jolt - guest post by michael

Michael Lober here. When I was growing up in a small town in the lower Midwest, the principal weekend activity consisted of driving your car (or your parents' car) up and down the main street of the town. It was called cruising. We looped around the library, headed up toward the Wal-Mart, and then turned around in a turnabout by the town diner. Occasionally, when we spotted cars we recognized, we pulled over into the bank parking lot and discussed how there was nothing to do. It was a blast.

In the summer, these cruising sessions lasted upwards of five hours (gas, of course, was much less expensive then), and involved multiple trips to the nearby convenience stores. Mountain Dews were a popular stimulant of choice, but if we needed a real pick-me-up, we reached for cans of Jolt Cola. Jolt based its entire product around its caffeine content; its slogan at the time was "All the sugar and twice the caffeine." When I first consumed it, I feared that I wouldn't be able to sleep for days. But I never usually felt that differently. Its main effect seemed to be more trips than usual to the McDonald's bathroom.

Like most people, I drank Jolt only for the caffeine, not for the taste, which I must have repressed. Lauren, Caroline, Ryan, and I found a bottle in Straubs in St. Louis over the holiday breaks, and I was excited to relive a bit of my adolescence. But, as the saying goes, you can't go home again. I was disappointed to find that Jolt Cola tastes like chemicals with a splash of Coke, and has no more caffeine than coffee. I dig the lightening bolt on the cap and the funky font, but if you're not consuming Jolt while cruising the streets of a small town, then, really, what's the point?

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!

northwest microbrews

In January, I had an opportunity to take an extremely short trip to Seattle.  I was there for roughly 24 hours to take in a few meetings and then hopped on a red-eye back to New York City. It wasn't my first time to the West Coast, but it was my first time to the Pacific Northwest, and despite the shortness of the trip, I had a blast and can't wait to go back there for a longer stretch to explore the city.

I did manage to snag three amazing bottle caps to add to my repertoire. Across the street from my hotel was an amazing deli that had a wide variety of sandwiches, breakfast options, beers, sodas and micro-brews.  I was in heaven!  It was a little overwhelming with so many selections, though I'm not ashamed to admit that I purchased my beverages based SOLELY on the bottle caps.

Alas, I do not know the name of one!  Bottle cap designers be forewarned -- if you do not put the name of your company/beverage on your bottle cap, people like me wills not remember you in the long run.  Anyone with insight into the names of these companies so that they can get their proper due, do not hesitate to reach out! 

Let's start with what we do know.  Cricket Cola is described as an alternative to Coke & Pepsi.  I believe it includes green tea (or at least my bottle did!).  I think it is an acquired taste, but I definitely liked it.  I enjoyed the bottle cap even more. I mean, come on, it says "Twist for happiness." I'm a softie for things like that. You'll notice that it's in this blog's hall of fame. Obviously.

Next on the list from Seattle are two root beers.  This one:

Is apparently Henry Weinhard's Soda -- and there are quite a variety of caps within the company.  There is "Can't Top This," "Mmm, My Favorite," "Flip My Lid," "Roll Out the Barrel," and "Heads Up!" (Thanks, BottleCap.net!)  I desperately wanted to get a bunch of caps, but with limited time and limited funds available, I could only get one (and I also didn't want to look like a complete lunatic to the woman at the checkout counter.)  It makes me always want to travel with friends in order to get the most out of deli outings. Where were you, Michael Lober?

The other root beer I purchased has a beautiful design with snow-capped mountains/pyramids:

If anyone knows what this brand is, let me know!  I do remember that it was a root beer, and that it was quite tasty. Not like some of the fruit-flavored sodas I've been taste testing recently.  And 100% better than a Malta.  In fact, I wish I had one of these to chase the next Malta I have to drink! Oh, Goya Malta, why do you haunt my dreams?....

china cola, marathon & more malta

You would think that a product with a name like "china cola" would a) be from china and b) maybe have a panda on it or even some bamboo. But no. It's actually an American soda, with some natural herbs (the company claims the herbs are imported in from China).  Anyway, China Cola isn't too bad. At first sip it tastes somewhat like Coca Cola, but with a funny, lime-like aftertaste.  If it was the only cola left on the planet, and I really had a craving, I would probably go ahead and have another one. But with real Coca Cola still around, I think that I'll pass if ever offered China Cola again.

Next on the agenda is Marathon Beer. Procured at a local Greek grocery store, Marathon has an excellent bottle cap with a crown and some runners.  It invokes not only an actual marathon, but Greece as well!  Good job, Marathon Beer. I approve of your bottle cap!  The beer, well, it tastes like Budweiser. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I was hoping for something a little more, I don't know.... Greek. In a pinch, I'd drink it again.  There is nothing inherently unpleasant about it!

Last on the list today is... another Malta.  Malta Vitarroz.  I enlisted my sister to try this one, because I'm done with maltas. The last one did me in. Once opened, the aroma is very off-putting.  But it doesn't taste as badly as it smells.  The taste might best be described as halva-ish with a vaguely rice-y aftertaste. The only other Malta I've noticed in the neighborhood is Goya Malta.  That is for another day....and I may have to find someone else to taste test Goya!