Dream Lode Golden Ginger Ale

Here's a conundrum... The label of this ginger ale lists Cripple Creek Brewing, which seems to have no discernible web site. The cap lists Filbert's Beverages out of Illinois. So it's hard to say where this came from.

It does have a nice carbonation ratio and a beautiful label. It carries a nice ginger ale flavor but almost seems as if it's been mixed with apple juice even though no juice is listed as an ingredient. It's a fruity ginger ale taste. You'll also find it leans slightly more towards the ginger beer end of the ginger ale spectrum, in so much as it has a bit of a bite towards the finish. 

Peńafiel Strawberry

Peńafiel is a lineup of fruit flavored sodas from Mexico. It has generous carbonation. The flavoring feels cheap though. The packaging is alright but it's just an imitation product.

Frostie Diet Root Beer

Frostie has existed since 1939 when George Rackensperger founded Frostie Beverage Co. in an abandoned Catonsville, Maryland jailhouse. Frostie was sold to Monarch Beverage in 1979 and sold again in 2000, and finally sold to Intrastate Distributors in 2009. Intrastate currently bottles Frostie and Kist brand sodas out of Detroit. The "old man winter" character has been the icon of Frostie for generations.

Frostie is chock full of carbonation and has an appetizing scent. It is, however, what you might expect from a diet soda... that is to say it has a slight chemical tasting bent to it. When it comes to diet sodas more often than not I say stick to the full carb, full calorie version and this one is no exception. 

Nichol Kola

I was thrilled to find a bottle of Nichol Kola in Oklahoma one day. Although my collection of vintage soda signs is admittedly pretty small, it started with a Nichol Kola sign I picked up at an antique store while hunting for vintage soda bottle caps. If you're interested in collecting vintage signage Nichol Kola is a good place to start because for some odd reason there is a spate of Nichol signs in the antique store and flea market circuits. I'm not sure why there are so many in circulation but it means they are often a little more affordable. Aside from that I enjoy the design of their signs, which is why I have three now, one in NOS condition which waits in my garage to be cleaned of the paper packing adhered to it. Due to having these signs I often wondered what it tasted like but was well aware the company went under. 

Enter Orca Beverages, mentioned before in this blog, who have been taking up the cause to license and bottle many old vintage brands of soda again.

While it has the aroma of RC cola, it's hard not to taste the coriander and cinnamon. These flavorings hang in your mouth long after drinking it. Its certainly a change up from the straight cola flavor I was expecting. It's familiar and different at the same time and so I'm happy to recommend trying it. 

Cherry China Cola

The China Cola brand is an interesting blended soda, in that they blend traditional herbs into their drinks. This is their Cherry Cola offering, my previous entry on regular China Cola can be seen here. 

The herbal ingredients give it a spicy scent. Strangely, it almost seems as if the herbal qualities of their cherry cola are stronger than that of their regular cola. I like to think I have a pretty sensitive palate but I cannot seem to find any hint of cherry within this drink. That isn't to say this is a bad soda, but expect a herbal tone with a spiciness like that of nutmeg and cinnamon. That aura makes it a pretty good choice for fall because of the use of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in many autumnal baked goods. Give it a try if you see it. 

Sangaria Gettin' Cool Melon Soda

Another of the somewhat generic aluminum bottled sodas from Sangaria, see the post on strawberry here.

I'm not really a melon eater so I'm not sure if I'll care much for this drink. It's aroma is very much like Red Bull. It's an interesting flavor. It does lend itself to Red Bull's flavor family which surprises me as I would have not previously ever thought of Red Bull as a melon-like flavor. It's also quite sugary and well carbonated. Not much to say beyond that for this one... I'm just not feeling this drink. 

Hawaiian Blue Ramune

Here's another bottle of ramune I located at an asian supermarket. This must be some generic brand as I cannot locate any branding and I'm unsure what Hawaiian Blue is supposed to taste like.

I think this particular drink tastes like cheap bubblegum... like bazooka or even the stuff that comes with baseball cards. Not a great find by any means.

