smell... very sweet, very vanilla-ish.

Taste... classic root beer flavor, plus a kick of vanilla. Quite creamy as well. Would have been better if cane sugar had been used. Not particularly amazing, but not bad either. Definitely somewhere between middle of the road and king of the road.

Bubble Quality - upon pouring into a tall glass, about half of it resulted in froth. Although, to be honest, the majority of the bubble didn't appear until the glass was nearly full.

Buzz Factor - zero, as is the case with most root beers.

Ok, so maybe the civil case is postponed. At least for now.

-Crush

Here's another, less exciting, Mario Brothers adventure for your perusal. No sodas involved. Sorry.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Brewhaha: Christopher Bean Winter Wonderland

2010-02-15T20:42:00.005-05:00

As a social worker, I’m interested in social consciousness and sustainability. Apparently, so is the company that I’m going to introduce you to today. Say hello to the Christopher Bean Coffee Company. Founded in 1996 by Christopher Bean, (yes, that’s his real name) they’ve enjoyed rapid growth by way of creating innovative flavored blends and expanding their product availability around the entire U.S.

Today, let’s take a closer look at their Winter Wonderland blend. It’s apparently quite good. So good that it’s kind of a big deal. People know it. It has many leather-bound books and it’s apartment smells of rich mahogany.

I got to try it the other day at my internship, and I was quite smitten with it. The bag is blue, holographic, and very visually appealing. You can find it in stores for about $8.00 per 12 ounces. The only thing I don’t like about it before the taste/ smell test is the fact that the coffee is pre-ground, which compromises the freshness somewhat. Oh well. Perfection is something I have yet to encounter in coffeeland. Or in real life, for that matter...

Acidity- It’s got a pretty strong acidic kick. Most of that comes from the coconut flavor, I think. It’ll dry you out all over, so be prepared!

Aroma- It’s got a pretty good mixture of smells going on... I smell hazelnut and vanilla, with smaller hints of something else. All of the flavors will probably be more apparent when I take a sip.

Body- It's got a pretty standard body. If you tend to like a heavier body, as I do, add some cream to this coffee before you drink it.

Flavor- I took a sip, and immediately figured out what I was smelling earlier was caramel and a little hint of coconut in addition to the white chocolate, hazelnut, and vanilla. One of the most complex coffees I’ve tasted so far. I really like it, and I think you will, too!

Buzz factor- Average.

Overall rating: 8.0 out of 10. This is one you want to keep around during those cold, snowy days.

By the way, check out the video at the end featuring blurry Christopher Bean products and Ozzy Osbourne singing unintelligibly.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Gale's Root Beer: Get Ready To Be Confused

2010-02-12T02:21:00.003-05:00

Oh hey. I didn't see you there.

Come on in.

This week I'm going to drinking something called "Gale's Root Beer." The name itself isn't very impressive, but upon further inspection of the label it says "Cinnamon Ginger Vanilla Flavored." That's three times more flavored than I could even hope it to be. The label also seems to display some sort of reverse-Coppertone suntan lotion situation that I really don't want to have to describe. Let's just assume it was windy and the dog was confused.

Upon opening the bottle, I get a really weird mixture of smells. I guess I should have expected that. Unfortunately, the best approximation to the smell itself is Band-Aids. Not exactly the most appetizing of smells. Unless maybe you're one of those people who likes to bite off your scabs. You sick, sick individual, you. I don't understand why you'd want to do that.

I apparently decided to brave onward for the good of blog and country. The flavor can be best described as "good" and "emotionally confused." It's actually quite tasty, but it's really hard to describe. There's just too much going on in there. I don't think I've had this problem since I last tried Fentiman's Curiousity Cola. But once again, the flavor is good, and I would recommend it.

This soda also contains everyone's favorite additive, cane sugar! Somehow, they also managed to retain the viscosity of corn syrup without having that nasty aftertaste. I'm not sure how Gale did it, but she did well in this regard. There is also no caffiene, but this is root beer. Get used to it.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Doot-Doot-DOOT!

Oh yeah. Gale apparently wouldn't lower herself into advertising for her fancy root beer. So here's a terrible Mr.T commercial for A&W.

Root Beer Roundup: "I like beer"(ala Homer J. Simpson)

2010-02-11T23:29:00.008-05:00

Okay, so I've been using the Homer voice saying, "I like beer" since the day I was at Kroger picking up four different varieties of root beer. Now, this is no comprehensive roundup of root beers, just the ones that were close at hand.

First up, we've got Virgils. My personal fav. Period. End of sentence. I know a few of you out there are severe fans of Henry Weinhard out there. Now, I do have to agree, Henry has some legs. But it's dear Virgil FTW. It has a very complex taste, for me the most notable notes are that of wintergreen oil, birch, vanilla and clove. Made with (of course) cane sugar, though it also contains caramelized unrefined cane sugar which actually does give a bit of a caramelly flavour. All totaled, a top shelf sipping root beer. It is on the pricey end of things at 4.99 for 4 twelve oz. bottles, but take it from yours truly, it IS worth every penny. Don't know the quality of the head as I have never poured it into a glass. Will update as info comes to glass.

Second, we move to Natural Brew Draft root beer (name creativity- 0 points). I'm really torn on this stuff. On one hand, it's a fairly good, complex root beer. On the other, there seems to be an odd smell. I got my nose as close to the liquid as possible without snorting it, but I just couldn't place the smell. I couldn't find a taste to correlate with the smell, but it is still unsettles me just a bit. Head is totally nill even with a poor pour.

Third up, we hit IBC. Another soda that goes back to my early days. We would BEG my Mum to get this stuff every week. I can remember sneaking it onto the grocery list between american cheese and Lucky Charms. Had i cared about HFCS when I was 11, the story may have been a bit different(though I doubt my Mum would have ever have sprung for Virgils). Expect typical root beer flavour with nice notes of vanilla, and a touch of birch. Head is decent, a good quarter inch to half inch.

Fourth, we have Stewarts. This was actually a bit of a pleasant surprise for me. I like complex root beers(unless we're talking floats). Complex root beers are typically on the higher end of the price scale. But, at appx 2.50 for 4 twelve oz., this really is on the lower end of the spectrum. But as for the complexity, we have the typical root beerishness, but there is also nice notes of birch and possibly wintergreen. Ingredients list only natural and artificial flavours. Whatevs, like if you list out your ingredients someone will immediately copy your formula? Get over yourselves. Also listed, HFCS. Fairly high head, but not creamy and dense as it should be.

Fifth, we have A&W from the tap (thank you A&W restaurants for being aMAZingly awezome). Typical root beer taste, very nice vanilla notes. This stuff has a head beaten only by Henry Weinhards.

Sixth, we have Barqs. "The one with BITE". This is the only root beer that I have ever come across with caffeine. Other than that, it's just run of the mill stuff. Great for floats though. Head is pretty standard.

Seventh, wait I still have Jones root beer in the fridge?? I seriously forgot that one. Can't remember what it tastes like either. Ah well.

WOW, this post is outrageously long. But, I'm going to go ahead and share with you my two new favourite kitchen gadgets. Yeah, they just arrived today, and yes they are already my fav. And trust me, it's hard to top the egg yolk separator. Anywho, I've been needing a decent bottle opener for awhile. I had a plain run of the mill one for awhile. But, it was lost in some move, some where, some when. Somehow, I was browsing around on Amazon, I believe I was looking into the Park Pizza Tool, and I stumbled onto the Resource Revival Bike Chain Bottle Opener. I hit order now so fast that flames erupted from my mouse. OK, so not really, I shopped around a bit for price. Anywho, at first glance, the red bottle opening bit looks to be made from chain ring. It's not. The teeth do not match into bike chain. Ah well. the chain handle is repurposed old bike chain. It works quite well, even on twist off bottle caps. The long handle conforms well to your hand and provides a nice bit of leverage. Very fun and looks great hanging on the gadget rack.

And lastly, we have the Frozen Smiles ice cube tray from Fred. As a dentite, this was a product that i HAD to have. If you've ever gone out to eat with me you probably remember that i always order my drinks sans ice. Which may prompt you to ask "Why buy specialty ice cube trays that look like dentures??" because there may be a time where my soda has not had time to chill. That, and i can use them to make the coolest peanut butter cups evah. As for the review, they hold water. And yes, they used real dentures to make these molds. A youngish female dentures. You get 4 uppers. I was kinda hoping for some lowers too. I'll see what I can do about that at work.

Brewhaha: Guatemala Casi Cielo

2010-02-11T01:43:00.007-05:00

Greetings, readership! I finally ran out of coffee at the homestead today. Let's just say a Phoenixsong without his coffee for a day is like a Crush without his (insert soda with cane sugar and packaged in a glass bottle here) for a week. It's not a pretty picture.

So, I did what any ~~addict~~ normal coffee connoisseur would do-- I mooched off my internship's coffee for the day till I could get to a Starbucks and buy more!

What I decided on was another seasonal Starbucks blend called Guatemala Casi Cielo. The name translates to "almost heaven." That's quite a statement to make about your coffee! But this coffee doesn't stop there. As you can see, the packaging is very fancy and formal. It makes me feel like I should put on a tuxedo while sipping it ever so slowly from a china cup. I would extend my pinky finger as I did so, of course.

The snobbishness doesn't stop there! Apparently, this coffee was developed to be paired with gourmet meals and desserts. Suggested pairings by Starbucks: Muscovy Duck, fine cheeses, nut plates, and lemon thyme Crème brûlée. It was only served in a few "choice establishments" for a very long time. If this coffee could talk, it probably wouldn't want to talk to you. But if it did, it would lift it's hypothetical nose and say, in a nasal-y voice, "I'm better than you." Since Starbucks has graciously put this coffee in the hands of the working man for a paltry $12.95 a pound, I've decided to put my commoner status aside and give it a shot.

Acidity- It's not terribly acidic, but you'll detect a little bit of an acidic bite on the sides of your tongue.

Aroma- I smell chocolate... and maybe a little lemon? It also smells pretty earthy to me. That's a pretty strange combination on paper, but my nose seems to think it works.

Body- Great, heavier body, especially for a coffee that claims to have a medium body on the bag.

Flavor- I taste the sweet mocha hints first... followed by nuttiness, and a very slight hint of that lemon I smelled earlier. It's definitely just as earthy as the smell would indicate, but not to the point it's overpowering.

Buzz factor- It's got a really nice buzz, actually. 2 hours after drinking some, I'm still buzzing a little bit!

Overall rating: 8.0 out of 10. I like this one, even though it probably thinks I'm riff-raff.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Advertisements from "The Big Game"

2010-02-07T23:52:00.005-05:00

okay, so I usually call it the Souper Bowel. Either way, here's some beverage ads.

okay, this one is from last year, but i like it anyway. Oh, and there is a bike leaned against the tree.

Brewhaha: Harry and David Chocolate Cherry Decadence

2010-02-04T18:10:00.007-05:00

Greetings, readership! I've come across another Harry and David blend you should try. It's called Chocolate Cherry Decadence. I know, I know. It sounds like one of those 100 calorie desserts marketed toward weight-conscious women. However, I assure you it's meant to be enjoyed by both sexes, and has a much lower caloric value. It was given to me as a gift in sample form, but I hear 24 ounces of it will cost you about $24. It's not cheap, but as you will see, it may be worth it to you. It comes in your standard Harry and David "I-look-like-burlap-but-I'm-really-plastic" coffee bags.

Acidity- This one's pretty acidic, undoubtedly because of the cherry flavoring.

Aroma- Aroma wise, this coffee is supreme. If only I could find a candle that emitted such a wonderful scent of chocolate and cherry! They probably have one, actually. I'll have to look into that...

Body- It's a little weaker than I would like, but it's not terrible.

Flavor- Oh. My. Word. It's good by itself, but tastes like a bunch of chocolate-covered cherries in liquid form when you add sweetener. Add a little sugar and some heavy whipping cream for a heavenly, albeit fattening experience.

Buzz factor- Maybe slightly above the norm? I like it.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10. Often, coffees like this one promise a flavor and aroma that they just can't or don't deliver on. This one shipped same-day air.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: All The Soda That's Fit To Blog

2010-02-01T01:16:00.008-05:00

Dr.Pepper Tries A Little Too Hard
Dearest Dr.Pepper,
I do realize you want to enjoy your 125th anniversary, and with good reason. You've made an amazing product that people still love 5/4 of a century later. And I do realize that you want to do that by ringing the closing stock exchange bell with Gene Simmons, although the reason for this eludes me. I also realize that you want to remain hip and trendy by doing things that other soda companies are doing. But seriously. Could you make your flash mob a little less annoying? Please?
Thanks. Seriously.

Delicious Concoction or Ammunition?
Everyone knows the delight inherent in giving someone a shaken up soda and watching the chaos ensue when the unsuspecting victim open it. But finding said victim can prove to be quite difficult. Luckily for us, Thinkgeek.com has already solved this problem with their novel little "Beer Blaster." This little thingamabob can be used to puncture any volatile soda can and spray it at any nearby victim that you can tolerate the consequences of shooting soda at. They appear to be sold out at the moment, but I'm sure they'll get some again soon. Regardless, it is a delightful notion. Click on that picture there for more product info.

The Dangers of Drinking H2O
It would seem that Starbucks has taken it upon itself to put fear in the hearts of those that would dare to drink water, according to Indianapolis Examiner reporter Cindy Tickle. It would appear that their glass water bottles have been shattering in hands of various folks, causing ridiculous wounds and the like. Is it the fault of random idiots who can't read "Glass Water Bottle" on the side of it? Or notice that it's heavier than plastic? Never.
Just let that be a lesson for you. Stick with the sodas. Thanks.

Who Wants To See A Giant Undulating Art Installation Made Of Soda Bottles?
Hopefully you do. Click here for more info on this random noiseless object.

