johnnie ryan soda

Since starting this blog a few months ago, I've been searching constantly to find new and unusual sodas. (The beers don't seem to be as difficult to find. All I need is to take another trip to BRAVO Supermarket, where the selection is outrageous. And my mom (hi mom!) just told me that the next time I visit her, we are going on a "beer run" to various markets in her area. So I'm not so worried about that.)

But, again, the soda situation has become increasingly difficult in my general area (around home/around work). So it was a great surprise to me when Murray's Cheese, which has an outpost near my office, started carrying new sodas. One of them is Johnnie Ryan Soda -- a beverage I had never heard of! Hailing from Niagra, NY, Ryan has 6 flavors: Cola, Cherry, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Root Beer, and Orange.  No diet, no frills. Just good, old fashioned flavors.

I haven't been able to taste-test them all yet, but I did manage to try the Cream Soda and the Cola. This cream soda is decidedly clear, unlike the red cream sodas that I kept coming across in Kansas City. The Cola is good, but nothing memorable. The cream soda I would go back to again.

I think the caps are great. Individual to the beverage they are capping, different colors, and with a lovely star/hat/wand design that is a little bit retro, and a little bit "I'm into magic." Nice. I like that they don't use black lettering on the color background, and there is a simplicity to the caps that are really quite lovely. According to their website, their "retro" design is courtesy of a tattoo artist. Go figure! Check out their fun facts.

I'll definitely go back to Murray's to get the full line. As soon as I need some more cheese, which, as Michael will attest to, is never a problem for me. Murray's, when is your next beer & cheese pairing? I want in!