TMNT Crush: April O'Neil Pineapple

Yesterday in my post about Raphael Strawberry Crush, I mentioned that it would be the last turtle Crush we'd be talking about.  I wasn't lying!  You may not even be aware, but Crush actually released a 5th flavor during their TMNT promotion!  It's been laying low, flew under the radar, and is extremely difficult to find.  Personally, I haven't seen this flavor in stores at all and had to resort to paying $10 on one individual can, but it was worth it to have in the collection.  This was a variety and design that I was hoping they'd include in the set, but never actually thought they would.  Then, Crush posted a photo proving that an April O'Neil Pineapple flavor was the real deal!

As I've done in the past, I was going to design my own April O'Neil can to share with all of you.  I figured Crush would stop at all four turtles and call it a day.  Who would blame them?  They're the true stars of the film and stand out to kids much more than their link to the outside world, April.  Regardless of how much I cool I thought an April can would be, I never thought Crush would agree and I would have bet money against them.  Thankfully, they proved me wrong and proved to be a hell of a lot smarter than I gave them credit for.  This is an obvious move, in my opinion.  The originally animated April was known for her yellow jumpsuit and, in the incarnations to follow, the character always wore some yellow in some type of way.  Whether it was a yellow raincoat or, in 2014, a leather yellow jacket, it's come to represent April just as much as the colored eye bands represent the four turtles.  So, of course, Pineapple soda was the logical choice for April and Crush absolutely knocked this one out of the park!

Not only did they design an awesome can of green and yellow, amazingly popping off of one another, but they included an image of the new April O'Neil played by Megan Fox in the 2014 film.  This is an added bonus because now all 5 cans feature the images of the character each can represents.  I view these cans as works of art and I appreciate the time and effort each designer put into these works of art.  You can tell a great deal of thought went behind each one and they aimed to personalize the cans to the character, rather than simply changing the color and name.  I love stuff like that!  Plus, a can with Megan Fox on it appeals to TMNT fans, women who look up to her, and weird men who just want to look at her.  I swear I only fall in the first category.  Really.

Since I only purchased one can, I wasn't going to crack it open just to pour out $10 worth of soda.  The full can is going to sit on my shelf until it's expired contents explode all over my other collectibles.  But I was able to find a 2-liter of Pineapple Crush that wasn't TMNT themed and used that for my images and taste test.  To be honest, I can't remember if I've ever tried Pineapple Soda.  My gut and memory are telling yes, but I can't be sure.  Despite that, this is certainly taste-test approved and I think, besides it's color, Pineapple soda is the perfect flavor to represent April.  It's sweet, it reminds me of a warm Spring day, and welcomes me to throw in some vodka after a long day at work.  Let's face it, April may be a helping hand to the Turtles but after countless hours at Channel 6 news and coming home to a disgruntled Casey Jones, April surely must have thrown back a few cocktails to take the edge off.  I mean, really, how many times does Shredder need to kidnap you before you become an all-out alcoholic?  So unlike the Turtle flavors, this one is much fruitier, more girlie, and represents April to a tee.

 

I wish I could tell you where to find April O'Neil Pineapple Crush, but it has alluded me on shelves for just over a month.  Much like in the cartoon and movies, the TMNT are doing a good job of protecting her from the weirdos at Wal-Mart.  I'm sure Megan Fox, as she climbed the ladder of success and became an international sex symbol, never thought she'd be on a can of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle soda, but it's official and nearly impossible to find.  I had to resort to eBay and throw down the cash.  If it weren't for me being a huge Turtle Nerd, I would have simply reviewed the 2-liter Pineapple Crush and used stock images for The Holidaze post, but that wouldn't have been the same.  I had to go all-out for this final can and, luckily, it arrived today just in the nick of time!

If you can't find Pineapple Crush in stores, I recommend shopping online.  If you can find Pineapple Crush in stores, I recommend throwing that bad girl on eBay so the people who can't end up paying you much more than it's worth.  The circle of commerce!

