Faygo Flavor Primer

So now you know where to find Faygo in San Diego, but for the uninitiated, some flavors may seems foreign. Grape, peach and orange are self-explanatory, but what about Rock & Rye and Redpop? Here’s a primer on the some of the flavors that Faygo has to offer (all are available in San Diego). No sightings of any diet flavors as yet.

First things first— Faygo tastes best from a glass bottle. The cap is fastened tight and that satisfying carbonation pep lasts until the final sip. Plus, the glass-bottled flavors are made with cane sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup. All the Faygo flavors shown above and listed below are available in plastic bottles— the flavor is noticeably inferior to their glass-bottled counterparts, though not awful by any means. The least-favored option is aluminum can, which seems to lack the life essence of Faygo (compare to glass and you’ll see what I mean). Plus, once you open a can, you can’t prevent the fizz from eventually leaving. So if you know you’re gonna drink it in one sitting, can is fine.

As for the flavors, Faygo has more than 50 and they introduce new flavors all the time. There are a few standouts, of course; you can’t go wrong with the classics. According to Wikipedia, the oldest flavors (strawberry, grape and fruit punch) are based on cake frosting recipes but the name Redpop has survived today.

SODAS

• Grape (exceptional; Darlene’s favorite)
• Orange (one of the best orange sodas there is)
• Redpop (Strawberry plus maybe cherry?)
• Moon Mist (think Mountain Dew and Mello Yello)
• 60/40 (Grapefruit/lime, like Squirt)
• Old Fashioned Root Beer (simply one of the best root beers)
• Dr. Faygo (similar to Mr. Pibb and other Dr Pepper knock-offs)
• Peach
• Raspberry Blueberry (like a fizzy blue Otter Pop)
• Black Cherry
• Cola (not unlike RC Cola)
• Cherry Cola
• Vanilla Creme (also one of the best-tasting creme sodas)
• Rock & Rye (they call it a creme cola, but it’s more like a black cherry creme soda)
• Ginger Ale (similar to Schweppes)

OHANA

• Fruit Punch
• Lemonade
• Kiwi Strawberry
• Raspberry Lemonade
• Lemon Iced Tea

In addition, in several taste tests by Serious Eats, Faygo ranks in the top. Grape soda is ranked #4 and praised for its “intense sweetness.” Their Old Fashioned Root Beer was ranked #1 beating more than 20 regional brands which includes Henry Weinhard’s and Sioux City root beers — both are exceptional drinks.

My favorite flavors are Grape, Redpop, Old Fashioned Root Beer, Rock & Rye, Vanilla Creme and Orange. Coincidentally, they’re the flavors you can find in glass bottles. Try any of those poured over ice cream! I really like 60/40 as well— it keeps its carbonation and is really refreshing (especially when paired with something salty, spicy or garlicy). I’m not a fan of any Coke/Pepsi knock-offs in general, so I can’t really recommend their colas. And probably the most disappointing entry is their Dr. Faygo. I tried two bottles from two different places and both seemed pretty flat and only barely reminded me of Dr Pepper. The Ohana line (non-carbonated) are all decent alternatives to Hawaiian Punch, Minute Maid, Lipton, etc.

With so many flavors available, what’s your favorite Faygo?