Dr. Browns Cel-Ray Soda

My parents would give this to me and my brothers as champagne on New Years. The only other time was with a Corned Beef or Pastrami sandwiches from the deli. It is a really light, clean taste that goes so well with things. It is getting harder to find, but what do you all have to think of Dr. Browns Cel-Ray celery soda. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

I understand there are fans of this out there, but I'm not one. I had it just for the first time just this last summer at Chutzpah.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4208

When I ordered one, the waiter asked if I had it before. I said no and he tried to warn me I probably wouldn't like it. Still, I insisted and it tasted awful. After two sips, I switched to a black cherry. I'm sure it is one of those acquired tastes, but for now, I have no interest in acquiring it!

Still glad I tried it though.

How can anyone not love celery tonic?

It's quite the nasty stuff.

I wish their Black Cherry had the intense flavor it did when I was a kid.

Now that was good!

Huhhmm ... I love it. I can't imagine eating good deli food without it.

Cel-Ray is just vile. I couldn't imagine eating good deli with it. People here in Kansas don't believe me that it actually exists back home in New York, let alone tht people voluntarily drink it. It makes Yoo-Hoo look good.

we have it here at Chompie's Deli, though I've never tried it.

It is available at the Liquor Barn outlets in Louisville. I will agree with the "Nay-Sayers" on this one. I have tried it several times and come up with a "YUCK" vote every time. The Dr Brown Root Beer and Black Cherry Soda are great, but the Cel-Ray really does suck bigtime. It's the kind of thing I would "re-gift" as a Roadfood Doorprize at one of our meet-n-greets!

I also love Dr. Brown's Cream Soda.

Their Cream Soda is good but nothing like the Nesbitt's Cream of yesteryear.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

Their Cream Soda is good but nothing like the Nesbitt's Cream of yesteryear.

And it's not as good as Hoffman's or Cott's, but at least it's still available.

quote:

Originally posted by Niagara

Cel-Ray is just vile. I couldn't imagine eating good deli with it. People here in Kansas don't believe me that it actually exists back home in New York, let alone tht people voluntarily drink it. It makes Yoo-Hoo look good.

Good Deli is exactly what it was designed for, that's why it is so popular in the good deli's of NYC. It is a perfect crip clean complement to corned beef on rye with brown mustard and a sour pickle. Maybe it's an acquired taste but it is something different. The Dr. Browns Cream and Black Cherry are very good also. I'm not really a soda drinker, but I'll have a Cel-Ray when possible.

Has anyone compared it with some of the more obscure Jones flavors like Thanksgiving Dinner?

quote:

Originally posted by pcdiva

Has anyone compared it with some of the more obscure Jones flavors like Thanksgiving Dinner?

I have seen the Jones soda's and have either been scared off by the color or the name. Are those flavors legit and is it really sweet?

Cel-Ray's the best! Whenever we can find it, which is not often, we get a case.

Jaker, I commented on the Jones soda (now at our local Walmart) on the thread about cane-sugar soda's. I didn't think the two flavors I tested were anything special...In fact they were rather 'unflavorful'. (Blueberry-Pomogranite and Strawberry-Lime) not impressed at all.

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

It's quite the nasty stuff.

I wish their Black Cherry had the intense flavor it did when I was a kid.

Now that was good!

Is it widely acknowledged that the flavor of the Black Cherry changed, or is it that you remember things tasting better when you were a kid?

The Dr. Brown's line of sodas is now a product of the Honickman Group, through its local bottler Canada Dry Bottling Company of New York. Check the Honickman Group web site for a list of all the local bottling companies they own. CDNY bought up a lot of local brands, such as Dr. Brown's, Kirsh/Hoffman, No-Cal, etc. I know many flavors changed after the original bottler shut down and production shifted to CDNY at College Point, NY. Right now Dr. Brown's sodas (except for the Cel-Ray) are a CDNY budget brand, with 2 liter bottles prepriced at 99 cents for a two liter bottle in supermarkets. CDNY also bottles a lot of ethnic brands. They remind me of the current Pabst Brewing, marketing a stable of zombie beer brands.

In Baltimore the grocery stores that tend to carry Dr. Browns are the upscale ones like Fresh Market, Eddies and Grauls. These stores don't sell anything at a budget price.