jelly belly

Jelly beans have always had a special place in my heart.  It's hard to find really good ones, though. Michael and I are fans of the Starburst jelly beans, but we eat them only around Easter. Conversely, I'd eat Jelly Belly jelly beans any time of the year -- they've always been the best. When I was a kid, my sister taught me the special art of mixing Jelly Belly flavors together in just the right combination, producing an explosion of flavor in your mouth.

I admit that Jelly Belly had lost me for a while with those Harry Potter jelly beans. (Snot? Dirt? Not what I want to be for jelly bean flavors. And while I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books, I can't imagine how these tie in. Faithful readers, help me out here. Does Harry Potter seriously eat dirt in these books? What is the meaning of these flavors?)

During my last few trips to candy stores, I saw that Jelly Belly had some soda flavors that looked pretty delicious: Dr. Pepper (!) 7Up, Orange Crush and, of course, Root Beer (A&W). Touche, Jelly Belly.

But the ultimate? I recently noticed Jelly Belly SODA in a few bodegas and supermarkets. Now there is something I can get behind. And do they have an awesome bottle cap? YES. Check it:

Unfortunately, the sodas taste like crap. They seem to subscribe to the Mexican theory of sodas: the sweeter, the better. Michael and I tried the Blueberry flavored soda, and I think we each only had a sip before we spit it out and drained the rest in the sink. I do not have high hopes for the other flavors. But I will continue to be excited for a bottle cap with a jelly bean on it. Bravo.