Cooper's Cave

For my next soda, I chose a slightly more expensive variety from the middle of the cold case. It's one of three sodas they carry by Cooper's Cave. This one in particular is called "Dracula's Blood."

First off, I didn't think Dracula had blood. I thought that's why he had to suck yours. So shouldn't it be "Someone else's blood that Dracula stole?"

Either way, it's not blood.

It is high class though. I went to twist off the bottle cap and realized after slicing my palm a few times trying to get it open that it had a genuine pop-off cap, which required a real bottle opener. Thankfully I keep one in my pocket for just such an occasion.

The soda is red. Not blood red, but red nonetheless. It's more strawberry red. Which is why it tastes like one. Not bloody at all.

When I looked for the ingredient list, my strawberry suspicions were confirmed. It reads:

Dracula's Blood Strawberry Soda INGREDIENTS:
Carbonated Filtered Water
Cane Sugar (again, not corn syrup)
natural AND artificial flavors
gum acacia
red 40
citric acid
sodium benzoate as a preservative.

So, basically this soda is not much different than your average except for the sweetener and the redness.

Although there's something distinctive I noticed. Its much less fizzy than your traditional cola. It has the kick of a glass bottle root beer, or a real beer, for that matter.

Interestingly enough, according to the other side of the label, Cooper's Cave also makes Ales and Lagers. Which is perhaps why there's less fizz. And a brown bottle with a non twistie cap.


Bottom line: Dracula's blood tastes like strawberries. With a hint of birch beer. Which is probably made from strawberries. I don't know.

Boylan Vintage Soda Pop

The snack shop where I work has an entire cold case reserved for unique glass bottle sodas. I've been intrigued by them, but they have creepy names like "Butter Beer" and "Cane Cola" so I held off until now.

The first soda I chose was Boylan Bottleworks Sugar Cane Cola. It comes in a glass bottle, with the name Boylan embossed on the surface. Reminds me of the 50's.

Reading the label, I noticed that the ingredient list was short and strange.

Carbonated Water - check
Cane Sugar - check
Natural Flavors - check
Caramel Color - check
Phosphoric Acid - check?
Caffeine (From Coffee) - ????

Anyway, it tastes strange. Like after you leave your coke in the car after getting your favorite fast food, and you come back after an hour in the mall to find all the ice melted into the coke and all the fizz gone. Take that flavor and add the fizz back in. That's what Boylan Cane Cola tastes like.

Although, it does taste sugary, not corn syrupy. Which is strange but good.