Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Jones Soda Switching To Cane

Imagine my surprise to see that Jones Soda Company is ditching High Fructose Corn Syrup in favour of Pure Cane Sugar, according to a report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Kudos to the folks at Jones for taking a step in the direction of flavour and product wholesomeness.

Jones Soda Co., looking for a marketing advantage, is making the switch to pure cane sugar from high fructose corn syrup as a soda sweetener.

"It's better for you, it's better-tasting and, overall, it's better for the environment," Peter van Stolk, the company's chief executive officer, said Tuesday.

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Seattle-based Jones, which makes root beer, cream soda and quirky drinks with flavors such as turkey and gravy, will sell 12-ounce canned sodas with pure cane sugar after Jan. 1. All of the company's products will make the switch by mid-2007, van Stolk said.

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Hopefully we will see many more Soda and Root Beer manufacturers taking the same decision and getting rid of that nasty sweetener. I was planning on reviewing Jones' Root Beer here, but I think I'll wait until they make the New Year switch to Cane and then contrast their old product with the new. I have never been especially enamoured with Jones' products, due primarily to their use of HFCS and the mediocrity of their flavours. Now, I'm looking forward to tasting their new offerings. Stay tuned!

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9 comments:

Mike Kole said...

Awesome! I'll look forward to getting some after January 1!

Anonymous said...

I was so glad to stumble upon your blog. I was about to order some Barqs in glass bottles (online for a rather high price) when I saw your comment about Barqs using fake sugar. I lived in Biloxi for 10 years (left in '93)and there was nothing like a cold Barqs. Your mention of the White Cap Restaurant brought back some memories as well. Happy Holidays to you.

Mike Kole said...

I've checked the shelves on three shopping trips since New Years Day, and have yet to see the switch made yet. As soon as HFCS is gone, I'm buying.

Anonymous said...

As you're growing up as a teenager, there are a number of things that you look forward to; getting your drivers license,

graduating from high school, going to your senior prom, having your first date and having your first beer. The problem

with this last one is that the drinking age and the thing you want make it something that you just can't have yet. And

still, you want it and will go to any lengths to get it.

Underage beer drinking is certainly no secret and to try to sweep it under the carpet isn't going to make it go away. But

the most odd thing about underage drinking when it comes to beer is that even after kids sneak their first beer, they

still want to have another one. If you're wondering why that sounds so strange then you need to think back to when YOU

had your first beer. It was pretty nasty tasting. Let's be honest, beer is bitter and is an acquired taste. Very few

people, if any at all, enjoyed their first beer. Many even get sick after it because of the taste or the fact that

they're not used to the alcohol yet.

Mike Kole said...

Uh, ok.

Anyhow, I've had the Jones Soda Root Beer with cane sugar. Don't bother, unless you LOVE wintergreen overload. Truly, it shouldn't even be called root beet. It should be called wintergreen soda. It's that overwhelming. It's a better soda now with the sugar, but it just ain't a good root beer.

Anonymous said...

doesn't matter how they sweeten it, it sucks

Anonymous said...

I love Jones soda...Some of the best soda on the planet, in my opinion....however, jones root beer is horrible!! It tastes like a bottle of nyquil...(without the fun stuff) and maybe some cloves, and wintergreen......The pure cane is not working with this particular root beer, and in fact, works against it, actually helping to give it more of the medicine taste....I bought a 12 pack of this stuff 2 months ago, and I think theres 9 left.... Jones....I love you guys, but you gotta take this bad boy back to the drawing board......

Anonymous said...

I used to love Jones Apple soda before they switched to pure cane sugar. Now with the pure cane it taste as if I'm drinking a diet soda- okay flavor at first but has a horrible after taste. I wish they switch it back even though HFCS is no good. :(

Unknown said...

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