Fanta Fruit Twist

Here's another Fanta flavor that isn't offered in the states so far as I can tell. I assumed that this would be fruit punch flavored but was surprised to find that this lightly carbonated drink tastes strongly of pink grapefruit. It is tart and besides the grapefruit taste I sense something along the line of mango or tangerine as in a subtle background flavor. If you like citrus sodas you'll probably enjoy this and it's another good breakfast soda.

Red Kola

Barr, which also makes Irn-Bru, produces this beverage typically found in the British Isles like their other drinks. I was expecting a cola flavored drink with a touch of cream soda taste added. Rather this is a pink/red colored liquid closer to the red cream taste of Big Red. But it's cheap and found in manly places around Scotland so of course I had to give it a go.

Irn-Bru

Because I'm traveling I've decided to make some entries as I go and input pictures and info later. At the moment I am riding the Stena Ferry from Belfast to Straener. I've been able to locate a bottle of Irn-Bru in the ferry's shop for the purposes of this blog.

Irn-Bru has been produced since 1901 and since that time has always contained actual iron in the beverage. This is a taste you will notice when drinking it. The distinct flavor of this drink can be best described as a metallic cream soda. It is bright orange in color with a decent level of carbonation. The drink has a secret recipe stored in Switzerland. This isn't a favorite drink of mine and I would probably prefer it mixed with vodka.

Nehi Grape

In 1905, a pharmacist named Claude Hatcher founded the Union Bottling Works in Columbus, Georgia. Claude's company focused primarily on the production of his sodas Chero-Cola and Royal Crown Ginger Ale. Due to the popularity of Chero-Cola, the company changed its name to the Chero-Cola Company in 1912. 

By 1924, Chero-Cola Co released a line of flavored sodas under the name Nehi. While the name conjures something of an asian origin to my mind, lore holds that it had a more folksy beginning. There is more than one story, but the two major myths basically boil down to calling the competition "knee-high" in how they compared to their drink. The Nehi line up at the time included orange, grape, peach, and root beer. By 1928, Nehi drinks were outselling Chero-Cola and so the company again changed names to the Nehi Corporation. 

Nehi suffered from the Great Depression like most other companies and operated at a loss in 1932. When Claude Hatcher died in 1933, the new president of the company became H.R. Mott. H.R. Mott led the development of a new cola beverage and borrowing a concept from Hatcher, named the drink Royal Crown Cola. Never ceasing to ride waves of popularity the Nehi Co. changed its name again in 1955 to the Royal Crown Company. The company was later brought under the umbrella of Snapple, which was later acquired by Cadbury Schweppes Inc. which spun it off to the control of by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Although Nehi can still be found today in some flavor variations, I doubt it is possible to still find it in glass bottles.

Perhaps Nehi is most well known from M*A*S*H, the television series which ran from 1972-1983 about an army surgical group in Korea. The character "Radar" O'Reilly was obsessed with Grape Nehi on the show. 

This bottle has a nearly non-existant level of carbonation, but a pleasant sugary, grape aroma. It has a sweet grape flavor like most modern American fruit-flavored sodas but isn't quite as overly rich as, say, a Welch's or the older Crush Grape which can sometimes make you sick by the end of a bottle.

Virgil's Diet Root Beer

Virgil's began in the early 90's as an independent microbrew soda by the Crowley's. It was sold in 1999 to Reed's Inc. who produce the Virgil's line up of flavors in the Los Angeles area. The flavor line up has grown over the years from Root Beer to include various cream sodas. 

While Reed's Inc. does "brew" it's sodas using old-fashioned methods adapted to modern machinery, they also claim to use authentic ingredients from all over the world. Of this I cannot speculate, but whether or not that makes for a better soda can be debated. I can attest to having had other "premium" or "micro-brewed" sodas that sometimes fail to impress. Although, due to using "all-natural" ingredients you'll generally find Virgil's beverages next to Reed's sodas in grocery store health food/organic food sections.

While most Virgil's sodas use cane sugar, because this is their diet version it is sugar free, but contains Stevia extract as a sweetener. It's only lightly carbonated. It surely tastes like a diet with a different flavor. Unfortunately I did not have the regular diet available to compare, but will have to locate some in the future. The birch flavoring is strong. It leaves a lingering after taste and strangely seems to have a small numbing sensation on my tongue, perhaps from the wintergreen. All in all, for a diet root beer it isn't too bad, but I prefer others. Look for my future post on the non-diet Virgil' Root Beer.

Americana Black Cherry

The Americana range of sodas is produced by Orca Beverages, who also bottle several of the older style sodas and names. The Americana line is small batch brewed using cane sugar. Other than the fact that they began in 1995 out of Washington state there isn't much out there on them.

This flavor opens with a sharp release of carbonation and the rich aroma of black cherries. The best part of this drink is right after it touches your tongue. The pleasing full cherry taste quickly deteriorates after that. I don't find it to finish cleanly either, with a slight residual cling of syrup in your mouth. It's not a bad drink, but it's nothing to remember either.

Sun Drop

Charles Lazier created the original Sun Drop recipe in St. Louis, MO in 1928, which his son, Charles Jr. developed into the Sun Drop soda that made it's debut in 1930. The beverage was known for having a distinct citrus flavor and a hefty dose of caffeine. Also known as Sun Drop Golden Cola or Golden Girl Cola, the Crush brand purchased Sun Drop in 1970. Crush was later bought by Proctor & Gamble, then sold off to Cadbury Schweppes which later spun off the Dr Pepper Snapple Group that also makes Dr Pepper, Crush, Hires, Nehi, A&W, Stewart's, Diet Rite and Squirt.

Sun Drop has only a light citrus scent and light, tiny-bubbled carbonation. The "pulp" is so minor as to be very hard to see, but noticeable when the bottle is up-turned. The flavor is not too in-distinct from that of Ski. This is that hard to describe blend of citrus flavors that isn't exactly grapefruit, lemon or lime, just a refreshing blend of citrus-nous.

Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer

Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer was created in 1937 by Ely Klapman and Barney Kerns in the basement of Ely Klapman's home in Chicago. This drink grew quickly in popularity in the American Midwest and in the 1940's was the first drink sold in six-pack format. During the 1940's the brand was sold as a "family" of sizes with the Papa being a full half-gallon bottle. Dad's was purchased by the Monarch Beverage Company, of Atlanta, in 1986.  In 2007 the beverage returned to it's Midwestern roots when it was purchased by Hedinger Brands, based in Jasper, Indiana. Like many drinks with regional beginnings you can find loyal Dad's fans around the Midwest.