That's all for now. Return to your homes.
Crush

Strawberry Crush: So does this count as cannibalism or vampirism?

2010-01-29T20:35:00.015-05:00

Not it really matters, just a point of curiosity. But as I steer away from suggesting that we consume our beverage sipping peers in search of that new flavour, I must begin by saying that Crush DOES use HFC in their(not his obviously, can't imagine Crush formulating a bevy of his own and using that useless garbage:) sodas. Other than that, this soda is fairly good and hopelessly easy to get ahold of as it can be found in your local mum and pop Wally World. I've had strawberry sody pop that is way better and strawberry sody pop that is way worse. I really have to go off on a literary hop skip and jump here. My interest in strawberry pop actually originates in one of my favorite books of all time, "Where the Red Fern Grows". When i read this as an 8 year old, and the main character is given a strawberry soda by a marshal, all I wanted for an over long period of time was to try strawberry pop. So, really, I've been a beverage fiend since I was eight. And, it was started by a book. Right, literary skips aside, this strawberry pop really could have been more strawberry-ish.

Taste.............Rather strawberry.
Meal Pairing.............Lunch, dinner that not that much effort gets put into
Refresh Factor.............9
Buzz Factor.............4
Belch Factor..............7

Brewhaha: Starbucks Mexico Chiapas

2010-01-29T00:03:00.010-05:00

Good evening, readership! Since we've been on a Mexican soda kick in the last week or two, I thought I might get into the spirit by introducing you to Starbucks' Mexico Chiapas, a seasonal blend. This medium intensity blend comes from the volcanic soils of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains, arguably Mexico's best growing region. Apparently, tapirs, quetzals, and jaguars also hang out, and consequently poop in this region. I'm just glad the locals don't use their various excrement to make coffee like they do in Indonesia! More on that later...

You can get this blend for $11.95 a pound at some Starbucks locations. Franchise Starbucks stores (there's a franchise Starbucks in my Kroger that carries it) will sometimes have it. The artwork is simple, but not boring by any means. The colorful jaguar on the bag reminds me of a kiddy version of the mascot for Jacksonville's NFL team. Heck, it would probably help their slumping attendance if they would partner with Starbucks and give out free samples of this stuff at games. You don't want to lose your team to Los Angeles, do you, Jaguars? Think about it, Jacksonville!

Acidity- A nice balance that doesn't dry you out badly, but isn't so low that it makes the coffee taste flat. I noticed most of the dryness on the sides of my tongue.

Aroma- It’s very inviting! It almost reminds me of the smell of chocolate chip peanut M&M cookies! Mmmmmm!

Body- Very full, very round. It's even better in this department than the last coffee I reviewed!

Flavor- I was expecting the disappointment to occur here... and it didn't! You get a very complex flavor that matched the aroma. I definitely taste chocolate and hazelnut notes every time I take a sip. This is one of the few coffees I would enjoy without anything else put in it, and considering I never regularly drink coffee by itself, that's saying something!

Buzz factor- It gives a nice little buzz, but nothing exceptional to be had here.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10. By far the best coffee I've reviewed so far. If you like a flavorful coffee with a clean finish, this is the stuff to go out and buy!

Enjoy or be grossed out by the making of Kopi-Luwack coffee at the end of this post.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

CANDY?!?! But this is BEVERAGE fiend!

2010-01-26T23:58:00.008-05:00

But this is no ordinary candy. This is Jones Carbonated Candy. I was honestly hoping that these candies would be something akin to pop-rocks. Under this presumption, i bought all three flavours available at Meijer. I was wrong. I don't know if anyone out there remembers the Halloween candies of yore that made your mouth foam as though you had rabies, but that is basically what is going on with these little bits of sugary fizziness.

These candies are also listed as being "Flavour boosters for your favourite Jones soda". So, i popped a Green Apple into my bottle of Fufu Berry soda at dinner tonight. I of course video-ed it.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of fizzing, however the candy never fully dissolved. I even shook the bottle to see if that would help things along. It didn't work. Almost made a very large mess due to the short term memory problems of yours truly(i blame head injuries. at least that's what other people tell me). Anywho, I can't really say that I noticed any significant flavour difference. So, all around, a bit of a disappointing candy experience. OH, and before I forget, if you eat too many of these bits, you get a very odd sensation in your gut.

Hmm, can't do the usual rating system here. Not entirely sure how to end this. Maybe I'll just ramble a bit. Or not. The video finished uploading.

Oh, on the video, background music is Brahms Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra, Op77: I Allegro Non Troppo. And my Jones cap states that a trip is in my future. Will have to watch out for my bench vice that has taken up residence in the middle of the floor.

Fiendish News: Revenge of the Sodas!

2010-01-26T02:10:00.012-05:00

Birthday Gift Hint #1
So if you aren't familiar with Etsy, as I was about two weeks ago, it is essentially an eBay exclusively for handmade products. Sounds kind of neat so far, huh? You can find all sorts of neat, unique handmade arts for way cheaper than you would find in the store. And its way more satisfying to have a one-of-a-kind piece, in my opinion, than anything you could find at your local Target.
ENTER: YAVAglass of Sedona, Arizona. They specialize in making glassware, spoonrests, coasters, and even weird necklaces out of old glass bottles. It turns something that we can recycle into something you can reuse instead! And you get a sweet product that people are going to freak out about. They feature a variety of repurposed soda bottles, and some beer bottles as well, if that happens to be your thing.

I LIKE COFFEE
Here's a ridiculous youtube coffee video thing exclusively for your enjoyment. So ENJOY.

I Really Like Caffeine, But I'm Just Not Thirsty...
So why not make FOOD with Mt.Dew in it? Lainie Steelman of GateHouse News Service decided last Friday would be a great time to announce completely ridiculous recipes for M t.Dew! Ok, well, Cake is a maybe. But salad? but CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS?
Oh wait.. that's apple dumplings. And a jello salad. That could work. Maybe.
Or just get a jolt cola injection four times subcutaneously as directed by a local physician. I think that would work for me.

I NEED AN ADULT! I NEED AN ADULT!
Ever have trouble deciding which soda you should drink at any given time? Lucky for you, there's this handy-dandy flowchart. Note: you will never, at any given time, find yourself in a scenario in which Diet Coke with Bacon is okay to drink. This chart proves it.
c/o Heesa Phadie of Topcultured.com

Newsishly Yours,
Crush

Brewhaha: Harry and David Moose Munch

2010-01-25T00:45:00.026-05:00

Good evening, readership! I’ve got an interesting new blend I want to share with you. Enter Harry and David, an Oregon-based company with a penchant for making gourmet food, desserts, and coffee. We’ll take a look at Moose Munch, probably their most well-known blend, but certainly not their best, at least in my opinion. I actually got this as a gift, and it was a sampler size, so I don’t really have accurate size or price info to share. I do know it’s expensive, though!

Acidity- This is some strong stuff! It’s going to dry you out BAD. You might want to have some water around to rehydrate your face.

Aroma- It’s got a very pungent, earthy smell to it. In the words of Ron Burgundy, “It's a formidable scent... It stings the nostrils. In a good way.”

Body- Full-bodied. Maybe even the best body of any of the coffees I’ve reviewed so far!

Flavor- This is where I’m a little disappointed. It’s bold... but nothing really comes to the surface taste-wise. It’s supposed to be modeled after a snack item by the same name they sell in the store, but it really doesn’t bridge the gap.

Buzz factor- Decent buzz. Nothing special.

Overall rating: 7.0 out of 10. It’s good, not great, despite what this older couple would have you believe. Your wily ways gained from years of experience won't fool me!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: The Sequel

2010-01-22T01:21:00.002-05:00

The Great Debate
All over the country, there is a great schism dividing millions of Americans. What is the correct way to say it - "Soda" or "Pop"? There are even a few out there who claim "Coke" is the correct term. If you're curious how to say it without sounding gauche, use this handy chart to figure it out based on your locale! (Go ahead, click on it for a full view!)
Thanks, East Central University student Matthew T. Campbell! I sure hope you're enjoying that cartography degree.
No wonder I have so much trouble - I'm right on the borderlines between "Pop" and "Coke." Personally, I blame Georgia.

Coca-Cola Goes Underground
In a desperate attempt to appeal to the youth of American without actually costing any real money, Coca-Cola has taken to viral marketing. Just check out this video of a malfunctioning Coke machine they installed in some random school!

I mean, seriously, dispensing pizza? A giant sub sandwich? Human limbs? Something about this just seems wrong.

Loud Monotonous Voices Make Me Thirsty
It would seem that Sunkist Soda and Dick Vitale have some sort of ridiculous contest going on where people are required to submit videos of themselves imitating his voice. Yes, this means that soon all of the youtubes may soon be full of people making ridiculous droning robot noises while shouting meaningless and incomprehensible phrases. As a side product of this, Sunkist has blessed us with this fancy video explaining just what it is in Great Odin's Raven that Dick is saying when he decides to never shut up during basketball season.
Not convinced that this actually exists? Just look around at your local grocer for this terrible packaging that has cartoon Dickie V watching you shop! Then you'll believe me! QUICK! HIDE IN THE STORM CELLAR! HE'S COMING!

Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda
Yup. It exists.

I'm Your Huckleberry,
Crush

Side Note:
I'm starting to be a little more proficient at searching out the infowebs concerning pertinent soda-related news. So this article might be showing up a little more in coming weeks. Be prepared. But don't be scared. Unless Dickie V is headed your way. But don't worry. You'll hear him coming.

Mexican Soda Roundup: Part II

2010-01-21T00:55:00.006-05:00

Hey guys! This is basically an add on to my last post. I went to Food Lion today to get a pick-me-up due to the gloomy weather. Mexican sodas sure can make an attempt at picking anyone up. :)

Today I'll be reviewing just three because I had four, but the taste of the last one isn't fresh on my tastitudinal memory. I had it more than 12 hours ago and 7 glasses of green tea and Kool-Aid today. Anyways, here we go!

Goya Coconut Soda - This has always been a weird thing for me. I'm bi-polar when it comes to coconut flavored items. They either taste like what sun tan lotion smells like or like nothing at all. This one was kind of weird. It comes in a green bottle and only has a few ingredients. Though not really carbonated, it did have a slight amount of bubbles. The taste was that of coconut milk: bland, yet a distinctive flavor reminding you of taking a deep breath on the beach on a good day.

No real coconut ingredients included. At least it's heart healthy, right? I would suggest trying it so you can say you did, but I'm not really a fan of the coconut.

Goya Jamaican-Style Ginger Beer - How many "Jamaican-style" ginger beers are there out there? My favorite ginger beer isn't Jamaican, but Australian. (I'll remember to review that the next time I get some) This one has some ingredients I've never seen like "oil of ginger" and "High Fructose Corn Syrup 55". The bottle has a parrot on it, but I can't help thinking enfuego. Get ready stomach this one will hurt... and let the burning begin. This one is highly carbonated and was kinda rough. Like all ginger beers I have ever encountered, it's "non-alcoholic". I think even if it had alcohol in it, you wouldn't notice the added burning. It smelled like Reed's ginger beer, which hinted the "crispness". I think this should only be used for Jamaicans, possible oral Molotov cocktail, or for someone you just really don't like. In the words of Ralph Wiggam,"It tastes like burning".

Jarritos Toronja - Yep, another one of the many Jarritos flavors. Judging from the outside, I always think Mexican "Sun Drop". It hits me every time. This is more like Mexican "Fresca". It has the coolest bottle of all of the Jarritos just because it's a green bottle as opposed to a clear one. It's got a design up the neck that I always think of as a chimney. The inside of the Jarritos brand bottle caps have "PTS" on them. What could this mean? "Possibly Tainted Soda", "Potent Tangy Sips", "Pretty Tasty Stuff", "Project: Terrible Silliness", "Ponies Take it Serious", "People Tickle Smurfs", "Please Taste Satisfying"? This goes great with meats and snacks, but what doesn't?

Cool Mountain Raspberry: Precursor to Snow Tubing

2010-01-20T00:19:00.007-05:00

The other night a group of friends gathered together to hurl themselves off the sides of somewhat large hills of somewhat high rates of speed. Much fun was had. Before the hurling bit of frivolity began, we fed ourselves. We did so at a semi-local BBQ chain called City Barbecue. The BBQ was acceptable(that however, is the topic of another blog), the beverage choice however, was top shelf indeed! Walking into the restaurant, I passed by an ice chest filled with three varieties of Nehi(grape, orange and peach), Cheerwine, SunDrop and others which i cannot recall at the moment. I was drawn to this bottle of cerulean blue liquid. Cerulean blue is a gentle breeze..... Oh, sorry. Where was I? Oh right, Razzberry Cool Mountain.

A very pleasant amount and intensity of carbonation. The taste, very much unlike most blue raspberry flavours. In a good way. The closest comparison i can make would be that of a blue Jolly Rancher. The taste lingered in my mouth for a bit longer than i would have expected, but that did help with taste of the potato salad.

Taste.............Blue Jolly Rancher

Meal Pairing.............Lighter lunch fare

Refresh Factor.............9

Buzz Factor.............4 no caffeine, but i was bouncing out in the parking lot. May have been the tubing...

Belch Factor..............9

Mexican Soda Roundup: Part I

2010-01-19T10:30:00.007-05:00

Hey guys! I'm back again. Today I'm going to review several soda flavors of the same company at once. As usual all of these drinks are in glass bottles and made with real sugar. Bottle opener required.

Sidral Mundet- If the title really throws you off, it's definitely something to try. It's actually an apple soda. The carbonation seems kinda high to me just because it kinda burns my mouth when I ingest it. It's actually carbonated apple juice, but it's got an interesting flavor. The bottle is fairly minimalistic with two quarter-sized labels.

