Polar Banana Seltzer

When I saw this at the grocery store, I had to try it. It's obviously a new release from Polar Beverages because it's not even apparent on their website except for mentioning a simple "Monkey Rum" cocktail. They did choose a good time to bring out a new banana product with summer just started a few day ago. Let me find out if banana seltzer can compliment a hot day.

Sure enough; it smells of bananas, tingles on the tongue, and leaves an aftertaste. It's not foolishly sweet as I had feared, but also not as strong as I'd prefer. It's a seltzer and not a flavored soda so I understand why it's not tasting of banana extract. I'd like it stronger because their mention of a cocktail with this ingredient is inspiring.

When I want seltzer I'll be getting  Polar's lemon or lime unless I want some variety. Those flavors have been the standard with seltzer for awhile for a reason. As for cocktails, I think I'll be trying to make a classic pina-colada cocktail (shaken, not blended) and diluting it with this product like a club soda. It's a C (decent) in my book.

Very creative Polar...

Reed's Extra Ginger Brew

Tonight's drink may be brewed, but it's not alcoholic as many of you probably know. Beer that's ginger won't  give you a 'tingle' in the same way as others, but later I'll inform you of a fine way to make it. Let's find out if Reed's EXTRA ginger concoction is intense like maine root or just strong like Capitan Eli's first.

Reed's doesn't inform you of being extra ginger until it tingles your nose right before you sip. Once in your mouth things go up just a few notches. There's the standard fizz with all sodas but a different one from the ginger is there as well. It feels something like spicy but not in a hot way. This zest stays on your tongue for a long aftertaste as well. It's still easy to drink though.

If I don't alter Reed's Extra Ginger Brew it's a B (good) in my book. When I want just a ginger beer I usually go with maine root's opaque ginger brew instead because it's stronger and I like that. Reed's Extra Ginger Brew is what I choose when I want to make a dark 'n' stormy though. This is because it works with Gosling's Black Seal better by not trampling over the rum's added notes. To make a dark 'n' stormy just pour Reed's in a highball glass with ice, add a few shots of rum, and enjoy the added zest.

I am referring to the actual taste when I say zest by the way. "Enjoy the drink, not the effect."

IZZE esque Sparkling Mandarin

It's the first day of fall but I'm posting something quite summer? Well where I am it's 80 degrees and a hot cup of coffee isn't the drink of choice, so I have IZZE's Sparkling Mandarin. Health nuts will be gravitated to this because it's not just all natural but low calorie as well. IZZE accomplishes this by adding juice to sparkling water and not using any preservatives. A different kind of seltzer?

It's sweeter than seltzer. The mandarin orange is the sole taste and the sweet, but still not hearty. Looking at the bottle you find that only 25% is juice and the rest is sparkling water. This is how IZZE does the low calorie approach.

There's nothing unenjoyable about it but due to its simplicity I must give it a B (good). I am enjoying this on such a hot day late in the season, but the IZZE esque Sparkling Mandarin is something to enjoy with a salad and not contemplated on its own.

Capt'n Eli's Ginger Beer

Capt'n Eli's Ginger Beer. A product of Maine from a brewery (Shipyard). But it's not a beer! It's a soda. Ginger beer has no alcohol to it, and should be viewed as an intense ginger ale. I've found that those that have tried it have polar opinions of it. They either love it or hate it. I'm a fan of it, but I've tried quite a few and can compare my other experiences. So lets see how it does.

Once opened and poured into a glass, it sizzles like a coke and can make you sneeze like on one of Coca-Cola's commercials. As you tip it towards you mouth you can tell it's not ginger ale. On my tongue I found it to be not as strong as other ginger beers I've tried, but still strong. The body was quite crisp though and tingled like sprite. It left you with the ginger in your mouth as an aftertaste.

I won't be giving this ginger beer a score as high as other's I've reviewed, but it can certainly be drank more often. B (good) If you want to explore ginger beer, start here. You wont be traumatized like others.

Saranac Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is a largely unappreciated drink. Little does the general population know that this classic concoction is a key to many cocktails, settles your stomach and makes ginger ale taste weak. I’ve reviewed a few others before, but today Saranac’s drink is on the line. Before opening the bottle I must note the price of a six pack is the same as a four pack of other ginger beers, a better deal.

