Audio By Carbonatix
Normally the tasting team and I go in to these pop culture reviews on essentially equal footing, none of us terribly familiar with the product at hand. This time I threw the tasters — Jonathan, Jasmine, Peter and Jay — a bit of a curve ball, serving up one of my all-time favorite sodas, Wal-mart’s unbranded “Grapefruit,” without telling them what it was.
Yes, Wal-mart. This stuff costs 67 cents a 2-liter (Faygo costs more than that) and comes in an ugly bottle, but it’s as tasty a pop as is available at the low-end supermarkets and, yes, they sell Jones. I’ve long loved it, on ice or as a mixer, and I was curious what the crew would think, both before and after they knew it’s true identity.
Verdict: An all-time favorite of mine Wal-mart’s Great Value Grapefruit soda is sweet with an edge of acidic bitterness. It’s somewhat similar to Coca Cola’s Fresca, though it’s got HFCs and, thus, calories. It has a lot more depth than Squirt, which I only enjoy in it’s Ruby Red incarnation. Also, I assure you, I’m not the only one who’s in to this stuff. –Martin Cizmar
Before knowing:
“Holy shit, that’s awesome,” says Jonathan.
“I think it’s good, but Squirt’s better,” says Jay.
After knowing:
“I’m impressed Wal-mart did something right,” says Peter.
“Now that you told me it’s from Wal-mart I like it less,” says Jasmine.
Will you step up to support New Times this year?
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.