Brooklyn Crafted Mango ginger beer: I was hopeful about this fruit-flavored ginger beer, which I found at Brooklyn Fare in downtown Brooklyn. Purchased in a set of four bottles, the apricot-tinted drink contains bits of ginger sediments throughout. Sadly, the soda drank very sweet, reminding me of generic fruit-flavored gelatin snacks you can get from Asian grocery stores in the candy aisle. The ginger flavor was faintly present, mostly visually rather than in taste. 2.5/5.0
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Choya Yowanai Yuzu Soda: Japanese soda flavored with yuzu and lime. Has a pleasantly tangy and sharp citrus flavor that is generally enjoyable, though it does verge on too-sweet if you drink the whole can. Still, it has a sourness that you don't typically find in American lemonade drinks. A great flavor for those who looking for a more punchy citrus drink. Purchased at Bang Bar in Manhattan. 3.5/5.0
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Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Celery Soda: I recently had my first celery soda from Court St Bottlers, so when I saw this old-school Dr. Brown's can, I decided to do a comparison. While Dr. Brown's design aims for nostalgia and the company has been around since 1869, it's also helpful to know they're now owned by Pepsi-Co. This celery soda was less balanced than the Court St Bottlers one, tasting more like a peppery Sprite because of its sweetness. You could taste some anise flavor, so it wasn't all sugar water, but it was just OK... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Grocers Bottling Co Celery Soda: I've been finding it hard to write snack reviews recently, mostly because I haven't had the time to seek out specialty items that excite me and motivate me to keep writing. But I finally made it out to Court St Grocers in Carroll Gardens this weekend. I've been meaning to check out Court St Grocers ever since I tried their excellent soda offerings at BYGGYZ (RIP), my formerly favorite sandwich shop in NYC. Unfortunately, BYGGYZ didn't have all Grocers Bottling Co (a spin-out from Court St... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Choya Yowanai Ume Soda: This Japanese soda is made by drink-maker Choya, who seems to specialize in liquors. This non-alcoholic soda was purchased from Momofuku Bang Bar in NYC, and while it has what appears to be a peach or nectarine on the can, it's ume-flavored, which is a type of Japanese plum. The drink has a really distinct fruit flavor that is unlike any other fruit soda I've had before – slightly tangy, it reminds me of those asian pickled plum candies, but as if all the sourness typically associated with... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Fitz's Root Beer: I went to a conference in St. Louis earlier in the year, and since people are always talking about St. Louis barbecue, I checked out a recommended spot called Pappy's Smokehouse. Alongside my meal, I chose among around 8 different flavored sodas from a local brand called Fitz's, including an atomic purple Grape Soda and intriguing cream soda. I ended up going for root beer, a classic and usually my top choice if there isn't a ginger beer option. The soda is made with cane sugar rather tha... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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