Northern Soda Company Black Berry

I stopped by Remix quickly this past week to grab another can of Northern Soda:

Brand: Northern Soda Company Black Cherry. 

Origin: Arden Hills, MN.

Purchase Place: Remix, St. Paul, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar.

Review: First of all, it took me a few glances to realize this said "Black BERRY" and not "Black CHERRY." I didn't know if it was "blackberry" flavored (which is ONE word according to the dictionary), or if it was like a deep "berry" version of "black cherry" (which would be a good reason for making it TWO words like it appears on the label).

 

Well, I can't tell you if it's "blackberry" or black berry" after tasting it, but it doesn't matter. Because it was TASTY. It had a rich, deep flavor, but it wasn't heavy and/or syrupy. It was light and fresh, but far from weak! My wife usually doesn't share my soda taste (I'm OK with syrupy, and she's not), but she loved this one as well. This was my favorite Northern Soda by far!

(See more cans of Northern Soda at Remix in this post from July.)

Score: 9 out of 10.

 

Spring Grove Limited Edition Rhu-berry

It was Spring Grove soda that made me want to start this blog. Now, they have a "new limited edition" flavor, and even though it sounded strange, I had to try it.

In my beautiful basement classroom where I teach.

Brand: Spring Grove Limited Edition Rhu-berry.

Origin: Spring Grove, MN

Purchase Place: Blue Sun Soda, Spring Lake Park, MN.

Sweetener: Cane Sugar and Corn Syrup.

Review: It had "natural rhubarb flavor" listed as an ingredient, and I wasn't sure what that would taste like. (You know how cherry soda is a very different cherry flavor than ACTUAL cherries, but we're all cool with that?) Turns out, it's kind of disgusting. It has a berry sweetness, followed by a strong, sharp rhubarb kick that is very unpleasant. I could only tolerate a few sips. Good thing this is a "limited edition" - hopefully it goes away ASAP.

Score: 1 out of 10.

Fitz's Hip Hop Pop

I needed a caffeine boast, so I grabbed this cola that looked like a 50's Diner earlier today:

Brand: Fitz's Hip Hop Pop.

Origin: St. Louis, MO.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: All natural pure cane sugar.

Review: This first sip blew me away. I was expecting "regular" cola, but there was a berry punch. Cherry cola, maybe? I checked their website, and they only say "lots of raspberry and other berry flavors blended with our sugar cane cola along with a caffeine kicker." I didn't really get "raspberry," but I DID like it. A lot. It was a little sugary and syrupy, but not too much. It went down so easily. I've only had this Fitz soda and their root beer, and both were great, so I need to find some more Fitz's!

Score: 9 out of 10.

Hank's Premium Highland Berry Soda

It's been hot. I grabbed this to cool down today:

Brand: Hank's Premium Highland Berry Soda.

Origin: Philadelphia, PA.

Purchase Place: "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store," Jordan, MN.

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Review: This could practically be called a "creme" soda. It's very smooth and sugary. It's also practically a "black cherry" flavor, so if this were labeled "black cherry creme soda" instead of "highland berry," I'd have believed it. (What's a "highland berry" anyway?) It's good. It's rich and sweet. Worth a try.

Score: 7 out of 10.