Ranking Different Cherry Flavored Sodas
I don’t remember when I first started drinking soda that wasn’t Ginger Ale or Sprite, all I remember is that it opened a completely new world to me. Maybe I was thirteen on a church trip to Massanetta Springs Camp and someone mentioned Cheerwine, and if you know then you know how amazing Cheerwine is. Of course, I’d had cherry-flavored sodas before Cheerwine, and they were all very good. Dr. Pepper, Cherry-Coke, Boylan’s black cherry soda, Cherry Pepsi, a Shirley Temple even. ALL OF THEM. I have even had Dr. Thunder. So, today with all my expert experience, I will rank all of the cherry-flavored sodas I have consumed throughout the past nineteen years. The ranking will go from 1-7, starting from 1 as the worst, to 7 as the best. I present to you:
THE RANKING
1. Shirley Temples
I don’t think this actually counts, I just wanted to throw it in there.
2. Dr. Thunder
Man. This soda is absolutely terrible. I understand its allure, I know why it exists, but I hate it. It’s like gasoline in the way it burns your mouth as you sip it. I’ve only had this once so I could be very, very wrong. You can take everything I say with a grain of salt, but from my experience, it just doesn’t taste as good as the other competitors.
3. Cherry Pepsi
What came first, the egg or the chicken? That’s how I feel about Cherry Pepsi vs. Cherry Coke. I don’t know which one came first, but I do know which one does it better... Cherry Coke! I’ve also had Cherry Coke Zero vs Cherry Pepsi Zero and honestly, I prefer Cherry Pepsi Zero. I don’t know why; all I know is if I’m going off the original version, the one that’s full of sugar that and makes me worry about a cavity, then it’s not Cherry Pepsi would not be my choice between the two brands.
4. Boylans Black Cherry Soda
This ranking is more about the experience I have while I’m drinking this soda. I go to this nice sandwich shop in Virginia Beach, get a long plastic cup and fill it with that cylinder ice that’s easy to crunch (that good ice!), and find that nothing flows down my throat better than Boylan's Black Cherry Soda. It’s sweet and savory. It has a nice little kick that pairs perfectly with my sandwich and chips (not that I wouldn’t also get this soda by itself.) It is so tasty, and completely underrated. Try it if you get the chance! (I am a hundred percent gatekeeping the sandwich shop I like.)
5. Cherry Coke
Slaps! So good I can’t even describe the way it is amazing with every meal I have ever had it with. Whether it’s a chipotle burrito, a sandwich from Franks, a bag of chips, whatever the occasion is, if I see Cherry Coke, you’d best bet I am drinking it. It is so yummy, and it’s even better when you aren’t expecting it to be there because everyone always buys Dr. Pepper. Which is fine, I like Dr.Pepper a lot, but I also like to switch it up from time to time. Shout out Cherry Coke, you are so yummy! (This is not sponsored, but you could totally pay me if you wanted to.)
6. Dr. Pepper
A classic bev for a pool party in the summer. A Dr. Pepper takes me back to the good ol’ days, even though I would never actually want to live them again. But Dr. Pepper just gets the nostalgic flavor just right. Even though I like Cherry Coke, I think it’s a little bit more acidic than Dr. Pepper, and I want that sweetness! I favor the sweetness and “spiciness” that Dr. Pepper delivers.
7. Cheerwine
They don’t even have Cheerwine in my hometown unless I make the drive to Cookout. I wish it were on the shelves. Cheerwine is a memory to me. Every time I drink Cheerwine, I feel like I’m a camp counselor again creating skits with my friends, or I’m driving home from campus because I always get a Cheerwine on the way home. I feel like the mountain air smells sweeter and I’m about to go throw myself down a massive slip-and-slide for the last time. I love Cheerwine because it reminds me of the many places I’ve called home in my life. I love Cheerwine because it is representative of my life experiences. It also tastes the best!
That’s all I have to say and it’s totally okay to disagree with my opinions, this is just how I feel. At the end of the day, it’s just soda. Unless you disagree with Cheerwine, because Cheerwine is the holy spirit, son, and god of cherry soda.
