Goliath Goes After David Again

And, just like that, it is gone. The good folks at Dublin Bottling Works are being forced to stop producing their Dublin Original Soda. Dr Pepper/Snapple has, once again, killed off the venerable flavour. Due mostly to the agreement they forced on DBW when they parted ways back in '12. Still a pretty sleazy thing, given the sheer numbers of Dr Pepper knockoffs on the market that they do not go after.
The good news is that this will have no affect on Dublin Bottling Works day to day operations or the other great Sodas that they currently produce. Do them, and yourself a favour and buy a bottle of their Soda or Root Beer next time you run across it. I certainly will. And I'll never knowingly buy a Dr Pepper/Snapple product again. In the battle between the mom and pop and the corporate Goliath I will always support the underdog and real Soda.

The Big Red One

Big Red In A Bottle

One of my local BBQ joints (City BBQ) is in the very good habit of carrying glass bottled, premium Soda's. This is a good thing, in my mind as these Soda's are complimentary to good BBQ. One of the few that they carry and that I decided to pick up a visit or two ago, was this Big Red. This is a Soda with a back story and is a Texas favourite, but this is the first time I had run across a premium version of it, so I knew I had better give it a try. Just looking at the bottle you'd almost think it had to be a cherry flavoured Soda, as red as it is, but that is certainly not the case.
   The first thing that hits you is the aroma. Initially it's a hit of Sugar, followed up by a Bubble Gum-like aroma. Altogether a pleasant sign of what is to come.
   The Soda is very effervescent. It bubbles up quickly and subsides just as fast. The initial taste is still one of Bubble Gum, (it reminds me a bit of Super Bubble Bubble Gum) and Cream Soda, with a very slight woody undertone to it. Not unpleasant, at all. It's a very sweet beverage and would pair well with some vinegary BBQ. I can also see why this is a kids favourite. It is very sweet and the sweetness lingers on your tongue. Altogether a decent Soda, if a bit too sweet. I couldn't see being a regular drinker of Big Red, but I can see where some folks might really like it, if they're in to super sweet Soda's and Bubble Gum.

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water
Sugar
Natural and Artificial Flavor
Red 40
Citric Acid
Caffeine

Caffeine Content: 38mg/12 fl.oz.

Big Red gets a 5.5 out 10