This soda is caffeine free and made with cane sugar, and yes, bottled in Jasper, IN. It has a pleasing, old-fashioned root beer fragrance. As much as I was hoping to like this root beer, I found it to have a distinct chemical overtone to it. I found it to be too much for me to enjoy sipping it.

Sunkist

Sunkist as a brand name dates back to the turn of the 20th century when a co-op of citrus growers, called the Southern California Fruit Exchange, began branding it's fruit in 1908 as "Sunkist," alluding to it's high-quality. This is said to be the first time fruit was branded. Over time the co-op and the brand grew, including fruits other than oranges and even nuts. The co-op changed names later to the California Fruit Growers Exchange and later Sunkist Growers, Inc.

In 1977, General Cinema Corporation was also a Pepsi bottler. To fill out their range of soda offerings General Cinema wanted an orange beverage and so developed it's own concoction and licensed the "Sunkist" brand name from Sunkist Growers. Sunkist, the soda, was released on the public in 1978 and was the best-selling orange soda in the US two-years later.

It's actually surprising to me that a non-profit like the Sunkist Growers, who used their "Sunkist" branding as a sign of their high-quality, fresh fruits, would sell-out to General Cinema who use no oranges in making their drink, but rather citric acid, high-fructose corn syrup, and sodium citrate.

True, it's become this neon-orange which Americans see as the very symbol of "orange" and "freshness" over the duller colors of more natural orange drinks. And it does indeed have the aroma of a fresh orange rind. It has a good deal of carbonation and a tang flavor. But it's sodas like this and Fanta which are the par for the orange soda taster.

Sidral Mundet Apple

Sidral Mundet is well known in Mexico, but unless you spend any time looking in the ethnic food section of your local grocery store, you may not be aware of it. The drink was the creation of Don Arturo Mundet who began bottling it in 1902. Real apples are supposedly used in the brewing process. It is said Mexican mothers give the drink to children with upset stomachs... sounds like the role 7-Up has here in the States.

This beverage has a good level of carbonation. Oddly, there was an almost entirely imperceptible aroma of any kind ever when holding directly under my nose. The flavor reminds me of a crisp Gala apple. It is light and palate cleansing. There aren't many American bottlers making any sort of apple soda so give this a try if you find it at the market.

Boylan Orange

See my earlier post for some historical notes on the Boylan Bottling Company.

This libation from Boylan is their orange. I realize there are a great many Boylan fans out there, but this is merely a so-so soda for me. Keep in mind that these antique orange sodas are not the chemically made orange sodas of today's Sunkist-like brands. The aroma is that of an orange cream soda, but I found the taste to be a little more like orange peel than orange. It's still an acceptable thirst quencher, but I'll keep working my way through the Boylan line-up.

Kickapoo Joy Juice

Kickapoo Joy Juice is citrus soft drink inspired by the nickname given to moonshine in Al Capp's Lil' Abner comic strips. The comic strip, which ran from 1934 to 1977, featured the misadventures of Lil' Abner and a town of hillbillies from the imaginary Dogpatch, Kentucky.

There seems to be some question as to who developed the drink first, since my research shows claims made by both NuGrape and the Monarch Beverage Company. However, the drink was introduced in 1965 and is a non-alcoholic soda, much the same way that Mountain Dew, also a euphemism for moonshine, is. Either way the NuGrape company as well as others were bought over the years to bring them under the current umbrella of products from Monarch Beverage Company.

There is a light sediment in the bottle similar to some other citrus soft drinks, I would assume this is from the concentrated grapefruit juice listed on the bottle. It's hard to describe flavors such as this one which are such a blend of real world citrus fruits that it has really become it's own flavor. The the aroma is similar to the more main stream Mountain Dew, I think the flavor is more subdued... not as bold as Mountain Dew and has more of a grapefruit highlight to it.

Julmust

Here's a soda I've had in the back of my fridge since the holidays. Julmust is Swedish, and literally means 'jul' for Christmas, and 'must' for must... so it's a Christmas must. It is primarily sold in Sweden during the holiday season and outsells Coca-Cola during this time. Due to it's popularity recent Easter and Summer versions are sold under their respective names but the drink remains the same. Coca-Cola tried for a time to produce it's own Julmust to compete with the original from Roberts AB, but the line was fazed out.

Harry Roberts, a chemist, created the drink with his father in 1910 as a non-alcoholic alternative to beer. Made with hops, malt extract and other spices, the syrup is still made by the Roberts AB company Örebro, Sweden. It is made in the US by Kristall which also produces a line of fruit-flavored sodas, that include Black Currant and Lingonberry.

It smells like a heavy dark beer, and yes, it tastes like beer. As I am not a beer drinker I was not fond of this drink, but found it interesting to try nonetheless.

Coco Rico Coconut Soda

While I haven't been able to find much on the history of this drink I can tell you that it is made by a family owned business in Puerto Rico, but which I found on a pilgrimage to an asian supermarket.

It has a light carbonation level and a practically imperceptible coconut scent. It's clear in color and has a very strong coconut flavor with a sugary sweet finish. I tried this out of the novelty since I do not like coconut in food, however this is not entirely intolerable. I imagine that if you eat coconut products often you would like this, but it isn't for me.

Coca-Cola

I'm not going to review Coca-Cola like I would other sodas... it's internationally known taste sort of makes it the default cola against which all others have to be compared. And if you can't tell the difference between the sugary Coca-Cola and the more acerbic Pepsi, you ought to scrape your taste buds. Therefore I am going to discuss the history of Coca-Cola here.

Coca-Cola was created by a druggist like so many other early sodas, for more detail on the evolution of sodas see my earlier post here. Dr. John Pemberton developed the drink in 1886 in a backyard kettle and was originally called Pemberton's French Wine Coca. Coca wine was as alcoholic drink made combining wine and cocaine. Due to the waning popularity of cocaine use at toward the end of the 19th century Pemberton created a non-alcoholic version of his drink and his bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, suggested the name Coca-Cola. First sold in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8, 1886, it only sold about nine servings a day at five-cents a glass from the soda fountain.