I have a theory on why Saranac can sell cheaper though; they aren’t as intense as others. I’m not saying this ginger beer should be labeled a ginger ale though, it’s just easier to drink. There’s still the tingle on your tongue and the ginger snap aftertaste. This difference in consistency can be seen as well, it’s not a little opaque like other ginger beers I’ve had.

Saranac’s Ginger Beer has proven to be the best choice for making concoctions, but I’m reviewing the product alone. I give it a good solid B (good) and I know others would prefer this one over others due to its ease. If you haven’t had ginger beer before, this is a good one to start with.

Blue Sky Organic New Century Cola

You don't see many organic sodas these days because people concerned with organic foods typically don't drink soda. It's an unhealthy drink. However Blue Sky makes a line of drinks that are all organic so those looking for a little luxury in their liquid diet don't have to give up on being all organic.

Cracking this open showed that there wasn't as much carbonation as Pepsi or Coca-Cola and it didn't take as long to settle. It tastes like other colas; a sticky sweet almost like molasses but it was different because you could tell it was using cane sugar as the bottle read. Compared to the big brands, this cola isn't quite as sweet either. Once finished it leaves you with the sizzle of carbonation and the aftertaste of the cane sugar.

Unfortunately I think I like Coca-Cola better. I give it a C (decent) because being organic and made with cane sugar didn't make it anything but a regular soda. Perhaps cane sugar isn't the right choice for colas because it's lighter in a way. Maybe Blue Sky has a cream soda that works better with cane sugar?

Sanpellegrino Aranciata

S.Pellegrino's unique "sparkling orange beverage" is a little hard to categorize. Is it juice? One of the top-end waters like their other products? Or soda like the other items in the cooler it's sold in? Well for now lets put that question aside and get to what it tastes like first to answer it afterwords.

It would be easy to assume this was simply orange juice with a quick inspection because it's opaque and yellow-orange in color. And appropriately it tasted quite similar to orange juice but it has more going on, like some lime and a dryness that's something like tonic water. This drink is not nearly as carbonated as tonic water or even sodas, and I think this is a good thing for it. Otherwise it would be something more like Fresca and hide the other elements to it.

To awnser the question of "what is it?" I think it's a cross between soda and juice. S.Pellegrino's website seems to sell it as a compliment to certain meals like wines, but I think it has far more uses as a cocktail component. After trying the raw product I added some gin and found an improvment to the standard gin and tonic. B (good)

Goya Coconut Soda

Here's an unusual choice for me to review; a Mexican soda. And a coconut soda, who's ever heard of that? So this caught my eye while grocery shopping and here's my thoughts on it.

Opening this I found that there was far less carbonation to this than many American sodas and it didn't fizz so much that I needed to stop while pouring so it didn't overflow. There is no smell to this. Upon tasting it was hard to identify any coconut, it was like slightly sweetened and carbonated water. The coconut only appeared in the aftertaste with big gulps for some reason, and even then it wasn't very noticeable.

Obviously I didn't like this, but it was drinkable so I give this a C (decent). I think Americans have Mexicans beat in the soda industry.

maine root Ginger Brew

Ever heard of ginger beer? I know many have not. It's not like ginger ale, it's far more potent and lets you know that there's ginger in it. Most who've heard of and had ginger beer have had Reed's, but maine root's ginger brew leaves that in the dust for intensity.

A hint to this is concentration can be seen because of its opaque appearance like a greenish orange juice. For those not prepared your first smell might repulse you, and the first sip will as well. But the experienced of this is unique with ginger on the palate (duh), but it's a crisp-spicy somehow that's not like the raw root. Once past your tongue there is no aftertaste but a retaining tingle on it that lingers for quite some time. Besides the taste, I've found this to be a nice tonic to settle your stomach.

Despite being somewhat simple I give this an A (excellent) because it's been a favorite of mine that I've returned to many times. I warn you though, I'm sure people's opinions on this will be polarized.