Sangria Senoral- If you don't know what sangria is, it's a combination of various fruits that sit in wine. This one is "sin (without) alcohol", but has a kind of vinegar-y taste to it. After being around wines in Germany, I would have to say that taste is what wine smells like. It's got an odd fruit flavor to it. You should try it. I would recommend the cool short wine-shaped bottle. It makes it taste better.

Jarritos Tamarind - I have never been a fan of tamarinds. I severely hate the taste of tamarinds, but this drink may have changed my mind a little bit. It gives you some nice belches. The tamarind flavor in this drink is pretty cool. It tastes like peach tea. Jarritos has a nice carbonation factor. Not too heavy, not too light (not a Bud Light moment). I would definitely recommend trying it if you've never tasted a tamarind.

Jarritos Pina - Pineapple soda. Always a good choice. This one was pretty great. It has a laser yellow tint to it. It tastes like a pineapple freezer pop. Try it and let me know what you think.

Jarritos TuttiFruiti - One of my favorite flavors of ice cream in liquid form? Not exactly. It's got a very good taste, but I think of it as Mexican fruit punch. It's a good mixture of cherry, lime, mandarin, mango, passionfruit, and I think I taste some goji in there.

There are many more Jarritos flavors I have tried and still need to try. I would like to review those when I have them in hand. These are great with any meal. I get them at my favorite taco truck, "Tacqueria Express". It's an authentic taco truck. Viva la MEXICO!!!

Inca Kola: WHAT IS THIS?

2010-01-18T20:47:00.006-05:00

In my vaguely noble attempts to discover the true meaning inherent within the hallowed halls of Mexican sodas, I took it upon myself to try INCA KOLA.

Doing some simple research (i.e. WIKIPEDIA) yields a few interesting facts about Inca Kola. Apparently it's huge in Peru, even a bigger seller than Coca-cola. That must be why Coca-Cola decided to purchase 60% of the company. Also, it's apparently based on an ancestral tonic based on "Lemon verbena," also known as, "a crazy shrub."

Unfortunately, it was not available in tiny glass bottles (my favorite method of ingesting soda, if you happened to notice). I had to settle for a two-liter of this stuff. But I was hopeful that I would enjoy the exotic flavors it had in store for me.

Truth be told, for a two-liter, the packaging was pretty inviting. Inviting me to the Tenochtitlan. I felt that just opening it would unlock the secrets to the long forgotten Mayan Empire. Indy would be so jealous. And I wouldn't even get chased by a giant rock.

Taking the place of the giant rolling boulder was the tons of carbonation. Upon twisting the cap, it welled up in pea-sized spheres, but didn't get foamy at all. Very strange.

So I ingested the strange elixir. And? I really have no clue. It has some sort of flavor, but I have no idea what it is. So, I choose to poll the audience.

Rose: Smells like double bubble.
David: Tastes like fake cola champagne.
Alison: Tastes like banana Laffy-Taffy
Josh: it was really messed up.

The consensus among the group seems to be rather uncertain. The only problem now is that I have a full two-liter of this stuff. Anybody else want to try it? Feel free to visit.

Til next time,
The Crush

P.S. This video features Inca Kola, funny hats, and a llama. Seriously. All of that.

Brewhaha: Starbucks Christmas Blend

2010-01-15T23:05:00.007-05:00

Phoenixsong here again! Today, I decided to give myself and everyone else a late Christmas present in the form of Starbucks Christmas Blend! I won't patronize you with information about a company you already probably know something about, but I will say this: Starbucks coffee, no matter the blend, hardly ever disappoints the drinker.

Christmas Blend proved to be no exception to this rule. It comes in crisp, appealing, very seasonal packaging. To make this blend, Starbucks takes unroasted beans from Sumatra and ages them for 5 years in burlap sacks. When the time is right, they add some Latin American and Asia/Pacific blends and roast it all together. It should be noted that the blend tastes slightly different from year to year because of the process used, but that it always seems to be very, very good.

Acidity- I noticed the top tip of my tongue drying out as I drank, but it has a pretty medium acidity level overall.

Aroma- Easily the best part of this coffee. It's got this really inviting, wonderful, earthy smell. You can tell a good cup of coffee is about to be had!

Body- This is an excellent, full-bodied blend!

Flavor- Bold and cedary, with a hint of sweetness.

Buzz factor- I don't notice a huge kick, but it does provide an acceptable amount of buzz.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10. It certainly is not my favorite Starbucks blend, but it's not a bad brew at all!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Brewhaha: Maxwell House Daily Brew

2010-01-11T20:16:00.008-05:00

Greetings, coffee lovers! I've been sick for the last week, so I decided to go home and let Phoenixmom take care of me. Phoenixmom is also a coffee addict; she has plenty of different coffees in the pantry at any given time. So while I'm sitting on my rear waiting to get better, I decided to take on something fairly ambitious. Not only am I going to give you a review of something I had never tasted, I'm going to do the entire thing from my iPhone! It'll be challenging, but fun to see if it actually can be done.

Today, we'll be tasting Maxwell House Daily Brew of the Mild variety. Maxwell House is a subsidiary of Kraft. Daily Blend comes preground in a 2 lb. can, and is purchaseable in just about every grocery store for under $10. Normally, I won't purchase something like this, because after you grind it, it begins to lose freshness. Not only has it probably been sitting in the store for a long time, but it also takes a long time to go through 2 lbs. of coffee. By the time you actually drink it, chances are that it's not very fresh at all. But since it's sitting right
in front of me, and it's free, I'll give it a chance!

Acidity- This coffee is really acidic, to the point I would even say it's overpowering. Don't drink this on an empty stomach!

Aroma- It smells like your typical car dealership coffee...

Body- Not weak, but nothing impressive.

Flavor- Oddly enough, I can't pinpoint any flavor... And that's a bad thing when you're drinking coffee.

Buzz factor- It was decent...

Overall rating: 5 out of 10. It may be fit for the break room, but it's not fit for my tastebuds!

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Fiendish News: Mayo VS. Soda

2010-01-08T13:00:00.010-05:00

Why who is this gentlemanly fellow? He sure doesn't look like a soda.

Well, my friend, you've just met my mortal enemy.

This was not a choice on my part, however. We tried to be friends once. But he just wouldn't leave soda well enough alone.

This chap is none other than Representative John Mayo of Clarksville, Mississippi, whose latest claim to fame is his proposed tax (of up to 50 cents!) on soda.

Oh he has noble ambitions alright. Quoth WLBT3's Krystal Allen's article,
"the goal is to encourage Mississippians to make smarter, healthier choices and to use money generated from the tax to fund healthy choice programs thereby encouraging a preventative approach to health issues in the state."

Krystal Allen even seems sympathetic saying, "If you're take the money and put toward that I understand it." But you really trust the opinion of someone who doesn't even know how to grammar?

Some folks are pointing out that junk food being inexpensive is why lower income families have a higher incidence of obesity. Even the New York times made this fancy looking chart. It looks pretty impressive. But where did this data come from? Looking in the real world, haven't sodas already increased in price several hundred-fold since the 80's? Just look at soda machines.. they were 10 cents back in the day. Now they're what, $1.50? $5.00 in theme parks? Check out this article for a really thorough analysis of that chart.

Regardless, I feel like this tax would be setting a dangerous precedent. Of making sodas too expensive. I might have to start, like, I don't know. Putting ads on here. Or charging member fees to support this site.

Or drinking water.

Crush out.

Sioux City Sarsaparilla: Yeah, That's A Good One

2010-01-07T02:06:00.006-05:00

Have you ever had two guys give you a swirly, accuse you of owing someone money that you're for sure you don't, and stained your rug with a hefty dose of urine? Me either. But that would be terrible.

On a completely unrelated note, this week I'm trying a tasty beverage called "Sioux City Sarsaparilla." While I do find "Sarsaparilla" really hard to spell, I'm still going to try. Because I care about you. The consumer.

Also, this soda is commonly referred to (on the label) as "The Granddaddy of All Root Beers." And while I feel like that is way too many D's to spell granddaddy, I'm probably wrong. And it sounds like it could be awesome.

First lets go with ingredients, as listed here in italics for some inane reason: purified carbonated water, pure cane sugar, caramel color, citric acid, sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavor.

Why italics? Personally, I blame the nihilists.

This ingredient list is amazing. One thing you should know about soda. Not matter how hard you look for it, you will probably never find a soda that does not contain sodium benzoate. Don't let that bother you. Embrace it.

However, this has real sugar in it. And the shortest list of ingredients ever. No caffiene, but that's to be expected with anything root-beerish.

Upon flavor-testing (AKA tasting), the first thing to hit me is the carbonation. Very high.. a little rough on the palate. But that's normal for root beers. The flavor has a lot going for it. Hints of vanilla, birch, and ginger all float in this tasty stew. Unfortunately, no carrots or roast beef. A nice blend of all that's appropriate.

Plus, Samuel Elliot is on the bottle. And he's the man.

Therefore, I recommend you try it. It is the grandaddaddddaddy of root beers, after all. And if Donnie tells you otherwise, just tell him to shut up.

Sincerely,
the Crush

For some reason, I included this clip of a movie called "The Big Lebowski." It makes some sort of reference to this soda.

Or, if you're interested, there's a textual version of how Shakespeare would have done it.

Brewhaha: Seattle's Best Cinnabon Blend

2010-01-02T19:21:00.014-05:00

Phoenixsong here again! After my last review, Craig says I should stick to coffee, and so I'll do just that!

Today, we're going to be reviewing Seattle's Best Cinnabon coffee. Seattle's Best is a company that was bought out by Starbucks early this decade, and essentially used to market their lower-quality product. Cinnabon, a pastry company that was also Seattle-based, was bought out by Roark Capital Group in recent years. Roark teamed with the Seattle's Best International and the Carvel Corporation to form FOCUS Brands, a food service company. I surmise that this is the reason we now have this blend sitting on our store shelves. It's about $6 at Walmart for a 12 ounce bag, but it can be found in many other places at comparable prices.

Acidity- This coffee is not nearly as acidic as I predicted. It doesn't seem to dry you out too badly in any one part of your mouth. It doesn't taste flat, though, which is good.

Aroma- The cinnamon aroma is strong, but I was honestly expecting some other scent to compliment it, perhaps something that would make it smell sweet, like a Cinnabon pastry! It's disappointing, because it's as if there are missing ingredients.

Body- I'm not at all impressed. The body is a little stronger than the coffee in my last review, but still well short of where it needs to be, in my opinion. A little cream will fix this, but a good coffee should not have to be creamed to impress the taster.

Flavor- The flavor is too one-dimensionally rich. I taste cinnamon--that's all. I could have put cinnamon and sugar in a cup of Folger's instant coffee and gotten more out of it.

Buzz factor- Caffeine is one of the best parts of coffee, and I've decided to add it to my list of criteria. The buzz factor is one of the few things I enjoyed about this coffee. It's got a stronger caffeine kick than I was expecting out of a coffee that had disappointed on virtually every other front.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 10. Don't waste your time or money on this one, guys. There are other blends with tons more upside.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

JOLT!!!!

2010-01-01T01:13:00.004-05:00

WooHoo! last bev of teh year, first review of the the year!!! I'm on a bit of a caffeine high as i write this, so if some of this ceases to make sense, you now know why.

Right, jolt cola. no photo, i'll see if i can upload one later tater. I tested JOLT today with my dinner of steak brrito from chipolte. Ingredients listed "sugar and or corn sweetner" I'm thinking it was sugar that they used, maybe just maybe a touch of corn junk. But my tongue says sugar, so we'll roll with that. The taste is rather similar to that of R.C. but with definite Coca-Cola type notes. The Fizz is very pleasant leading to latent and profuse belches. But really, what we are after here is the Buzz Factor. As I said, this wahsed down my dinner of Chiipolte, so i was finishing the drink as i walked around the outdoor mall that houses the said easting establishment. I have to say i did nearly chug the last half of the drink which of course results in high uptake levels of sugar and caffeine. People, I could feel the loverly caffiene as it entered my system. My vision could be described as "vibraty". I mus t add as a side note, within alf an hour of JOLT, i was at a party downing the same amount of Mountain Dew, and an hour after that I was putting down another 12 oz of ALE8one. So i am spectaculary buzzing right now :D

Taste.............R.C. with Coke notes

Meal Pairing.............burgers, burritios, recommended for use at parties :)

Refresh Factor.............9

Buzz Factor.............13

Belch Factor..............13

LIMCA!

2009-12-28T23:54:00.003-05:00

It's sparkly! Or at least(thanks to the cross filter feature in my D60), my x-mas tree is. :)

Actually, this is quite a good drink. The taste is a cross between 7UP and KickaPoo Joy Juice. Very crisp, doesn't linger. Thanks to a lack of brominated vegetable oil(just sounds ew), this stuff has a very cloudy appearance. The carbonation is quite pleasant, not leading to very many belches. The bottle is quite interesting, my guess is that the bottle has been reused several times, definitely one to stay on the window sill of used up soda bottles.

Taste.............7UP and KickaPoo JoyJuice

Meal Pairing.............great with burritos

Refresh Factor.............9

Buzz Factor.............1

Belch Factor..............5

Flathead Lake Monster : Black Raspberry

2009-12-28T21:20:00.005-05:00

What's Up, Ladies and Gentlemen? Higgy91 doing my first review of drinkable items.

Today I'm reviewing the Flathead Lake Monster drink. The black raspberry flavor was pretty great. It had a light to a medium carbonation. The flavor was much like a blue raspberry freezer pop or any purple/blue flavored artificial sugary substance. The color is much like a thickened grape juice or grape lollipop. It's made with high fructose corn syrup, but I like it. It's supposedly "hand crafted". It's from Montana, but on the back it says it's from Ocean City, NJ. I'm guessing stored and shipped from there.

