BevNerd Tribute - Haribo Happy-Cola Gummies

These gummies were a little disappointing. I didn’t expect them to super taste like cola, because Jason didn’t think they tasted too much like cola, but I still WANTED them to taste like cola. Oh well. In general, these were good gummies. If you like gummies these are definitely worth a shot. If you’re looking to satisfy a cola craving then pass.

Check out Jason from BevNerd’s comments in the video below:

BevNerd Tribute - Yorkie Bar

On today's BevNerd tribute post I'll be reviewing the Yorkie Bar from the UK - it's not for girls. I don’t know why this bar is “only for girls,” but I bought one anyways. Take that, Nestle UK! To see Jason from BevNerd's review of this bar check out the video at the end of this post. For more info on the Yorkie bar and to see what it looks like out of the package visit the Wikipedia page.

This is a 100% milk chocolate bar. It’s sort of like a Hersey’s bar but the sections are much larger. Honestly, one of the sections is kind of a lot of chocolate to eat in one bite. I bit mine in half. But maybe that’s just because I’m a girl and I can’t handle it, or something. The whole bar is a substantial amount of chocolate. I started eating it because I had a candy craving and let me tell you, this definitely satisfied my craving. The bar was pretty good. It doesn’t taste like Hersey’s. It tastes a little like the “chocolate flavored” candy you get at Christmas and Easter. If you like milk chocolate, and want a serious amount of chocolate, I recommend this. Just don’t expect it to be the best chocolate you’ve ever had.

BevNerd Tribute - Zapp's

Hello junkfoodies and fellow BevNerdians! Welcome to the first review of my BevNerd tribute week. For more info on the tribute, visit this post.

The first review I'm going to do is of Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators. Jason from BevNerd reviewed these on January 28th Episode 33. You can watch his review below, at the end of my post. I've been assured by my former-Louisiana-inhabiting boyfriend that Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators are a Louisiana brand. This means 2 things. 1) The closer you are to Louisiana the cheaper they'll probably be and 2) they taste pretty authentic. I bought mine from World Market so I knew they were going to be a little pricey. They definitely don't break the bank or anything though.

These chips are kettle cooked, which I love, so they’re nice and crunchy and satisfying. When I opened my bag I noticed that mine were a different color from Jason’s. Mine were darker and way more seasoned. I tasted much more of the spices than he did. They taste almost like a barbeque chip with some zing (or zap, if you will). I don’t know how many of you have tried Tony Chachere’s seasoning but this chip tastes like it was lightly seasoned with Tony’s. If you haven’t tried Tony’s, this chip does have a cajun taste and some spice. If you’re partial to kettle cooked chips and/or cajun spices I definitely recommend these. They are really good!

For Jason’s review, check out this video:

Zuberfizz Key Lime Cream Soda

Please excuse my dirty kitchen counter and wall(?). I usually try to clean up before I take a picture but since this was a spur or the moment drink I didn't get a chance to clean. I went to World Market with Brian so he and a friend could get some beer so I, of course, picked up a few sodas. The first thing I noticed about this drink is that it had a sweet, lime smell – exactly like key lime pie. The last thing I noticed was its color. It was the last thing I noticed because the bottle is very dark. When I had almost finished it I started to wonder what color it was. I held it to the light and could see a distinct green color. I poured a little in a glass and, to my surprise, it was bright green. Way brighter than key lime pie. I’m not usually partial to cream soda, but this key lime twist really hit the spot for me. It was smooth, sweet and had a hint of lime. The name of the company is Zuberfizz and the tag line is "feel the fizz." I didn't feel too much fizz, but it tasted exactly like what you would expect it to, which is delicious. If you like key lime pie and/or cream soda I definitely recommend this one. 4.5/5 stars

World Market Sodas

I bought 9 different sodas from World Market recently and have decided to document my tasty findings.

1. Coco Fizz Chocolate Soda, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, zuberfizz.com
This is the first one I tried. I got impatient after I got home and was craving something sweet so I popped this one open before it was ice cold. But hey, I like warm soda anyways. This definitely tasted chocolaty. Much more than, say, chocolate beer. However, it didn't taste exactly like chocolate but like chocolate flavor. It sorta tasted like a carbonated Yoo-Hoo. A better explanation might be that it tasted like a liquid, carbonated chocolate lollipop. It was pretty good, but by the end of it I was kind of tired of it. I give it 3/5 stars.

