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We recently looked at Coba's Aguas Frescas lineup, which came in 4 flavors. Last summer, Nestle rolled out 3 aguas frescas flavors of their own "in select markets" across the United States. Fortunately, Chicago was one of them, so let's take a look at Nestle Aguas Frescas Horchata, Nestle Aguas Frescas Jamaica, and Nestle Aguas Frescas Tamarindo.

Being a Hispanic-oriented beverage, Nestle launched their Aguas Frescas last June not only here, but also in other markets that would relate to its origins: Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco/San Jose, San Antonio, Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, and McAllen, TX.

Billboard in Chicago

Unlike Coba's entry, Nestle went more mainstream with their package design, portraying their drinks in a more standardized bottle shape and over-the-shelf design. You won't find much in the way of "Hispanic origins" or taquerias on the label, other than the "Aguas Frescas" name itself.

While they are all part of the same selection, there is a difference in bottle design among the flavors. We found each of Nestle's lineup at local convenience stores offered at the same pricepoint. However, it should be noted that the Horchata flavor comes in a label-wrapped 14 oz bottle, while both Jamaica and Tamarindo come in larger 20 oz bottles with a standard "label band" design to the packaging.

Nestle Aguas Frescas Horchata
Horchata is often a combination of some sort of milk (sometimes from rice), cinnamon, sugar, and other flavors. Nestle's entry uses sweetened condensed milk. As mentioned, unlike the other two Aguas Frescas offerings from Nestle, you can't actually see the color of this beverage through the plastic bottle. The entire unit is covered in a shrinkwrapped label portraying a light tan and milky substance. When you actually see the drink itslef, it's more milky white in color, with just a hint of tan (i.e. the portrayed color in the label is far more attractive).

We've reviewed other ready-to-drink horchatas in the past, and Nestle's seems to stack up pretty well. It's very sweet, but the cinnamon and nutty flavor could use a little more strength. Texture was smooth and milky. Overall, the flavor was somewhat bland when compared to authentic horchata, but for a bottled version, not bad!

Ingredients: Water, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and less than 2% of rice flour, natural flavors, calcium carbonate, garageenan, gellan gum, and cinnamon. A 14 oz. bottle contains 230 calories, 60 mg sodium, and 48 g carbs (40 g sugars).

Nestle Aguas Frescas Jamaica
Next up is the hibiscus flavor, a cranberry-colored beverage in a 20 oz. clear bottle. There's a slight fruity scent when you remove the cap. As for the flavor, it's pretty solid on the front end, but the sweet hibiscus flavor is diluted. Far more watered-down than Coba's Jamaica. The taste is good, but it just doesn't last. Unfortunate, since it would seem like all the elements were in place, including sugar, but it was not to be. The drink is still refreshing and unique, but lacking overall.

Ingredients: Water, sugar, hibiscus (extract), and less than 2% of natural flavor, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), and citric acid. A 20 oz. bottle contains 210 calories, 0 mg sodium, and 53 g carbs (46 g sugars). It also contains your daily supply of Vitamin C!

Nestle Aguas Frescas Tamarindo
The use of tamarind is popular in aguas frescas drinks, so it's not a surprise that Nestle included this flavor. The color is very cloudy, sort of a yellow/apricot look, with just a hint of scent that most closely aligned with mango, in my opinion. Like the other flavors in this lineup, Tamarindo is quite sweet. If you've never experienced tamarind, it's somewhat hard to describe the flavor, because it tends to dabble in sweet as well as tart. When compared to Coba's Tamarindo, Nestle's came up a bit bland in taste. Lots of sweetness, and in a way, somewhat syrupy and not as clean as others we've tasted. Still, it's a unique flavor that does offer a good does of refreshment.

Ingredients: Water, sugar, tamarind puree, and less than 2% of gellan gum, natural flavor, citric acid, pectin, and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). A 20 oz. bottle contains 250 calories, 10 mg sodium, and 62 g carbs (57 g sugars). Like the Jamaica flavor, Tamarindo contains your daily supply of Vitamin C.

