Comments on: What's your favorite little-known soda pop?

Question: What's your favorite little-known soda pop?

Bookhouse — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:50:13 -0800

What's your favorite regional or "indie" soda pop on bottled non-alcoholic beverage (available in New York City or online, preferably)?

Like many a drinker before me, I'm lookng to cut my quantity of consumption in favor of quality. What are some of your favorite obscure bottled non-alcoholic beverages? I'm already a big fan of Boylans, Blenheim spicy ginger ale, D&G Ginger Beer, and of course Jones. I'm particularly interested in regional brews.

I'm in New York, so things available online or in specialty stores are best, although I'm interested either way.

By: Miko

Miko — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:55:02 -0800

Squamscot Sodas is as indie as they get, and delicious in all its varieties. I don't know whether they would sell over the internet, but you can try emailing them to ask.

Maine Root's root beers are sold nationally in crunchy-granola stores, and it is wonderful. But even better than the root beer is their ethereal, not-too-sweet, wintergreeny refreshing Sarsparilla.

By: wayward vagabond

wayward vagabond — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:06:04 -0800

Dr. Browns Cel-Ray is a old NYC deli fave of mine.

More limited to New England is Moxie.

By: wayward vagabond

wayward vagabond — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:15:17 -0800

Linkages: Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, and Moxie

Also, Manhattan Special espresso soda and Brooklyn Egg Cream

By: candyland

candyland — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:24:34 -0800

Cheerwine

By: infinitywaltz

infinitywaltz — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:31:01 -0800

Almdudler is one of my favorites. It's a really popular soft drink in Austria and tastes sort of like ginger ale, but not. It's right up your alley; it's herbal, it's regional, and it was originally developed as an alternative to alcoholic beverages. You should be able to find it in a specialty store; I first tried it in Vienna, but in the USA I've been able to get it at BevMo.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:08:39 -0800

I'm a big fan of the Canfield's lineup (all diet, btw) but Vernor's will always be my sweet, sweet lover. Others love another Vernor's product, Faygo RedPop.

By: Lucinda

Lucinda — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:09:56 -0800

Is Saranac little-known?

By: mphuie

mphuie — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:15:40 -0800

not really indie, but Apple Sidra. Any local asian grocery should have some.

By: bluefly

bluefly — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:18:23 -0800

Ramune is an o.k. But it's bottle is pretty cool.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:18:31 -0800

More: the whole Faygo lineup has its fanbase, and you might also check out beverages like Jarritos that come from other countries.

Mmmmmmm.

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:21:23 -0800

Great stuff! Stewriffic, I forgot to mention my deep love of Vernor's. And candyland, I looked for some cheerwine when I was at Folly Beach earlier this summer, but I'd forgotten about it.

Keep 'em coming, please.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:24:47 -0800

Ok, I'm apparently a grocer and didn't know it. Vernors, not Vernor's. And I also take back my assertation that Vernors and Faygo are related companies. They're not.

However, looking at the Cadbury-Schweppes wiki entry lists many other regional specialties.

By: ch1x0r

ch1x0r — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:28:27 -0800

I really like grown up sodas, especially grown up ginger ale. It's less sweet than most ginger ale and really nice for a hangover. Definitely available throughout NYC and I think some chain stores (world market?) also carry it.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:30:44 -0800

Actually? Pay me no mind at all. It's clearly Vernor's, as the wikipedia picture shows.

I was reacting against the Michigan tendency to append an ('s) to every single store/product. Meijer's for example, when in reality the store is called Meijer. Where you can get both Vernor's and Faygo products.

Anyhoo, just kick me now.

By: TheClonusHorror

TheClonusHorror — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:40:52 -0800

"Ting" from Jamaica is pretty refreshing. It is a grapefruit-flavored soda that uses sugar and not corn syrup for sweetener.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:41:31 -0800

Jumping Johnny Root Beer is excellent, as is Sprechers and the Michigan Brewing Company Root Beer.

By: kitty teeth

kitty teeth — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:55:13 -0800

Dry makes a lavender soda that is really wonderful. I've been meaning to try their other flavors.

By: kneelconqueso

kneelconqueso — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:28:08 -0800

cheerwine is about the best thing ever. i'm seconding that, not only because it is from my hometown (salisbury, nc) but also because its awesome. its best enjoyed cold, in a glass bottle (they use REAL sugar in the glass bottles) with a chilidog from haps grill (also in salisbury).

RC cola is great, particularly with a moon pie. but any southerner worth a damn knows that.

By: judith

judith — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:39:40 -0800

clearly the knowledge for thirst boys have seen this thread already, but failed to chime in. ahem.