There were three versions of the drink being sold by the year 1888, all sold by different companies. Asa Griggs Candler, an Atlanta businessman, bought into John Pemberton's company in 1887 and incorporated it as the Coca-Cola Company the following year. But Pemberton also sold to a small collective of businessmen and his son Charley started selling his own version. Because John Pemberton stated the name Coca-Cola belonged to his son, Asa Candler sold his drink as Yum Yum. This didn't catch on so Candler supposedly purchased the rights to the name Coca-Cola, the sale of which was later disputed, but by then Candler had changed the name of the company to The Coca-Cola Company and in 1910 had early records burned.

As lore states, the early formula of Coca-Cola did contain cocaine along with kola-nut extracts high in caffeine. It wasn't until 1905 that cocaine was removed from the drink by making a change to using spent coca leaves, which are the refuse after extracting the cocaine from the leaves. Today, the company uses a cocaine-free extract prepared by the Stepan Company in New Jersey, which is the only company in the US the government allows to import and process coca plant. Stepan acquires its plants from Peru and Bolivia. The cocaine the Stepan Company extracts from the leaves is then sold to Mallinckrodt in St. Louis, Missouri, and which is the only company in the US the government allows to process cocaine for medical uses.

Coca-Cola used marketing well and grew rapidly through the early 20th century. Although, first bottled in 1894, the company was worried it looked too much like other bottled drinks. The Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana presented a contour design, inspired by the shape of the cocoa pod, which was introduced in 1916 and is now an internationally recognized symbol. In the 1920's bottle sales exceeded fountain sales. By the time World War II began Coke was now selling in 44 different countries. Sales of canned Coke would not become available until 1960. In 1985, New Coke was introduced in an effort to combat Pepsi sales, causing an uproar from loyal Coca-Cola drinkers (even Fidel Castro voiced his dislike). In a major marketing debacle Coca-Cola reverted back to it's old recipe, now named Coke Classic.

Coca-Cola produces it's formulated syrups for Coca-Cola and subsidiaries like Fanta and Sprite for distribution to licensed bottled around the world in some 200 countries.

Cricket Pomegranate Raspberry

Cricket released it's first soda beverage in 2002 with an aim to make a cola healthier than your average soda. Their soda's contain no phosphoric acids, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or artificial colors. Their sodas are also enhanced with 2 cups of green tea.

When opening this bottle it became alive with carbonation and had a rich raspberry bouquet. It's tart like a raspberry would be with only a light pomegranate taste in my opinion, which is nice because I quite like the raspberry. As with other Cricket sodas the green tea is tasted in the finish, but it doesn't leave any green tea after taste lingering after swallowing. 

Refresco Goya Pineapple

Goya was founded by Spanish immigrant, Don Prudencio Unanue, as a local food distributor in Manhattan in 1936 to bring Latino foods to the area. The company has grown from a family storefront to an international food and beverage manufacturer and distributor.

The Refresco line of Goya made sodas include flavors popular in the Latino market such as Pineapple, Tamarind, Coconut and Sangria as well as traditional flavors such as Grape, Fruit Punch and Strawberry.

This soda uses high-fructose corn syrup over the cane sugar many traditional sodas have switched to in recent years. The pineapple flavor is strong and tart, but sugary. I would say from the more chemical finish it has that this is largely flavored by artificial means, although the label lists 'natural and artificial flavors'. It's sill a refreshing summer drink, but I have other pineapple sodas I would prefer.

Jones Soda Zero Calorie Vanilla Bean

For more on the history of Jones Soda see my previous post here.

The "Zilch" line from Jones Soda is their line up of no calorie or diet sodas. While there is a small amount of vanilla smell and decent amount of carbonation, I found the flavor of this to be lacking. This tastes like a carbonated bottle of hotel soap. A bit chemically tasting and contrary to the natural taste I was expecting from a name like Vanilla Bean.

Archer Farms Sarsaparilla

Archer Farms is a brand name of the Target department stores. Being a private label of recent years there isn't any history to report on for this brand.

Sarsaparilla is a plant native to Central America whose name comes from the Spanish words 'zarza', meaning shrub, and 'parrilla', meaning little grape vine. Most people are only aware of sarsaparilla from old western movies. Sarsaparilla was fazed out because a key ingredient was sassafras root. The FDA banned the usage of the steamed root extract due to health concerns over the oil safrole, a byproduct of the dried root bark. Modern sarsaparillas use artificial flavoring. Sarsaparillas, Birch Beer and Root Beer drinks are all quite similar in flavoring as they were variants on the drink Sarsaparilla.

As carbonation goes, I found that while tipping the bottle back produced the expected fizz it still felt quite flat in my mouth. The taste itself is what is to be expected from this family of drinks. It's sweet and has a mild root flavor. Sarsaparilla tastes like root beer to me and one thing I've always found difficult is trying to explain what root beer tastes like. I was confronted with this when traveling to England for the first time and my British friend and I were discussing differences in food and drink when I mentioned root beer. He asked me what it tastes like and I couldn't describe it as anything other than 'root beer'. Think about this sometime and see if you could try to describe the flavor of root beer to someone that's never tasted it. There aren't many congruent flavors out there to use as analogies.

Jones Soda Strawberry-Lime

Urban Juice and Soda Company began in 1987 as a beverage distributor out of Vancouver, Canada. By 1995 the company began producing its own line of soft drinks under the name of Jones Soda. In 2000, the company relocated to Seattle, Washington in the US and changed it's name to the Jones Soda Co. Since 2007 the entire Jones line up has been made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.

Jones Soda is most commonly known for two things, one of them being their labels which vary from bottle to bottle. Consumers can submit their own photos to the Jones Soda photo database which continually rotates the images on the labels. The marketing draw lead to selling customizable soda packs which can be ordered with your choice of photo. Secondly, Jones is well known for a wide selection of unique flavors such as Fufu Berry, Chocolate Fudge and even flavor named Fun. There are also many limited edition flavors made popular more for their novelty than flavor. The Thanksgiving flavor pack included sodas created to taste like turkey, green-bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and brussels sprouts. In future years the Thanksgiving pack included flavors like smoked salmon pate, and pecan pie. Jones Soda also produced a theme pack for the hometown Seattle Seahawks NFL team which included flavors like Perspiration, Dirt, Natural Field Turf and Sweet Victory. Among other themes, there is a set based on a Magic: The Gathering card set, a Dungeons & Dragons theme pack, Halloween, Valentines and even a Chanukah themed soda pack.

This flavor smells of sweet strawberry candy. It has a pretty good level of carbonation to tingle the mouth. I like it's tartness. There isn't much of a lime flavor but it's more of a strawberry with a puckering sourness to it.

