The color was a non-offensive dark red. The scent was fresh and berry-like. Even the cover art was redemptive with two illuminated reindeer standing there in the dark. Could it really be as bad as the others?

For this flavor, Amy actually stepped in and gave it a try. She had chickened out of most of the other Jones Soda adventures, primarily because she didn't like artificial sweeteners (or didn't want to vomit). So she drank a sip:

The predominant theme was that it tasted like cough syrup, specifically Robitussin. Amy didn't have good memories of that as a kid. She told me that she often would chase her cough medicine with a Hershey's Kiss to cover up the bad aftertaste. So needless to say, this flavor of Jones Soda was not going to be a winner with her.

After trying Jones Cranberry Soda, we realized that we had now tasted all 10 flavors found in the various collections. From the National Holiday Pack, we endured Turkey & Gravy, Brussels Sprout, Cranberry, Wild Herb Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie. Adding the Regional Holiday Pack into the mix, we had the bonus benefit of a repeat Turkey & Gravy, Broccoli Casserole, Smoked Salmon Paté, Corn On The Cob, and Pecan Pie.

What do you do when you have all these flavors in the same room? Well my good friend John thought we should mix them all together and try that experience! Unbelievably, I agreed to do this with him. The mixed drink didn't look too bad sitting in our Dixie Cups. It smelled pretty much like maple syrup as well, so obviously that Pecan Pie flavor was dominating over the others. But what happened when we attempted to drink this concoction?

Needless to say, this was a bad idea. In any case, I hope you enjoyed our look at the various Jones Soda holiday flavors!

Interestingly, the flavor of this drink was not salty like most of the other Jones Sodas from the Holiday Packs (which included the aforementioned Turkey & Gravy, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Herb Stuffing, Smoked Salmon Paté, Turkey & Gravy (again!), Brussels Sprout, Broccoli Casserole, and Corn On The Cob Sodas).

The drink itself was rather dark in the color, almost like maple syrup. And that's what it tasted like… syrup. Syrup sweetened with Splenda! What does that experience do to a person? Let's watch this time lapse photography of taste tester Andy as he partakes of Jones Pecan Pie Soda:

That was pretty much the drink… other than the lame label design it had. It's like some sort of weird scrapbook thing or something. Not good photography, that's for sure. I still don't know what is supposed to be portrayed with that label. Weird!

However, if you ever find yourself having pancakes some morning and are looking for a little carbonation to start your day, Jones Pecan Pie Soda might be the best way to go!

Unlike Turkey & Gravy, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Herb Stuffing, Smoked Salmon Paté, Turkey & Gravy (again!), Brussels Sprout, and Broccoli Casserole Soda flavors, Corn on the Cob had a resemblance to corn. And lots and lots of salt.

But instead of tasting like a nice pat of butter on top of a freshly picked stalk of corn, the resemblance was more to microwave caramel corn! Well, I guess you can't win them all!

At our tasting, Andy and Cari scientifically compared the taste of the Jones Corn on the Cob Soda against the Orville Redenbacher Carmel Corn we had available. Either Jones Soda or Orville did their homework on the flavor. In any case, however, I don't think this is a flavor that was meant to be partaken from a bottle.

Overall, the flavor wasn't a complete loss, but it wasn't much of a winner either. I personally found the high sodium content to be the negative with this drink.

When we last left off, we had experienced the following quality Jones Soda products pulled from both the National Holiday Pack and the Regional Holiday Pack: Turkey & Gravy, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Herb Stuffing, Smoked Salmon Paté, Turkey & Gravy (again!), and Brussels Sprout.

Next on the list was Jones Broccoli Casserole Soda! We served this product up at our various Festive Film Fridays events in December and it had mixed reviews. The overall opinion was that it didn't taste like broccoli or a casserole at all! Instead, it tasted "maple-y", like syrup. Go figure. We couldn't quite figure out why that was, and frankly, I'm not sure I wanted to find out.

Like the many other Jones Holiday Pack drinks, this beverage was also very high in sodium. When combined with the awful taste, bad smell, and artificial sweeteners, resulted in the following reactions:

Overall reaction? Green & Gross.

Now this flavor came with the National Holiday Pack available at Target (the first Turkey & Gravy and the Wild Herb Stuffing also arrived with this selection).

The label on this bottle featured a happy family standing around a snowman with their skis, probably after an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, Jones Brussels Sprout Soda is not an enjoyable experience.