TMNT Crush: Raphael Strawberry

As TMNT Week continues here on The Holidaze, we discuss our final Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the Crush soda collection - Raphael!  Known for his signature red eye band and rude attitude, Raphael is the loose cannon of the bunch.  He's hot-headed with a quick temper, but is loyal to his family regardless of their differing opinions at times.  While he may not be the leader, he's second in command and strives to be the best in his own way.  He's certainly the yin to Leonardo's yang and, together, they balance each other and the group perfectly.  So while Raph wouldn't like that he's the last Turtle to be reviewed, he may feel better once he hears how extremely difficult his flavor was to find in stores!

Raphael's Strawberry Crush can was the first one I discovered on Instagram.  I was shocked to see it existed and even after it was proven to be a reality, you still could have fooled me because I couldn't find Raph anywhere.  Maybe that's symbolic of who Raph is as a character.  While he's loyal to his family and defends his brothers, he's still very much a loner who would protect New York City as a solo vigilante if he could, but knows he's 4x less than what his brothers are as a team.  Maybe Raph was so hard to find because he was out on his own but, in the end, he came to his senses and finally joined forces with me at my local Path Mark.  It took me long enough, but Raphael is home, whether he likes it or not.

Like all Ninja Turtle cans, Raphael's is designed perfectly and, again, the colors contrast very well.  Usually, whenever you bring green and red together, it's hard to not think of Christmas, but Crush managed to avoid that trap.  Between the splatter logo, fruit slice and turtle shell, the can stands on it's own as something different; something special.  Of course, Raphael's eyes and brows are especially aggressive along the rim.  Since the first animated series, Raph has gone from funny sarcasm to a true bad ass.  His eyes say a lot and I'm sure the new film will back up that sentiment.

As a kid, I always wanted to be Michelangelo.  He's always been my favorite and I wanted to relate to him, but the truth is I'm much more like Raphael than any other turtle.  Sure, a nerdy blog that focuses on holidays and nostalgia probably doesn't back that up but, in real life, I'm the guy that loves to lead but lets my emotion get in the way of sound decisions.  Thankfully, much like Raph, I'm able to make the best of those decisions and have an awesome family to rally behind me, making me better than I could ever be on my own.  I think the majority of us can relate to Raph, but I'm nowhere near the bad ass he is.  For example, as I was taking photos outside on my deck, I had to run inside like a chicken because a swarm of wasps decided to make their Summer debut on a 90 degree day.  Unlike my wimp ass, they refused to leave the area, but I found my courage, got back out there and rushed these photos for your viewing enjoyment.  That's T-U-R-T-L-E Power!

I know Strawberry Crush has been around for some time, but I've never experienced the flavor.  I knew it would be delicious because I've read rave reviews in the past, but I was excited to finally form my own opinion.  It's awesome, but very sweet.  The best comparison I can make is to "Crazy Hair" candy.  Oh man, when I was a kid, Crazy Hair was available at the Corner Store and my cousin and I bought one every day.  They were sooo sweet and sugary that the rush was inevitable.  For an 8-year-old, the amount of sugar we took in was probably comparable to a drug, but we used the high to play wiffle ball.  We were like little A-Rod's on the block thanks to our Crazy Hair.  Well this Strawberry Crush flavor tastes exactly the same and it instantly brought back a wave of nostalgia and a retro rush of memories.  For that alone, Raphael Strawberry Crush is a great success, but even if you have no attachment to the flavor, I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy this variety of TMNT Crush.  What I can't guarantee is that you'll be able to find any bottles or cans.

TMNT Crush: Donatello Grape

Put on your thinking caps, because today it's all about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who does machines.  If it weren't for Donatello, who knows where he and his brothers would be.  Let's face it, Steve Jobs didn't invent Face Time, he was only copying Donatello in an attempt to bring us all a real-life Turtle Com.  You can thank Donnie for that!  If not for his brains, the Ninja Turtles may have found themselves in Shredder's Turtle Soup after all.  Luckily, he's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Genius and was smart enough to wear the color purple so all of us can sit back with a refreshing glass of Crush Grape soda!

Much like Michelangelo's 12-pack, the artwork is beautiful.  The crisp color and contrasting hues truly make this a work of art.  What I failed to point out in my last post is the use of mutagen or ooze within the design.  If you look closely, you'll see the flowing green ooze separate the purple from the background.  It's almost as if the mutagen ooze is washing away the green, which represents normality, and replacing it with Donatello's signature purple to symbolize the rise of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle who's smarter than most people I've ever met.  Me included.. have you seen the typos and grammatical error on this site?  Yeah, pretend you didn't.. Sorry, Donnie..

