In the past at BevReview, we have discusses multiple drinks from Zola Acai, ranging from Superfruit Juice to the many smoothie varieties. In this installment, we look at the Zola Acai Daily Wellness Shot. Because of the many reviews already on Zola, for information about the Acai berry or the Zola company, it may be helpful to look at the Superfruit Juice review.

The Daily Wellness Shot is an intriguing idea. It combines the positives of the Acai berry into a small, quick shot that can be ingested daily for supposed health benefits, such as (they claim) protecting the body from free radicals, helping the immune system, and giving energy.

The shots come in a large 32-ounce bottle, and the recommended dosage is one ounce per day, although according to the label more can be taken each day. The active ingredient list is as follows: "26,000 Proprietary Organic Acai Blend (Organic Acai Puree & Organic Acai Juice Powder) And Organic Acerola Juice." (As an interesting side note, the active ingredients seemed to be printed in a right justified font, so the third line is kind of stretched out. Just a funny aesthetic quirk I noticed.) The other main ingredient is organic apple juice. The product contains soy, but is gluten free.

As far as the look of the drink goes, wow! That is a dark purple. I would keep this away from clothing, because it definitely looks like it stains. It has the look of straight cranberry juice concentrate before water is added. The smell is that of a strong berry; it is very concentrated. This scent is similar to their other products, just more intense, and has that familiar Acai aroma.

The taste is not bad. It looks much more intense than it tastes. There is a little bit of a tang to it, and a slight aftertaste, but there is a feeling of an energy burst that follows, so maybe that is some of the health benefit or just the feeling of drinking something fresh tasting. It could definitely be the Acerola juice coming through. The feel is similar to that of drinking prune juice, both in color and in taste. In addition, the consistency of the drink is slightly thick, but very much in line with other Zola products.

Overall, the taste is very potable, which, for a health supplement is all that is really needed in that realm. If you choose to drink the Zola Acai Daily Wellness Shot, you are probably doing it for health reasons and not for only taste. As I stated previously, however, the taste is not bad and really less intense than the look of the drink seems to indicate. You will have to decide if the cost and health benefits are worthwhile for your individual needs.

2009 is no exception, except that Jones Soda went with a bunch of reruns this year, showcasing 3 bottled drinks and 4 familiar cans. We've reviewed every one of these flavors before, so for your reference, here's our take on the tastes in this year's lineup:

• Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda
• Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda
• Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda
• Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda
• Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda
• Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda
• Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda

Jones Soda Blood Orange Soda

This flavor first appeared in 2008 as a unique take on orange. "It's fruity, but also bitter and somewhat grapefruit-like. Could be better, but as a limited time offering, not bad."

Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda

Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda

Also a carryover from 2008, where we weren't much of a fan. "With a name like Jones Soda Dread Apple Soda, you'd hope for a great new take on an apple soft drink. Well, unless you like carbonated Jolly Rancher candy, you aren't going to find it. It comes up short."

Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda

Jones Soda Monster Mojito Soda

A Halloween veteran flavor, first appearing in 2006, then back in 2007, last year, and once again in 2009. "Somewhat medicinal in taste, has a dash of citrus and a unique taste."

Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda

Jones Soda Spooookiwi Soda

Returning flavor from 2008 that tastes a lot like a Strawberry Jolly Rancher candy. "Just a tad bit kiwi, with a strong influence of strawberry. Overall, a very drinkable 8 oz. novelty beverage from Jones."

Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda

Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda

"Featuring more of an herbal-infused taste instead of the expected cherry or pomegranate flavors, Jones Soda Buried Pomegranate Soda surprises the tastebuds… and that's not a bad thing." New in 2008, returns for 2009.

Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda

Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda

"Jumping back to the original 2006 flavor, Jones Soda Lemon Drop Dead Soda revives the lemon-lime-without-the-lime drink category by dropping the sour flavor of 2007's version and delivers a very sweet, but uniquely bitter tasting beverage."

Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda

Returning for a record 5th appearance as part of the Jones Soda Halloween collection, it's the gag reflex-inducing Jones Soda Candy Corn Soda… a drink we ceremoniously described a few years back as "dirty urine". Yeah, do you really want to try this one?

It's too bad we didn't see any new flavors in 2009, but for those of you who like (at least some) of the Halloween tastes, you are in luck!

Win this Starbucks Prize Pack

The kind folks at Starbucks dropped me a line the other day and asked me to spread the word about a new website they just launched called EnergyPlusCoffee.com. What's it all about? Well, it's a website designed for you to be distracted and entertained, keeping you from doing work while you are actually at work. (Wait a minute… isn't that why you are visiting BevReview? Hmmm….)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
(Click for review)

It's actually a pretty clever idea in that it looks like a standard news site, but has embedded features that do cool things (besides doing this beverage review thing, my "day job" is working with Web development, so I appreciate this stuff… trust me!) Of interest is the "Boss Cam" that activates any internal webcams you might have on your computer, creating an electronic "mirror" that you can use to see if anyone is walking up behind you.

Visit EnergyPlusCoffee.com

There's also some humorous video situations presented via webisodes (if you remember Sierra Mist's Summer 2007 campaign for Lemon Squeeze, you'll get the idea). You'll also find some embedded Flash games such as a version of Tetris called "Meeting Blocks" and a Breakout-clone called "CellBreak".

So, I know what you are saying to yourself. "That's great, Steve. But what's in it for me? And how come Starbucks hasn't gone after you like the folks at Monster?" Well, I'll just answer that first question, thank you very much. (We'll leave the 2nd question for our crack legal folks!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
(Click for review)

See, here's the idea… You are at work, yet who really wants to work? One way to stay awake during this whole process is by partaking of a Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee beverage (ah, see that product placement there… and we're not even as bad as The Jay Leno Show on NBC!) If you recall, we actually have reviewed all of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks before… and I actually found them to be pretty good. Of course, as I mentioned, I'm not a coffee drinker, so if they're pretty good to me, I'm assuming someone else just adores them! To recap the flavors:

• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Mocha
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Vanilla
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee

So, combine these drinks with EnergyPlusCoffee.com and you'll have a grand ole time!

But wait, what if you don't have any of these drinks? I'm glad you asked, because I'd like to hook you up.

Prizes

Starbucks has provided me with 5 Prize Packs to giveaway. And when you are in a recession, what's better than free stuff?

The Starbucks Prize Pack includes:

• Stealth Switch™
• $5 Starbucks® Card
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

The Prize Pack is valued at $30, which isn't too bad given that you pay nothing to read this website, right? Oh, and you may be wondering about that "Stealth Switch" thing. I was too. Officially, it's "the World's first desktop cloaking device. StealthSwitch™ uses patent pending technology to instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just minimized, they are made invisible." Seriously, go check out their website. (Note that it only works on Windows machines. Mac folks like myself are kinda out of luck, but hey, think of the profits you could generate on eBay!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
(Click for review)

So, I'd love to give you this stuff. But first you need to do something for me. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Let's get creative and go over the rules…

Contest Rules:

1. Reply to this post
   • Don't forget to include your e-mail address (which will be hidden) so you can be contacted should you win
2. Share an idiot-story about someone you have worked with
   • Obviously, you have, ahem, focused on work all the time, right? Others, not so much. So let the dirty laundry fly! Share the story of a coworker or boss that did something to just make your eyes roll. One story per post, please (which means you can share multiple stories, thus giving you multiple entries!)
3. Entries are due by Tuesday, November 3 at midnight CST.
4. Enter as many times as you'd like!
5. 5 winners will be announced no later than November 5
• We'll be using a random selection model, however you can improve your chances by being creative in your storytelling!
6. Contest limited to folks in the continental United States

Pretty easy, huh?

So, let's recap… new website to visit, opportunity to share funny work stories, and chance to win free Starbucks stuff. Sounds good!