Shirakiku Ramune Melon

Shirakiku is a Japanese brand, making Ramune sodas in several flavors. For more on the history of this type of bottle see my earlier posting here.

This drink has the high carbonation level of the other Shirakiku Ramune drinks. The aroma is like that of a honeydew melon. The flavor is like a mixture of melons but a sugary cantaloupe is the predominant taste here. Not one of my favorites but I've never been big on eating melon either. 

Shirakiku Ramune Lychee

Shirakiku is a Japanese brand, making Ramune sodas in several flavors. For more on the history of this type of bottle see my earlier posting here.

The Lychee is a small tropical fruit producing ever-green tree. The tree produces small red fruits with a textured rind covering a white flesh. The plant is native to China but now grown in several parts of the world.

When breaking the seal with the bottle's plunger, this beverage has an airy flower-like aroma. The drink has a high carbonation level. As the drink hit my tongue I tasted bubblegum, but the flavor quickly morphed to what I can best describe as flower petals. It could also be described as a mix of exotic chemical and sweet candy combined. It is indeed a complex flavor.

Apple Beer

Apple Beer is a naturally brewed soft drink that dates back to the 1960's. The drink is a variant of a German beverage called Fassbrause, a drink brewed from fruit and spices which dates back to the 1800's. In 1964 The Apple Beer Company of Salt Lake City began to produce this variety of the drink. Apple Beer was originally only sold in cans, but became available in glass bottles for the first time in 1998.

As I am not sure what to expect from this drink I give it a good whiff after opening, but it strangely has no smell to it at all. The drink appears flat after opening, but a very nice carbonation emerges when tipping back the bottle to drink. If pouring it will develop a foamy head. It has a nice tingle and does in deed taste like fresh apples but with a tiny hint of spices. The crispness to it is sharper than a cider and I find that I enjoy this drink and imagine it best in the autumn with the smell of leaves in the air. Definitely give this a try if you are able to find it.

Cheerwine

Cheerwine began in 1917 when L.D. Peeler purchased a cherry flavoring from a salesman in St. Louis. That same year the company was relocated to North Carolina and was renamed the Carolina Beverage Co. In the 1950's, a chemist working for the company re-developed their own flavoring for the beverage, ending the purchase of flavoring from St. Louis

To begin with my review I have to point out the wonderful retro styling of the bottle. Upon opening the drink smells like a Cherry Cola, but the taste is very un-cola. Cheerwine has a rich cherry flavor like a dark Bing cherry. It's made with cane sugar, rather than high-fructose corn syrup and has a high carbonation level, unlike many other glass-bottled sodas. The finish is smooth and doesn't leave a chemical taste. It's a very nice drink for those who enjoy cherry beverages.

Fukola Cola

The folks at Skeleteens decided to make a line up of "counter culture" sodas of which this is one. I'm not so sure yet how counter culture their sodas are other than the unusual names they have. Apparently they were banned in some areas due to their names and labeling. At last check the company website was no longer in service.

Fukola Cola has the aroma of Pepsi. It's taste however is much more herbal. Among other things the ingredients include ginseng, guarana, lime and orange oils, clove, echinacea, sage, kava kava, damiana, african capsicum, and something called skullcap. While it has a complex herbal arrangement, the predominant flavor is still cola so it's something I can get behind. All in all not a bad cola. I'll see if I can get my hands on some of this brand's more unique flavors in the future.

Vitamalt

Vitamalt dates back to 1978, arising from Aarhaus, Denmark and as of this posting is owned by Royal Unibrew. The name is a combination of the words 'Vitamin' and 'Malt'. The Vitamalt brand is popular in the Caribbean and various parts of Africa. The drink is fortified with B vitamins Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Niacin and is marketed as having health effects. The current Vitamalt lineup includes Light, Plus and Ginger varieties in addition to Classic.

Malt soda is new to me. This has pretty much the same ingredients as a beer (barley malt, barley, sugar, hops), but is alcohol free. It's immediate smell upon opening is that of a handful of barely or similar grain. It has very light carbonation on the tongue but a thicker texture. It has what I consider to be a strong flavor, almost like alfalfa. With little after taste much of what flavor hits you right up front. This is one of those drinks I think you have to have grown up on to enjoy. But here's to those that like it.

Nesbitt's Orange

Nesbitt's Fruit Products Company was founded in Los Angeles in 1924 by Hugh Nesbitt, originally to manufacture syrups used in soda fountains or as toppings. Nesbitt's sodas came about around 1938 and was said to be 10% California orange juice. Hugh Nesbitt was in St. Louis attending a convention of the National Association of Carbonated Bottlers in 1943 when he died after suffering a fatal blow during a fight in the lobby of the Jefferson Hotel while intoxicated. In addition to that rich history, Marilyn Monroe modeled for Nesbitt's advertising while early in her modeling career. Nesbitt's was also the only orange drink sold in Disneyland for a decade. In 1972 the company was bought by Clorox who later sold the brand to Big Red.

While this soda has a pleasant citrus smell, it isn't unlike Fanta in flavor. It has a minimal carbonation level and an almost radioactively bright orange color. If it indeed used to contain 10% actual orange juice it doesn't anymore. With nothing to differentiate it from other orange sodas in flavor or authentic ingredients it's not surprising that it lost so much market share to Fanta behind the behemoth of Coca-Cola. That said, it's still nice to sip on a fruity soda on a warm day.

Green River

Green River was created in 1919 by Schoenhofen Brewery in Chicago, IL. Schoenhofen had been around since the late 1800's but made Green River to continue sales during prohibition. Green River was a very popular soft drink during the prohibition years and is said to have trailed only Coca-Cola in market share at the soda fountains. But Green River began to fade after prohibition when Schoenhofen returned to making beer. The Schoenhofen Brewery closed in 1950, but Green River was still produced by other companies. Today Green River is produced by the Clover Club Bottling Co. back in its home city of Chicago.

My first taste of Green River was actually from an old fashioned soda fountain in Greenup, IL. It isn't exactly lime-flavored. It smells like lime Jello and has a unique flavor all it's own. I liken it to the very essence of the color green, or even pure leprechaun urine. I recommend trying some, if your lucky enough try to get it at a soda fountain for the old-time experience.