We applaud Nestle for bringing this unique flavors to a broader market, and there seems to definitely be a growing market for ready-to-drink aguas frescas. Still, these entries feel a bit too corporate and mass-produced, rather than authentically-flavored. They are great entry points for those curious about aguas frescas, but in no way represent the best flavor experience to be found in the sub-genre.

Mexican aguas frescas, defined as "refreshing fruit waters" or "water refreshments," typically consist of water, fruits, and sugar to produce a tasty beverage. The folks at Coba have 4 different flavors that use organic agave nectar along with other base flavors. Let's take a look at Coba Jamaica, Coba Guayaba, Coba Mango, and Coba Tamarindo.

Coba was founded by Jose Luis Domene and Arnulfo Ventura as a way to bring ready-to-drink aquas frescas to the marketplace, based on all natural recipes. The description on the back of the bottles provides the setting for the flavor experience:

In the tropical jungle of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, nourished by the cooling waters of four natural lakes, lies the majestic remains of the ancient Mayan city of Coba. Revered for its agriculture and with a name meaning "waters stirred by wind," Coba captures the purity, heritage, and spirit of one of the most ancient, beloved drinks of our culture, aguas frescos!

In each bottle of Coba we strive to capture that purity, heritage, and spirit in honor of our Meso-American forefathers as we bring the tradition of refreshing agues frescos to a modern, on the go world. Lightly sweetened with agave and made from the finest traditional ingredients, we invite you and your taste buds to come with us on our journey to the land of Coba.

So, that's the spin. Let's talk a little more about the product itself.

The packaging is quite attractive, coming in 16 oz glass bottles that resemble barrels, or vitroleros jars, traditionally used to make aguas frescos. A vibrant paper label wraps the bottle, featuring bright artwork and traditional style of the flavor features inside. Overall the look stands out as something more of a juice, not an high-production run soda.

On to the flavors…

Coba Jamaica
A redish/purple juice color, you unscrew the cap and are greeted by a strong hibiscus scent, which reminded me of another drink we've reviewed that uses that as a primary ingredient, OOBA Hibiscus.

There aren't a whole lot of ingredients inside: purified water, natural roselle (hibiscus), and organic agave nectar. What results is a sweet, yet slightly bitter drink, that does a nice job quenching thirst. I like the combination of flavors on my tongue. A 16 oz. bottle contains 140 calories, 0 mg sodium, and 36 g carbs (36 g sugars).

Coba Guayaba
One look at this flavor and you may see a slightly darker pineapple juice, with a tropical scent. Then you taste the guava and find that it's smooth, but still "puckery." The overall texture is thicker than other Coba flavors, and that reflects on the overall experience as well. This drink is a heavier tropical entry with a distinct flavor that stands out.

Like Jamaica, there aren't a lot of ingredients inside: purified water, natural guava puree, organic agave nectar, and natural flavor. When I think of Mexican drinks, this flavor seems like something that fits right in flavorwise! A 16 oz. bottle contains 220 calories, 0 mg sodium, and 56 g carbs (54 g sugars).

Coba Mango
Pop the top off Mango and it's hard to mistake the flavor. You are overwhelmed with a clean, strong mango scent. The look is that of a bright orange juice, but the texture, like Guayaba, is quite thick. This feels like the definition of a "refreshing fruit water." It's strong, unmistakable, and pure in execution. Mango done right.

In order to do the right thing, it only takes 4 ingredients: purified water, natural mango puree, organic agave nectar, and natural flavor. This flavor could do a nice job cutting the spiciness in food, or as a standalone refreshment. A 16 oz. bottle contains 230 calories, 0 mg sodium, and 60 g carbs (56 g sugars).

Coba Tamarindo
With a color that looks like dark apple juice, just what does tamarind taste like? It's a staple of aquas frescas drinks and probably can best be described as a tad sweet while also a tad sour. The flavor experience is almost akin to that of a light tea. Not an overpowering taste, but one that is very welcomed and refreshing!