Shameless Self Promotion
But wait, here's the plea from your humble little BevReview Editor. You see, the folks at Starbucks, they are kinda sneaky. Obviously, they want me to tell you about EnergyPlusCoffee.com and promote their energy drinks. But to sweeten the pot a bit, they've actually had the nerve to pit BevReview.com against other blogs in a blogger-vs-blogger contest to see who can get the most entries in our contests. (Those of you studying social media marketing, take note!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
(Click for review)

So, for the 2 week period of the contest, the Contest Overlords at Starbucks will be watching the entries closely. Not only will they be providing you prizes for our contest, but they will also be awarding the Top 3 site owners with prizes as well based on contest volume. That probably doesn't mean as much to you, since you always have a chance to win. But as a person who runs these things, I always have to exempt myself from the prizes, so to get a chance to actually win something is rather cool. They're offering site owners the same Starbucks Prize Packs, along with a branded messenger bag and a pretty cool set of noise canceling headphones.

Care about the happiness and overall welfare of BevReview.com? Help us beat the pants off these other sites participating in the contest. Don't just do it for me. Do it for beverage-review-websites-that-always-feature-photos-of-trees everywhere! It's your duty (and thanks!)

The Fine Print
Believe it or not, sometimes review websites get into legal trouble. Thus, please pardon us while we rattle off this fine print that Starbucks asked us to post in regards to this contest:

• This promotion is solely sponsored by BevReview.com and has not been endorsed or approved by North American Coffee Partnership. By entering, you agree to look solely to Steve Tanner & BevReview.com for any claims in connection therewith, and not the North American Coffee Partnership.
• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Subject to Contest guidelines. Open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends 11/3. Void where prohibited.
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee sent me samples of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks and here's what I think. All the opinions expressed here are mine.

Here on BevReview.com, we not only like to review beverages (it's sort of in our name), but also speculate and discuss trends & patterns we often see in the industry. We don't claim to be experts on the matter, but hopefully, we give you something to think about every now and then.

And while we've been reviewing beverages in various capacities since 2001, something interesting happened last week. Apparently, a company didn't like what we were doing and decided to send their lawyers our way. Fun stuff!

Here's the context… I received what appeared to be a legitimate message from a law firm last week, submitted via a web-based contact form attached to my personal discussion forums, TannerWorld Junction. (Without actual mail headers, we cannot confirm if this message is authentic, but we have our hunches.) The message was written in regard to a beverage review I wrote in March 2007 and posted on those forums, in a time before we formally launched BevReview.com.

Monster Energy
(Photo by Steve Tanner, March 2007)

The complaint referred to this review of Monster Energy — which can also be found cross-posted here on BevReview. Just so you know, Monster Energy is owned by Hansen Beverage Company. Read the original review for yourself and see what you think.

Original review via TannerWorld Junction
(Source: forums.tannerworld.com)

For those interested, here's the text of the complaint, received via e-mail on Wednesday, October 7 at 9:31 a.m.

Name:
Legal

E-mail Address:
Legal@ce-ip.com

Comments:

Re: Hansen Beverage Company Trademark Infringement

To Whom It May Concern:

As I am sure you are aware, Hansen Beverage Company ("Hansen") is responsible for the production of the Hansen brand juice, teas and energy drinks and the Monster brand energy drinks. Relative to this business, Hansen owns many valuable designs, trademarks, trade dress and copyrights, which it uses to identify and market its Hansen and Monster brand products ("the Hansen Marks"). The Hansen marks are of great value to Hansen, as they are used to indicate that goods or services are affiliated with and monitored by Hansen. Considering this, every time the Hansen marks appear in the marketplace, Hansen's good name and reputation are on the line.

Hansen Beverage Company
(Source: hansens.com)

Legally, it is the responsibility of trademark owners to protect and control the use of their trademarks. Often the need and obligation to protect its marks places Hansen in a very difficult position. If Hansen allows its marks to be used in any way that does not signify that Hansen is the source of good or service, then the value and meaning of Hansen marks are diminished. If Hansen allows these issues to go unaddressed, it may lose its rights to the Hansen marks.