NuGrape

NuGrape began in 1906, and was sold in bottles beginning in 1921. Originally established in Atlanta, GA it was purchased by Moxie, later Monarch Beverage Co., in 1968. The National NuGrape Co. building at 794 Ralph McGill Blvd in  Atlanta is now on the National Register of Historic Places and was converted to private apartments in the early 1990's. Monarch sold the brand away to Big Red in 1999.

It may not have an authentic grape flavor, but it's reminiscent of the kind of grape flavored powders and chalky candies you're remember from your youth like Sweettarts. It has a more chemical finish to it though and a light amount of carbonation.

Fentiman's Dandelion & Burdock

Fentiman's is a UK based beverage company that began in 1905. Interestingly it was not started by Thomas Fentiman, rather he provided a loan to a fellow who began making brewed ginger beer and Thomas took ownership when the loan was not repaid. An interesting way to enter the beverage industry. The company was shuttered in the 1960's due to market competition but was renewed by Thomas Fentiman's great-grandson in the 1980's.

Dandelion and Burdock is a brewed botanical drink dating as far back as the 13th century. See the entry on Moxie for more historical information on sodas. These early "soft drinks" were naturally carbonated due to the brewing process of their ingredients and similar to other "antique" sodas was created from various root extracts.

No one that grew up with a yard in America needs to be told what a dandelion is or that we consider it a weed... an unwanted pest in on the lawn our parents would sometimes pay a bounty for us to remove. But did you know that for all our efforts to remove them, it never had to be that way because the dandelion is not a native American plant. It was imported from Europe to be used as a food ingredient and to provide food for honeybees. The leaves of the dandelion are rich in vitamins and minerals and have been used for centuries as a diuretic.

Burdock is a species of thistle, and rather odd looking if I may say so. The flowering heads turn into a sort of cross between the fluffy, seeded dandelion and what looks like the burs produced by sweet gum trees. It was the burs of the burdock plant that inspired the inventor of velcro. Burdock too has been used for centuries as a natural diuretic and blood purifier.

So what flavor am I to expect from my first tasting of this classic beverage? Let's see...  For starters, it has only a light carbonation and a strong smell of licorice from the aniseed included in the ingredients. The best way to describe this drink would be taste of black licorice with the leafy flavor of tea and carbonation of a soda. It's quite unique and a tad strong on flavor. I'm not sure how soda ever became popular with flavors like this, but that's why they have their origins in the pharmacies. I can see how someone would put up with certain flavors if they were told it was good for their health... just look at some of the medicines we consume today. The licorice isn't too bad, but I suppose you'd have to be a tea drinker to enjoy it or perhaps be raised on the stuff. I find it tolerable to sip at, but this is not a drink that will be a regular with me. If you feel brave, try a bottle for the experience.

Dry Juniper

Dry Soda was started in 2005 by Sharelle Klaus after experimenting in her own kitchen. According to the company, "As a food and wine lover, she grew frustrated with the lack of options available to pair with fine meals. Sharelle hoped for a drink that was simple, all-natural, caffeine-free, low in sugar and made with the highest quality ingredients - a beverage that could complement great food or act as a light refreshment on its own."

While this will be my first tasting of one of the Dry Soda brand drinks there is an entirely unique line up of flavors from Dry, with offerings like juniper, cucumber, kumquat, lavender, lemongrass, vanilla bean and rhubarb. The Dry Soda website also lists suggested food pairings for each of its flavors as well as suggested liqueur mixes. They list quail, antipasto, mussels and venison among the food pairings for the juniper soda and suggest mixing with gin (imagine that!) or citron vodka.

As you can see the packaging could not be simpler for this drink. In fact the bottle was difficult to photograph. A juniper is a coniferous member of the cypress family. The berries are used to flavor gin and some sauces and were used by ancient cultures for medicinal properties. I'm not sure what to expect as the bottle lists pine essence on it and I'm not a big fan of gin. It has a very fresh aroma, like being in the mountains in the crisp air and is lightly carbonated. It's a very clean and light flavor like a very watery tonic. A whole serving (12 oz bottle) is only 55 calories, so this might be a good choice for a dieter who still needs soda. As I continue through the bottle I'm amazed that it's not anything like what I was expecting. This flavoring is so light and crisp I can imagine it would have a million possible uses within the food and alcohol communities. So if you're planning an elegant summer dinner party on the patio this might be a good choice for your non-drinking guests.

AJ Stephan's Raspberry Lime Rickey

AJ Stephan's was started in the late '80's by Jeff Rose. The water used in these soda's comes from a New England artesian well and mixed with cane sugar. He supposedly has some 200 family soda recipes on hand but only bottles a fraction of that as there are currently 9 different flavors bottled. I found it very interesting to learn that one of Jeff's daughters majored in chemistry at MIT and assisted in some of the formulations of the drinks.

Aside from the simple labels this bottle sticks out due to the contrast of the red soda and the lime green label. It has a sugary-sweet raspberry aroma. The raspberry flavor is really what you taste the most with this, with just a pinch of lime that really compliments the fruit taste well. Lightly carbonated, this is an excellent summer "dessert" drink.

Shirakiku Ramune Strawberry

The distinctive shape of this bottle is what first drew me to it and even then I had to look closer to determine if it was a soda or not. Ramune is a Japanese soda and is a very popular summer drink. I am interested in trying this, not only for the flavor, but because of the interesting bottle. Called a Codd-neck bottle after it's creator Hiram Codd who designed this style of bottle in the 1870's. The bottle's head has a narrow shape and the pressure from within presses up on a marble inside. Supposedly, this drink can be tricky for new drinkers and even has instructions for proper opening at the top.

After reading the directions a couple of times I was able to open it successfully. You separate a small plastic piece called the "plunger" from the cap and you can easily see the small glass marble in the top holding in the drink from the round opening due to the pressure from within. Placing the lunger over the marble you press down firmly with the palm of the hand until the pressure from within is overcome. The marble remains in the bottle.

This drink has a nice sweet aroma and thankfully tastes closer to a ripe strawberry from a garden than a piece of strawberry candy. I have noticed that most American fruit sodas are closer to the sugary sweetness of candy than the fruit they represent. However, this drink strikes a nice balance and I can imagine I would not get sick to my stomach after drinking a couple of bottles unlike some other sodas. All in all, I rate this drink well, both for it's flavor and the memorable style of the bottle and it's opening.