Switch Black Cherry

Switch began in 2001. It's founder, Mike Gilbert, enjoyed fruit juices but frequently mixed in sparkling water. So he started a company that bottles carbonated fruit drinks made from 100% juice. Because there is no sugar added and is gluten free with no preservatives it has picked up many schools as customers as a healthy alternative to sugary sodas. 

You'll often find these sodas in your market's health food/natural food sections and I really enjoy them. The carbonation isn't very heavy and they retain the flavor of real fruit juice. This black cherry reminds me very much of the Juicy Juice brand of beverages. The black cherry is tart and rich like you want in a black cherry drink. It's nice that there are these options out there in the marketplace. Black cherry is good, but I'm looking forward to tasting their orange-tangerine and lemon-lime as well.

Abbondio Rossa

Abbondio was founded in 1889 in Tortona, Italy, which is about halfway between Milan and Genoa. They have been producing unique recipes since their beginning. Abbondio is known for high-quality. Their packaging has undergone some reinvention which is not reflected in the image posted here of this particular bottle. Much of their current branding is centered on 40's era American Pin-ups. 

Rossa, which translates as "red" is said to include over 10 essences and often used as a mixer. I'm a tad apprehensive about my first taste so give it a good whiff. It smells like a combination of ginger beer and nutmeg. It's got quite the bitter kick to it. I definitely see this more as a mixer than anything else... and even then I'm not sure it's a mixer I'd be interested in. Because I feel like I'm sipping on bitters, I'm going to pass on finishing this bottle. It looks nice though.

Sunkist Citrus Fusion

While not in a glass bottle, I picked up a bottle of Sunkist's Citrus Fusion from the grocery store. See my review on Sunkist Orange here.

This particular soda has a unique combination of flavors. The base flavor is lime but there's also a melon mixture in there. It's not unpleasant, but I find it to be a bit strange. I also think it could benefit from more carbonation. Unfortunately, plastic bottles are permeable to gasses so some ma have escaped while on the shelf. 

Lolli's Cherry Pop

I picked up this bottle on a hunt for new sodas a few months ago. Billed as a soda/energy drink, Lolli's is no longer in business. It appears to have been a shortly lived venture though you can find some bottles out there still for sale from online soda vendors. 

It smells sweet and fruity but is just a smidgeon under carbonated in my opinion. Rose wine colored, it carries only a slight hint at cherry flavor. It seems champagne-like but carried by a cherry/raspberry finish. It contains ginseng and guarana, along with caffeine and niacin. As they are no longer bottling this beverage you're not likely to find it but there you are... I tasted it. 

Nesbitt's Strawberry

See the earlier post here, for more on the history of Nesbitt's sodas.

Ohh... I'm pleasantly surprised at the flavor of this soda. Being an American made soda I was expecting the overly sugar-filled sweetness that accompanies most domestic strawberry, orange and grape sodas. However, while still sweet, there's a tartness that this offering has that brings it closer to the taste of an actual berry. It's almost as authentic in flavor as the strawberry ramune from Japan I reviewed in the past. As both an authentic flavor and a domestic product I strongly endorse giving this a try if you find a bottle. 

Red Rock Golden Ginger Ale

Red Rock was started in 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia by Lee Hagan and G.T. Dodd. Ginger ale was their first soda. Their cola flavor was not sold until 1938, and was the only product Babe Ruth endorsed personally. Red Rock depended on a strong distribution network which grew to have bottlers in 47 states in 1958, when there were still only 48 states in the union. 

Produced with cane sugar, it has a sharp ginger aroma. I'm not sure they should call this ginger ale as my first sip proved it just as potent as ginger beer. In fact, it has that throaty burn that you can expect from ginger beer, even more so than some of the ginger beers I have had. It's too bad, I was expecting something light and refreshing. I think hard liquor drinkers will enjoy this better than I. 

Americana Honey Cream

Here's the second flavor from Americana to appear on this blog. You can see the first one here. 

