So long KingOfSoda.com!

For about the last decade or so I've hosted KingOfSoda.com and KingOfSodas.com - my former domain names for this site.  While I still plan to maintain this site, I'm not getting as much out of the domains themselves as I originally thought I would.  For that reason, the site and all its contents will be at the original http://kingofsoda.blogspot.com site.  I don't suspect any trouble or lack of traffic (most of the traffic comes from subscribers or google anyway).
Please let me know if you have any trouble!

-Mike Shinn, Soda King

News: Biography Channel's Food Factory to Feature Reed's

I was sent this link by a coworker who saw the Biography Channel's Food Factory episode.  It looks great!  While I'm generally not a huge fan of Reed or Virgil's, I have nothing against the brand or companies themselves - good for them for making a good and consistent product!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biography-channels-food-factory-feature-203200295.html

News: Fizzio annouced at Starbucks!

Starbucks announced this week that it will be fizzing up its own line of sodas.  There will be Lemon Ale, Spiced Root Beer and Golden Ginger Ale.  I like the thought that companies see the trend towards independent sodas.  Starbucks has long picked up on trends like this and for a long time carried the Izze line of sodas.  I'll give a shot on the Spiced Root Beer - maybe it will taste like Gales!

Read the press release:
http://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-expands-cold-beverage-line-up-with-new-fizzio-handcrafted-sodas-a

Dry Vanilla Bean - 7 thumbs up!

It is not often that I find a soda these days that I haven't tried before.  The June issue of Food Network Magazine (I dare not repost the content) features craft sodas that you can find throughout the USA.  I was sad to see that I had tried nearly every one!

Fortunately I discovered the DRY Vanilla Bean soda while at the Deckers cafeteria last week.

This soda was great!  It was exactly as described - dry and with a vanilla bean taste.  It went well with lunch!

7 thumbs up.

Birthday Tasting!

If you're looking for something interesting and different to do for your birthday this year, do what I did: Soda BBQ.  I had a bunch of friends over for a bar-b-que and brought out a couple of dozen sodas.  We tasted (and I rated) these over a couple of hours.  It was a lot of fun, especially to see the different facial expressions as people heard, smelled and tasted some of the more exotic drinks.
Pictured are Billy Jankowski and Nicholas Dezan as well as part of my torso.

Ramune Sangaria – 5

Ramune Sangaria – 5

Just an okay flavor - mostly like seltzer.  This has barely any sangria taste.  Still, it passes as a decent soda.  Thank you to Ben Farber for finding this one for me!

Oogave Vanilla Cream - 5

Oogave Vanilla Cream - 5

Not as good as the watermelon cream soda, but not bad either.  This soda was a on the bland side.  Thank you to Ben Farber for getting this one for me!

Jelly Belly Tangerine – 6

Jelly Belly Tangerine – 6 thumbs up

This soda has a strong tangerine flavor but definitely tastes artificial.  It's worth a try, especially if you like a nice consistent orange coloring.  It tastes, as intended, like the jelly bean flavor.  Thank you to Brian Donovan for picking this up for me!

Oogave Agave Watermelon Cream - 7

Oogave Agave Watermelon Cream - 7
A good cream soda is not easy to come by.  This was not bad at all.  It didn't abandon the cream for the watermelon flavor.  It is also not overpowering or too strong.  Not bad!
Thank you Ben Farber for finding this one for me.

Wold Market Rasperry Soda – 7

Wold Market Rasperry Soda – 7 thumbs up

From Italy, this soda has a refreshing great taste that is not too powerful.  I could buy this several times and enjoy at a party if I wasn't passing out two dozen terrible sodas for my friends to sample.  This soda would be great with vanilla ice cream in a float.  Enjoy!