The Bottle of this drink is pretty standard. It's a clear 12 oz. bottle but the bottom of it has a lump in the center ( possible viewing scope component?) The label reminds me of the old Sobe bottles. It's got this wild lizard/ dragon, with sunglasses and a tongue of a dog with his head out the window. He's apparently coming from a purple orb behind him because the rest of his body isn't there. There are some evil purply ocean waves on the bottom. The bottle top is kinda cool. It's grey with the mascot on top, which is neon green.

This soda is fairly reminiscent of drinks like Frosties and Nu Grape in that it has that old school kind of flavor even though it has HFCS. I would definitely suggest this with meals, out to sea without an optical lens or just whenever you have a vibe for some great raspberry deliciousness.

Flathead Lake Monster: Granny Apple

2009-12-28T20:55:00.004-05:00

Phoenixsong here! I'm more of a coffee guy, but today, I'm going to try my hand at a soda review!

Here we have Flathead Lake Monster Gourmet Soda of the Granny-Apple variety. As you can see, the bottle is ridiculously radioactive green in medium light. This fun design is capped off by the fanciful green dragon with its tongue hanging out.

Carbonation was relatively light, but existent. If you like the kick that comes with high-carbonation sodas, this one is bound to disappoint.

The soda's flavor is unquestionably sour, but not in an overpowering way. It's actually got hints of sweetness, undoubtedly attributable to the high fructose corn syrup within this product. The aftertaste is really smooth and gives a surprising sense of refreshment that is not common in soda.

The belch factor in this soda? Virtually non-existent, even with a full stomach.

The verdict? I liked it, even though I'm not usually a fan of fruity flavoring in soda. I definitely recommend giving it a try, especially on a hot summer day!

Flathead Lake Monster: Sour Cherry: It's Palatable!

2009-12-28T20:37:00.004-05:00

This week while I'm off work I decided to visit some chums (the Simpkins and BEEJ) down in Murfreesboro, TN and review some semi-quality sodas. I also managed to score some quality Cheerwine while I was down here. And the reviews go as follows...

Flathead Lake Monster Sour Cherry. It has a really long name.
I've tried a few flavors before with some success. They weren't too shabby.
Getting down to brass tacks, the carbonation is very light, but a few latent belches 5-10 minutes following the actual ingestion of the product. The only throat-burning occurring with from drinking too much of the high fructose corn syrup. But still, not bad.
The flavor is very sweet, but it slowly becomes sour as it sits in your mouth. Like a big lazy guy on a bean bag chair or something. Wait. I mean, Sour Patch Kids.
I still love the packaging on this bottle. It looks like I'm driving down the street with a sunglasses-wearing dragon with his head out the window. That's pretty much what I've always wanted in life.
Overall, this soda is recommended. However, I would probably opt for one of the other flavors first, if I were given the chance to choose one over again.
Yours truly,
the Crush
P.S. Here's a terrible documentary about the Flathead Lake monster that I didn't even watch before I posted it!

A Variety of Nogs: Delicious, and Seasonal!

2009-12-24T12:50:00.004-05:00

Lactaid Egg Nog
This egg nog is very sweet, extremely sugary, and has notes of nutmeg throughout. My only complaint is that it has the consistency of skim milk. Which, in actuality, is my favorite of the milk clans. Regardless, I don't expect that in an egg nog.
On the other hand, the benefit of Lactaid is that you don't have to smell your lactose-intolerant roommate Josh's egg nog farts for the next two days. If there's another option, I'm going for it.
Lactaid also has the benefit of having the most normal recipe for egg nog out of this bunch... aside from whatever you make fake milk out of.

Southern Comfort Traditional Egg Nog
Our carton of Southern Comfort is actually the one out of the bunch that ran out first, if that tells you anything. Its probably the closest thing you can come to being boiled custard without actually being boiled custard. It's thick, rich, lots of vanilla. The only thing I can think of to complain about is that they used corn syrup. But they used sugar too! But why? It seems so redundant. But tasty.
Also, I have to thank Lactaid as well as Southern Comfort for pointing out that egg nog just isn't egg nog unless its served in the exact same glass mug. Thanks guy... I've been drinking egg nog wrong for years.

Hood Pumpkin Spice Egg Nog
This egg nog isn't quite as thick as I would like it to be... but its pretty stinkin' close. Maybe that's just my desire for boiled custard talking there.
The pumpkin spice taste is quite a delight.. makes me feel like someone shoved an entire Sarah Lee pumpkin pie into a blender. I keep hoping for bits of crust. The color is somewhat orangish, which makes me think that they very well might have. And yes, in fact, the label proclaims in italics "made with real pumpkin!" Overall very sugary, but the nutmeg helps taper it a bit.
Hood apparently makes a variety of other flavors as well... cinnamon, vanilla, gingerbread, regular, and unleaded. I'd kind of like to try them all. But my stomach only has so much room for eggnog.

Happy Christmas, Folks!
Crush
P.S. Here's a video that isn't for the faint of heart. Neti-nogging!

Brewhaha: Coffee Comes To Beverage Fiend!

2009-12-18T16:23:00.016-05:00

Phoenixsong here! It's time to add a new wrinkle to this offensive assault on your taste buds!

Crush and Teethbrush have been doing a great job reviewing beverages for you fine folks, but there was one very important type they have not yet explored: COFFEE!

Coffee, like any other beverage, can either be highly delicious or highly disgusting. As a former barista, I feel very confident I can steer you away from those gross blends and towards the joe you want to be drinking. From here on out, I will be Beverage Fiend's coffee correspondent!

What's the difference in tasting coffee and tasting a soda? Well, the biggest difference is that you are looking for completely different qualities in each beverage. Belch factor may be important in soda, but it's not really something a coffee-drinker is concerned with. So, what IS a coffee-drinker concerned with?

I think it's time for a crash course in tasting! Here's what to look for when tasting coffee:

Acidity- The sensation of dryness you get after taking a sip or two of the coffee. This is one of the reasons some like coffee and others don't. With dryness, however, comes the taste of the coffee. Without the dryness, coffee would taste very flat.

Aroma- The smell factor, which also combines to create the taste factor. Without aroma, we would only be able to taste sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. With aroma, we can taste other diverse flavors.

Body- The weight, or “heaviness” factor when the coffee is in your mouth. Think about the difference in milk and water. Milk has a heavier, thicker feel in your mouth than water. That thicker, heavier feeling encompasses what body is. Generally speaking, heavier body is more desirable with coffee. Very few like coffee that has the consistency of water!

Flavor- This encompasses all three of the characteristics above. Flavor can be rich, complex, or balanced. Rich flavors overpower you with one particular taste. Complex flavors have combinations of different flavor hints that you can detect. Balanced flavors are the kind where no particular flavor emerges.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's review some coffee!

Millstone Pumpkin Spice Coffee- Millstone is a subsidiary of Smuckers, and as such, you can usually find this blend at Walmart of Kroger stores around the holiday season. Strangely, this seasonal coffee is not sold in a specialty bag with specialty labeling. Instead, the coffee is dispensed from an in-store coffee bean station into an unmarked and generic Millstone bag. Don't let that deter you, however-- this coffee is super good! You'll pay anywhere from $8-9 a pound for this coffee, making it a few dollars cheaper than some of the premium blends you can buy at these same stores.

Now, on to the really important stuff!

Acidity- This coffee is surpassingly acidic. One or two sips will dry out the sides of your tongue! It definitely had a kick I did not anticipate!

Aroma- The allspice and cinnamon aroma are strong, but not overpowering. If you like pumpkin pie, this coffee is going to tempt you to take a drink!

Body- This is where the blend disappoints a little bit. Brewing it at recommended water-to-ground ratios produces a coffee that has some body, but it's much weaker than many brewed coffees. To improve this, I recommend adding a little heavy whipping cream and your sweetener of choice to the coffee. The heavy whipping cream gets the body to where I believe it should be.

Flavor- The flavor is clearly complex, making for a very interesting and enjoyable cup of coffee.

Overall rating: 6.5 out of 10. It's good, but the lacking body really keeps it from being an elite contender.

Till next time, coffee connoisseurs!

Malta Goya

2009-12-17T17:48:00.004-05:00

Here we a very complex beverage, but I will get back to that in a sec. Malta Goya is a non-alcholic malt beverage. Ingredients are as follows: water, pale malt, caramel malt, HFCS(ew), corn syrup(as though the HF kind wasn't enough), caramel colour, phosphoric acid, salt and hops.

As you can see in the photo, my cat Khamir is always quite curious of my food. I like to think of her as something like the royal cup bearer :) She will never eat my food, but will only sniff and attempt to cover it up. My beverages however have always been fair game, whether I'm drinking iced tea, hot tea, coke, water, milk, you name it, i have to shoo her away. What can I say, she's mommies girl :) Malta Goya however, was a no go. Gave it a sniff and jumped off the photo staging chair. And with good reason. As I said earlier, this is a very complex beverage, complex in it's layers of digustingness. At first sip, I thought "Not the best I've ever had, but I can manage." As the drink went on, those thoughts turned to, "Well, the pizza helps to cut the taste", "At least the belch factor is rather amusing(yes, i know, i'm gross)", "maybe if i hold my nose.... ew!! it went up my nose!!!", then finally, i poured it out in the sink.

I really don't know the best way to describe the flavour here. A bit like a malted milk ball with out the chocolate. A bit caramelly perhaps? Way too corn syrupy for sure. All I know for sure is that I blame this stuff for the wonky stomach I had that kept me from sleeping right last night. The bubbles are quite interesting, when poured, it does form a very nice head, but it dissipates with disappointing speed. If you listen to Bare Naked Ladies at all, you are probably familiar with the lyrics "the foam on the creek is like pop and ice cream", this is what the head turns into, the foam on a creek. But, the really flat, gross looking kind that has dead bugs and such in it.

Taste.............gross

Meal Pairing.............. pizza manages to drown out the flavour, for awhile

Refresh Factor............. 2

Buzz Factor.............2

Belch Factor..............8, would be higher if they didn't taste as bad

VIMTO!

2009-12-14T23:47:00.002-05:00

Teethbrush here, formerly "the they in they" here to review Vimto, no pic. Srry. I fail. This bevy however is not fail. It does contain HFCS, so it does have a touch of fail. Whatevs. This is a fruity soda from the UK. Already tossed the can, but main flavours are grape, raspberry, black currant and "spices". Spices do not present themselves enough to really pin down what they are. Overall, very tasty. Would definitely get this stuff again. Too tired at the mo' to pin on my typical rating system, but y'all need to know about this one.

DC Old Jamacian Ginger Beer: Small In Size, Less Small In Taste!

2009-12-11T20:57:00.009-05:00

Ginger Beer is a difficult genre of beverage to define. But here's a brief list of things you will most likely find in a bottle of the stuff.
1. Ginger - the amount could range from HOT to mild. but you will notice it.
2. Not Beer - In my limited experience, they are non-alky.
3. Opaqueness - a good ginger beer should not be see-through. there should be some real ginger in there.
4. Exotic - it will most likely claim to be from an exotic location, such as Jamaica, Australia, or Texas. Or the Stewart's factory.
That having been said, i submit this humble soda review.
OLD JAMAICAN GINGER BEER - its pretty decent.
Lets start with the basics - bottle design. The bottle is green, the labels feature lots of yellow and orange. It likes to drop some vaguely-old world charm here and there. It does a pretty good job. And the image of ginger makes me thirsty... for .. ginger? The bottle size is a little small though... only 10.4 ounces. The ingredient list definitely gets bonus points. There are SIX INGREDIENTS. Filtered water, sugar (not HFCS), ginger flavor, gum arabic, citric acid, and good ole CO2.
Carbonation is there, but not intense. It's rather smooth. Caffeine is nonexistent.
Flavor is... excellent. Its definitely a good starter ginger beer... due to the extremely mild spiciness. Its very sweet, and has a very subtle aftertaste of Cheerios. An instant classic in my book.
This particular bottle was procured at Sav's here in Lexington. It definitely compliments their food excellently!
Overall, the bottle is a little on the small side, but the flavor is an excellent ginger beer if you're feeling up for taste vacation!
Yours Truly,
Crush
P.S. Apparently this is huge in the Britain. So here's a whole bunch of commercials, just for you. The viewer.
Here's a punny one!

Here's a creepy one that seems a little inappropriate.

Here's a bearded lady montage of vaguely punny ones. It's a ginger beard! Get it?

Goodbye!

Dad's Root Beer: Just Like Mom Used To Make!

2009-12-02T23:15:00.016-05:00

My Mom never made root beer. But she did make roast beef, and poured gravy all over it. (Mental note: Invest in gravy fountain) And roast beef, suspiciously, contains most of the same letters in it as root beer.
And some extra different ones.
Anyways, my father decided to visit me this evening. A delight as always indeed!
As an immediate result, I decided to review some Dad's Root Beer.
I kind of feel like the bottle was designed by either an hairy-chested nightclub owner or possibly Mr.T. You just don't normally see that variety of ornate gold chains unless you're associating with one of those two guys. The brown bottle, of course, instantly identifies it as root beer. As it is often prone to do.
This has cane sugar in it, or so it says. Although it didn't have an aftertaste, it just didn't really pop out to me. So I think its questionable.
Fizziness existed, as it should in a fine root beer. However, it isn't quite up to par with your run-of-the-mill Barq's. However, if you like your root beers fairly smooth, this may be for you.
Let's get down to brass tacks - I like them. Especially versus paperclips.
On the other hand, flavor of this soda. Overall, not bad. There is some sort of flavor here. I just can't really tell what it is. Its not really a birch or vanilla taste. Its definitely root beer, but its a little more doctorish or concoctiony flavored. Like maybe 1/4 Dr.Pepper or something. Not really something I'd normally be opposed to, just not exactly what I was hoping for in a root beer.
Also, not really a great tagline. "Have you had one lately?"
Uhm.. no. And I'm okay with that.
Overall, it's ok. But I'll keep looking for the ultimate root beer.
Decemberly Yours,
Crush
P.S. Here's an 80's commercial that I grabbed off an 80's youtube commercial medley. Do your best to ignore the Nutrisweet logo.. apparently that was a big deal back then. Also, try not to spend the rest of the day watching the commercials that follow it.