Ingredients: purified water, natural tamarind, organic agave nectar, and natural flavor. Very quenching juice experience, but light and complimentary. A drink you'll return to again and again. A 16 oz. bottle contains 140 calories, 0 mg sodium, 130 mg potassium, and 36 g carbs (36 g sugars).

Overall, we're quite impressed with the Coba lineup. Here in Chicago, we have a lot of authentic Mexican food & drink. The flavors presented match a lot of what we've been able to try locally. Great job, Coba. Highly recommended!

Official Website: DrinkCoba.com

If you are marketing a bottled water of some sort, you've got to stand out. Because let's be honest here… water is pretty much just water. Throw in some nutrients, sweeteners, or other differentiator, and maybe do something funky with your packaging, and then you might just have a chance. Or you could just add caffeine like Avitae.

During the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago last year, Avitae had a small little booth on a aisle across from the huge Monster Energy installation. Monster had models, hot tubs, giveaways, and a lot of foot traffic. One benefit of this, however, was that the crowds tended to build and back up folks to be near the Avitae booth. It's here that many may have discovered the simple caffeinated water in a funky bottle.

The ingredients are pretty basic: Purified water, natural caffeine, and natural citric acid. That's it. There are no calories or any other nutritional elements of note. With such a simple recipe, the product stands out with the uniquely-shaped bottle. It's basically a clear, upside-down plastic wedge. The plastic in the front is transparent to showcase the clear water, while the rear of the bottle features silver coloring and product information, with a well-designed transition between the two. It's a sharp-looking package!

Avitae comes in two versions, with differing levels of caffeine. Their base product is 45 mg, which features that amount of caffeine per bottle. They describe this as "about the same as a diet soda." Then there is the more potent 90 mg version, "about the same as a cup of coffee." For comparison, Mountain Dew contains 4.5 mg caffeine/oz. Avitae 45 mg comes in at 2.66 mg/oz, while Avitae 90 mg measures up to 5.33 mg/oz.

The product itself tastes very clean and unaltered. You could not really tell that anything such as caffeine was added to the water. I liked that. The caffeine effect was noted not to long after, however, as I did get a sense of "pep." Granted, I'm a new father to a 3-week-old newborn baby, so we've had many long nights. I'll take all the caffeine I can get these days, and Avitae fit the bill nicely. I guess there was a sense of less guilt associated with consuming the product, as it provided the benefits typically associated with caffeine without the added overhead of calories, syrups, or artificial sweeteners.

Avitae is clear, clean, and quite appealing — and that describes both the flavor and the great packaging. A unique approach for a simple idea!

Official Website: MyAvitae.com

There are a lot of Dr Pepper clones out there. This is another one. What's the difference? Well, Doc 360 cranks up the caffeine content quite a bit. But is it good?

I first encountered Doc 360 at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago last fall. It's produced by WIS-PAK, a large Pepsi bottler out of Wisconsin. They came up with the formula on their own to distribute to markets looking for a Dr Pepper alternative, as they have manufacturing locations not only in "America's Dairyland," but also Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

I must say, I'm impressed by the packaging approach, in that it's not just another "Dr. [Fill in the Blank]". The drink looks contemporary and energetic from the packaging design. From the sales sheets I was given at the show, it's interesting to read who is being targeted by this drink. An excerpt:

Why 360?

Doc 360 take the consumer out for a full circle of flavor. We know once they try it, their tastebuds will flip.

The term 360 is also closely associated with the extreme sports world. The extreme sports market segment has been exhibiting rapid growth in the popularity over the last decade.

This segment fits perfectly with Doc 360, it allows and encourages individual creativity in the innovation of new maneuvers and in the stylish execution of existing techniques.

Who's It Made For?

Heavy users within the flavor category, Millennials & Gen-Xers, C&G consumers [Convenience and Gas], mostly male 18-34 years, looking for value, variety, & stimulation.