World Market Blood Orange

With a light balance of carbonation you can take in the wafting aroma of fresh fruit almost as soon as you twist the cap of this beverage. World Market stores sells these private label imported beverages made with its own sparkling water and a blend of actual fruit juices. While this soda is more grapefruit in color it's taste does not disappoint and makes me think of a nice breakfast spread with this citrus blend. From the quality of their bottles and labels to the flavor of their unique drinks I can tell that World Market must care about making a good product. Here's to hoping their other flavors are just as good. If you're near a World Market store pick up one of these pre-chilled bottles near the front of the store to try.

Coco Fizz

Coco Fizz comes from the Durango Soda Company in Durango, CO, which has been operating since 2002. The company makes a line up of various flavors under the name Zuberfizz and also makes the Coco Fizz drink seen here. I am making an assumption here, but due to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory logo on the bottle I gather they helped to create this flavor.

This is a lightly carbonated chocolate drink with a heavenly cocoa aroma upon opening. A quick look at the ingredients shows it is made with cane sugar, but no milk products. I was not sure what to expect with this drink as it is a translucent soda with a color akin to that of an apple cider, unlike a thick creamy looking Yoo-hoo. Oddly, if you let this drink hang on your tongue you can't taste the chocolate, but the flavor appears as you drink it. It is a milk-chocolate taste with creamy tones, but not as terrific as the initial aroma. It is an odd sensation because I am used to chocolate drinks as milk, that is thick, milky and non-carbonated. Several minutes after tasting I still have the after-taste of what I can only liken to the aroma of my younger brother's old Hershey Chocolate teddy bear he had when we were very little that smelled of chocolate no matter what other mess it was covered in... a sort of "chemical chocolate". I won't be adding it to my regular line up, but tasting this is a whole different experience. 

Hotlips Boysenberry

Portland, Oregon based Hotlips pizzerias began in 1984 as a family business. Since 2005 they have also bottled a variety of brewed sodas using cane sugar and regionally grown fruits. Their lineup currently includes flavors such as pear, raspberry, boysenberry, blueberry, black raspberry and apple.  

Because I've never tasted a boysenberry, this will be my first try as well as my first taste of a Hotlips soda. It has a deep smell of dark berry and a sort of stem-like aroma and the carbonation is quite light. This soda has two distinct flavors in it. The first being that of the taste of a dark berry similar to a blackberry which is quite nice. As that taste passes it ends with a stem-like aftertaste which I don't care for. Because I am not familiar with the taste of boysenberries I am not sure if the "stem" flavor I am sensing comes from the berry or the brewing process itself, but I imagine it is the berry. I imagine that a boysenberry flavor is something of an acquired taste. I won't be drinking this one again but will be out to taste their other offerings in the future and I am really looking forward to the pear. 

Waialua Pineapple

The bottled beverage trade has had a rich history in Hawaii with several hundred companies having come and gone between the 1860's to the present. In 2003, husband and wife team Karen and Jason Campbell opened Waialua Soda Works and began making sodas inspired by Hawaiian ingredients. The Hawaiian islands are well known for pineapple crops and appropriately the first offering from this company was a pineapple soda. They now have four other flavors including root beer, mango, vanilla cream and lilikoi.

I like pineapple juice at breakfast and I love a good pineapple soda on a warm day. Today it was sunny and began to feel more like summer again as I drove on the highway with my windows down and the temperature passed 80˚  for the first time in ages, so it's a fitting day to add this one.

This bottle has a sugar-sweet scent and a light color, no neon yellow for these folks. There's a great balance of carbonation in this drink as it fizzes up a little when tipped back. It's deliciously sweet but very tasty and they really hit the pineapple flavor well with a ohh-so-tiny creamy finish. As I savor this soda I can clearly imagine laying on a remote Hawaiian beach sipping away at it. I'll be looking for their other flavors in the future and if you happen to find a bottle on vacation in the islands I'd recommend an ice cold bottle of this. 

Ski

The other day I made a trip out to a little town in southern Illinois called Breese. Here in this small town sits the Excel Bottling Company. Excel is a soda bottler in the good old fashioned sense. Locals here put down a deposit on a wooden crate of 24 bottles which they can mix with whatever combination of flavors they want. When the bottles are empty they return the bottles for a refund on their deposit or pay for another round of full bottles. The empty bottles are washed and refilled with any of a number of flavors. Not many bottlers exist like this anymore. I've personally tasted most of their offerings. Among flavors such as grape, root beer, pineapple, orange, cream soda, and strawberry, Excel licenses and bottles regular Double Cola as well as the Double Cola-owned Ski soft drink. 

Ski has a fanatical following and was created in 1956 by the Double Cola company. I will have to address Double Cola on its own entry someday but Double Cola began in 1922 as the Good Grape Company in Chattanooga, TN. 

Ski has a unique citrus flavor and is made with orange and lemon concentrate, a little of which is visible in the bottle. The taste of ski is one of those which is difficult to describe. It smells like lemon and orange and has a good carbonation level in that it tingles when held in the mouth. The lemon flavor is more noticeable than the orange. I think some of the difficulty in describing the flavor comes from the confusion that it looks like the lemon-lime flavors most people are more familiar with so when their palate gets a hold of Ski it doesn't quite know what to make of it. The orange in it is what I think lends the "frosty" overtone to it. What I mean by that is that there are some new drinks out there of various chemical origins which have "ice" or "frost" in their name to smooth the flavor and this soda reminds me of that albeit with natural flavors. Ski is primarily made by smaller, regional bottlers like Excel to the point that some think their local area is the drink's origin, but in fact it's just a highly regionalized offering. So if you stop in a small town in one of the Southeastern states look out for Ski signs, I definitely recommend giving it a go. 

Boylan Cane Cola

Boylan Bottling Company was founded by William Boylan in 1891 and oddly enough their first offering was a birch beer soda. Boylan uses cane sugar in all their varieties. I have always appreciated their vintage styling but am not a fan of all their flavors.

This posting relates to one of my favorites from Boylan, their Cane Cola. It has a sugary cola scent and is one of the sweetest tasting colas I can remember drinking in a long time. The cola flavor isn't as deep as Coca-Cola, and yet it still seems like just the right balance. There is a very tiny metallic after-taste but most would probably not notice that unless they really took their time savoring it. The sweetness of the cane sugar and level of acidity are very close to the taste of Royal Crown Cola. I can tell you that there is something about the finish of this drink that isn't easy to pinpoint and yet strangely makes me think of smoke-filled flea markets and I have no idea why. I should note that most cola's obtain their caffeine from the kola nut, which is a natural source of caffeine, but strangely the label on this cola makes mention that the caffeine is from coffee. It makes me wonder if this affects the flavor in any way. Either way, if it was possible to make this soda zero calorie without sacrificing an iota of it's flavor I'd probably be drinking more of it. If I'm ever able to locate their Diet Cane Cola I'll just have to put that to the test.

