Pop Culture: Sparkling Pomegranate

Every week I bring a new soda in the break room to review for Pop Culture and every week I get the same complaints from our tasting panel: It's too sweet... I need to brush my teeth... My cavities are aching... I'm slipping in to a diabetic coma.This week we're...

By Martin Cizmar

February 11, 2009

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Every week I bring a new soda in the break room to review for Pop Culture and every week I get the same complaints from our tasting panel: It's too sweet... I need to brush my teeth... My cavities are aching... I'm slipping in to a diabetic coma.

This week we're giving the people what they want, a soda without any refined sugar. Izze is made with 70% fruit juice, topped off with 30% seltzer water, to give it some bubbles. They sell it at Starbucks, upscale grocers, and at Target, where I got mine for $3 -- at about 75 cents for a 8.5 ounce can, this stuff is as expensive as imported beer. So is it worth it?

Verdict: I wasn't really a fan. I found it just a little too tart and I thought the pomegranate flavor (which was made with apple, grape, pineapple, cranberry and pomegranate) was a little off. I also thought the price was ridiculous. However, I was totally out of step with other tasters, who were all fans.

Jonathan: "I'm getting flashbacks to Clearly Canadian."
Rick: "This would be good with vodka."
Jasmine: "Ooooooo! (approvingly) It's tangy!"
Jay: "Tart and good."

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