Category: Ye Olde SodaRatings (out of 5)
Taste: 4
Fizziness Factor: 5
Bottle/Can Design: 4
Availability: 2
Tasting Notes: Based in Cape Porpoise, Maine, the A.J. Stephans Co. uses "Pure Carbonated New England Water" to make a line of what it calls "tonics," thereby suggesting that yesterday's pop vs. soda vs. Coke debate should have at least one more entrant. This is pretty much all I can tell you about ol' A.J., since the company appears so devoted to its old-timey image that it has no website. As for Wild Strawberry, it's quite tasty. In my experience, strawberry soda can fall into two traps: flatness and sweetness. A.J. Stephans deftly avoids the first—the French might call it a fizzy fraise—but gets a few toes caught in the second. I would've preferred a little less cane sugar and a little more bite in the finish. Still, drinking this cheerfully red tonic with its simple, text-based label made me think of a sun-dappled autumn afternoon spent strolling though a country store that sells maple candy, apple cider, and bricks of cedar to keep the moths away. (Total Score 15/20)
Suggested Food Pairings: Salt and pepper potato chips, shepherd's pie