Crush Cherry

It seems like all sodas with a fruit flavored line up started with orange, and Crush is no different. And just like Fanta, Crush now has a wide variety of flavors, though many are only available in specific regions. Crush began in 1916 as Ward's Orange Crush but is currently owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

This was my first taste of Crush Cherry. I found it at a small gas station during one of my forays into downtown for work. Any time I need to pull off the road for a quick stop or have a few minutes to kill I like to pop my head into small gas stations along the highway or in parts of town I don't often frequent because you never know what they are going to have in their refrigerators. I have found everything from obscure glass bottled sodas to my first tastes of Fanta Pineapple.  So if you're looking for something different I advise you to do the same.

I found Crush Cherry to have the scent of grenadine and an average level of carbonation, maybe even a bit on the low level for a plastic bottled soda. It has a very rich cherry flavoring that might even make some people sick after drinking too much. It's similar to drinking cherry flavored candy. I know I've used that analogy before but sometimes the sweetness of a beverage only lends itself to that kind of connection. All in all it's not a bad departure for someone that already enjoys cherry cola.

China Cola

China Cola was developed by the Hangzhou Wahaha Group of Hangzhou, China in 1998. Hangzhou Wahaha focuses on the food and beverage industry and China Cola takes third in market share in China behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. In China the product is sold as "Future Cola" and uses a nationalist marketing campaign by naming it "The Chinese people's own cola". In America, China Cola is a licensed product of Reed's, Inc., which makes several beverages of its own. The bottle seen here to the left shows a bit of an asian theme. In China, where the copyright laws are more lax the packaging resembles that of Coca-Cola.

There is no sudden release of carbonation when opening a bottle of China Cola but you can still feel the effervescence in your mouth. Unlike some colas this drink has a rather light cola aroma. Upon first taste I find it to have a pleasing cola flavor with a very light herbal finish. There is no herbal after-taste but you will be able to taste it in the finish as it passes the rear of the tongue when you swallow. Among the cane sugar, this cola also contains an interesting variety of ingredients including: szechuan peony root, cassia bark, malaysian vanilla, oil of lemon, lime and orange, nutmeg, cloves, licorice, and cardamon. The herbal finish I mentioned earlier definitely tastes of nutmeg and cloves of which I am so familiar with due to my penchant for pumpkin pie. The list of included herbs were, according to Reed's, chosen for "their effect on digestion and the liver". In researching the ingredients it appears that peony root is believed to relax muscles, cleanse the blood and act as an emotional stabilizer. Cassia is a cinnamon tree, and may have some effects on blood sugar. In traditional Chinese medicine, cassia is considered one of the fifty fundamental herbs. Cardamon, also called cardamom, is of the ginger family and used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, and digestive among other things. Nutmeg is often used to lower blood pressure or soothe stomach aches and generally to detox the body. Nutmeg is often used as an analgesic and is believed to prevent blood clots. Overall, I'm a fan of this drink's distinct flavor. It isn't overpowering but more "flowery", a good blend. I would definitely suggest trying some if you have a chance.

In the future I will be reviewing Cherry China Cola.

Abita Root Beer

Abita Root Beer is interesting in the fact that it comes from a beer brewery. Abita Brewing Company started in Abita Springs, Louisiana in 1986 by brewing beer using the town's artesian well water. They now have several different flavors and in 1995 began brewing a non-alcoholic root beer with local cane sugar.

I like the look of this bottle. The label makes me think of 1920's-30's advertising. Abita has a little less carbonation than some root beers, but a rich aroma. The ingredients don't list a specific root extract, merely "root beer flavor". It has a heavy flavor and tingles the tongue perfectly. It is a pretty basic American root beer, but would go well with any vanilla tinged dessert, including a heavy dollop of ice cream if you're a root beer float fan. The heaviness of this root beer will leave you sated by the end so sip slowly and enjoy.

Cricket White Peach

Cricket released it's first soda beverage in 2002 with an aim to make a cola healthier than your average soda. Their soda's contain no phosphoric acids, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or artificial colors. Their sodas are also enhanced with 2 cups of green tea.

Today I am tasting their White Peach variety for the first time. My first impression upon opening was a nice carbonation release. A nice amount of carbonation, which is different since I find fruitier flavors tend to have less carbonation than your colas and root beers. It has a nice peachy aroma. You can also tell right away that their claims of no artificial flavors are true because there is actual fruit pulp in this drink. It's not orange juice pulp, but there is fruit sediment in the drink when means you should tip the bottle before opening to let it mix, but don't shake it. I am not one for drinking tea, hot or iced, and this drink has a definite tea finish. After the fruit flavor passes the tongue you will taste the tea in the mix. I have to say though that the novelty of a peach soda offers a nice change. It instantly reminds me of hot summers as a kid with a bowl of cold fruit salad. I image this would be a great drink for a hot July afternoon.

Pig Iron Cola

Today's selection is Pig Iron Cola. This bottle came from a random selection I bought from Galco's. In trying to find out more about this brand I visited the website listed on the bottle for Pig Iron BBQ, which is the home page for a Barbecue joint in Seattle, WA. There is no information whatsoever on their site about the cola and it doesn't even appear on the menu posted there. Even a Google search turns up squat.

**** The following paragraph was added 3/27 ****

I contacted Celeste Lucas from Pig Iron BBQ who tells me that they developed this drink with Orca Beverages in 2006 because they were no longer able to get RC Cola in glass bottles in their region. Celeste says, "We wanted a cola that had plenty of carbonation and was sweetened with real sugar, also needed to have a bit of a bite... not too sweet and that complimented our barbeque. We really like soda out of [sic] bottle, it tastes better and has a nostalgic feel." She also informed me that while it is primarily sold out of the restaurant, Orca also distributes it to the rest of the US.

******

This is a cola with a greater than average carbonation level. When twisting the cap it's always nice to hear the gases within sound as if they were being released by NASA and it tingles nicely on the tongue. As for the taste, it is very much like Pepsi so no surprises with weird herbs or after tastes. I like a cola with a heavier beef or pork meal so I can imagine it goes nicely with a pulled pork sandwich or some brisket. I also find that the acids in colas cleanse the palate from heavy sauces well, I like to imagine they "burn off" the particles in the mouth rather than merely rinse them away like a lighter beverage. As for the packaging... What's not to love about an ugly pig winking at you? Now, if I'm in Seattle I'll have to try their BBQ with another bottle.

