COMPANY: Jones Soda, Seattle WA
CAN DESIGN: I picked up a pack of cans but normally with Jones Soda you get bottles and they have labels on them with submitted photos. The cans are a little disappointing and plain. I wonder if it was too hard to print those black and white photos on them? So it's hard to judge the can when they sell them in 12 packs in a box. I guess I have to judge the box itself. And of course the box is similar to the bottle. The identity feels like the University District in Seattle. Retro-alternative. It reminds me of the late nineties when I would go to Tower Books and scour the ezine section where anyone and everyone could put out their mag.
CAN DETAILS: 12 FL OZ, 190 Calories. Their big plug now is that they switched from corn syrup to pure cane sugar. I'm skeptical if one is really healthier than the other but from a marketing standpoint anything with "pure" in it is going to sound better than "syrup".
PRICE: It was on sale at Albertsons for 4.79 for the box. Divide that by 12 and you get .40 a can. Not bad. Cans are something new for Jones Soda. If you follow the stock market you'll see their stock has jumped on news of the company being able to expand their shelf space due to cans.
WEBSITE: Official site is www.JonesSoda.com . I didn't even do a search for it, just typed in their name. For once that worked unlike some other drinks I've reviewed.

Their slogan is: Drink Less Soda. ...Just Better Soda. Not sure that appeals to me as a soda drinker. It almost feels politically correct with the obesity scare that's on.

The site is pretty corporate for an alternative drink. It does have the photo contest section which gives the amateur photographer a chance to have his/her photo on a bottle. The rest of the site is media relations and it does look like they do some touring with the Jones Soda RV, sponsoring some skater events and so forth. Nothing particularly special but then I didn't expect too much. This isn't an energy drink, it's meant to complete with the lagging brand names.

As usual though, I might suggest adding more interactive content. However, there is enough news and fun stuff for a one-time visit but not a return visit.
TASTE: The Berry Lemonade tastes like a blue energy drink with a little less sugar to it. I'm not sure that makes sense to those who don't sample all there is to the Energy Drink line but it's the best way to describe it. I guess another way would be to say that the berry and sugar overwhelm the lemonade and there isn't the usual sour lemon taste. If you are an energy drink fan and can't stomach any more caffeine for the day I might suggest picking up a Jones Soda. The taste is almost there. I've been thinking it would be nice to have a relaxing energy drink taste without all of the caffeine because I really do like the taste of energy drinks. I'm not just pouring them down my throat to get all hopped up on adrenaline.
SUSTAINED EFFECTS: Hard to say. The pure cane sugar might leave you with a different feel than the usual corn syrup in the average soda. But that's very subjective.
OVERALL: Jones Soda was already a winner in my book once I started studying their stock. They're following in Hansen's (Monster Energy) footsteps and showing the big boys that they don't know how to create the next soda. There's nothing particularly new about Jones Berry Lemonade or any of the Jones' flavors, it's just a different attitude in the marketing that I think will appeal to people.
WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN? Yeah, I'm a Jones fan. Unlike the knockoff drinks that have all kinds of fruity flavors tasting like crap, Jones' flavors always seem to please.
GENERAL COMMENTS: I say keep your eye on Jones Soda and give the berry lemonade a try. It's very sweet and will appeal to many energy drink fans as well as regular soda lovers.