Coke? We all know what Coke tastes like....

2009-11-29T16:47:00.003-05:00

...so why bother?? Why bother you ask? Why, because this is no ordinary Coca~Cola my dear friends and other readers whom I have never before met. This Coke is Mexican Coke. This Coke is made with sugar. This Coke is delivered in thick, sturdy, ever more refreshing glass bottles. This is not your regular Coke made with high fructose corn syrup that refreshes only momentarily then leaves you wanting more. This Coke is offended at the mere idea of aluminum cans or plastic jugs. This Coke tastes like Vintage. As it pours over your tongue, it erupts into billions of tiny bubbles. As it washes over your teeth, it doesn't etch the enamel of your teeth, it does contain phosphoric acid, the same stuff that your dentist uses to adhere certain types of fillings, but it is not perceptible. This Coke tastes exactly like what Coke should taste like. This Coke says "REFRESCO" on the label(ink transfer to glass, very nice), and my friends and readers whom I have never met, this label does not lie!! Sure, you'll pay a bit more since this isn't coming from your local bottler, but it IS worth it. And maybe, if enough of the sugar Coke starts being sold in the States, Coke will pull their head out of their bum and kick HFCS to the curb.

Taste.............Like drinking Happy Dayz with The Fonz

Meal Pairing.............. abso-stinking-lutly anything

Refresh Factor............. 13

Buzz Factor............. 7

Belch Factor.............. 8

Sprecher's Ravin' Red: A Great Big Cran-Cherry Something

2009-11-26T00:27:00.008-05:00

About this time two months ago, I was reviewing Sprecher's Root Beer (hereafter referred to as SRB) and pointing out the ridiculousity of their seemingly species-confused griffin on the front of the bottle. And it was some pretty decent root beer.
That having been said, I'm reviewing Sprecher's Ravin' Red. And so far it seems to be a collection of pluses and minuses.
+ Mascot seems less confused about its identity than on SRB, as it is obviously some variety of red bird. Not a cardinal.
  - The mascot appears even more sickeningly sweet.
  + Label is slightly off-center, giving it the impression of having been hand-applied. The human touch is always appreciated on sodas.
  - Bottle is exactly the same as SRB. I feel like this should be a lot different than the root beer.
  + Ingredients are all natural, including Door County cherry juice, Wisconsin Rapids cranberry juice, raw Wisconsin honey, and Wisconsin ginseng.
  - Ingredients include high-fructose corn syrup. Yuck.
Upon further examination, it would appear that this is almost Sprecher's attempt at making some sort of energy drink. And honestly, they nailed it in each of the three critical factors neccesary to make an energy drink. And they are as follows.
  1. It includes something magical to make it give you energy (ginseng).
  2. It has lots of carbonation (close to SRB).
  3. It tastes terrible.
Maybe saying it tastes terrible is unfair. The taste is fairly complex. There's too much going on entirely. But overall, I'm not enjoying it. And it gives you weird-tasting belches.
Pass.
Thanksgivingsly Yours,
The Crush

Apple Beer: And Now For Something Entirely Different...

2009-11-19T00:07:00.006-05:00

What exactly is Apple Beer supposed to be?
I really have no idea. Is it root-beerish? Is it beerish? Is it something entirely different?
Maybe it would help if I could read.
The label says that it contains pure cane sugar. Good. That's the kind we like. We, being me. And other aficionados of a phenomenon known as "no aftertaste."
It's caffeine free. Alcohol free. Made in Salt Lake City, Utah by allegedly real Mormons. Considering it's made in "traditional Bavarian tradition" I somehow doubt the legitimacy of said Mormons. Yes, that IS a direct quote, that I think I either read, or possibly made up.
Particularly of note is where the label proclaims the tagline of "The Soft Drink With A Head!" I would expect this with, say, a root beer. Or a glass filled with carbon dioxide. But with apple beer?
I tested this fancy tagline by pouring the entire glass bottle into a big frosty mug that I just happened to have lying around. I wish I had the camera handy at the time. It poured about 3/4 head into that bottle! It was ridiculously bubbly, but still rather smooth.
As far as flavor goes, what can I say? It tastes like apple juice. Really good apple juice. Crisp, smooth, and other additional positive adjectives.
Overall, it's a unique, delicious and refreshing soda. And I really wish I'd bought more than 1 bottle.
Yours truly,
Crush
P.S. Instead of a video this time, I randomly posted some ridiculous poetry on here from the Apple Beer website. Enjoy!

Golden Brew and Fluffy Head
Crystal clear and pure
Drink and drink and drink and drink
Until my teeth have fur

Oh Apple Beer, the greatest one
Our only drink delight
What do we care, if, bladders full
You keep us up all night?

Orange Nehi: Yes, There ARE Other Flavors

2009-11-18T23:20:00.005-05:00

So I've got this glass bottle of Orange Nehi here. And I'm going to drink it. And then I'll tell you how it was. Sound good?
Upon opening the cap, no mist came out. Slight disappointment.
How can I describe this flavor? Let's use an unnecessary checklist.
     - Intensely sugary, as a result of cane sugar - CHECK
     - Artificial orange flavor - CHECK-A-ROONIE
     - Severed fingers - this space left intentionally blank
This artificial orange flavor is rather unique however. I almost feel like its so artificial that it tastes almost vaguely realistic, although slightly more to the effect of a canned mandarin orange in some sort of disgusting unidentifiable syrup.
That having been said, I enjoyed it.
As far as packaging is concerned, I'll refer to my previous statements from the blogs about the sacred Peach Nehi.
    "Packaging was very simple, very old school. The only printing on the bottle was made in white."
Yup. You can't tell me that wasn't worth italics. Well you could, I just wouldn't really care.
In addition, the carbonation was very smooth to the palate - no burning esophagi here. And no caffeine... but that's just what you'd expect from a soda this classic (See: OLD TIMEY).
Anyways, Orange Nehi was tasty for the most part. You should probably check it out. But please, try Peach Nehi first.
Your ever-lovin' and ever-loyal,
Crush
P.S. Video from some kid's graphic design class, featuring a vaguely They-Might-Be-Giants-ish song that's cut off randomly!

Manhattan Special Espresso Coffee Soda: I Just Hope I Can Still Fall Asleep

2009-11-11T23:34:00.006-05:00

I have been a bit ill as of late, so my olfactory senses may not be in the greatest working order to review a soda. Fortunately for all of my two readers, I will clutch my neti pot and strive onward to achieve greater soda-reviewing prowess.
I'm a little nervous, but also curious about how good a coffee-based soda could really be. I'm not exactly a huge coffee fan anyways, but this just looked to rare of an opportunity to pass up.
Looking over the bottle, the stylings seem quite quaint. Italian-flag inspired flare and the promise of cane sugar adorn this bottle, making it seem quite promising. Apparently this soda has a long tradition of existence as well, dating back to 1895 and bottled in Brooklyn, New York. And you know, if they can make it in this town, they can make it anywhere.
Anywho, I place the bottle to my the edge of lips, lift it up slightly, and let a few ounces pool over the surface of my tongue. The bubbles are definitely very fine in texture. It tastes like some really strange coffee. I'm a little tempted to put half-n-half in the bottle. Strangely, the cane sugar doesn't leave an aftertaste, but you get that coffee aftertaste. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
I guess to sum it up best, I be best served by using the words of the late Rose Burns-McGee (though late by no fault of her own). "Curious!" which was then proceeded by something both very profound and forgettable at the same time.
Speaking via the media known as words,
The Crush
P.S. Here's a video that I stole from a long youtube episode of Casey Kasem's Top 10 and shrunk into just what I wanted. An old-school commercial for this soda!

P.P.S. Happy Birthday to our favorite reader! Rose B. McGee!!!!!

Champ's Cola, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can: There, I said it.

2009-10-29T01:02:00.005-04:00

"Hey, whatcha drinking there?"
"It's this fancy new soda! It's called Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can!"
"Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can? That sounds amazing!"
"Yes indeed! Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can is a canned soda canned in high-quality aluminum right in the heart of Florida!"
"Who precisely is this Champion George Prince fellow?"
"Why, Champion George Prince is the champion featured on Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can! How did you miss that?"
"Uhm.. Ok. Well, what does Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can, taste like?"
"Only the greatest tasting soda ever to feature champion George Prince right on the can! It's somewhat of a mixture of orange and cream flavorings. If you've ever heard of a genre of sodas called 'Cola Champagne,' this would be one of them."
"What sort of ingredients are in it?"
"I'm not really sure. I'm not good at reading Spanish. But it has to be liquid awesome, considering they got Champion George Prince to endorse it!"
"Yeah.. must have."
"Yup! The parent company for Champ's Soda, featuring Champion George Prince right on the can, known as CAWY, also makes some other interesting sodas, like Materva, Quinabeer, and Coco Solo!"
"Yeah. It sounds good. Can I get one from you already?"
"This is my last one I think. Want me to search around my cardboard box home for a few minutes to look for another and only come up empty-handed? Maybe this tin-foil hat is partially obscuring my vision..."
"Pass. Good Day."
"You sure?"
"I SAID, GOOD DAY!"
Conversationally yours,
-Crush
NO VIDEO THIS WEEK! If you make one, link me, and I will post it here.

BAWLS G33K B33R: A Root Beer For the Very Sleepy

2009-10-22T00:59:00.007-04:00

If you are unfamiliar with the soda known as BAWLS, or are giggling at this point, you probably haven't been in college and in desperate need of caffeine in the past decade or so. BAWLS is a delightful soda that tastes like kind of a cross between vanilla and cherry and put in a dimpled blue bottle for all to enjoy. Particularly, the consumer.
Anyways, since Root Beer has such a big following, it would seem that BAWLS decided to create G33K B33R (or Geek Beer, for you non-l33t speakers). This would seem to be the answer to the one problem I have with root beers. NO CAFFEINE. Not sure why this is such a huge tradition in root beer, but it is. I blame the caffeine exporters. I'm watching you, Brazil.
Anyways, the bottle design is pretty fancy - in the sense that its exactly like the BAWLS bottle with the exception of color. It's poo brown, in the tradition of all classic root beers. Woohoo.
Lets skip the rest of this extra preliminary hocus-pocus. Is it any good?
Well... I guess. In reviewing so many root beers as of late, I've kind of come to expect a lot of root beer. Hints of vanilla, birch, random trees flavoring, cane sugar, walrus fat, and the like. This tastes like root beer, but that's it. Nothing special. Well, except the special caffeine. That's vaguely magical, I suppose.
On a side note, my soda stock is getting low. Submit ideas for specific beverages you want reviewed, so I can look at them before I go out to purchase what I want instead! Also, expect some reviews on a variety of nogs once the winter/holiday seasons deemed appropriate for that exquisite bev. Egg nog on Halloween is usually frowned upon for some reason. Unless you toss in some Smarties.
Until that other time, this is your semi-loyal beverage fiend, leaving you alone.
-Crush
P.S. Here's a ridiculous fan-made commercial for regular BAWLS. Apparently there's bunches. Big Bunches. Of BAWLS.

Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer: I Drank It

2009-10-15T01:04:00.008-04:00

This has been a long week full of idiots at the pharmacy. "No, you cannot use Cortisone as a replacement for Monistat." "No, we don't have H1N1 shots in stock yet." "Yes, if you get a refill, you will have to pay for it. And it will also be $1." "Yes, I can work for you. I guess." "The benadryl is directly behind you." "No, I will not make out with you."
On to grander and nobler ventures: Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer. You can drink it! So I did.
Obvious jokes aside, ginger beer in my experience can either be amazing, excessively spicy, or not nearly sweet enough. CnB uses cane sugar. Oh, cane sugar, it's been a while. I've missed you. Carbonation was moderate at best.
Oddly enough, I feel like the ginger wasn't pronounced enough. A lot of times, I have to pace myself with ginger beer so my throat won't collapse from various spice-induced spasms. Pretty sure this one's completely chuggable.
Bottle design is vaguely hilarious... they did a good job capturing the completely vacant eyes of a *ahem* rooster. And the bull is a delight.
I could have really used some caffeine tonight though. Oh well.
I guess it has some sort of tradition too? Something about a restaurant that it came from. There's no website, so don't expect a link.
Anyways, overall it's a good ginger beer. If you're looking to try one, it's a good place to start.
Signing off,
The Guy That Writes These
And here's a video that may or may not be for Ginger Beer. But it's completely ridiculous. And sometimes, that's just good enough.

A.J. Stephans Sarsaparilla: You Can Drink It!

2009-10-08T01:07:00.008-04:00

Sarsaparilla is something I've heard of over a long period of time, but never really known what it is. So I found some. It's this brand, I guess. And I'm going to try it. Probably. Or something.
First off, details on Sarsaparilla on limited. I didn't really know what to expect. If you check out the wikipedia article, it talks about some plant that might be related and gives some Big Lebowski references. But this isn't Sioux City, so it doesn't matter. I'm just going to taste it and see how awful it is. Or good. Whichever it chooses. And make sure you check out the AJ Stephan's website. Practically a treasure-trove on non-information. Thanks, really cool company. Hang on while I attempt to purchase stock in you.
I opened the bottle and it whistled to a ridiculous extreme. So either its gonna have the bubbles happening, or else its just been sitting around for a while. In this case, I think both are true. The stylings are pretty fance on that there bottle, considering it's vaguely old school, with lots of white, yellow and brown on the label. Also, the label was on crooked, so I feel like someone brewed this in their mad scientist basement right between the crack house and meth lab. Yes, AJ has subletted his basement to three different shady businessmen. I'm getting a little worried. It does contain real cane sugar though, so this could be somewhat tolerable.
Then the first sip. Initial reaction, it's root beer. But not exactly. It's got a little hint of ginger, possibly some cinnamon, and not really much else.
Overall, not shabby, but not the first thing I would reach for on the shelf. It'd kind of be more in the back left, behind a variety of cream sodas. But definitely worth a try if you're curious what sarsaparilla tastes like.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Here's a barely tolerable home-made commercial for Sioux City Sarsaparilla, which apparently is a different brand that Sam Eliot may or may not prefer. Best I could do on short notice. I dare you to try to watch the entire thing without falling asleep! Good luck.