By: needled

needled — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:54:17 -0800

Check out some of the ethnic grocery stores in your area for non-U.S. beverages. Somebody already mentioned ramune. I like Guarana Antarctica (caffeinated!), which is Brazilian. I sometimes get a hankering for Inca Kola, from Peru, which kind of tastes like fizzy bubblegum. Milkis is a Korean milk-based fizzy beverage, comes in a variety of flavors. Or you can try checking out the various Japanese canned coffees, including GOD brand.

And a variety of root beers.

By: buttercup

buttercup — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:18:34 -0800

Eastern PA's A-treat.

I recommend the root-beer, the birch-beer and the black cherry.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:23:06 -0800

I super-love Moxie. It tastes kind of like rubber bands, but somehow that enhances my enjoyment. My stepgrandparents used to bring cases of it home to us when they went to New England to visit relatives, and every time I get a whiff of something rubber, it makes me think of my Meme and Pepe.

By: media_itoku

media_itoku — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:39:12 -0800

L&P (Lemon & Paeroa). Its slogan is "World Famous In New Zealand" ;-)

By: saladin

saladin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:48:14 -0800

It's not really as "indie" as some of these other suggestions, but I find that, on a hot day, there is no greater carbonated beverage than San Pellegrino Limonata (short of beer, that is). Makes Coke taste like malted ass-water, says I.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:12:41 -0800

I have been known to like a good ginger beer. Also, I still miss Spezi from my trip to Germany -- it was a cola/citrus blend. You could also get a half-beer, half-spezi concoction that was actually quite good (to this non-beer drinker).

By: flod logic

flod logic — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:26:19 -0800

Julmust is a Swedish kind of pop generally available around Christmas and Easter (and called Påskmust during the latter holiday.) Kind of cola-ish, but it contains malt and hops so it's a bit different. I love the stuff.

IKEA sells it before Christmas and Easter, or otherwise you can order it here or here.

By: jewishbuddha

jewishbuddha — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:29:34 -0800

Virgil's root beer and cream soda. Available at Trader Joes, among other places.

By: jewishbuddha

jewishbuddha — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:32:36 -0800

Apprently, Virgil's is owned and distributed by Reed's. Reed's makes a fine ginger beer and other ginger products. And the Reed's and Virgil's products are all available online.

By: kendrak

kendrak — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:33:13 -0800

i'm a big fan of sprecher's line of soda. they brew root beer, cream soda, orange cream, ginger ale and a cherry soda called "ravin' red". it looks like it's pretty easy to find in new york.

there's also the australian bundaberg ginger beer which is really good. it's not the sharpest ginger beer around, but it also won't make you sick.

you should check out the soda pop stop. they have a huge selection of indie sodas in glass bottles. i've tried a lot of them, but only because i collect bottle caps, so i usually don't focus on the soda as much. i just had a bottle of fukola cola, which is pretty punk.

random asides: 1- cardbury-schweppes has a monopoly on ginger ale, brewing vernor's, canada dry, and schweppes. i don't know why that bugs me, but it does.
2- i don't know why we can't get an orange cola, like spezi or mezzo mix, in america. i guess it's probably the same reason that dr pepper was so hard to find in germany.

By: DJWeezy

DJWeezy — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:05:26 -0800

Ting all the way too bad allTheClonusHorror beat me too it. And you can order it online here

By: Kellydamnit

Kellydamnit — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:08:36 -0800

I can't believe no one's mentioned loganberry yet. Is it that unknown outside Buffalo?

That's a shame, it's really great stuff.

By: MsMolly

MsMolly — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:26:15 -0800

You should try Moxie at least once. And probably only once. It's kind of awful unless you end up being one of the weirdos that love it.

By: The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:44:01 -0800

Jarritos.
Still imported from mexico, still fucking delicious.
Sold in every little hacienda in NYC where most of the clientele don't speak english.
The real trick to Jarritos is to skip the (although still very good) more pedestrian flavors like tuttifrutti(fruit punch) or the mandarin(orange) and go for the more, er, esoteric flavors like Tamarind or Jamaica (Hibiscus).

By: loiseau

loiseau — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:32:52 -0800

oh! oh! Sussex Golden Ginger Ale from the Maritimes (east coast provinces of Canada).

It's not indie - it's bottled by Cadbury I believe - but it's deeeelicious and spicy and I miss it.

By: brujita

brujita — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:47:11 -0800

I was very pleased to find a diet version of Green River (lime) on one of my trips to Chicago...but the bevmo link only has the kind with sugar.

By: bertrandom

bertrandom — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:56:04 -0800

Dublin Dr. Pepper

By: melissam

melissam — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:05:38 -0800

I love Gale's Root Beer, it has great vanilla undertones.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:41:41 -0800

Second the jamaica Jarritos, or the unmentioned apple one. The world needs more apple sodas.