These are the people who pride themselves in participating in challenging, cutting-edge activities and are constantly searching for new ways to test themselves.

You'll note that none of this sales text actually talks about the flavor of the drink itself. Given this positioning, however, I can understand why they are attempting to describe this drink as "The Mountain Dew of Dr Peppers". It's a Pepper clone that's higher in caffeine and positioned at the same Dew market.

As for the taste, it's actually very good. It doesn't taste exactly like Dr Pepper, obviously, but it's a pretty good copy. I'd say it's missing some of the spicy "kick" that we associate with the original, but it's not bland by any means. There's a quality sweet flavor there. I'd definitely drink it again.

I think I was more impressed with Diet Doc 360, because while you could tell that it was a diet drink (sweetened with aspartame and Ace-K), it had a decent aftertaste and flavor. The scent, coloring, and base taste all are in line with what's you'd expect from Dr Pepper. Nice job!

The big differentiator that Doc 360 likes to make is with caffeine content. Regular Dr Pepper contains 3.42 mg/oz of caffeine. Doc 360 and Diet Doc 360, on the other hand, contain 5.0 mg/oz. (For comparison with their target market, original Mountain Dew contains 4.5 mg/oz.) So you basically have a Pepper clone with an energy drink-type emphasis.

Overall, if you can find Doc 360, it's worth a try for something a little different, but familiar. Recommended!

Doc 360
Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, natural & artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate (as a preservative), and caffeine

A 12 oz can contains 150 calories, 55 mg sodium, and 40 g carbs (40 g sugars).

Diet Doc 360
Carbonated water, caramel color, natural & artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, aspartame, sodium benzoate (as a preservative), caffeine, and acesulfame potassium

A 12 oz can contains 0 calories, 55 mg sodium, and 0 g carbs (0 g sugars).

Official Website: DrinkDoc360.com

Mike Burns, Co-Founder of CanMuseum.com, must be singing "Hakuna Matata" after writing this beverage can review

About a month ago I showed you an outstanding 5-can set of Disney's Aladdin cans from Fanta Germany released in 1994. This week, I'd like to show you an equally impressive 5-can set from Fanta Germany put out the following year, in 1995, to promote Disney's The Lion King.

The Lion King was Disney's 32nd animated film. It was released nationwide in the United States on June 15, 1994 and made its way over to Germany on November 17, 1994. The story is the tale of a father and son in a lion kingdom in Africa. It is said to have been inspired by stories of Moses and Joseph from the Bible and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Some voice actors in The Lion King included James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. As of 2011, The Lion King is the highest-grossing hand-drawn film in history. It had two sequels, a Broadway adaptation, won two Academy awards for music (thanks to Elton John and Tim Rice), and a Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture.

Fanta's Lion King cans are all made from steel like the Aladdin cans. All of the cans in this set are in full color on a white background and only on the Fanta Orangenlimonade (translated: Orangeade or Orange Soda) flavor. Each can has text that reads, "Film-Sammelmotiv" (translated: Film-motif collection) followed by the number of the can in the set. The artwork on each can looks like it could have been taken from a scene in the movie.

Unlike the Aladdin cans, however, none of The Lion King cans have a unique title for each scene. All scene borders are the same in size and shape but differ in color scheme. Above the top of the scene border we see silhouettes of the characters from the film in front of an orange sky and a setting sun. Just below them at the top of the border is a logo the reads, "Disney's DER KÖNIG DER LÖWEN" (Translated: Disney's The Lion King). Lastly, all scenes, unfortunately, have a distracting white rectangle lying on top of them near the lower right side with the printing, "Großes Fanta Gewinnspiel! Rufen Sie an: 01805 / 331616" (translated: Large Fanta contest! Call: 01805 / 331 606).

Continue Reading »

Guest reviewer and vintage soda enthusiast George Tsakiridis returns with another review.

Let's once again take a look at the glass bottled beverage offerings of Old 52 General Store. Today we pop the cap off Kickapoo Joy Juice!

