Sprecher Root Beer: The first time I had Sprecher was at Momofuku Saam Bar in 2010, and I remember loving its layered, somewhat musty flavor, as if it had been left in a barrel for a bit too long. I purchased it after not having had it for several years, and it was far sweeter than I remembered, though it did have a pleasant spiced sweetness and notes of vanilla. Despite the sweetness, I still find the flavor to be distinctive and worth a try. 3.0/5.0
drinks soda rootbeer sprecher root beer 3.0
The Juice Collective Homemade ginger soda: The Juice Collective is a shop in Berkeley that serves meals and drinks to go out of a narrow kitchen. I stopped by on a whim to check out their offerings and had to try their ginger soda given how much I love ginger drinks. The soda is thirst quenching and very well balanced, with an ideal level of sweetness (honey) and a bit of citrus (lemon). After taking a sip, the spicy ginger heat leaves an incredibly invigorating tingle in your throat for minutes. I don't think I've ever had a gin... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional thejuicecollective homemade ginger soda 4.5
Natural Brew Outrageous Ginger Beer: I'm likely to purchase any ginger beer I haven't tried before, and this brand was no exception. Its spicy ginger flavor is more potent than most, though I did find the drink overall to be on the sweet side. Generally decent - probably somewhere in the top 40% of ginger beers I've had. 3.0/5.0
drinks soda gingerbeer naturalbrew outrageous ginger beer 3.0
Alasehir Sarikz strawberry flavored sparking water: Purchased from the Turkish grocery store Sevan in Watertown, this brand of sparkling water comes in an assortment of fruit flavors. The stout green bottle provides just enough beverage to accompany a small meal. Flavorwise, the strawberry drink reminded me of fruit-flavored paste sometimes used in dental cleaning. Largely artificial, and not a drink I would purchase again. 2.0/5.0
drinks soda turkish alasehir sarikz strawberry flavored water 2.0 sparkling
Tower Ginger Beer: Soda with poorly designed packaging tends to be very authentic - they're created by small distributors who don't have a marketing/branding team. Tower, a Boston-based soda company that's apparently been around since 1914, falls into this category. Upon further research, I found that Tower was actually founded in Somerville. The ginger beer soda is very strong, with a sharp spicy flavor, but the aftertaste was a bit strange and musty. Somehow, though, this adds to its authenticity. Purch... (read more) 3.0/5.0
soda drinks broadwaymarketplace boston somerville tower ginger beer 3.0
Tomarchio Limonata Sparkling Lemon Soda: A nicely balanced acidic soda that's slightly reminiscent of Mountain Dew, but just for a second. The sizing of the can makes it feel more filling than a typical 12oz, though it's all psychological I think. 3.5/5.0
recommended italian drinks tomarchio limonata sparkling lemon soda 3.5