There's not enough I can say about these cans.  In reality, all they had to do was release a few flavors, slap the Ninja Turtles logo on there, and call it a limited-edition can and I would have been sold.  In fact, I would have been happy!  But Crush chose to go the extra mile and individually design each character's can to perfectly represent their look and strategy.  While Mikey had the nun chucks strapped to his belt and wrapped around his shell, Donatello has his bo staff ready to whip out at a moment's notice to kick some shell and crush the foot.  Pun intended?  Pun intended.

On top of every can, it's rimmed with the eye band of that specific turtle.  As you'd expect, the eyes are very similar to that of the original comic and what you'll see in theaters this Friday.  But Donatello is an exception to the rule because they've added something in 2014 that's never been featured before - glasses!  I really haven't discussed the change in Turtle appearance much yet and I probably won't until after I see the movie, but they've clearly changed what I know and love.  Time will tell if it was for the better, but these nerdy glasses are an interesting addition to Donnie's character.  Personally, I don't mind it.  I think it says a lot about who he is and where he stands within the group of four.  He's a geek, but he's also a genius and is capable of out-thinking his brothers when they need him most.  Glasses symbolize his passion for learning and I'm happy they took the time to include that on this can rather than simply throwing on another pair of white eyes.

Grape soda is almost as classic as legendary Orange, but I'm not sure where it falls on the popularity scale.  Personally, I go back and forth.  I've had Orange soda so much more in my life that I'll usually choose Grape over the former, but it all depends on my mood and the temperature.  They're both Summer drinks, but an ice cold Crush Grape goes down nice and easy on a 95 degree day in August!  You can't go wrong with either one, but I can definitely tell you that Michelangelo's Orange looks much cooler inside giant TMNT mugs.  If that has any influence on you at all, then I'm glad you're reading The Holidaze!

Oh, and about those hot days... Ninja Turtle shaped ice doesn't do so well outside in the heat.  Had Shredder known my secret, Krang and I would rule the world.  Good thing Donnie is smarter than me... than I?

TMNT Crush: Michelangelo Orange

When it comes to Crush soda, there's no more popular or well-known flavor than Orange.  It's what Crush was originally marketed as and put the brand on the map.  Through the years, a variety of flavors followed and, to this day, you'll find everything from Cherry to Grapefruit on shelves.  It goes without saying that Orange Crush is tag-teaming with Michelangelo in today's TMNT Week post.  Besides the obvious reason of color, I like that Orange Crush is associated with my favorite Ninja Turtle because, when we take it back to origin, I don't think the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would have been nearly as popular as they were in the late 80's/early 90's had it not been for the funny, laid back, care-free, "party dude" attitude of Michelangelo.  Much like Orange flavor being marketing success for Crush, Mikey did the same for the original animated series.  It's a match made in sewers..

This was the first 12-pack I found in stores and if you're still looking, this one should be fairly easy to find.  For as many products as I review, I really don't have a firm understanding of how or why certain stores have certain products and others don't.  Common sense tells me they order the most popular flavors and, as I said, Orange is most definitely the stand-out and has been since the beginning.  Just about everywhere I've looked, from Target to Rite Aid, I've seen either a 2 liter or 12-pack of Michelangelo Orange Crush soda.

The can and box art is phenomenal.  I love graphic design and the artists behind this work deserve bonus points for being so on-point.  The Ninja Turtles logo is places perfectly, the turtle shell and nun-chucks add even more to the character, and the silver scaling over the green can makes for a great contrast and design.  While every TMNT can stands out, none pop more-so than Michelangelo's Orange!  The color against the green background works so well that you wouldn't have to look very hard to know exactly which franchise this can was meant for.  It screams "Turtle Power!"

 

I don't think there's any need to describe the flavor or review the taste.  I mean, if you've never had Orange soda in your life then whatttttt are you doing on The Holidaze?  Really, is there anybody reading right now that hasn't had orange soda?  If there is, then you need to go out now and pick up the nearest can.  Preferably this TMNT can, but anything will do at that point.  It's delicious and the only one who will love it more than you is Kel Mitchell!

