Craft Soda Week: The Best of Discontinued Sodas

This week the ol' blog is celebrating Craft Soda Week. Glug, glug, glug.

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We all have the one that got away. In my case, I have three delicious sodas that got away.

1.) Apricot Peach by The Switch. Out of Richmond, VA.
While most of the country was marveling at Izze and Orangina for their high juice content, Richmonders had a short stretch of years when a small company was putting out a 100% juice that, thanks to a patented method, was carbonated. Not only was the product amazing, the flavors were also creative, like my favorite Apricot Peach. Dry and tangy with a bite. In the years that followed my east coast college experience, the bottles disappeared and the Switch seemed to be dead. But internet research seems to show a product going by the Switch that offers more typical fruit juice flavors and possibly a focus on school vending machines.

2.) Pink by Jones Soda. Out of Seattle, WA.
This brand first was introduced to me when my brother was in college. At the time, Jones Soda had several flavor names that were fun and told you little of what to expect from their flavor: Happy, Fufu Berry and, my favorite, Pink. It tasted, well, pink if the color were a cream soda. We're stretching back to half a lifetime ago, so my memories of how much I liked the flavor exceed my specific memories of its taste. If only I could drink again!

3.) Blueberry Cream by Soda Shaq, a subdivision of AriZona Beverage Company. Out of Woodbury, New York.
100% blueberry juice is strong stuff that'll put hair on your chest, as they say. And artificial blueberry is less common than, say, the (fictional) blue raspberry. Who'da thunk that Shaquille O'Neal would be behind the creation of an artificial blueberry soda that was cozy and smooth? As a bonus, the can was huge, like all AriZona cans are.