Kickapoo Joy Juice derives its name from the Li'l Abner cartoon that dates back to the 1930's. The Monarch Beverage Company began in 1965 with Kickapoo as its only beverage, but proceeded to acquire a number of drinks over the years, adding to its eclectic portfolio of beverages. Right away, you have to like the prospects of a drink that derived from a fictional world from the glory years of comic strips/books.

The bottle is a fairly standard green glass configuration. The cap is red as well as the highlights on the label. One interesting note is that this bottle's configuration is not found on the drink's website itself, which I am guessing is due to the licensing out of the product for this particular glass bottling. The label has what looks like a Li'l Abner cartoon with the catch phrase "The Original Dogpatch Recipe," which from what I can tell through some web searches, derives from the Li'l Abner strip itself (the website mentions the characters as Lonesome Polecat and Hairless Joe). Li'l Abner is a little before my time, so although I am familiar with it in name, I am learning too. I'm sure some readers feel very old right now, while others never even heard of the strip. I find myself in the liminal space between.

Also notable is that in dot-matrix-looking print on the side of the bottle there is printed (in really small lettering): "KICKAPOO IS GOOD 4 U." Now it is my turn to feel old as I'm sure some of you have never heard the term "dot matrix."

The ingredient list reads as follows: "Carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, concentrated grapefruit juice, caffeine, gum arabic, sodium citrate, natural flavor, EDTA (to protect flavor), sodium benzoate (a preservative), brominated vegetable oil, and Yellow 5." A bottle has 12 fluid ounces and contains 180 calories and 45 grams of sugar. So, just looking at the ingredient list, you can see that this drink does not have the early twentieth century roots of some of the other drinks I have reviewed from Old 52. In fact, it has that 1960's feel of experimentation with chemicals and coloring, but not to the degree of some beverages today. It also contains "less than 1% juice," just for the record. In addition, it is cane sugar sweetened, which is very promising.

Now, let's get to the meat of the review. Is it just me or does mentioning meat in a beverage review seem a bit odd? Anyway, I twist open the cap to a small "pop" and off we go. The first sniff reveals a strong lemon-lime scent, stronger than what I might expect out of the vast array of lemon-lime drinks out there. This is promising. The liquid is a light green color and the whole experience reminds me of drinking a Mountain Dew. At first taste, it tastes somewhat like Mountain Dew, but the carbonation has a bit more bite to it, almost like some of the ginger beer/ale that I have sampled before. The overall taste is sweet, and it leaves a bit of a sugary aftertaste, sort of like a fresh lemonade, where the sugar overpowers the lemons. In addition, the inclusion of caffeine in the ingredient list puts it more in line with Mountain Dew than with some of the other lemon-lime drinks on the market.

Overall, I really enjoyed Kickapoo Joy Juice. It is a bit more artificial than I would prefer personally, but the taste is great. It is the kind of drink that would go well with pizza, but could be solid as a standalone. For a standalone, however, I think I would like it a bit less sugary to enhance thirst quenching ability. Of course this is the difficulty with most soda pop as one drinks it for the taste. In the end, I was quite happy with the drink as a whole, and it was a bit better than I would have expected.

Full Disclosure: This beverage was provided compliments of Old 52 General Store

• Kickapoo Joy Juice @ Old 52

Back in August we reported that Dr Pepper Snapple Group was phasing out Pomegranate 7Up in favor of a new flavor, 7Up Mixed Berry. Like Pomegranate, this drink is promoted as "Limited Time Only". Is it a worthy successor?

I liked Pomegranate 7Up quite a bit, though it never was the success that Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash has become every year. When I first heard that the new flavor would be "Mixed Berry", thoughts immediately went to that amazingly gross experiment from 2004, 7Up Plus Mixed Berry. That was something I didn't want to relive at all! Thankfully, that was not the case.

It appears that this product has the vague inclusion of "Antioxidant", just like what DPSG did when they ruined Cherry 7Up. I'm not sure how adding Vitamin E to a product counterbalances the large infusion of high fructose corn syrup, but hey, marketing folks will try anything to boost a #3 lemon lime brand.