Fentiman's Curiosity Cola: Oh Look, a Puppy!

2009-10-01T01:26:00.007-04:00

This week, I decided to pull out a fancy bottle of Fentiman's Curiosity Cola. Before trying, I decided to make sure that this did not include either dandelions or burdock, as both of those ingredients have been previously been mentioned as untasty. Regardless of facing a possible death via licorice, I decided to trudge onward into the annals of beverage tasting history. If you make a joke about the word I just said, you're reading it wrong. Use a dictionary, for the sake of all that is semi-holy.
So anyways, I tried this thing. It was okay I guess.
I took a big whiff straight off. All I got out of it was cinnamon flavor. Which is weird, since it isn't listed on the bottle. Maybe it's whatever "Cola Flavour" is. Those silly Canadians with their superfluous "u"s. How quaint. Next thing you know, they'll be going oot and aboot. Just adorable.
There apparently is some caffeine content. Not really the best judge of caffeine at the moment here, due to previously overdosing of it during late night whatevers. Also not worth mentioning, there was some significant bubblage within this syrupy bev.
Taste can be best described by the sounds "hmmm" and "meh." It has a unique cola flavor, but nothing you'd really miss if it broke up with you. Little hint of ginger here, little of hint of cinnamon there, a throw rug for effect. Basically, it's RC Cola with a little Feng Shiu.
All this having been said, I will still say you should buy this. If not for me, do it for the corgis.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Here's a video of a kid making cheese toast with a flashlight. Also, he's drinking Curiousity Cola.

Sprecher Root Beer: Nevermind the Hideous Mascot

2009-09-24T02:28:00.011-04:00

Sprecher seems to have a history steeped in keyboard neckties and Flock of Seagulls haircuts. I would prefer to say that they go back to the Prohibition, when beer was outlawed and breweries had to resort to some sort of substitute. An actual history. Specher's apparently only goes back to 1985, hence the fashion faux pas and bad haircuts. Still, just because of its juvenile antics, this isn't a soda to be overlooked.
Side note: I really don't like it when spell check catches "faux pas" as a spelling error. Yes, its French. But I don't care. We say it too!
Bottle design itself seems a bit too reminiscent of Saturday mornings. Their mascot has essentially changed from a griffin into a tiny magical crow-imp-monkey that peddles soda. Also noticeable, this soda is apparently Caffeine free, Gluten-free, and actually certified Kosher. Sounds like Sprecher was really concerned about offending people. Trust me, this is an inoffensive soda.
+1 Point: Its exactly 1 Pint of root beer. I would prefer a 40 oz (Thank you IBC) but this will do nicely.
-1 Point: High fructose corn syrup's in this one too. Meh. Whaddaya gonna do.
(By the by.. don't really plan on going with a point system from here on out. I just figured these two points would be mentioned since they practically cancel out)
So I tried it. Actually, it's pretty stinking good. Reminds me a bit of that fabled keg root beer of yore. Plenty of carbonation to fill the esophagus with belches. Hints of vanilla, honey, possibly some birch flavor. But overall, a rather well-rounded root beer. Also, this was DIRT CHEAP. Take that for what it's worth. I think this bottle was maybe a dollar at a grocery full of smaller bottles that maybe twice as expensive.
In conclusion, and in summary, and more redundant phrases, Sprecher makes some pretty decent cheap root beer. Buy it, or rent it, and enjoy it. Immediately.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Embedded video is about Sprecher Brewery! If you don't want to learn about Prohibition or beers, feel free to skip to 4:30 when the magic happens. Mental internet Note: Ravin' Red sounds intriguing.

Blenhiem's Ginger Ale: Suitable only for the removal of nose hairs

2009-09-19T20:20:00.007-04:00

Title says it all. This stuff hurts. A lot. I've taken a bite of ginger root. It wasn't as painful as Blenhiems. Call me a wimp if you want. I really don't care. There is apparently a lighter version of this, that may be drinkable, this stuff simply isn't. I want my food spicy and my bevs cool and refreshing. I'll end here.

Taste.............Worse than straight Ginger

Meal Pairing.............. Habaneros, why not?

Refresh Factor............. -666

Buzz Factor.............0

Belch Factor..............1, be careful, they burn.

Limca: LIMCA!

2009-09-13T02:39:00.006-04:00

The back-story for Limca for me is almost a year old at this point. Some delightful chums of my very own took it upon themselves to throw a surprise party in celebration of my year of birthing. Knowing how much I enjoy soda, they each brought me bottles of stuff I hadn't seen before. A lot of it was really good, but the one that stuck with me most was LIMCA! A particularly delightful chum, a certain Johnny Sims, handed it to me and I was, in all honesty, a bit afraid at first.
The bottle itself looks a little rough around the edges. Nearly all of the labellings are on the cap, save the logo itself. And all the corners of the bottle seem worn off, assumably from being shipped over from India or just being reused. Oh, did I fail to mention that Limca is the Sprite of India? Yes. Just now.
Well, being as how I'd never heard of imagined this drink existed, I was a bit worried about it. But I tried it. And here's the rundown.
Carbonation is low, but smooth. Belches, as a result, are also a bit low. Caffeine is nonexistent. Taste, on the other hand, is spectacular.
Do you remember getting those little fruit gems when you were a kid? Kind of medallion shaped, covered in sugar, made of sugar, and stuffed in some sort of weird plastic force field? Anyways, this tastes like the lime variety of that, although with a slight hint of ginger kick to it. Not necessarily my favorite flavor when I was a kid, but still amazing in beverage form. I suggest you try it if you happen to run into it.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Ridiculous 80's commercial detailing all of the things in the land of India at that time. Also important to note: NO BVO?

omygoodnessomygoodnessomygoodnessomygoodnessomygoodness AJ Stephans Birch Beer

2009-09-11T00:05:00.006-04:00

I NEED MORE NOW!!!!!!!!!!! I need a case! I need an intra-oral drip! Where to start??? Pure carbonated water, cane sugar, flavoring, sodium benzoate. Flavoring was the one thing that made me take so long in reviewing this soda. Honestly, it scared me. Flavoring? Of what? birch, i'm guessing. But what else could they be hiding under that blanketing banner of "flavoring"? Toes? Fish brainz? the finely ground eyelashes of a recent traveler to a foreign country??? Well, let me tell you this friends, the flavoring is that of deliciousness. Faintly woody with a distinct wintergreen twinge. Ladies and Gents, I'm picky about things I say I love, I love this stuff.

Sorry for no photo, however if you are dying to see what this looks like, in the wide shot of my fridge a few posts ago, it's the greenish-clear bottle, clear liquid and white label with red letters.

Taste.............Wintergreen tamed by a woodiness and maybe some slightly peach tones

Meal Pairing.............I don't care, get me more!!!

Refresh Factor.............13 (thirteen is my ultimate number, just ask)

Buzz Factor.............3

Belch Factor..............9

Kickapoo Joy Juice: Do What Now?

2009-09-03T01:01:00.009-04:00

So the title of this beverage doesn't really reveal anything. I was befuddled with befuddlement. And beside myself with befuddlement. So I asked what they thought. "Kind of like Mountain Dew." Eh, I enjoy a Mountain Dew now and then. So I figured it was worth a try. So it sat in my fridge for probably 2 months or so. And now here is the review.
Upon scanning over the bottle itself, nothing really seems too out of the ordinary. The label is somewhat traditional, and has a funny little cartoon dudes brewing what appears to be moonshine on it. After some brief research, it would appear they the dudes in question are in fact "Hairless Joe" and "Lonesome Polecat" from Lil' Abner fame. The byline "The Original Dogpatch Formula!" refers to the town in which this purported moonshine was sold. Not having been alive during Lil' Abner's tenure in the funny papers, I had no idea. Until just now. Thanks Wikipedia!
Anyways, the bottle also says that it contains grapefruit juice, so I was kind of expecting a Squirt/Citra flavor. Upon drinking it, I'm not really sure if its closer to either of those or the Mountain of Dews. Definitely citrus, but kind of hard to pinpoint which fruit. Also seems to have a hint of green apple, although not really sour. Maybe its uglyfruit? I don't really know.
As far as the run-down of the rest of my usual preferences, it contains high fructose corn syrup, so I was a little displeased. Carbonation wasn't high, so it was smooth going down. And caffeine content was there, so it gets some points to counter-balance its poor sugar content.
In any case, Kickapoo Joy Juice has some history behind it, and a unique flavor, so it's definitely something to be savored at least once.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Just for fun, I added a fan-made commercial for this soda, complete with theme song!

Jones Jumble: A walk on the scary side

2009-08-31T17:00:00.006-04:00

Wow, this bottle was a real worry to pick up. Jones is a soda company obviously known for their very odd flavours. What in the world was I getting myself into?? There is a reason they used a completely opaque label, this stuff is a disgusting shade of green. I had a horrible fear that the taste would be that of whirled peas, turkey gravy and turkey dressing it was that colour of green. But I quelled my fears and bravely took a sip. The flavour is that of liquid smarties, tart enough to actually sting the parts of my tongue that happened to be affected by geographic tongue(common condition, shoot an email if you wanna know more). Everything else about the drink is pure, typical Jones Soda. Just a tart fruity flavour that probably got messed up at the factory and here I am paying a buck fiddy for it :)

Taste.............Liquid SweeTarts

Meal Pairing.............Any lunch item

Refresh Factor.............6

Buzz Factor.............4

Belch Factor..............7

Moxie's Blue Cream: Old School Charm, Classic Flavor

2009-08-27T02:38:00.009-04:00

Apparently Moxie is an old school wonder, rediscovered in the hallowed halls that be Jungle Jim's. They don't even have their own website... although it does tell you to check out RealSoda, which apparently is the real deal when it comes down to tracking down rare sodas. Even its name literally wreaks of old world charm. Not to mention the fancy throwback label featuring on a random saleschum pointing at you. When guys in lab coats unnecessarily point at me, my salivary glands start up in some strange Pavlovian response thingy. I'm pretty sure that happens to everyone though. They had several varieties of the Moxie brand, but I just picked up a fancy looking blue bottle of Moxie's Blue Cream.
Moving along, first sniff smells just as advertised. Blueberries and Cream. Upon tasting, the liquid is practically gone. Its so good, I almost drank it all in the first sip. It is berries and cream. A little artificial in flavor, but not bad by any means. Carbonation is at a somewhat low level, but it makes it smooth going down. Belches may occur, but are sparse at best. Caffeine is nonexistent, but who cares. This soda is tasty. Sugar content is made of only sugar cane, so no gross aftertaste. Thanks for staying away from this soda, high fructose corn syrup/Splenda/Sweet 'n Low/bile. I appreciate you not participating in this soda.
For those of you unfamiliar with a blueberries and cream flavor, image this. Image that Big Red was somehow re-concocted, but was made with blueberry instead of cherry-ish flavoring. And they called it, oh, I don't know, Big Blue. But even this is a little bit better in my book.
In conclusion, and in summary, Moxie tastes awesome overall. Carbonation and caffeine content are low, but this soda is so good I don't really give a 2 dollar bag of horse teeth. If you can FIND IT, GET IT. and DRINK IT. You will ENJOY IT.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Cheerwine: Cliff Notes Edition

2009-08-15T00:43:00.005-04:00

I'm feeling lazy this week, so I'm going back to the old format for once. I don't have enough creativity in me at this point to write anything too extremely fanciful.

Location Discovered: Jungle Jim's Grocery in Cincinnati, Ohio
Price: around a dollar per bottle? not sure.. didn't write it down.
Taste: similar to black cherry, but a little smoother than that.
Caffeine: included, but not to a noticeable degree.
Ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, red #40.
Overall Opinion: Not ridiculously good, but honestly somewhat refreshing. Its definitely in a category of its own. Lightly carbonated and not that nasty artificial cherry flavor that you'd expect. Definitely a refreshing beverage that shouldn't be taken lightly.
Rating: 4/5 Units of Goodness!!
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. As an afterthought to this blog, I added this ridiculous clip about Cheerwine. Enjoy!

Fentiman's Dandelion and Burdock: I made it to Jungle Jim's and all I got was this lousy soda.

2009-08-12T23:50:00.006-04:00

Oh, wow, I'm waaaay behind in updates!!! Eek. Anywho, on to the important stuff.....

So, a recent trip to Jungle Jim's in northern Cincinnati(OH) resulted in a sizable beverage procurement. As you can clearly see in the wide angle shot of my fridge :) I may have a beverage problem. But as I try to sample about one a week, this still otta' last me a bit. This weeks post is for Fentiman's Dandelion and Burdock soda. I'm not going to sugar coat it, I HATE licorice. Anise seed flavouring is listed as the last ingredient here. I still register very high notes of licorice/anise because I hate it so much. The other notes combining, I like. The anise flavouring can take a long walk off a short pier into the English Channel. Just a point of interest, burdock is a wicked looking weed that inspired the invention of Velcro. So, this is just a weed soda.

I had a very hard time trying to pin this soda down. Would I buy it again? No. Is it terrible? Even with the anise notes, No. Is it a lunch soda? No. Dinner soda? No. Sitting around on the patio watching lightening bugs soda? Perhaps. Did I enjoy it? yeah, enough. I really can't tell you what food to pair this with. Like I said, it may well just be best enjoyed on the patio with nothing else but bug watching.

