A Jones for Jones

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It’s just not fair, I tell you.

Every now and then, I used to run into Jones Soda in a convenience store. It was a special treat — really good flavors, and sweetened with actual cane sugar rather than the corn sweetener that most of your big-name soft drinks switched to in the early 1980s. (“Corn is for cars. Sugar is for soda,” proclaims the company.) I didn’t see it that often, and I’d never seen it in grocery stores anywhere around here.

Well, I have pretty much sworn off sugared soda since early December. That’s not to say I’ll never have one again, but I’m certainly not keeping them around the house and I have been pretty diligent about ordering diet cola when eating out.

So now, NOW, the Jones Soda people have managed to get their product into Wal-Mart in 8-can cartons. It just ain’t fair.

At our local Wal-Mart, they do have one sugar-free flavor — the black cherry — and it is, I have to admit, pretty darn good. It’s sweetened with Splenda.

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About John

John Carney is a journalist, a certified United Methodist lay speaker, a veteran of foreign and domestic short-term mission trips, and author of a self-published novel, Soapstone.
  • http://www.gryfalia.com Kristi

    You know what I miss drinking most now that I have to watch my carbs? Izze. I love that stuff! It’s simply carbonated fruit juices, but they have awesome flavors like blueberry, clementine, pear, and pomegranate. Plus they’re all natural. I also miss Orangina.

  • http://www.gryfalia.com Kristi

    You know what I miss drinking most now that I have to watch my carbs? Izze. I love that stuff! It’s simply carbonated fruit juices, but they have awesome flavors like blueberry, clementine, pear, and pomegranate. Plus they’re all natural. I also miss Orangina.

  • http://happyfamilyathome.blogspot.com/ Jennifer

    I’ve never tried it…and since I watch my sugar, I probably ought not start :( Perhaps I could replace any Cokes with it, though…hm…

  • http://happyfamilyathome.blogspot.com/ Jennifer

    I’ve never tried it…and since I watch my sugar, I probably ought not start :( Perhaps I could replace any Cokes with it, though…hm…

  • http://mycropht.wordpress.com Katherine Coble

    I know this is a rationalisation, but I had sworn off sweet sodas a few months ago, going from about 40oz of Coke a day to 0.

    But I absolutely LOVE Boylan’s Black Cherry soda. Like Jones they’re a boutique bottler who uses real cane sugar. Like Jones you can get them at Publix.

    I will say that I think my body reacts differently to the cane sugar than to the corn syrup of large bottlers. I can be satisfied with one 12-oz Boylan’s and not have my cravings ratchet up the way they would with Coke or Pepsi products.

    Okay, so it probably IS a rationalisation. Nevertheless, I do love my Boylan’s.

    Never have tried Jones, although their holiday flavours (like “gravy”) do make me curious.

  • http://mycropht.wordpress.com Katherine Coble

    I know this is a rationalisation, but I had sworn off sweet sodas a few months ago, going from about 40oz of Coke a day to 0.

    But I absolutely LOVE Boylan’s Black Cherry soda. Like Jones they’re a boutique bottler who uses real cane sugar. Like Jones you can get them at Publix.

    I will say that I think my body reacts differently to the cane sugar than to the corn syrup of large bottlers. I can be satisfied with one 12-oz Boylan’s and not have my cravings ratchet up the way they would with Coke or Pepsi products.

    Okay, so it probably IS a rationalisation. Nevertheless, I do love my Boylan’s.

    Never have tried Jones, although their holiday flavours (like “gravy”) do make me curious.

  • http://www.inthatnumber.com Phisch

    I’ve not drank soda regularly since I was 8 or 9 years old. Or maybe 10 or 11? Anyway, I switched to iced tea at some point. But did you see the Jones flavors available last year? They ended up in the sale section of Target. Maybe you can guess why? They included cranberry, turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes and a couple of other Thanksgiving Dinner flavors.

  • http://www.inthatnumber.com Phisch

    I’ve not drank soda regularly since I was 8 or 9 years old. Or maybe 10 or 11? Anyway, I switched to iced tea at some point. But did you see the Jones flavors available last year? They ended up in the sale section of Target. Maybe you can guess why? They included cranberry, turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes and a couple of other Thanksgiving Dinner flavors.