It may not be a new or fancy flavor, but it does everything right!  Go out and find this bottle or can before time is up.  Drinking orange soda is always a good thing, but it's even better coming out of a TMNT can.

Cowabunga, dude!

TMNT Crush: Leonardo Berry Punch

For those who are fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this is going to be a fun week on The Holidaze! It's TMNT WEEK!!  Believe it or not, the new 2014 TMNT film comes out this Friday and has already received positive reviews from fans and critics whom were lucky enough to catch an advanced screening.  This not only excites me for my own viewing, but to dive into my saved TMNT topics.  As you may remember, The Holidaze first discovered the TMNT Crush cans on Instagram before Pepsi finally revealed the products.  At first, we weren't sure they were real.  I honestly believed it was a hoax pulled off by a cleverly talented graphic designer, but further images enhanced my anticipation and raised my hopes before Crush made the awesome announcement!  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles SODA was, in fact, real and each turtle was receiving a can and flavor designated to them by color.  I knew, without a doubt, this would be the coolest promotional tie-in we'd see attached to this new film and that was more than enough for me.  So, between now and Friday, I'm going to discuss and review each flavor with you.  Even if you're not a turtle fan, this first one stands out on its own!

Crush Berry Punch!

Obviously, Leonardo had to receive a blue colored soda to match his legendary eye band.  Anything other than blue would have been a slap in the shell and completely ruined the campaign so, really, this was a no-brainer.  But when you think of blue soda, what comes to mind?  I assumed they'd choose a blueberry flavor, but I really didn't think that would taste good.  Even worse, they could have brought back the "Pepsi Blue" flavor to kill the taste completely.  But no, the amazing minds behind this promotion concocted an entirely new recipe and gave Leonardo a never-before-released flavor - Berry Punch!

Throw in some Ninja Turtle ice cubes and we're looking at one delicious drink, but is it really new?  From what I remember, Crush once released a Blue Raspberry flavor and, based on this name and taste, I'd assume this is probably the same recipe with a new name.  Now, that doesn't matter to me because I've never tried it and the name "Berry Punch" is absolutely perfect for a Ninja who leads his brothers into battle, but it's probably not "new" in the sense that it's never been released.  Regardless, it tastes amazing!

Have you ever had a Charms Blue Razz Berry lollipop?  Well that's exactly what this soda tastes like! I remember winning an entire box at a stand in Pt. Pleasant, NJ when I was a kid so there's a lot of nostalgia attached to the flavor for me.  Between the character on the bottle and the flavor in my glass, this Crush Berry Punch is an undeniable winner.  Everything about it is perfect!

In the case of Leonardo, I've only been able to find the 2 liter bottle.  For some reason, Leonardo and Raphael 12-packs are hard to come by.  In some areas, you'll find the entire collection.  In mine, it's hit or miss.  As a collector, I'll be sure to find the can eventually, but the bottle gets the job done if you're just looking to try an awesome flavor.  Or... if, you know, want to take pictures of soda on your deck!

Cranberry Sprite

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving Day is less than a week away and, if you haven't heard about it yet, there's a new soft drink on shelves that may or may not be perfect for your dinner table!

Cranberry Sprite!!

When I first heard about this brand new soda, I was excited.  I'm a big fan of Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash and it's become a holiday tradition.  Even when I've happened to find it during the Summer months, it just didn't have the same appeal.  It's seasonal and sparks an emotion so, with Cranberry Sprite, I was expecting the same feeling.

I'm disappointed that Cranberry Sprite isn't red, but I respect the fact that they decided to distance themselves from Cranberry Splash and be different.  This is completely new and, with any new product, you want it to stand alone and make a name for itself.  But the only way Cranberry Sprite could truly do that is with its flavor.  It had to blow Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash out of the bog in order to take the crown.  If it did that, the clear soda would get a pass on color and become the new champion.

 The results of the taste test?

Ehhhhhh...

It's... Okay, but just okay.  There's nothing spectacular about Cranberry Sprite, but it does have a distinct flavor that you may enjoy.  It certainly separates itself from Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, but I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing.  It's bitter, even reminds me of wine a bit, but doesn't do much for me.  That's not to say it's bad, because you might like it a lot, but I won't be buying another bottle.  I may pick up a few cans, mostly because they're a solid red and look cool for Christmas, but that's about it.  Maybe I'll bring them over to the family on Thanksgiving and see what they think about Cranberry Sprite.