Like the other sodas in the National version of the Holiday Pack, this entry comes with a wine suggestion to complement the "unique flavors" found within. The wine list recommends a Columbia Crest Chardonnay, Vintage 1999. "This Northwest wine carries flavors of apple, pear, tropical fruit, vanilla, and finishes with a sweet spice. A perfect accompaniment to our vegetable side, Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto Soda." (That's the first time I've seen "Prosciutto" mentioned with this drink; it's not on the label).

At our last Festive Film Friday open house of the season, we shared this drink with our friends in attendance. Personally, I about gagged on this drink. To me, it was right up there in badness as Turkey & Gravy… but not quite. Uniquely, it tasted very buttery. Not expected at all. But when you try to guzzle carbonated butter soda sweetened with Splenda and packed with 260mg of salt, something is not going to go right. Resulting in my personal reaction…

I don't even like brussels sprouts normally. My distaste grew after drinking this beverage.

However, when I picked up the Regional Version of Jones Holiday Pack (which featured the previously reviewed Jones Smoked Salmon Paté Soda), it came with another bottle of Turkey & Gravy Soda. How wonderful!

Since we had guests at our 2nd Festive Film Friday which did not get to experience the greatness that was Turkey & Gravy at our 1st Festive Film Friday, I felt it was important to break out this second bottle with our suckers friends.

Interestingly enough, the label on this version of Turkey & Gravy was different from the National Edition. While the National featured two blue Christmas ornaments on the label, this Regional version showcased a kid opening some presents. Can't say that's very exciting, but when you have Turkey in the bottle, I guess you don't need much else.

What I found unique (in my own odd Steve Tanner way) was that these label designations were different from what Jones featured in their press release photos of the Holiday Pack, featured in our introduction to this liquid tradition. They mention that they change their labels often… I guess they aren't lyin'!

At our party, we had two representatives who wanted to experience Turkey & Gravy Soda for the first time: Dan and Dick. Since Dan experienced Hurricane Wilma firsthand, I guess nothing could phase him. Dick had already endured both the Wild Herb Stuffing Soda and the Smoked Salmon Paté Soda without a problem. He was just excited that such unique flavors were sugar free. Go figure!

Huh? You didn't hate it? Say what? You guys are freaks!

Dan and Dick did not experience the "hey, I think I'm going to puke" symptoms shown during our first experience with Turkey & Gravy Soda. I guess I'll never understand how that works out. Thanks for trying the drinks guys… and totally not giving me good photos with funny expressions to work with in my reviews!

Unlike the previous sodas we had tried, which were pulled from the National Version of the Jones Holiday Pack, Smoked Salmon Paté Soda called the Regional Version of the Holiday Pack its home!

This version of the Holiday Pack was harder to find, as it was only available in select stores around the country. Thankfully, Amy and I were able to find a box at a Cost Plus World Market in Indianapolis, IN, over Thanksgiving. The sales of this version of the Holiday Pack benefit Toys for Tots. It also includes more interesting flavors than the mainstream National Version (such as Smoked Salmon Paté Soda). Unfortunately, while it does contain a fork and wet nap like the National Version, it does not contain a recommended wine list. Oh well.

The label for this vile beverage contains a photo of some sort of drunk Santa in the woods. I can't quite make out what is printed on his shirt. Frankly, I don't think it matters. The guy looks absolutely nuts. The color of the drink is an orange-red, probably more on the orange side. Not quite the same color as other popular orange drinks like Fanta Orange, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Orange Crush, or Orange Slice. This was more of a radiant orange. It was a fishy orange.

So, how did this drink taste? Well, this one was pretty bad. Probably not as bad as Turkey & Gravy, but I'd put it at #2 bad so far. My gag reflex almost kicked in here. I think it was the smell, combined with the 230mg of salt, the fact that I'd never eat salmon paté in real life, and the goofy color. All these factors pretty much played into the disgusting experience. It had a bitter, vinegary texture. Not a great aftertaste going down either. It must have been the "Glucono Delta Lactone" that did the trick there (the #3 ingredient). In any case, bad bad drink. But don't take my word for it. Here's how it treated some others:

Overall, if you wanted a bad tasting drink to showcase the Jones Holiday Pack Regional Version, Smoked Salmon Paté Soda would do the drink nicely!

Again, this flavor was part of the National Version of the Jones Soda Holiday Pack[/url], sold exclusively at Target to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Center.

As this product was designed to help kids, it was only fitting that some small girl was featured on the label, working on what looks like an elementary school art project creating a turkey on the wall — or maybe she was designing Chicago's next city sticker — who knows?