By: FissionChips

FissionChips — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:25:52 -0800

Two rather unconventional sodas are favourites of mine:
Rivella is made in Switzerland from milk protein. It resembles ginger ale, and has an indescribable taste.
Malta is a malted beverage made by Guinness, brewed in Nigeria of all places. It can be commonly found in Malaysia as well.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:28:58 -0800

Boylan's Cane Cola! It's available online at Beverages Direct as well. It's good enough to tempt me to drink non-diet soda.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:29:22 -0800

Never mind, I can't read tonight, apparently. Sorry.

By: Liffey

Liffey — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:07:22 -0800

What kendrak said: Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I was a swooner for Vernors all my life until I married an Australian and met up with Bundaberg.

I won't even touch the once-sacred V-stuff now. Same goes for every other ginger bev sold at WF/TJ/Sunflower/WOats and mainstream stores, all tried in the hope that something more accessible could compare. (We get our Bundaberg for $6/4-pack at Cost Plus World Market.)

Drinking any other ginger beer would be throwing away money that could be spent on the beautiful, inimitable taste of real cane sugar and peppery ginger bits floating in the bottle. Sediment! That's the mark of a quality ginger drink!

By: billtron

billtron — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:16:36 -0800

ale8one

Owned and operated by Frank Rogers and his kids in Winchester, Kentucky. One of the few remaining teetotaler mountain dews of appalachia.

By: invitapriore

invitapriore — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:17:23 -0800

Reed's Raspberry Ginger Beer is amazing.

Also (sorry guys), but the best Jarritos flavor is actually Guayaba. Now you know. :)

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:49:27 -0800

Ok, I'm apparently a grocer and didn't know it. Vernors, not Vernor's.

Also...add milk to your Vernor's. It sounds atrocious, but believe me it's heaven.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:54:21 -0800

What no Sundrop? I'm really disappointed in the Tennesseans around here.

See also Double Cola and Ski.

By: rachelpapers

rachelpapers — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:47:22 -0800

The hottest ginger beer I've ever had is from Blenheim. Not the easiest to find, but it comes in glass bottles and is made with cane sugar. Get the kind with the pink caps, and for god's sake, take small sips.

By: Madamina

Madamina — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:53:08 -0800

Ha! I first saw the Pepsi-and-milk thing on "Laverne and Shirley," but my great-uncle used to do it all the time too. Can't be much weirder than a root beer float or Thai iced tea...

My all-time favorite is Spring Grove strawberry soda. It's from a tiny, tiny town in the southeast corner of Minnesota (a bit north of Decorah, Iowa). It comes in tiny little glass bottles, so it's cute AND yummy.

Sprecher's is indeed great, and the Ravin' Red is SO TASTY. It's not overly sweet but has that nice sort of organic flavor of honey that really makes it good. Their Lo-Cal root beer is also very good for a dietish beverage.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:25:15 -0800

Oh, and let me throw in the awesomest thing in New Brunswick

By: annoyance

annoyance — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:11:57 -0800

seconding pop the soda shop and soda pop stop.
i would also try BevMo and beverages direct. the last one probably has the most reasonable postage rates but the lowest selection.

my area is root beer (warning, self link) so i will point you towards my favs:
Bulldog
Ithaca
Sparky's
are in my top 10.
well worth getting a whole case of.

as far as things available in NYC, i have found it pretty devoid of microbrew sodas, strangely. sometimes you can find some Olde Brookyln sodas, which are quite tasty. otherwise you get a lot of Boylans, some Briars and occasionally an Old Manhatten Sarsaparilla, all of which are good, but pretty widely available these days.

By: jasondigitized

jasondigitized — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:51:55 -0800

I live in Bermuda, where Barritt's Ginger Beer is very popular. I drink it all the time. But, I am originally from Michigan and love my Vernor's and Faygo. Especially Rock N' Rye.

By: billtron

billtron — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:36:52 -0800

Hey, I just read that this soda parlor that just opened up in my neighborhood serves Vernors.

By: crinklebat

crinklebat — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:46:43 -0800

Late to the party here, but I grew up drinking Cactus Cooler and it pretty much ties with Jarrito Tamarindo as a Thing I Want When It Is August. I haven't seen it in northern CA yet (just moved here) and it is stressing me out a little.

By: exceptinsects

exceptinsects — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:17:46 -0800

Henry Weinhard's Root Beer.
Here's an excerpt from someone's review (linked above), which I totally agree with:
"This beverage is nasty and shameless in its pursuit of pleasing me. It's almost embarrassing. It degrades itself to satisfy my every disgusting whim. It lays on the honey and vanilla and it's thick and sweet and rich and ultra-creamy. It's basically a meal in itself. It's flat-out hardcore."

Okay, I have to go buy some now.