Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda

   Today’s installment is for Hot Lips Black Raspberry Soda.  We’ve reviewed a couple of Hot Lips sodas before.  One was the delightful Pear Soda, and the other was the less delightful Strawberry.  I say less delightful because the lemon juice was overpowering in the flavor of the Strawberry soda. 

   Since I really enjoy the ingredient list on the side of Hot Lips brand soda I will list it here.

Carbonated Water, Black Raspberries grown in Willamette Valley, OR, Can Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice

   As I push my nose closer to the opening of the bottle I notice that the beverage has a light, but healthy raspberry smell.  I really enjoy raspberries, as previously stated, so I now look forward to what I’m about to experience.

   Upon initial taste I notice very little carbonation, and have to remind myself that the bottle lists this beverage as “lightly carbonated”.  There is a slight raspberry tartness to it, as well as a noticeable sweetness.  Thankfully the sweetness is not overpowering, allowing the natural flavor of the berry to be tasted.  Fortunately for this beverage, the lemon juice listed on the ingredients does not overpower, unlike its strawberry counterpart.  I just got a black raspberry seed lodged in my tooth.  Normally I wouldn’t like this sensation, but in this case you know the Hot Lips Company is serious when they write that their sodas are made of natural ingredients.  While I wouldn’t reach for this beverage to be refreshed, it does a fairly good job of quenching a thirst.  (Sound like Déjà vu?) I would have to suggest that it be enjoyed by itself, as I personally don’t think its natural flavor would play well with others.  Much like the strawberry, this beverage is for a select audience, but if I saw it listed at a restaurant I would order it off the menu just to impress those that I’m with.  For those who think soda is bad for you… pick up any Hot Lips soda to be proven wrong.

Verdict: Buy a Bottle!

Twist thinks he has "hot lips"... just play along

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Hot Lips)

Hot Lips Pear Soda

This is the first in our series of reviews for Hot Lips beverages. According to the bottle (which, by the way, are all as bland looking as this one) it seems that they have Hot Lips pizza restaurants as well. Seems to be a good way to get people into your shop, make your own soda. All the drinks we’ve been given to try are fruit flavored, and that’s literal. They’re all made with real fruit juices, carbonated water, cane sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. As weird as it sounds to have lemon juice mixed in with these flavors, it actually makes sense for most of them.

Pear is our first trial (Northwest pear according to the ingredients) and man is it good. I’m a little surprised that it’s not apple though. They have similar enough flavors and you figure you could market apple a little bit better than pear, but either way this tastes delicious. It tastes exactly like taking a bottle of apple juice off the shelf and carbonating it. The lemon juice adds a little pop which gives it more of that soda-like zing and also makes it refreshing and a little less heavy.

Being a huge fan of apple/pear drinks, juices, ciders, etc., this is easily going high up on that list of those drinks and general fruit flavored beverages.

Addendum:  A little over six months later and after all our Hot Lips reviews they all held one thing in common:  too much lemon.  Well, the good folks over at Hot Lips realized something must have been up so they sent us some new batches with different lemons and, voila, the bold taste of lemon was replaced with a kick that didn't taste lemony at all.  Although in this particular flavor I was cool with the lemon, it didn't feel right in the other flavors, but those reviews will have their own time in the sun.  Either way there was an improvement in flavor, with the pear coming out much stronger.  In this situation I'm going to stick with the original verdict of buy a case.  One other side note, I did get my wish, there is a Hot Lips Apple and we'll be trying it soon!

Verdict:  Buy a Pallet!

-Mike E.

(Note: This beverage was provided to us from Hot Lips)