When compared with the 2004 version of the Holiday Pack, it appears that the Wild Herb Stuffing flavor replaced Mashed Potato & Butter Soda as a nice starchy side dish for this liquid meal. Per the wine list included with the Holiday Pack, it's recommended that you drink a Haywood Estate Morning Sun Zinfandel (Vintage 1997) with your Wild Herb Stuffing Soda… "Medium bodied, packed full of jammy fruit flavors while maintaining a delicate balance of acidity. The finish lingers with a hint of clove and spice. This wine will bring out the delicate flavors in our Wild Herb Stuffing Soda." How delicate were those flavors? Let's see the expressions on the faces of our taste testers!

Of the three flavors I have tested thus far, the Wild Herb Stuffing wasn't that bad, actually. It's not something I'd actually want to drink again, but I didn't feel like vomiting all over the floor either. This time around, we actually provided our tasters with quick access to our garbage can should their bodies not be able to handle the drink. The flavor actually was pretty watered down and weak. Maybe the pale color had some sort of mental effect as well. Like the Turkey & Gravy flavor, Stuffing was high in sodium: 240 mg! That was a kicker, to be sure.

I wanted to take this time to apologize to taste tester Sarah, who I almost killed during our little test. You see, as she was drinking the sample, I mentioned that their might be a slight aftertaste, since all of these beverages were sweetened with Splenda. She quickly looked at me and said, "that's an artificial sweetener, right?" I concurred and then she remarked, "I'm allergic to those!" Ooops. Luckily, she had not digested enough Wild Herb Stuffing Soda to require a call to 911. Sorry about that, Sarah. Thanks for your participation, however.

Unlike the ugly brown Turkey & Gravy experience, the color of the Pumpkin Pie Soda was what you might expect… orange. Personally, I don't like Pumpkin Pie or even cleaning out the insides of pumpkins to carve them, so this was going to be interesting. But hey, you have to drink the stuff, right? I mean, you might as well… it's part of the set.

This time around, the label featured some sort of lizard wearing a Santa hat. I'm not quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but it was definitely obscure. Even more importantly, Amy does like Pumpkin Pie, so she agreed to taste this drink along with many of our friends. And her reaction?

The Pumpkin Pie Soda wasn't as bad as Turkey & Gravy, but it was still bad. Those who knew claimed that it tasted nothing like pumpkin pie… at least the Turkey & Gravy stuff had the right smell… kinda. Amy's face was priceless during the experience.

Interestingly, it wasn't so much the flavor that turned her off. Rather, it was the inclusion of Splenda as the artificial sweetener. She hates that stuff!

Alternatively, I decided to share these drinks with our holiday guests during our various Festive Film Fridays events in December. This way, I'd not only be able to try the drinks, but you'd also get the breathtaking reactions of your friends. And after these tastings, they probably wouldn't be my friends anymore.

I should mention that you get far more than gross-tasting sodas when you buy a Holiday Pack. You actually help raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Center. But you get more than that!

Included in the box is a nice plastic fork to help you eat your liquid meals. Goes great with turkey! There's also a Wash 'n Dry-type hand towel to clean up after yourself. Oh, and what great holiday meal would be complete without an extensive Wine List to correspond to the delicacies!

So, the first of the Holiday Pack up for tasting was the flagship that started this mess in the first place… Turkey & Gravy Soda. It has been around since 2003. Looking at the ingredient label, there's a lot in common with a real turkey feast. Namely, salt. 310 mg worth! It's the number 3 ingredient behind "carbonated water" and "natural and artificial flavors."

Jones Soda is known for their unique labels, in many cases taking submitted photos from fans and sticking those on their bottles. For this edition of Turkey & Gravy Soda, two simple blue ornaments are arranged on a nice white background. Seems inviting enough. The color of the beverage, an interesting brown hue, provides a striking contrast to this. But, how does it taste? These photos might summarize it for you:

I had to suppress my gag reflex big time in order to get my one and only gulp of this drink down! Some at our gathering thought it would be fun to chug their samples like a shot drink. I'm not so sure that was a wise idea. One thing was for sure, it didn't matter how much you sampled, the aftertaste stuck with you for quite a while. The smell of the drink was rancid enough. The taste sure did match it. And boy was it salty! (Amy actually chickened out of tasting this drink).

If anything, Turkey & Gravy Soda lived up to its reputation as a very interesting drink. A little too interesting for my tastes. Next up… Pumpkin Pie Soda!