2. Bubble Up, produced by Dad's Root Beer Company and bottled by OrcaBeverage Soda Works, dadsrootbeer.com & orcabeverage.com
A lot of the sodas I bought are sweet and sugary, and since I had just eaten some strawberry yogurt French toast I opted for this "Crisp and Refreshing Lemon Lime Soda" instead. Lemon and lime, indeed. It tastes pretty similar to Sprite and 7up. Despite its name, the drink is significantly less bubbly than Sprite. In fact, I think I prefer it over Sprite for just that reason. I would definitely drink this one again but don't plan on driving back to World Market and buying them out so I give it 4/5 stars.

3. NuGrape, Orca Beverage Soda Works, orcabeverage.com
I was really hesitant to buy this one because I hate all things that are supposed to taste like grape. Don't get me wrong, I love grapes, I just hate grape flavor. This soda tasted exactly like what I suspected grape soda would taste like. My roommate said it tasted like Fanta. I think it smelled like Dimetapp. I didn't hate this one; it was better than a lot of other grape tasting things I've had. I personally give this 3/5 starts but if you're into grape-flavored things this is probably right up your alley.

4. Creme, Boylan Bottling Co., boylanbottling.com
This soda was SO SWEET. Goodness, it was like drinking candy. It wasn't a bad tasting candy, just a super sweet candy. I don't think I've had any other creme soda before, so maybe that's just what it tastes like? I don't know. You all will have to enlighten me. I give it 2.5/5 stars, just because if someone offered it to me I would probably pass.

5. Orange, Boylan Bottling Co., boylanbottling.com
Per recent (and vintage) trends in soda, this one is sweeted with cane sugar instead of refined sugar. But the 'healthiness' doesn't stop there. The list of ingredients is pretty short and it has mandarin and tangerine oils. Are fruit oils healthy? Maybe not. I'm not really an expert. I just know that since they're something semi natural from an actual fruit it makes me feel better about it. I wish I could say that I prefer this one over the next orange soda, but I don't. As much as I wanted to like it, there was something sort of off about the taste. Maybe it's the healthiness. The odd taste isn't bad so I give it 3/5 stars.

6. Nesbitt's of California Orange, Orca Beverage Soda Works, orcabeverage.com
This one has cane sugar as well but also has more ingredients that I can't pronouce, less natural flavor, and more artificial color. And boy, does it taste pretty close to mass produced, commercial, bad for you orange soda (read: Sunkist, Fanta Orange, etc). Because of that, I prefer this orange soda over the above. If this were cheaper than or the same price as a 2 L of any other orange soda I would be tempted to pick this one. Accordingly, I give it 4/5 stars.

7. Americana Delicious Vintage Black Cherry, Orca Beverage Soda Works, orcabeverage.com
When I was reading the descriptions and ingredients of both of my black cherry sodas I wanted to like this one. It’s made with real cane sugar and is “healthier.” However, I just didn’t like it. Something about the taste just seemed off to me. I’m starting to think that I just don’t like cane sugar flavored sodas. Brian and I both tried this, and he preferred this one over the other one. So, if you like black cherry soda there’s a chance you’ll like this one. I’ll give it 3/5 stars, just like the cane sugar soda 2 reviews up.

8. Black Cherry, Boylan Bottling Co., boylanbottling.com
Like I said in the above review, I preferred this black cherry soda. The flavor was just more on the ball with what I thought a black cherry soda should taste like. Brian didn’t like it, but I’m going to give it 3.5/5 stars. It wasn’t the greatest soda, but it was definitely better than the one above it.

9. Pig Iron Cola, Orca Beverage Soda Works, pigironbbq.com
I love Cola. It’s my favorite soda hands down. I was really looking forward to trying this one and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. In fact, it’s probably one of the best colas I’ve ever had. If it were cheaper, I would probably buy it over Coke/Pepsi. Given the price, it’s right up there with my love of RC Cola. As Brian says it “finishes really well,” and doesn’t leave you with the syrupy heaviness of most colas. Just great taste. I give it 5/5 stats.