Mason's Root Beer

First introduced in 1947 by Mason & Mason, Inc. of Chicago, Mason's Root Beer is one of a handful of classic American root beers. In the 1970's the Rheingold Corporation purchased Mason & Mason, Inc and in 1975 was Rheingold was acquired by Pepsi Co. The Federal Trade Commission forced Pepsi Co to sell off some of it's holdings and so in 1978 Mason's was sold to Monarch Beverage. Monarch had purchased Dad's Root Beer in 1986 and subsequently ended the production of Mason's Root Beer.

Although shelved by Monarch, it is possible to to procure Mason's from a company called Real Soda which licenses and recreates some older brand sodas. Danny Ginsburg started collecting bottle caps much like me as a kid and in his efforts to collect more caps began traveling around buying bottled sodas. Danny founded Real Soda as a distributor of bottled sodas and grew to the point that he began licensing older brands to recreate, bottle and sell as well.

The aroma of Mason's is rich and bold with a lower carbonation level than usual for a root beer. It tastes like an old-fashioned root beer and would be more at home in a root beer float than some root beers I've tasted. I can pick up a small hint of a licorice-like finish but it doesn't ruin the flavor. Over all it's a good root beer, not great, but good.

Ruby Red Squirt

Ruby Red Squirt is a citrus flavored drink and I may be getting ahead of myself by discussing a spinoff before the original but as fate would have it, I had a bottle of Ruby Red Squirt around. The Squirt brand has changed hands several times over the years and is currently produced under the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group umbrella of products. Ruby Red was introduced in 1993 and is labeled as a citrus-berry flavor. The drink has the citrus scent you'd expect from a citrus soda and I found it to have a slightly higher amount of carbonation than your average soda. It has a sweet grapefruit flavor without the pucker-inducing tartness. While they may have intended this to be a different flavor, in my opinion the difference from original Squirt in flavor is pretty negligible, however Ruby Red includes caffeine, which the original does not. That being said, it is a good choice for those who drink soda with breakfast or are looking for a mid-morning refreshing beverage.

Bundaberg Root Beer

In Bundaberg, a moderately sized town in Queensland, Australia the Fleming family started Bundaberg Brewed Drinks as a family business in 1960, producing Ginger Beer as it's first soda. Today the company makes several flavors, including Peachee, Burgundee, and Apple Ale which is exports to several countries.

Upon opening this bottle I found it to have a rich aroma of sarsaparilla with a light vanilla scent. The carbonation is average for a root beer, but it will still give you the burp you expect from drinking root beer. It has a light root beer flavor with overtones of herbs. These herb overtones made me look to the ingredient label which shows that it includes sarsaparilla root (where the "root" flavor comes from), ginger root, licorice root and vanilla bean. The distinct difference in flavor from the more well known American root beers is definitely traceable to the hints of ginger in the drink. If you hold the drink on your tongue the ginger flavor becomes more pronounced. It's difficult to taste the licorice but it's there along with vanilla. The unique taste of this drink makes me think of a moderate meal pairing, something like turkey or possibly chicken... to me, it's too heavy to drink with fish, but too light for beef.

Tab

Initially diet drinks often replaced sugar with artificial sweeteners called cyclamates and sometimes mixed with saccharin. The sweetness of cyclamates were discovered by accident in 1937 who apparently did not mind smoking in the lab since it was there that he was working on creating an anti-fever medicine when he tasted a sweetness after picking up his cigarette. In 1966 a study found that cyclamates were linked to cancer and in 1969 it was banned by the FDA. After the ban on the use of cyclamates diet drink makers, including Coca-Cola, turned to saccharin (also known as Sweet 'N Low) as a replacement artificial sweetener but this often lead to a chemical or bitter taste. The FDA also wanted to ban saccharin in 1977 due to correlations in cancer research until further review could be completed. They were unable to ban saccharin but food using it had to carry a special warning label, which was later repealed in the 1990's. By that time nearly all diet drink makers had already been using another artificial sweetener called aspartame (also known as NutraSweet). Diet Coke which was released in 1982 uses aspartame as a sweetener which is what leads to it's distinctively different taste from Coca-Cola Classic.

The first diet soda drink was a giner-ale called "No-cal" sold by Kirsch Bottling Company of Brooklyn, New York in 1952 and was originally made for diabetics. In 1958, Royal Crown Cola came out with Diet Rite. By the 1960's so-called "diet" products were increasing in popularity and Coca-Cola entered the diet soda market with Tab in 1963.

The name Tab has also offered some debate, but when Tab was created the Coca-Cola company had rejected the idea of calling it Diet Coke but agreed that it should have a short name. Coca-Cola used an early IBM computer to churn out a list of words no longer than 4-letters, but excluding any that were unpronounceable or too similar to other products. After paring this to a short list Tab was chosen as it was able to be used as a play on words - to keep "tabs" on your weight. The pink-hued packaging is likely a relic from it's creation in the marketing department's attempts to focus on weight-watching women customers.

When Tab was first introduced it too featured cyclamates and changed to saccharin when the FDA banned cyclamates. Tab still uses saccharin (mixed with aspartame) as a sweetener today but was overtaken by Diet Coke in the 1980's as Coca-Cola's major diet soda brand. At it's apex the Tab brand included Tab Lemon-Lime and Tab Orange. In the early 1990's when Pepsi released Crystal Pepsi, the short lived Tab Clear was sold but was pulled within a year. Tab has a dedicated fan following which keeps it going and is sold outside the US in Spain, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana. Recently a Tab energy drink was also released.

Most people today are familiar with Tab as a cola, but most remember it as a fad or relic from their past due to it being harder to find in some retail locations than others. My own grocery store carries it, but my mother, a Tab fan, goes to specific retailers to find it. I find that Tab has a distinctly chemical flavor to it which immediately reminds me that I'm drinking a diet soda. While the sweeteners may vary it is very similar to a Diet Pepsi flavor. The carbonation is rather average. I tend to steer clear of Tab because it gives me strong headaches between my eyes as though my blood vessels are squeezing tighter, making it harder for blood to move through, but this effect is not equal as some people drink it regularly.

Following, are two Tab caps currently in my collection...