For example, the bottle contains a callout to a website by the name of LetsPlay.com, a "community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide. We believe that the key to healthy living is managing calories in and calories out." There's just something a bit ironic about that (Translation: "Please, say no to soda taxes! So what if a 12 oz serving contains 140 calories!")

But enough of the ridiculousness of the packaging. You want to know about the taste, right? Well, when you crack open the top, you'll get a very light scent, almost something that would seem to come from a garden. This light purple drink is actually not too bad. It's definitely from that generic "berry" family, but is not too syrupy sweet. It actually reminded me a bit of Jones Soda Sugar Plum Soda or long-forgetten Sprite Remix Berryclear from 2004.

The overall experience is airy and not overpowering. There's a small aftertaste of syrupiness that stays with you, but it's a rather pleasing drink. The non-heavy nature makes in an excellent compliment for food. I still prefer Pomegranate 7Up, but this is a decent runner-up, despite DPSG's continued insistence that it contains "100% natural flavors". Really, do we have to revisit that debate again?

7Up Mixed Berry
Filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate (preservative), natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), D-alpha tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Red 40, Blue 1

A 12 oz serving contains 140 calories, 40 mg sodium, and 39 g carbs (38 g sugars). The drink claims to contain 15% of your recommended daily intake for Vitamin E. Caffeine free.

Mike Burns, Co-Founder of CanMuseum.com, take a look at a beverage can holiday icon

The holidays are here and I can't let them pass by without showing you a classic set of Sundblom Santa cans from Coca-Cola. Cola-Cola has featured the Sundblom Santa on their packaging since 1931. Haddon H. Sundblom is perhaps best known for his work for The Coca-Cola Company with his rendition of St. Nick based on the popular poem, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (a.k.a. "A Visit from St. Nicholas", Moore, 1822). Sundblom also created the "Sprite Boy" and the Quaker Oats man. Sundblom's association with his Santa Claus artwork is so strong that he is often thought of as the first person to depict him as the modern image of "jolly old St. Nick". This, of course, is not true as St. Nicholas can be traced back to the 4th century and the jolly fat man with a white beard had his origins in the late 18th century and more so by the mid-19th century.

The Coca-Cola Company in the United States chose four of Sundblom's pieces to print on their Coca-Cola Classic cans in 1996. Each 12 oz (355 mL) can has "1996 EDITION" in gold at the bottom left of the artwork and they all stay true to their bold red color branding, unlike recent can designs. Likewise, all four cans have a little history followed by the title of Sundblom's work on one side of the can. The historical text under the Always Coca-Cola logo reads: "The Coca-Cola 'Sundblom' Santa: From 1931 through 1966, The Coca-Cola Company commissioned artist Haddon H. Sundblom to create Santa Claus illustrations for its Christmas advertising. Since then, people everywhere have identified this Santa Claus with The Coca-Cola Company."

The first can is Sundblom's "The Pause That Refreshes" from 1958. Here we see Santa kicking back in a green chair as jolly as can be with a bottle of Coca-Cola. He is missing a boot and is in the process of sliding off his remaining black boot with the red sock covering his left foot. Below the chair is a fawn, peacefully sleeping. The "Pause" could mean Santa is taking a break from his Christmas deliveries. Let's go with that. The illustration text on this can reads, "'The Pause That Refreshes,' was rendered in 1958. This holiday season, the only pause that refreshes is ice-cold Cola-Cola."

Sundblom's "Refreshing Surprise" from 1959 is on the second can. In this illustration, a small boy catches Santa sneaking into his family's refrigerator. He is smiling at a surprised Santa who is starting to use a bottle opener to open a bottle of Coca-Cola. The illustration text reads, "This creation, entitled 'Refreshing Surprise,' was rendered in 1959. Surprise your guests with real holiday refreshment. Serve them ice-cold Coca-Cola."