Hansen is fully aware of the fact that it would not be as successful as it is without the continued passion and devotion of Hansen and Monster enthusiasts. However, the way in which Hansen allows its trademarks to be used is strictly prescribed by law. Hansen simply cannot allow the Hansen marks to be used without its explicit authorization. For this reason, Hansen is forced to consistently monitor the use of the Hansen marks or risk losing ownership of those marks.

Continental Enterprises
(Source: ce-ip.com)

Continental Enterprises ("Continental") has been engaged by Hansen to help control the use of its mark. You are receiving this letter because Continental has received information that you advertised and/or sold products bearing one or more of the Hansen marks, or confusingly similar derivations thereof. We understand that the inclusion of the Hansen marks on your product may have been an oversight. However, on behalf of Hansen, Continental must demand that you discontinue your advertisement and sale of these products.

Upon your receipt and review of this letter, please contact our offices so that we may work toward a resolution of the issue that is satisfactory to all parties involved.

Sincerely,
Darlene R. Seymour
General Counsel
1292 East 91st St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

P 317.818.0523
F 317.566.2453

http://forums.tannerworld.com/showthread.php?t=8751

The firm sending the complaint is identified as Continental Enterprises, which according to their website, "is an intellectual property consulting firm that takes a novel and aggressive approach to brand protection and infringement issues."

After the initial shock wore off, along with questioning "is this for real?", I talked with some associates who run similar websites that also feature reviews. After some consultation, we decided to withhold a response, waiting to see if a second communication would arrive and/or to verify the authenticity of the original complaint.

Well, yesterday, another e-mail arrived in our Inbox, again through the same web contact form. This time it arrived at 1:48 p.m. on October 18:

Name:
Legal Dept

E-mail Address:
Legaldept@ce-ip.com

Comments:

Re: Hansen Beverage Company Intellectual Property

To Whom It May Concern:

I have yet to receive a response to my prior correspondence with you.

Hansen Beverage Company considers this a serious matter and, if you do not take immediate steps to resolve this issue, they will be forced to take more aggressive action to protect their intellectual property rights.

I await your immediate response.

This correspondence is being sent in an attempt to achieve a prompt and informal resolution of this matter, and is thus privileged.

Nothing contained in and/or omitted from this letter or any prior communications is intended to be or should be considered an admission of any fact or a waiver of any right or defense, all of which are expressly reserved.

Sincerely,
Darlene Seymour
General Counsel
1292 East 91st St.
Indianapolis, IN 46240
P 317.818.0523
F 317.566.2453

Link of violation: http://forums.tannerworld.com/showthread.php?t=8751

First of all, to the folks at Hansen and Monster Energy… what the heck? Ever hear of "fair use". I fail to see anything in my reviews that could be considered us having "advertised and/or sold products bearing one or more of the Hansen marks, or confusingly similar derivations thereof."

Of course, the more ironic part… Hansen Beverage Company has previously provided BevReview.com with samples of their beverages for the purposes of online review. Perhaps the marketing/PR department should talk to the legal folks!

What's your take on all this? Post in the comments!

Jones Soda Lime

If you want to learn more about the "whats and whys" of this new line, I recommend reading our first review for more background information.

While there are a lot of lemon-lime drinks out there, you don't find many that are specifically lime. Jones Soda Lime is a refreshing exception. The color is a light green and the scent strongly hints at the lime-flavored origins.

However, when you actually taste the drink, you'll find that the lime isn't as strong as the smell may indicate. It's a lot less bold, lighter, and frankly, pretty tasty. The use of cane sugar produces a very clean experience.

