After ICEEs that taste like marshmallow and Coca-Cola that tastes like crying, nothing surprises me anymore. Case in point, when the folks over at Wild Bill’s told me that their next two sodas were going to be a brand collaboration with Ring Pop, it wasn’t even a blip on my mental Richter scale. I’ve been around the block a time or two when it comes to strange flavors. This isn’t even my first time drinking a Ring Pop!
For the uninitiated, Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. produces “Olde Fashioned Soda Pop.” In layman’s terms, that means their sodas are made with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. I first became familiar with Wild Bill’s through their nigh-universal presence as a vendor at large gaming conventions like Gen Con and PAX. These Ring Pop sodas are the first-ever authentic brand collaboration from Wild Bill’s. With the introductions out of the way, let’s see if these really taste like authentic candy relationship commitments.
- Wild Bill’s Blue Raspberry Ring Pop Craft Soda
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Pros: Blue raspberry is always a winner. While it has been a little bit (multiple years) since I’ve had an actual Ring Pop, this does have a distinct “candy” taste—without making my entire hand and face colorfully sticky! What an improvement on the original format. It’s extremely sweet, but not disgustingly so. It doesn’t have that syrupy factor many cane sugar sodas have. This is the best-tasting blue raspberry soda I’ve ever had.
Cons: With 44g of added cane sugar in a 12oz can of soda, it better taste good! Don’t get me wrong, if you’re drinking Wild Bill’s, chances are you’re looking for that cane sugar. I see plenty of real sugar fanatics in my comment sections; I know the audience is out there. I am not such an ingredient purist myself that HFCS or artificial sweeteners are a dealbreaker, so it loses a point for making me a little too aware of my sugar intake.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Wild Bill’s Berry Blast Ring Pop Craft Soda
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Pros: Much like the Blue Raspberry, this also tastes pretty much like the candy it’s supposed to taste like. It tastes good! But again, anything containing 88% of your daily sugar better taste good.
Cons: According to the internet, a “Berry Blast” Ring Pop is supposed to taste like a mix of blue raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. I’d be lying if I said I could find all three of those in this single soda, but I’m not sure I’d be able to find all those in the Ring Pop, either. This is a fine soda, but it just isn’t as strong an entry as the blue raspberry. There’s no shame in not measuring up to a champion. Just get back to the gym, Berry Blast—and maybe drop some of that sugar.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!