The third can features Sundblom's "When Friends Drop In" from 1961. Here a small dog has spotted Santa. Santa is in front of a decorated Christmas tree holding a bottle of Coca-Cola in one hand and holding up a finger from his other hand to his lips to tell the dog to stay quiet. The illustration text reads, "This creation, entitled 'When Friends Drop In,' was rendered in 1961. Make sure you always have plenty of ice-cold Cola-Cola when your friends drop by in this holiday season."

Sundblom's "Season's Greetings" from 1962 is on the fourth and final can of this set. In this illustration we see a happy Santa enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola while playing with a toy train set. The illustration text says, "This creation, entitled, 'Season's Greetings,' was rendered in 1962. This holiday season greet your guest with ice-cold Coca-Cola. THE ONLY REAL HOLIDAY REFRESHMENT". To me it looks like they forgot to add an "s" to the word "guest"… unless they think you are only going to have one guest. If that's the case, it would mean that you wouldn't need to buy as much ice-cold, refreshing, Cola-Cola. Nah… I really think they forgot the "s".

The Sundblom Santa and Coca-Cola go hand in hand with the holiday season. It was refreshing to dig these 15 year old cans out of my collection to share with you this week. They are all great designs and when you look at them, you can't help but feel the warmth and happiness of Christmas… and perhaps a craving for an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Happy Holidays!

Aside from some of the famous "gross" holiday flavors from Jones Soda over the years, such as the flagship Turkey & Gravy, Jones Soda Candy Cane Soda has probably made the most return trips to the Christmas lineup, debuting in 2006 with HFCS, then returning in 2007 with sugar, and again in 2008. As part of the 2011 Jones Soda Holiday Flavors, it joins other "reruns" such as Ginger Bread Soda, Pear Tree Soda, and Sugar Plum Soda

This entry comes with packaging reflective of Jones Soda's current look, with redish-pink being the accent color. The photo on the front (#1139076) from Tobi Marcinek of Bend, OR, features a multitude of Santas attempting to board some sort of light rail public transportation.

The drink is light pink in color and frankly smells like medicine, i.e. cough syrup. In fact, "syrup" seems to be the theme with this drink, because that pretty much summarizes the experience. It's minty, but pretty much tastes like a very sweet mouthwash that you swallow. I'm still not sure why this drink flavor continues to return, as it's the least authentic of the batch. Maybe this stuff would taste better as part of a mixer, or even to flavor your hot chocolate. But as a stand-along flavor, I can't imagine voluntarily wanting to ingest more than a few sips. It's not gross. It's just not good.

Jones Soda Candy Cane Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), gum acacia, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Red #40

A 12 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 44 g carbs (44 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com

As we look at the 2011 Jones Soda Holiday Flavors, it's time to explore Jones Soda Sugar Plum Soda. Don't miss our reviews on some of the other flavors, including Ginger Bread Soda and Pear Tree Soda.

Like the rest of the 2011 Holiday Flavors, Sugar Plum is a returning flavor, having first appeared in 2006 (with HFCS) and then again in 2007 (with sugar). Purple & black are the primary colors used on the 2011 label, with a submitted photo (#1229619) by Bekah Kurtaneck of Warsaw, IN, on the front. It's a kid dressed up like a reindeer, and the nose color matches the purple on the bottle packaging. Nice touch!

Once you pop the cap you are greeted with something fruit-smelling, probably from the grape family. Sweetness is obvious just from the scent. The purple-tinted liquid supports the smell, also sweet, but not overtly so.

The flavor is light and quite hard to place, to be honest. I'd say to most closely parallels a very weak grape soda, but with a cleaner aftertaste. This is a beverage that would probably fall into the lemon-lime category of uses by not being overpowering, thus more appropriate to compliment food.

Jones Soda Sugar Plum Soda
Carbonated water, inverted can sugar, natural and artificial flavors, phosphoric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), Red #40, Blue #1

A 12 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 35 mg sodium, and 44 g carbs (44 g sugars). Caffeine free.

Official Website: JonesSoda.com