Interestingly, Jones Soda Lime reminded me quite a bit of a 2006 Dessert Pack flavor that the company featured for a limited time around the holidays. Specifically, Jones Soda Key Lime Pie. Here's an excerpt from that review:

Green River was a soft drink developed in the early 20th Century in Chicago, named after the traditional coloring of the Chicago River for St. Patrick's Day. It was a light, citrusy drink, highlighted by a strong lime flavor. You can still find it in places today mostly for the nostalgic value (I had a milkshake flavored with it a few years ago at a local greasy spoon). Jones Key Lime Pie Soda has a very similar taste.

Jones Key Lime Pie Soda (2006)

… The drink smells much like Canfield's 50/50 or Cadbury Schweppes' Squirt. You might associate it with now-discontinued dnL from 7Up. Overall, it's fruity and fun, but has a tad bit of fakeness in the scent.

…The flavor is fresh, light, and slightly sour. Think of Sprite, but heavy on the lime rather than lemon.

The photo on this bottle of Jones Soda Limon is #10406 and was shot by Frank Barbarra of Encinitas, CA. Again touching on the Hispanic theme of this beverage series, color image showcases a pile of brightly-colored blankets of local origin.

How colorful!
Photo 10406 by Frank Barbarra of Encinitas, CA

Speaking of the bottle design, we see the standard Jones Soda white/black label color scheme in place, with the flavor name written in green. This label is bilingual, with the Spanish title given prominence, while the flavor is translated into English below the photo. The nutrition facts, descriptive text, and ingredients are also presented in both languages on the back.

Ingredients:

Jones Soda Lime
Carbonated water, inverted cane sugar, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (as preservative), acacia gum, potassium sorbate (as preservative), modified food starch, ester gum, SAIB, Yellow 5, Blue 1

A 12 oz. bottle packs 170 calories, 35 mg of sodium, and 42 g of sugars… and is caffeine free.

While not a very strong flavor, Jones Soda Lime (or Limon, if you prefer) is a refreshing break from the ho-hum flavors typically associated with soft drinks. The clean lime flavor is subtle, but tasty, with just enough citrus feel to liven your step.

In the past few years, pomegranate flavored drinks and juices have taken off, especially in the health food sector. We've taken a look at many of those, including Pomegranate 7Up, ViB Pomegranate Berry, Hansen's Natural Green Tea Soda Pomegranate, and Hansen's Natural Sparkling Sleek Pomegranate Green Tea. In this installment, I look at Hansen's Natural Pomegranate Soda.

Statistically, pomegranate cane soda has no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and uses real cane sugar, both of which are made clear on the can, and are positives out of the gate. In addition, each can contains 130 calories. The ingredient list is as follows: "pure triple filtered carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, natural flavors with extract of California pomegranate."

Moving to the actual sensory experience, I cracked open the can and immediately heard a soothing fizz while taking in a fruity smell. If I didn't know it was pomegranate, my first instinct might have been to say strawberry. Upon further olfactory inspection, it is clear that the aroma was not strawberry, although in a blind study I don't know that I would have identified it as pomegranate either.

Speaking of clear, once again, the drink was absolutely clear and from a visual standpoint looked like a lemon-lime drink. When I opened the can it gave me a nice big crack and as I poured it fizzed up nicely. It was carbonated just right. Not the key factor in enjoyment, but it helps.

Moving to taste, as that is the most important aspect of a drink, I am somewhat ambivalent. That is not to say that the drink isn't good, because it is, but the taste is not overly powerful and in some sense the aftertaste and smell are better than the actual taste. The flavor contains a slightly sweet finish that may take a bit of getting used to. It is definitely sweeter than some fruit-flavored drinks, but not in a sugary way – almost in a flowery way, think metaphorically.

As a disclaimer, I am not a huge fan of pomegranate drinks, but am also not a detractor of them. Even with that said, I do not know that I would identify this drink as having authentic pomegranate taste, but again, this could just be a personal opinion. To be fair, it is more of a niche flavor and is a harder taste to create accurately in a soda than, say, cherry or strawberry.