Taste.............Anise and weeds

Meal Pairing.............Patio with bugs

Refresh Factor.............2

Buzz Factor.............0

Belch Factor..............1

Peach Nehi: Elusive for a Good Reason

2009-08-07T00:54:00.006-04:00

It is no secret that I work in a grocery store. This is where I often come in contact with all these fancy sodas I keep bringing up on this blog. But recently I've run into a brick wall with a certain soda.
I discovered that one of my co-workers, along with a few of their friends, has been special-ordering Peach Nehi to the store. At least 2-3 times, I have asked to get in on this action. Alas, she tends to "forget." Or so she says.
Recently, I took a special trip up to Jungle Jim's (after stopping by an IKEA) to look at what they had different from last time. Lo and behold.. the almighty.. GLASS BOTTLED PEACH NEHI.
I casually let this fact spill while I was at work and my co-worker went nuts. So I knew I was in for a treat. I would have gotten more, but oh well. I "forgot." Tee hee."
Moving on past my revenge, Peach Nehi is something special. Until now, my only experience with peach soda was with Stewart's. Now don't get me wrong.. I enjoy me some Stewart's peach. However, Nehi is a completely different animal. It's almost as if someone managed to distill peach rings into a beverage form. The second ingredients listed after water is... sugar. It has real sugar, and is REALLY sugary.
Packaging was very simple, very old school. The only printing on the bottle was made in white. The bottle cap was a very dainty pink. And you really can't go wrong with a warning label that pertains to the cap shooting you in the face. That's either ridiculously old school or the result of a wacky lawsuit.
The only things moderately strange about this soda was that there was no mist that came out of the cap when opened while cold. Well that, and no belch factor. The soda was moderately fizzy however, something I feel like I've been missing out on lately.
Overall, Peach Nehi is a tasty treat that everyone should try at least once. And hide from your co-workers. My only question is... are there other Nehi's? And can I have one? Now?
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush
P.S. Included is a completely irrelevant fan-made commercial. I dare ya, just try not to have nightmares!

Jolt Cola: An Epic Let-Down

2009-07-30T17:15:00.010-04:00

I first heard of Jolt Cola many a year ago, before I was terminally addicted to caffeine. Yes, that was very long ago. Back then, I was just rather fond of sugar... the gateway drug to caffeine. I heard of all these highly caffeinated beverages and was enticed by all of them. Until my first Mountain Dew. After that it was Surge. Full Throttle. Pepto Bismal. You get the picture.
Just here recently, I ran into this rare beverage in person. It was like meeting Abraham Lincoln, only possibly more refreshing and plausible... I had heard about it my whole life and only had vague ideas about it.
The bottle design itself is somewhat fancy. The bottle is made of a thick colorless glass, practically identical to the bottles manufactured for NuGrape and Ms.Nesbitt's Orange Soda. The logo features a lightning-bolt "O" that looks like the best man badge worn by Owen Wilson in "You, Me, and Dupree." I also appreciated the tiny bar graph on the side featuring the difference in caffeine between Mountain Dew and Jolt. Each bar is topped the image of a tiny man's face. At the top of Mt.Dew, the man seems satisfied. At the top of Jolt Cola, however, the little man appears to have stumbled across a vortex of pure, raw crystal meth. Therefore, he is out-of-his-mind bonkers.
Speaking of out-of-his-mind bonkers, the buzz factor here is somewhat significant. Even I, a grizzled old practitioner of caffeine felt a slight increase in energy. I could hear color. Oh wait.. nevermind. That was a different time.
Unfortunately, caffeine and proper soda design are where the excitement ends with this soda. Taste is ultimately weak - this soda sits somewhere in the vast flavor spectrum between RC cola and Pepsi. While I could enjoy one or the other, I can't really deal with what would result if you mixed the two in a big jug covered with three X's. Carbonation is also kind of low, although it produced a surprisingly high amount of belch. The sugar quality was unimpressive. Although high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation, I DON'T REALLY CARE. It is still inferior to cane sugar.
Overall, Jolt is designed to be appealing to the eyes, just not the taste buds. And it seemed so promising.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Henry Weinhard's Root Beer: Smarter Than Your Average (root) Beer

2009-07-23T02:04:00.009-04:00

This week I picked up a bottle (or two) of Henry's Weinhard's Original Recipe Root Beer, featuring Henry Weinhard on the bottle! Let me just say, that this root beer does not disappointhe t in any way, shape, form, or other cliche phrase. Starting off with aesthetics, bottle appears to be somewhat old school, while still remaining an air of class. A favorite feature is Henry's noggin on the bottle cap word-ballooning "Roll out the Barrell!" Apparently there are all sorts of catch phrases like this, including "Flip the Lid!", "Can't Top This!" and "Heads Up!"Definitely a cap to be saved.
The initial opening of the cap creates a huge cold mist to come out of the bottleneck. Listed ingredients include honey, sassafras, and vanilla, and I can see back notes of each of them, but all I can taste is the nutmeg. But it is excellent.
I was actually instructed to pour this particular root beer in a glass to observe the claim of a "Draught Style Head." I did so, and was amazed at how much foam it created. A good inch at least.. not bad for 12 fluid ounces. As a result, belches abounded - definitely a good sign for root beer. I also drank this product while poorly attempting to construct a bookshelf.. although my attempts were somewhat futile, this tasty bev proved itself to be quite the thirst-quencher.
The only problems I see with this soda aren't really even problems for root beer. Number One: No caffeine. Although I kind of demand this in sodas, its not really a prerequisite on the job application of root beer. It will not be denied entrance to root beer college. Number Two: It contains high fructose corn syrup. Although not a huge fan of this, this is just about the standard these days. I can live with that. And in all honesty, in this frothy soda, I actually didn't even notice it. This root beer may even graduate. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Overall, Henry's Weinhard's Original Recipe Root Beer, featuring Henry Weinhard on the bottle is the closest thing you're going to get to keg root beer. If you run into this at some point, and are a huge root beer fan, invest straightaway! You will not be disappointed.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Guarana Brazilia: They like it, they REALLY like it!!

2009-07-23T00:56:00.005-04:00

Wow! Love it! Take Antarctica and bump it up! My Mum and Dad were up for the day, so I figured I'd let Pop in on the taste. He's thinking this may have actually been the version that he was served while working in Brazil. Just a side note- this is kind of seen as a kids drink down there, beer being the beverage of choice for most adults. Yes, even at lunch. At work.

Anywho, Guarana Brazilia is a lot bolder, has a bit of nuttiness to it, but is much like it's cousin Antarctica.

Faygo Original Redpop: What Did You Expect? Originality?

2009-07-16T02:04:00.013-04:00

The bottle styling on this little number makes me feel like I'm stepping out of a Delorian into an olde time soda fountain. I guess the "EST.1907" helped with that to some extent, along with the faded-ish, rustic printing on the bottle. Well, except the Nutritional Facts, of course. Those are pretty much standard. Thanks so much for that, "The Man." Your many tedious rules are changing the way I wish to perceive reality.
Ridiculous rant aside, few ingredients are listed on the boring old Nutritional Facts, making me feel hopeful for the purity of this soda. At the same time, no caffeine is listed on the label, so buzz factor is a bust. Ker-plooey.
After tasting "Redpop", I feel like the label is a little misleading. When I see "Redpop" I immediately think of Big Red. Big Red of course, tastes like, what else, Big Red. That's not really a flavor you can define in words without the phrases "Big Red-like" or "tastetastic." Hey, I never claimed to not be biast. On the other hand, this soda is super artificial-strawberry flavor. Which isn't a bad thing either... it kind of reminds me of that gooey strawberry gunk that white-haired grandmas put in their strawberry pies. That artificial flavor just kind of loses its magic in straight-liquid soda form.
Carbonation is at an all-time low in this region, so belching is out of the question. If the label didn't clearly say "Redpop" on it, I wouldn't be inclined to call this a soda at all.
Overall, Faygo Redpop is visually enticing, but nothing special in practice. I could probably get the same experience and come within lesser proximity to a diabetic coma snacking on a strawberry dum-dum.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Dr.McGillicuddy's Old Fashioned Root Beer: Not Your Average Root Beer

2009-07-09T01:30:00.006-04:00

A few weekends ago, my good chum and roommate Joshua picked up this tasty delight in a six-pack exclusively for my own consumption and reviewage. To that, I owe him thanks. As I was currently in the middle of my previous review, I had to manage to hold on to at least one bottle over the course of an entire week. Let's just say that this review almost didn't have a chance to be made. I suppose that's just the fiend coming out in my beverage fiend.
Moving on, the bottle boasts of "natural herbs, real oil of birch, and imported vanilla." Upon consumption, this beverage does contain a somewhat woodsy flavor, with the vanilla appearing as just a minor background note. Unfortunately, there really wasn't any sort of flavor lending any "oomph" to the taste, the ginger bite that I've come to enjoy in many root beers.
I also found it strange that Dr.McGillicuddy decided to create a root beer with extremely low carbonation. While this lends to a much smoother flavor, it detracts from the foaminess to a ridiculous degree. And don't even get me started on the belch factor.. it was nearly nonexistent! That's just not something you expect out of root beer.
Interesting to this specific root beer is the brown bottle. Normally, you really only see brown bottles with actual beer. In this case, however, Dr.McG made this root beer non-alcoholic and caffeine free. After browsing the Dr.McGillicuddy website, I figure that brown bottles were probably the ones most readily available to this character. The bottle also mentions that it contains both high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar as sweeteners. From the taste, honestly, I can't really tell which one predominates.
Overall, this root beer features a complicated, rich, and smooth flavor and is good in it's own right. Just be prepared to give up the classic root beer staples of bite, belches, and bubbles.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Ale 8-1: A Tasty, Regional Wonder

2009-07-02T02:09:00.008-04:00

As far as taste is concerned, Ale 8-1 (or "A Late One") is not by any means your run-of-the-mill ginger ale. Its flavor mainly consists of an unusual fruity flavor (which oddly reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum) with a very subtle ginger kick, and seasoned with the essence of pure flavor. Tis a mighty beverage to behold. In regards to refreshiness, this glamorous concoction works wonders. I have particularly noticed this quality while painting the interiors of things.
Ale 8-1 is probably my favorite of the various regional sodas of Kentucky. Unfortunately, it doesn't really seem to get the praise it deserves throughout the state. Although it's sold virtually everywhere in Kentucky, it mainly only gets publicity in the Lexington/Winchester area. Correct me if I'm wrong, please. I would love to know of the love this beverage receives regardless of location. One thing to keep in mind: please please PLEASE buy it in the glass bottles. It's just part of the quality Ale 8-1 experience.
I am well aware of those nefarious, nay-saying ne'er-do-wells that disapprove of this idyllic beverage, likening it unto "Winchester Sewer Water." They have their right to individual taste, regardless of whether of not they are inherently wrong. Just don't listen to the critics. Just us beverage fiends.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Sangria Senorial: They say it tastes like,.....

2009-07-01T23:54:00.006-04:00

vino. Or, I should say what They think vino would taste like if They'd ever had any. And seeing as this bevy is supposed to mimic the flavour of a Spanish alcoholic beverage, my humble guess is that's the whole point. Now, mind you, this humble beverage fiend has at points managed to down the occasional spoilt glass of grape juice(happened quite frequently at my last flat, the fridge was no good so stuff spoilt often and quickly), so I do have a slight idea of what wine tastes like. And I can say that the Senorial does a good job mimicking, it however(thankfully) forgoes the fermenting, rotten tones of grapejuice gone bad. While this is very much a desert or fancy meal drink, it complemented my dinner of an overlarge shrimp burrito most excellently.

Taste.............Grape juice gone bad, but in a good way.

Meal Pairing.............Dessert

Refresh Factor.............5

Buzz Factor.............2

Belch Factor..............4

Guarana Antarctia: First on the list for Teethbrush...

2009-06-25T22:19:00.005-04:00

I have to admit, Guarana has been one of my favorites for some time. I think I was introduced to it by my Dad who used to work for a company that did a lot of work in Brazil. He must have been introduced while traveling there in the mid-late eighties.

All introductions aside, Guarana has a very dense but small bubble. So, when drinking it feels as though your mouth is fully encompassed with tiny bubbles. The taste is quite unique, the closest comparison I can make is a generalized berry-ish-ness. One super point that needs to be made about this bev is that it contains no high fructose corn syrup, the ingredient that often leaves you thirstier after than you were beforehand. Also, many may be aware that guarana extract is often used in energy drinks. That is because guarana is chemically identical to caffeine. One difference is that guarana is slower burning, giving a longer period of energy.