Capt'n Eli's Blueberry Pop

Here's another Maine made product, a fine soda. (Capt'n Eli's is actually just Shipyard's soda.) Now you've probably noticed that I don't do many soda reviews, but here's a new brand that I found with a most unique flavor. Have you ever heard of blueberry soda before? I hadn't.

Pouring my bottle into a glass didn't give the poping carbonation of products like Coca-Cola or Sprite. It had a light head that remained for a minute like a beer, go figure. It tasted true to it's name like blueberry with a sweetness that wasn't cane sugar or the like, it was your standard processed sugar found in many other products. In it's defense it wasn't overdone and I think it complimented the blueberry taste more than cane sugar would've.

With little comtemplation I gave the capt'n's product a B (good) and reccomend it to anyone who wants to try something different or have a sitdown "beer" experience with their 12 year old son.

Hansen's Green Tea Soda Pomegranate

I think this is the first product I've reviewed that crosses the line between categories. My fiance found this at Target in four packs for only two dollars so she picked up one for me to put on my blog (and for her to drink). Besides unusual Hansen's product it's also very healthy, with no ill components and EGCG (a green tea extract antioxidant).

For those who care about enjoying the drink as well as the health benefits, the pomegranate isn't as apparent as you'd hope. It smells of sweetened green tea and tastes of it as well with a crisp pomegranate overtone. It ends with a different sweetness of the cane sugar in it. A negative aspect in addition to not enough pomegranate is the carbonation. It is highly carbonated. I think it would help for Hansen to reduce this, because it's as fizzy as Sprite or Mountain Dew.

Due to the cost, I believe this drink will commonly be in our fridge. I don't believe it's a product you should go out of your way to try though, I rate it a B (good). This is an uncommon product and I think I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a carbonated alternative to other sodas.

maine root Sarsaparilla

My first thought when I saw this, looking for a soda to review, was: "What's sarsaparilla?" But I brought it home because I'd had products from maine root before, (I think they make the best ginger beer out there!) Once I came home I opened a bottle, poured it in a glass, and did a google search on sarsaparilla.

My search found out that sarsaparilla is the name of a plant that root beer was originally made from. My tasting found a "lighter root beer" though. It didn't create any head when poured and smelled of sweet birch (yes the tree). Upon entering the mouth I found the carbonation to have far less sizzle than any Pepsi or Coke products. The taste had another tree to it, evergreen, but I also found vanilla. It was not your typical vanilla extract though, vanilla root is the way to describe this. I think it works better with the birch and evergreen tree sweetness as well. Sarsaparilla ends with a light sweetness for an aftertaste, and you can tell it's not most soda's processed sugar. Upon visiting maine root's website I found out they use unprocessed cane sugar, and I believe it makes a difference.

I gave maine root's Sarsaparilla a solid B (good) due to not being too sweet and a rather unique tree palate. As I stated before I've had maine root's ginger beer as well and I'm a fan. That will probably be the next product of theirs I'll visit.

Boylan Creme Soda

When most think of drinking soda they think of twisting off the cap of a plastic bottle and drinking it for staying hydrated or caffeinated. It's rarely enjoyed like getting a coffee from Starbucks or pouring wine for dinner. Well we're going to throw out that stereotypical assumption because there are sodas that can be enjoyed the same way and are better for you because they have sugar cane instead of the standard sweeteners.

Now your first impression might be "woo-hoo a cream soda in a fancy bottle" (sarcasm for those that didn't pick up on it). But after opening a Boylan Creme you can smell the cane sugar along with a hint of the vanilla. Then you take a sip and it is creamy vanilla soda. The vanilla and cream are almost the same part of the taste because when I say cream I'm not referring to the body but the palate. It's hard to describe how cream can be apart of a soda but I think this effect might be because of the reduced carbonation and smoothness. Once you're finished with the bottle you don't have that same sticky, syrupy, acidic aftertaste of other sodas either. (I'm talking about the kind you get when you didn't brush your teeth). Instead it's more natural and "clean".

After trying it you'll see why premium sodas like Boylan are worth the extra fifty cents. B+ (very good)

P.S. My fiance certainly approved of this one as well, due to how much of my bottle she drank.