Last year, when the holiday pack of Jones Sodas came out, I picked one up and reviewed all the flavors. When this year's pack was released, I was relieved to see that the most disgusting soda flavor ever created, Salmon Paté, from the 2005 pack was no longer included, replaced with an antacid soda I surely could have used after tasting the salmon. With a charitable spirit, since the proceeds go to Toys for Tots, I decided to sample the new flavors. The flavors include: Turkey and Gravy soda, Sweet Potato Soda, Dinner Roll Soda, Pea Soda, as well as the Antacid Flavored Soda I previously mentioned. The reviews of each soda follow the same format I used last year, rating the "ick factor" of each flavor on a scale of 1-10, 1 being enjoyable and 10 being smoked salmon paté.
Reviews and photos are after the jump.


I decided to subject my dinner guests to a pre-dinner sampling of these drinks. The scores are a composite, but the reactions are mine.
Turkey & Gravy - I pretty much knew what to expect with this flavor, since I've had it several times before at this point. The best way to describe it is meat-flavored butterscotch. There is no particular turkey flavor, just meat and a strong sweetness. Ick factor: 6 out of 10.
Pea - Peas and mint, although they can work alongside lamb for some people, are not that good of a combination, so the spinachy-pea flavor and mouthwash aftertaste of this cloudy green drink weren't exactly my cup of tea. Ick factor: 8 out of 10.
Sweet Potato - With an orange soda-like color and slightly cinnamony smell, I had high hopes for this soda and was rather shocked to taste something akin to raw pumpkin. I don't know how they got the raw flavor in there, but perhaps roasted sweet potatoes will be on the "menu" (or, better yet, sweet potato casserole) next year. Ick factor: 9 out of 10.
Dinner Roll - This soda was overwhelmingly buttery and reminded me strongly of carbonated, artificial butter flavoring. It was neither sweet nor salty, just bland, buttery and remarkably unpleasant. Ick factor: 8.5 out of 10.
Antacid - This tasted good, like a mild and oh-so-light version of Pepto Bismol. As hard as it may be to believe, I mean that in a good way. If this was renamed as bubble gum-flavored soda and sold in stores, I would consider buying it. Granted, it wouldn't stack up to root beer or a good cola, but I wouldn't turn it down. It was palate cleansing and, once chilled, quite refreshing. Ick factor: 2 out of 10.
After tasting this whole, calorie-free dinner, I now feel the need to track down the dessert pack. This pack includes Cherry Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie and Blueberry Pie flavors and is sold at Target stores, while the dinner pack is available at various retailers country-wide.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-25-2006 @ 12:11PM
Nik said...
Jones already makes a bubble gum soda. It's blue, and it's what first made me buy one as a kid. I still love them.
Reply
11-26-2006 @ 1:49PM
Shad Genki said...
Cool! We did a big round table review last year for the 2005 Jones Holiday Pack. Check it out:
http://wafflesquadronomega.com/Pandar/features/MattBoySlim/jonessoda2k5.htm
Reply
11-27-2006 @ 9:13AM
Victor Agreda, Jr. said...
We were lucky enough to grab a dessert pack early (good luck now!), but haven't been bold enough to open any... We're waiting for Christmas day.
Reply
12-01-2006 @ 11:37AM
FJ said...
We just tried all the flavors (including the dessert pack). There are 15 of us with extreme stomach aches. The dessert pack was rather good. The blueberry tasted like a freeze pop.
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12-03-2006 @ 7:32AM
LostCause said...
WHAT??? Antacid soda?? Why?
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12-03-2006 @ 8:10AM
Elisabeth Cline said...
Nicole: fine writing, I could taste each and every swig. I especially liked the "ick" factor. Jones is an extremely funny company, which perhaps cannot be said about any other company. If I was looking for a job, I'd start there.
Reply
12-03-2006 @ 9:35AM
Still In The Bathroom said...
I bought the Holiday pack for Thanksgiving and the most paletable one was the Antacid Flavor. We all tried some of each flavor, and some of us are still in the bathroom! There was a prize for whoever could drink a whole bottle of the falvor NOT of thier choice, and no one could finish. We have started the Jones Soda Challenge Tradition now, and can't wait till next year. If anyone has the guts to show up!
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12-03-2006 @ 11:43AM
molly said...
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww pea soda? whose brainy idea was that. I mean might as well sell sewage soda compared to pea flavored.
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12-03-2006 @ 1:19PM
SouthernGirl said...
Ewww Gross I Wouldnt Touch It w/ A 10 Foot Pole Nasty Who Thinks of This Stuff All I Gotta Say 2 That Is Why??
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12-03-2006 @ 1:41PM
Cherry said...
OK i agree with southerngirl. That is really nasty & i dont know why anybody would by that stuff.What is Antacid anyways. Acid for ants? Well i just think people should stick to the real stuff instead of buying dinner in the form of drinks. That is really nasty...
Reply
12-03-2006 @ 1:52PM
barbara said...
Oh, lighten up!!! If this is the most gross thing we are confronted with, we are in good shape. This stuff fuels the imagination and keeps life from becoming boring.
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12-06-2006 @ 10:05PM
roshelle said...
interesting, turkey and gravey :[ not sure about that but then again, i never expected my hubby to try sushi either.
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