So, the final word for They:

Taste.............berry-ish

Meal Pairing.............Burritos/ tacos, Fish with summery sides

Refresh Factor.............10

Buzz Factor.............8

Belch Factor..............10

2009-06-25T01:39:00.008-04:00

I ran across these two sumptuous beverages whilst stopping at a Flying J © gas station, well known for having obscure taste sensations, during a brief jaunt along I-64. The store actually stocked about four different variety of named soda brand, but I happened to pick these two rapscallions specifically for being unusual soda flavors.
First, let's review what these two concoctions have in common. They both have a sweet looking mascot on the bottle. I'm not really sure what the Lake Flathead Monster© is, but something about him makes me as thirsty as if I was surrounded by a thousand evil grinning suns chasing me through that one desert level of Mario 3. Maybe its the vague resemblance to Bowser. Both products also contain very few ingredients, so they both get magical kudos points for relative purity for sodas. Also worthy of note is the very low amount of carbonation in each soda, making it very smooth whilst sliding down your throat.
Now for specific tastes. The wild white grape, in all honesty, is pretty amazing. Even though it contains no actual grape juice (artificial flavors only), it tastes exactly like white grape juice. It also has a remarkably high refreshingness quotient, as is evidenced by how much I enjoyed it after 18 holes of a sport known only as "disc golf."
On the other hand, Huckleberry has a rather complicated flavor, On first sip, it reminded me of a cherry snow cone. On second sip, it tasted like a blueberry snow cone. I guess it just made me feel like the Hawaiian Shaved Ice Man was having an epileptic seizure. Still, it's not bad. Refreshingness isn't that greatest, as for some reason it tasted like cola after said disc golf was completed. If Flathead Lake Monster© was created by the same folks who make Dumdums, then this would probably be the mystery flavor. Your taste buds don't know what to expect, so you taste random things. I would guess that its technically supposed to taste like huckleberries, but it would seem that the local Kroger's has been out of those for the past several hundred years.
Overall, Flathead Lake Monster© Wild White Grape Soda comes highly recommended from this beverage fiend. The Huckleberry soda come recommended only if you're feeling particularly adventurous. Regardless, either flavor is only $1 at this location, so it's win-win in any case.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

A New Day for Tasty Bevs

2009-06-22T01:46:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Beverage Fiend, where I plan on at some point searching out new and tasty beverages, newly tasting them, and then decide if they're worth tasting again or not. I have done something to this extent before, so I'm not entirely unqualified for this. Feel free to look up those previous articles in my single listed link. For now, I am on the hunt for new beverages.
Until next time, this is your loyal beverage fiend, signing off.
-Crush

Review 35: Full Throttle Bad Mother

2007-09-12T02:08:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: Tates Creek Rd. Thorton's in Lexington, KY
Price: $1.99
Taste: acai berry. since i don't know what that is, i'll list the actual taste-contributing flavors... apple, pear, blueberry. Overall, not as strong a flavor as normal Full Throttle, but definitely worse.
Caffeine: enough to know better. (142 mg)
Ingredients: carbonated water, apple and pear juices, sucrose, blueberry juice, citric acid, natural flavors, acai extract, ginseng extract, caffeine, Vitamin B3, E, B6, B12, and guarana extract.
Overall Opinion: It had caffeine. So it earns a point. Other than that, extremely weak.
Rating: 1/5 Units of Goodness

Review 34: Big K Diet Root Beer

2006-05-21T00:50:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Rd Kroger in Lexington, Ky.
Price: $.59 for a 2-liter (plus 10% off employee discount!)
Taste: not good.
Caffeine: apparently none.
Ingredients: doesn't matter.
Overall Opinion: This is pretty weak root beer as far as root beers go. However, I purchased this root beer, I wasn't really interested in drinking it as much as adding mentos to the bottle, sealing it, and tossing it on the ground in a parking lot. Sounds lame, I know. But basically this creates some sort of liquid explosion that creates a fake missile. It's cheap, fake-educational, and downright exciting.
Rating: 4/5 Units of Goodness

Tips: Supposedly Diet Coke is the best product to use for this little number, but diet root beer seems to be the fizziest. And me likey the fizzy. Only add one or two mentos to the bottle, because you're going to have a tough time sealing it before the entirety of the beverage pops out. Shake it up real good, and throw in down onto some pavement (preferably directly onto the cap). Once done, you should have some form of success.

ENJOY!!

Review 30: Blue Sky Blue Energy

2005-12-23T03:36:00.000-05:00

Location Discovered: Wild Oats in Lexington, KY
Price: $1.99 for a 8.3 Fl.Oz. can
Taste: Pretty much like pulpless pineapple juice.
Caffeine: supposedly a lot, but I wouldn't know. I think I'm immune to caffiene at this point. I would guess quite a bit, but not too much.
Ingredients: carbonated water, sucrose, glucose, citric acid, taurine, natural flavors, sodium citrate, maltodextrin, l-carnitine, grape skin extract, panax ginseng root extract, ascorbic acid, natural caffiene, sodium chloride, niacinamide, riboflavin, inositol, glucuronalactone, pyridoxine, hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin.
Overall Opinion: decent, but not fantastic. there are better alternatives probably.
Rating: 3.5/5 Units of Goodness!!

Review 29: Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice Egg Nog

2005-12-23T03:06:00.000-05:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Kroger in Lexington, KY
Price: $2.50 for a quart
Taste: That thick egg nog taste along with a pinch of vanilla, perfectly blended in a euphoria of taste.
Caffeine: pretty much zero.
Ingredients: milk, sugar, cream, corn syrup, egg yolks, nonfat milkm high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, locust bean gum, salt, guar gum, spice, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides.
Overall Opinion: Pretty awesome stuff! I really ought to put this head to head with that Horizon egg nog.. I'm not really sure who would win though.. this stuff is pretty awesome.
Rating: 5/5 Units of Goodness!!

Review 27: Horizon Lowfat Organic Egg Nog

2005-12-08T00:10:00.000-05:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Kroger in Lexington, KY
Price: $2.99 for a quart
Taste: First of all, I'm going to say I'm a milk fan. Always been.. I even don't mind that skim stuff. But this stuff is creamy, milky, and christmastic. And I don't even know what that means. The taste is hard to describe, but there's one thing I can say for it - it's awesome.
Caffeine: pretty much none.
Ingredients: organic grade A nonfat milk, organic sugar, organic grade A cream, organic egg yolks, guar gum, carrageenan, natural flavor, organic nutmeg, annatto, tumeric, and vitamin A palmitate,
Overall Opinion: I don't really have a lot of experience with egg nog. I've heard people say it's good, and people say it's gross. I've tried maybe one or two varieties, but honestly, I can say this is the best non-sodaic beverage ever made. Forget Snapple! I'm moving to Nog-town! Besides, the point, any beverage that I will shell out $3 for, and share with friends, is pretty much worth it.
Rating: 5/5 Units of Goodness!!

Review 25: IBC Cherry Limeade

2005-08-20T17:15:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Nicholasville Rd. Walmart in Lexington, Ky.
Price: $2.50 for a six-pack
Taste: Unusual.. the liquid is red so you expect an almost pure cherry soda. Upon drinking, you uncover a lot of cherry flavor, but the unmistakable hint of key lime.
Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, natural and artifical flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate, red 40, yellow 5.
Overall Opinion: Very unique, and actually pretty good. YOu definitely need to try this stuff for yourself. But no caffiene.
Rating: 4/5 Units of Goodness

Review 22: Rip It Energy Fuel

2005-06-04T03:15:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Nicholasville Walmart
Price: $1.15 for a can
Taste: very much like Sobe Adrenaline Rush, pineapplish.
Caffeine: pretty high.
Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, taurine, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium citrate, inositol, caffeine, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, salt, ascorbic acid, guarana seed extract, ester gum, pyridoxine hydrochloride, yellow 5, folic acid, yellow 6, cyanococalamin.
Overall Opinion: For an nergy drink, this stuff is pretty awesome. It still has a little bit of a gross energy drink taste, but it's pretty much subdued. And for the cheap price, this stuff is definitely worth trying.
Rating: 3.5/5 Units of Goodness

Review 19: Yoo-hoo Mocha

2005-05-28T23:58:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Georgetown Wal-mart
Price: $.84
Taste: somewhere between chocolate milk and a burnt smore.
Caffeine Level: 93 mg, whatever that means.
Ingredients: water, high fructose corn syrup, whey, corn syrup solids, nonfat milk, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural and artificial flavors, guar gum, xanthan gum, sodium caseinate, mono- and diglycerides, soy lecithin, dipotassium phosphate, caffeine, tricalcium phosphate, cocoa, salt.
Overall opinion: Eh, it was allright. I think Frapuccino is still better. Anywho, I'm not a huge fan of coffee drinks either, so don't neccessarily take my word for it.
Rating: 2/5 Units of Goodness

Review 14: Mountain Dew Baja Blast

2005-05-24T01:16:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Taco Bell in Tate's Creek Centre in Lexington, KY.
Price: Included in price of combo meal.
Taste: kinda like Mountain Dew with lime, as if Mountain dew wasn't good enough on it's own.
Caffeine Level: excellent.
Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, citric acid, natural & artificial flavors, caffeine, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), sodium citrate, gum arabic, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), brominated vegetable oil, yellow 5, blue 1.
Overall opinion: It's really hard to describe the taste of this beverage. At least for me. But what I do know is that it's awesome. And it's got caffiene. So check it out.
Rating: 5/5 Units of Goodness

Review 13: Original Stewart's Grape Soda

2005-05-20T02:06:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: Tates Creek Rd. Kroger in Lexington, KY
Price: $2.50 for a four-pack
Taste: like grape soda. no surprises here.
Caffeine: none.
Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, tartaric acid, sodium benzoate, citric acid, red 40, gum acacia, blue 1.
Overall Opinion: Decent, but I don't feel like I'd be missing anything buying a two-liter of Big K grape.
Rating: 3/5 Units of Goodness

Review 12: Original Stewart's Orange'n Cream

2005-05-19T19:22:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Tates Creek Rd. Kroger in Lexington, KY
Price: $2.50 for a four-pack
Taste: like an awesome liquified popsicle.
Caffeine: none.
Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, orange juice concentrate, sodium benzoate, citric acid, food starch modified, ester gum, yellow 6, brominated soybean oil, BHA.
Overall Opinion: Pretty good. Definitely fulfills the name.
Rating: 4/5 Units of Goodness

Review 7: Coca-Cola with Lime

2005-05-19T18:19:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Rd. Kroger in Lexington, KY with the promotional items.
Price: on sale for $1.50 for a six-pack
Taste: tastes like.. Coke with lime. surprisingly good.
Caffeine: fairly decent.
Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel color, Natural flavors, phosphric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate,caffeine.
Overall Opinion: Pretty good. I would probably drink this before I would Coke with Lemon. And probably regular coke. The sale price doesn't hurt either.
Rating: 3.5/5 Units of Goodness

Review 3: Full Throttle Energy Drink

2005-05-19T18:16:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: A cooler in the Tate's Creek Rd Kroger In Lexington, KY
Price: $1.99
Taste: Tastes a little like gummy bear juice. Not actually a bad taste as far as energy drinks go, as opposed to the bile flavoring many other energy drinks offer.
Caffeine Level: quite high. I used this little guy to stay awake last night to pull an all-nighter for organic, and it did the job quite nicely. A few weeks ago I had one with Bawls on the same night, and I was up for a good while as well.
Ingredients: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose, citric acid, taurine, natural and artifical flavors, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate (to protect taste), ginseng extract, caffeine, acacia, carnitive fumarate, glycerol ester of wood rosin, maltodextrin, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Yellow 5, pyridoxine, hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), guaran extract, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).
Overall opinion: Not bad for an energy drink. But still can't beat Bawls. If you can't handle Mt.Dew, this isn't the drink for you.
Rating: 3/5 Units of Goodness

Review 2: Jones Soda Co: M.F. Grape Soda

2005-05-19T18:15:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: Sloan's Grocery on Tate's Creek Rd. In Lexington, KY
Price: $1.19
Taste: Tastes like grape soda.. not as grapey as Welch's grape soda. More like a mix of soda water with grape flavoring.. not bad actually.
Caffeine Level: not significant, I think.
Ingredients: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, malic acid, citric acid, sodium benzoate and potassim sorbate (as preservatives), Red 40, Blue 1.
Overall opinion: Not too shabby.. worth trying as an experience, but probably won't buy it again soon. There are other sodas out there I would like more. Also, not too happy about the name.
Rating: 2.5/5 Units of Goodness

Review 1: Jarritos Strawberry/Fresa

2005-05-19T18:14:00.001-04:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Rd Kroger in Lexington, Ky on the Foreign Foods Aisle
Price: $.89
Taste: Tastes an awful lot like generic strawberry flavoring. Pretty good though.. I hadn't tasted strawberry in beverage form before.. not too shabby.
Caffeine Level: not significant.
Ingredients: carbonated water (water, carbon dioxide), sugar, citric acid, artificial flavor, sodium benzoate (as preservative),
and red 40.
Overall opinion: Good! Could use some caffeine, but not too shabby as a break from the weighty confines of the normal beverage experience. Also, it's fun to read the nutritional information in both english AND spanish.
Rating: 3/5 Units of Goodness

Review 6: R.W. Knudsen Family Spritzer Boysenberry

2005-05-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Rd. Kroger here in Lexington, KY in the Nutrition section of the store, by Tony.
Price: $3.99 for a six-pack
Taste: Kind of a mix of sparking water and mainly blackberry. Decent.
Caffeine Level: squat.
Ingredients: Sparkling water, Concentrated white grape, boysenberry, and plum juices, natural flavors.
Overall Opinion: You know that most sodas are made of nothing but flavored water, but they usually at least taste like something completely different. With this stuff, this isn't a problem. I'd probably be a little happier drinking Kool-Aid. At least it wouldn't be so pricey.
Rating: 1.5/5 Units of Goodness

Review 5: Hansen's Natural Soda (Raspberry)

2005-05-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

Location Discovered: Tate's Creek Rd. Kroger here in Lexington, KY in the Nutrition section of the store, by Tony.
Price: $1.99 for a six-pick
Taste: An extremely unusual soda flavor, it's not too bad once you get used to it. Initially, a shock. Eventually, becomes pretty good. However, it tastes strangely and remotely like Coke.
Caffeine Level: nil.
Ingredients: pure triple filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural European raspberry flabor & other natural flavors, in part, from India, Italy, and Australia.
Overall opinion: Fairly decent. Plus you get the added benefit of having no preservatives, no sodium, and no caffiene. So if you're into health, this might be the soda for you. Otherwise, it's a nice novelty flavor and worth investigating for the extreme beverage aficiando.
Rating: 2.5/5 Units of Goodness

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Guarana Antarctia: First on the list for Teethbrush...

Flathead Lake Monster©: Wild White Grape Soda, Huckleberry Soda

A New Day for Tasty Bevs

Review 35: Full Throttle Bad Mother

Review 34: Big K Diet Root Beer