Float Into Summer With A&W Floats

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:27:11 -0800

What if I told you that you could have a hassle-free root beer float anytime you wanted? Well, thanks to the folks at A&W, you can! They recently announced a new line of drinks - A&W and Sunkist Floats ($1.79 each/$5.99 for four) - that promises to deliver a real float experience without all the fuss. Personally, I like the fuss associated with floats. Getting ice cream stuck in your straw is part of the fun! Yet, I can see where some people might like to indulge without the hassle. According to Andrew Springate, vice president of marketing at A&W, they have been trying to create this drink for quite some time. When asked about it, he said:

For years, beverage makers have tried to crack the code and develop an indulgent drink that tastes like a homemade float. The A&W and Sunkist Floats are indulgent treats like nothing consumers have experienced before; one pour and your taste buds will be amazed - no work, no hassle.

I haven't seen them at any of my local stores, but they should be hitting the market shortly. When they do, will you be picking one up?

Taste Test: Dr Pepper Popsicles

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:00:09 -0700

A few weeks ago, San Francisco found itself in the middle of a big heat wave. Everyone at the Sugar HQ was melting to their desks and in need of a cool treat. That's when I remembered an impromptu purchase I'd made the week before.I was at the local drugstore and noticed a display of Soda Pops Freezer Pops at the front counter. They were like old-school Otter Pops, only in soda flavors: Orange Crush, Dr Pepper, 7-Up, and A&W Root Beer. I kind of have a thing for Dr Pepper, so I picked up a pack of those. At only $2 a box (10 pops in each box), I probably should have picked up one of each kind. But I didn't, and we only had the Dr Pepper to taste. So how did it taste? Find out when you read more.

The popsicle - that definitely hit the spot during the heat wave - was nice, cool, and icy. However, it was also too sweet, and didn't taste much like Dr Pepper. There was that weird fruity-prune flavor that Dr Pepper has, but it wasn't as successful as Dr Pepper flavored Jelly Bellys.

Overall, I don't think I'd buy them again. They were a fun distraction, and definitely worth the 20 cents per popsicle, yet they weren't that satisfying. Next time I'll pick up the Root Beer flavor and see how that goes.

How about you? Have you tried these Soda Pops? If so, what flavor, and what did you think?