In conclusion, if I were offered this drink at someone's house, or at a barbeque, I would probably have one, but if I were at the store purchasing, Hansen's has better choices from which to pick. I also think this selection might be a better accompaniment to food than as a stand-alone drink. In general, pomegranate is a solid, but not spectacular offering.

Elations Raspberry White Grape

The drink comes in 6 packs consisting of 8 oz. plastic bottles with the recommendation that you should drink one each day "for best results." The shape of the packaging resembles a small bottle of apple juice that you might buy at a coffee shop where breakfast juices aren't the top item on the menu.

Elations Cranberry Apple

Both flavors of the drink are red in color, like a cherry-flavored juice. You have to look carefully to tell the flavors apart, as the colors of the caps on the bottles are exactly the same (purple). The labels are the differentiator, with the Raspberry White Grape flavor showcasing a purple logo/flavor listing, while Cranberry Apple uses a pink color scheme.

Interestingly, both flavors list the exact same ingredients:

Elations Raspberry White Grape / Elations Cranberry Apple
Water and 2% or less of each of the following: apple juice concentrate, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, CCM (calcium hydroxide, citric acid, malic acid), sucralose, born trihydroxide, Red 40, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect color), natural and artificial flavors

Each flavor sports 30 calories per 8 oz. bottle (which is considered a serving). They also feature 8 g of carbs, 1 g of which is sugars. On the nutritional supplement side of things, you'll also get 300 mg of calcium, 1500 mg of glucosamine HCl, 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate, and 6 mg of boron.

OK, enough of the details. How does this stuff taste?

Elations Raspberry White Grape is officially described as a "delicate blend of raspberry and white summer grape flavors that is fresh, delicate and satisfying." When I opened the bottle, I was greeted by a berry/grape smell. Upon that first taste, my reaction was, "this doesn't taste like white grape at all." The flavor is amazingly artificial with a very filmy mouthfeel present throughout the drink. There isn't much flavor at the beginning of the sip, but it's the aftertaste that will get you. You can tell there's sucralose in there. It's not very good overall.

Meanwhile, Elations Cranberry Apple is noted as a "soft, aromatic blend of cranberry and apple that's unexpectedly smooth, not tart." Seriously? I didn't find much apple flavor at all, mostly just a berry sensation. And like Raspberry White Grape, there was a filmy, artificial flavor throughout the experience. Yuck.

Even if the flavor was decent, I have to question the economics of going with a liquid beverage to stock up on these supplements. I did some quick math based on the per bottle price of a bottle of Elations via their website ($31.96 for 24 bottles = $1.33 per bottle, daily serving 1 bottle) vs. purchasing a bottle of glucosamine/chondroitin from a drug store (Walgreens, $31.99 for 150 pills, daily serving 3 pills). If you breakdown the daily dosage, the pill form is about $0.63 per serving vs. Elations being about $1.33 per serving. This drink is considerably more expensive.

Overall, we're not a fan either of the flavors of Elations. On top of that, the nutritional benefit comes at an inflated price vs. other available means. However, if you are looking for a liquid take on your joint supplements, then it may be something that fits your needs. Just not ours.

This is Part 3 in a 4-part series reviewing the Zola smoothie line. Today's review covers the Zola Energy Smoothie. To learn more about Zola, why not take a look at our Zola Açai Superfruit Juice line review, as well as our first two Zola smoothie reviews: Zola Immunity Smoothie and Zola Antioxidant Smoothie.

The energy smoothie is described as a "Tropical Blend of Caja Fruit & Açai" with "Guaraná & Yerba Maté." It contains 80% juice and 70% organic ingredients (as opposed to the Zola Superfruit Juices that are certified organic). This smoothie follows the same label format of the other smoothies, using a reddish motif.

As far as sensory qualities, there is a fruity smell, but it is not overly strong. The drink itself is thin, but not runny, and contains some sporadic, visible particles, which I assume are from the fruit. It has a light purple color, which is not out of line with many of Zola's drinks. The taste is similar to the Antioxidant Smoothie, but better, with less aftertaste. Does it truly add a burst of energy? That is debatable, but it does taste fresh.

