Brooklyn Soda Works

Product Type:Carbonated Soft Drink: Regular; Container: 12oz Glass
BevNET Review: Brooklyn Soda Works’ approach to root beer is a very novel one, starting with the fact that the ingredient list contains under ten ingredients and they are all recognizable things. There are no colorings, preservatives, or flavorings. The flavor is very straightforward, but extremely enjoyable, with notes of wintergreen, vanilla, anise, and molasses being the primary things that our palates picked up. It’s moderately sweetened with cane sugar, but the product maintains a light body and a very crisp finish. This product being a handcrafted product with no preservatives, it requires refrigeration and has a shelf life of only three weeks. While it’s obviously not something that was designed to be commercialized in the mainstream, they’ve definitely succeeded in crafting something that is truly top notch. On the outside, they’ve done a nice job of embodying the hipster vibe that Brooklyn is, at least as a brand, known for. The simple paper label has a crude look to it, with a lack of polish that seems like an intentional part of the look. The white background has text that looks like it came from an old typewriter, while a hands stamped date lets you know that this is a perishable product. While it’s hard to say where they could take this brand, it’s certain that this product will do well at venues like flea markets, gourmet shops, and restaurants where it’s currently sold. Definitely worth a try.Reviewed on: 1/26/2013

Product Type:Carbonated Soft Drink: Regular; Container: 12oz Glass
BevNET Review: This variety of Brooklyn Soda Works follows a style that is used for many of their flavors (which are in constant rotation as they are always coming up with new ones). It blends freshly pressed apple juice with ginger, lemon juice, and carbonated water to create something that is part soda and part juice. The flavor is simple, but bold, with the assertive flavor of fresh apple juice providing the primary flavor of the drink. The addition of carbonated water gives the drink some pop, while the finish of the drink has some spice from the ginger and a sharp citrus note from the lemon. They’ve done an awesome job of blending these flavors in their proper proportions and it shows in how balanced the flavors of the drink are. Another big advantage (at least in terms of flavor) is that the drink is perishable and has a short shelf life, which means that we’re sampling a super fresh product rather than one that’s designed to hold up for a while. While that’s not an issue for the brand’s hyperlocal strategy (you can only get this in Brooklyn, Queens, and a few locations in New York City), it’s something that obviously presents challenges for scalability. But since they’ve created something that’s focused on being handcrafted and top notch quality, we’re not going to hold that against them. Visually, we like the simple look of the label, which has a minimalist meets hipster vibe to it. The label is basically a big blob of text, but it works, with the background being the words “brooklyn sodaworks” in an old typewriter font. The red text used for the flavor name are still readable and it’s pretty easy to figure out what this product is. Plus, it looks very different than other sodas, so we think it will grab eyes in places where it is sold. Overall, a very enjoyable product. Reviewed on: 1/26/2013