This one has a very strong creamy vanilla scent. I don't smell honey, but I don't think that has much of a scent anyway. On first sip, it's got good carbonation and starts off creamy but that honey flavoring quickly gives it a yellow cough syrup vibe. I enjoy well made cream sodas but I'm not a fan of this bottle. 

Cock 'n Bull Ginger Beer

The story goes that John Martin sought a business opportunity by buying a vodka distillery in the 1940's. At the time, vodka was not a popular imbibement. Despite having the Smirnov family recipe, his distillery went under. He eventually ended up in Hollywood, where he stopped to eat at a tavern called the Cock 'n Bull on Sunset Avenue and met the owner, Jack Morgan. In addition to the little bar, Morgan brewed ginger beer, which was not selling well. The two eventually teamed up to combine vodka, ginger beer and a little lime to create the Moscow Mule. It was traditionally sold in copper mugs because a female friend of Morgan's had a back-stock of the cups from a recently inherited copper factory. Eventually Morgan was able to sell the ginger beer as a soda/mixer. 

I'm quickly discovering that ginger beers all seem to come with that pungent ginger root odor. It's got a high level of carbonation but quickly reminds me of my first run in with ginger beer as it stings the back of the throat. While not as strong as the first ginger beer I ever had, this has that familiar heat that grows after taking a sip. Once again, not for me.

And though this is a soda blog, I do have some vodka and lime juice handy and decide to mix myself up  a quick Moscow Mule. It certainly has a bit of a kick. 

Route 66 Route Beer

Begun in 1996, Route 66 bottles a small line up of soda flavors in Lebanon, Missouri. Route Beer was their first offering and who doesn't love a good pun?

While this drink has sufficient carbonation and an old style aroma I think it has an odd finish. There is an interesting ingredient listed on the bottle I have not seen before, Quillaia. A quick google search shows this is sometimes used as a foaming agent in sodas, which must be why a head exists on this drink even when still in the bottle. It's an OK root beer, but due to the slightly strange finish might be better as a float so the vanilla can mask it. 

Barritt's Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer

W.J. Barritt moved to Bermuda from England in 1839. In 1874, after being denied a pay increase he opened a store in Hamilton. There he bottled mineral water and the family later bottled soda. The Barritt family has been producing it's ginger beer soda in Bermuda since 1874. 

The first time I heard of any ginger beer I had picked up a bottle at a grocery store. Because I had never heard of it I assumed it was some sort of ginger ale. I was in for a bit of shock because it was very spicy and only seemed to get hotter the more time passed after each swig. This will be the first ginger beer I've had since then.

There's a firm scent of ginger root from the bottle that reminds me of ginger sauce. This particular ginger beer is well carbonated an doesn't have the spicy burn I remember but tastes like chinese restaurant ginger sauce. You might even say it has a hint of pine needle taste. It's odd that I can enjoy ginger ale so much but have never found a ginger beer that I can even finish a bottle of. I suppose it's just one of those flavors you love or hate. 

Caruso's Legacy Robusto Root Beer

A look into the history of this soda, which I had previously never heard of, reveals very little. It is bottled by the Wit Beverage Company and states that Caruso's has been handed down for three generations, yet I can find nothing about these Caruso's. I could be wrong but based on this, I wonder if the Caruso's were invented for marketing purposes. If I can discover differently perhaps I can emend this post later and will welcome any contact from readers. 

The aroma is bold and creamy. The drink has very little carbonation for a root beer, however the flavor is appealing and has that old world distinction you want from a good root beer. If you like A&W, you'll also enjoy this as the flavors are similar, but there is the tiniest hint of anise at the finish of this particular brand. This will pair nicely with any red meat based meal. 