In general, Zola Energy Smoothie is not bad, but I hesitate to jump in with both feet in recommending it, which is an opinion I share with many of the Zola Smoothie offerings. It's good, but definitely a matter of taste.

In our August 10 story regarding the return of Pepsi Throwback & Mountain Dew Throwback, it was noted that while the drinks would be returning for another 8-week run, the packaging would be changing. Phrases such as "cooler vintage look", "sweet new packaging", and "awesome vintage look" were posted by Pepsi via Twitter and Facebook.

The above speculated image of the new Mountain Dew Throwback packaging has been making the rounds on the 'net, posted over in the BevNet forums and then tweeted by the kind folks at Beverage Digest.

While we have not yet been able to confirm this image with Pepsi (so take it with a grain of salt), it is an interesting departure from the Mountain Dew Throwback packaging that debuted in April. It also is nothing like the prototype bottle designs that were leaked in February.

The iconography harkens back to Mountain Dew designs that used a hillbilly character ("Mountain Man") to promote the drink, mentioning such phrases as "It'll Tickle yore innards!" You can see this character in use on vintage 1960's cans over on USASoda.com.

Also of interest is the phrase "Made with real sugar", which is a departure from the phrase used on both Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback: "Made with natural sugar". Interestingly, the "real sugar" line was used on the prototype bottle designs.

Still no word on what the new Pepsi Throwback design will look like, but stay tuned. Remember that these drinks return December 28-February 22!

So what exactly is OOBA? The name is an acronym for "One of Botany's Advantages." It's part of the recent batch of nutrient-oriented functional beverages to hit the marketplace, offering a unique twist on a fruit juice inspired drink. In this case, the drink gets its primary flavoring from the hibiscus flower. Combined with cane sugar and carbonated water, it fits along side other juice drinks like Pom, Izze, and SoBe.

The big differentiator with OOBA beyond the use of hibiscus as the flavor is the fact that the drinks including a high amount of antioxidants and Vitamin C. There isn't much really in the drink if you look at the ingredients:

OOBA Hibiscus
Carbonated water, cane sugar, pure hibiscus extract, citric acid, and ascorbic acid

I really have to applaud the folks at OOBA on their packaging as well. It's unique and distinctive, featuring 16 oz. bottles that are wide at the bottom, narrow at the top, almost pyramid-like is shape. Each flavor also differentiates itself through a color (for example, the main flavor features a red/pink scheme) and clear typography to showcase the drink. Finally, the OOBA brand logo is quite attractive, even if you don't know what it is or how in the world to pronounce it (It's like the "oo" in "zoo").

When you open a bottle, the scent isn't very strong, but what you do smell has a fruity quality. The color of the beverage is dark redish, like cranberry juice. And when you actually taste it, those comparisons to cranberry continue, as it tastes a lot like a carbonated cranberry fruit drink. It's not as tart or bitter as cranberry juice, but rather light and effervescent. It tastes far more authentic than something like Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash.

I really wonder if the cranberry comparison was just something in my head, but then this line from the Hibiscus Wikipedia entry seemed to confirm it: "In Mexico, the drink is known as agua de Flor de Jamaica and is quite popular for its color, tanginess and mild flavor; once sugar is added, it tastes somewhat like cranberry juice." It was a great flavor to experience.

A full 16 oz. bottle contains 180 calories, 10 mg of sodium, and 44 g of carbs (of which 40 g are sugars). It will also provide you with 50% of your recommended daily value for Vitamin C.

Every now and then you get to taste a drink and really like the experience. I'm happy to say that OOBA Hibiscus falls into that category. We really loved the sparkling cranberry-like taste, creative packaging, and clear market positioning of this drink. If you get a chance to track it down, and are looking for something just a little different, OOBA should be on your list!