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)

Romano's Raspberry Soda

   I like raspberry flavored things. That is to say, I like red raspberry flavored things. When the whole blue raspberry thing happened, I was initially exited, then let down at how much I disliked blue raspberry. This beverage comes from our friends at Romano’s Italian Soda, as you can see from the bottle it’s their raspberry flavored beverage. Now I’ve only seen one place in Houston that sells it, and that would be specialty store Harry and David. Before we get to far ahead of ourselves, let’s learn together what an “Italian Soda” is, by reading the label.

    It’s a refreshing drink that you can order in any café in Italy. Rich, flavorful syrups are mixed with sparkling water and poured into a tall glass of ice, add a splash of cream for a delicious cremosa.  

   The secret to Romano’s Italian Soda was brought to America in our Grandfather Romano’s suitcase over a hundred years ago. This perfect blend of sweet syrups and sparkling water, it’s what separates Romano’s Italian Soda from any other bottled soda on the market today.   

   It’s the definition of “La Dolce Vita” (the sweet life)   

   Our mission is to continue the tradition of these distinctive Italian style drinks so everyone can enjoy them. Salute!

   So there we go, there’s our history lesson. Now I don’t have to type that again for the remaining Romano reviews, although I like the idea of how it got over here to America. I picture an older gentleman of Italian decent looking out across Ellis Island. He catches his footing as the boat rocks back, and forth; his legs weak from the travel. The sea spray hits his face, but he can’t wipe it away, because in his arms he clutches one of his only possessions, a homemade Italian soda... Romano’s Italian Soda. Enough babbling, let’s try this.

I open the bottle, and take a whiff (as I normally do). There is no over powering aroma here. Time to drink. This drink makes me happy. It’s very fizzy, but not overly so. When I initially tasted the raspberry flavoring I was afraid it was going to be flavored like a strong flavored sparkling water. Fortunately for me, the raspberry flavoring goes beyond that. It’s a light drink, moderately crisp, but still packs enough of a punch in the flavor department that you won’t be left saddened by what could have been. Another plus is that it’s sweetened with pure cane sugar. I couldn’t picture Grandfather Romano brining high fructose corn syrup over, and I’m glad the creators of this drink couldn’t picture that either. The labeling on this container isn’t all that flashy, in fact it’s kind of classy looking, almost like something you’d see in a bar in the early 90’s. This seems like it would pair well with food, or you could enjoy it by itself. I would add more raspberry flavoring if I wanted to improve upon this product, I might spice up the label art a bit too. Overall a good product, if you can find it.

Verdict: Buy a Pack!

~A

(Note:  This beverage was provided to us by Romano's)