Jolt Red Eye

Jolt began in 1985, when C.J. Rapp invented the highly caffeinated Jolt Cola. This occurred during a period of soft drink development focused on fewer calories or less sugar. In college he noted that many students created their own blends of drinks trying to stay awake to study. He created Jolt with 72mg of caffeine per serving, which was the most allowed by the FDA. Jolt was the first beverage to feature functional marketing, the idea that certain ingredients were included for a purpose. They also utilized beer distributors, when other soft drinks were distributing through other means. These innovations lead the way for the revolution seen in the beverage industry today. However, with stiff competition from other energy drinks they filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Today, Jolt has been remade into an energy drink rather than being marketed as a soda. It currently falls under the umbrella of Boylan Bottling Works.

I only recently found this bottle at a gas station, it was clearly created before the marketing revamp as the ingredients do not list taurine, guarana or other typical ingredients from energy drinks. In addition, the label still reads Wet Beverages. It has been many years since I had a Jolt Cola and I have never tasted Jolt Red Eye. It has the aroma of a red cream soda but I also notice tiny bits floating in it. The drink carries only a light level of carbonation and the flavor is similar to a red cream soda but smoother. It does not have an acidic bite nor much of an after taste. Perhaps its decline was due to those seeking a bolder flavor or should I say, more "extreme." I find it pretty pleasant but it will take several more minutes to judge it's caffeine feed to my blood stream. Drink if you are a code monkey, cramming for exams, or in need of more pep and don't like the sometimes odd flavors of other energy drinks. 

Kola Inglesa

This is a soda that hails from Peru with a name that translates as "English Cola." Kola Inglesa is popular in South America and dates back to 1912. Although begun independently, that brand was purchased by Coca-Cola.

Although the label translates as Cola, the bright red color is the first clue this won't be cola flavored. Upon uncapping it I sense a cherry-cream-like smell. My first sip has me taken aback by a very strange sort of taste. I'm having trouble placing it. It has traces of cherry but it reminds me a bit of Irn-Bru in that it has something of a metallic background to it and something chemically almost like ammonia. It's not undrinkable, but it's just... strange. I can't imagine pairing this with anything other than junk food. If you find a bottle, try it and let me know what you think about this distinctive flavor. 

Almdudler

Officially the 100th post! For this milestone I wanted to introduce Almdudler, an Austrian soda created in 1957 by Erwin Klein. Almdudler was originally made with apple and grape juice with a variety of herbs. It is often referred to as the Austria's national drink because of it's popularity. In addition to regular Almdudler there are other variants which include: sugar free, non-carbonated and a "Radler" version, which  means it is mixed with beer, known as Alradler. The name Almdudler is derived from the saying, "auf der Alm dudeln," meaning "singing in the Alpine meadows." 

My first encounter with Almdudler occurred on a trip to Vienna in 2009 when I purchased a bottle from one of the street vendors near Opernring. I often drink ginger ale sodas and based on the appearance I thought it was a ginger ale, but was a bit surprised by it's taste. To be fair... it's not far from ginger ale and is often compared to ginger ales or elderflower based drinks. The taste was just a little bit odd at first but I quickly took to it. Almdudler has a light ginger-ale like basal quality but is tinged wit a flowery essence. Because I was unsure of the nature of the drink I translated the words at the bottom of the label reading "aus natürlichen Alpenkräutern" which translates to "from natural alpine herbs." It's descriptive yet cryptic enough to protect their secrets. 

I was able to purchase some glass bottles of Almdudler online once I returned home. They have uniquely shaped bottles but what impresses me most, like similar bottles, is a nice thick heavy glass which I find seems to add something of a tactile quality to a beverage. The scent is ethereal but a tad herbal. You'll find the flavor a tad sharper, or bitter, than a ginger ale but just like ginger ale it's carbonation and herbs are good for digestion and settling the stomach. If you enjoy ginger ale, you'll certainly want to try this. If you aren't able to travel to Austria to drink a bottle in the crisp autumn air, then find some to mail order online. While you could enjoy this soda with practically any food, it's probably best as a palate cleanser and digestive aid with an authentic Austrian meal, perhaps a schnitzel or gulasch, or a number of their wild game based dishes.