The Drink Well: The Jarritos Soda Fiesta Pack, Part 1

Before I did the entire re-organization and consolidation that eventually led to the current era of Art Infliction, I used to own an additional website, entitled Bring The Zane, back in 2017 yet didn’t list/hyperlink it on the Subsidiaries page, as I was still testing the waters in trying to keep all of the content consolidated to one place.

Anyways, back in the brief era of Bring The Zane, one of my friends and I contributed multiple drink reviews (a section called The Drink Well) to that website as a way to uphold the tradition of being constant with content, only for that to be too daunting on top of all the other constant content posting, thus that website was eventually shut down.

But in the days/months/years that have since followed, finding new beverage brands to try re-opened the possibility of contributing drink reviews, with brands such as Calypso and Jarritos giving me the inspiration.

And now that inspiration is a re-opened reality, as this entry is my review of the Jarritos Soda Fiesta Pack, a pack that contains 12 different flavors and all of which are ranked from 12 to 1 via the next paragraph. Let the countdown begin:

  • Beginning at number 12 is Guava, which doesn’t work as a soda. Plus, it leaves a strange aftertaste.
  • At number 11 is Strawberry, which doesn’t have much of a flavor unlike Strawberry Fanta, the latter of which is the better of the two Strawberry sodas.
  • At number 10 (for now) is Watermelon, which has a slight edge over Strawberry via it tasting like one of those watermelon candy sticks that you can get at a farmstand.
  • In the top 10 (for now) is Mango, which is surprisingly good, as I usually don’t like mango-flavored drinks.
  • Securing a top 10 spot is Passion Fruit, which has a slight edge over Mango via this one having an aftertaste that’s similar to Strawberry Passion Awareness, the headlining flavor of the now-defunct Fruitopia.
  • At lucky number 7 (for now and possibly forever) is Grapefruit, which tastes like the fruit, despite the fact that the color of this particular soda is green.
  • Beginning the top half of this 12-pack is Mexican Cola, which is the most soda like of this pack, in terms of both flavor and carbonation. It also differentiates from both Coca Cola and Pepsi via a taste standpoint, and it has a bit of a root beer like aftertaste.
  • It’s Lime time at number five, as this flavor is like a carbonated version of Hi-C Ecto Cooler.
  • Four just isn’t a phrase at the golf course. It’s also where Tamarind ranks, due to its uniquely good apple like taste.
  • At number three is Pineapple, which almost tastes exactly Pineapple Fanta, except that one has a slight coconut aftertaste, thus giving this one the title as my favorite type of pineapple soda.
  • Not all orange sodas are created equal, as Mandarin, the pack’s second-best flavor, isn’t carbonated look all of the other orange sodas. Regardless, it has flavor and thirst-quenching flavor at that.
  • And finally, the best of this pack is what introduced me to Jarritos, in the form of Fruit Punch. It’s satisfying with each and every sip, it leaves a great aftertaste and it’s in the same category as Calypso Paradise Punch, Hawaiian Punch, Welch’s Fruit Punch and Hi-C Fruit Punch, all of which are among the best of fruit punch flavored drinks. And like those four other versions of fruit punch, this is one of the best “punches” to the mouth that you’ll get ever get.

Of course, the 12 to 1 countdown via the bullet points above is just my opinion on this variety pack, as any of you that are reading this might have or might put Guava as your number one and that’s perfectly fine because to each their own. Oh yes, and if anyone wants to know why the words “for” and “now” are in parenthesis via that list above, well that’s because there are two other flavors (Jamaica, Mineragua) that get subbed into a different variety pack for Passion Fruit and Watermelon. And given that I want to try the Jamaica one again, along with wondering what Mineragua tastes like, I will track down that specific Jarritos variety pack, so that I can see how they stack up against the other 12. And when I do track it down, I’ll write my opinions on both those flavors, followed by expanding and possibly revising my rankings. 

To be continued.