If you've tried it, or plan on doing so, let me know what you think.  This is one of those borderline products for me and I could see opinions easily going either way so I'm curious!

Jones Soda - 2013 Halloween Flavors

The rumors are true - Jones Soda Co. have brought back their Halloween flavored sodas!

Even though Jones Soda has released different varieties of Halloween soda throughout the years, I've actually never tried any of them.  Before I started The Holidaze, I overlooked treasures like this because I didn't fully embrace the season.  When I first read about these on X-Entertainment in 2006, I was in my 2nd year of College and didn't have the time or patience to keep up with every new release.  Halloween hardly lasted a night, let alone a full two months! Looking back, I wish I did it differently, because I know how happy these things would have made me.  I even picked the cans up, looked at them, and put them back down.  While the review was enough for me back then, I've since changed my mindset to go out of my way and experience things first-hand to share them here for whoever wants to read.  It fully enhances, expands, and extends the season.  So when I read that Jones Soda was bringing their Halloween sodas back, I knew it would be high on my list of spooky priorities.  Luckily, my not-so-local Target is finally stocked for the season!

The can designs are amazing!!  I've talked about Halloween soda before, mentioned what I'd like to see and how I'd do things differently, but thankfully, Jones and I think very much alike!  First, we have a "Red Licorice" flavor featuring Frankenstein.  I absolutely love the way he's designed.  The red and green contrast should remind you of Christmas, but they used so much distress, and so many grungy brush strokes, that these cans could never be confused for anything other than Halloween.  They're works of art and I'm so happy they're back with new designs!

We had fun guessing what color the liquid would be before we popped the can open.  This one was obviously going to be red, but it's a beautiful red.  It's the type of color you'd expect from any red-dyed Halloween drink.  You want to pretend and imagine that you're drinking blood.  Act as if you're in "The Lost Boys" and are about to join the vampires by drinking bubbling blood from the Golden Boned Goblet.  That's what makes these flavors so special.  I love Cranberry Sierra Mist, which is almost the same color, but it doesn't pour from the head of Frankenstein and that makes a huge difference!

You have to use your imagination and associate these sodas with the season because the flavors are odd and, chances are, you won't like them all.  In this case, Red Licorice is a bust.  It tastes more like Robitussin than candy, but has enough sugar to know the difference.  It's not horrible, none of these flavors are, but it's not something you'd drink regularly.  But that's okay!  I wasn't expecting deliciousness, I was expecting a conversation starter and a Halloween boost.  If nothing else, that's what this can gave me.

Here we have the "Candy Corn" flavor featuring a werewolf.  It's gorgeous.  This werewolf looks a bit more deranged than your usual wolf man.  One eye is bigger than the other, his hair is very unkempt, and we're not sure if he's smiling, snarling, or ready to attack.  That's what Jone Soda can do to a man.  Actually, this might have been how I looked when I finally found Halloween aisles at Target.  The only person moving faster toward the products than me was my girlfriend.  It's kinda sad how excited we get over spending money on soda and cereal!

Before you look at the next picture, guess what color the soda is going to be based on the flavor name and can color.

Ahhhh that's just awesome!  Not only is it orange, but it's a bright, almost neon orange!  Seriously, the picture doesn't do this justice.  As soon as it settled in the cup, it was as if the liquid was actually glowing.  Between the visual and the aroma, this was guaranteed to be a hit.

As soon as we tasted it, my girlfriend and I both agreed that the Candy Corn flavor is actually that of Creme Soda with more sugar.  If you swish it around in your mouth a little bit, you can tell there's a candy corn flavor, but it's not very distinct and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.  This is very good as it is and probably one of two that you'd actually drink on a consistent basis.

I've changed the order in which we actually tried these for a better (I hope) post, but "Caramel Apple" is actually what we tried first.  We were both very excited for this one because it sounded like a tasty flavor.  On top of that, just look at this can character.  What is he?  He looks like he's melting.  He's literally falling apart in front of our very eyes and we have no idea why.  His eye has escaped his socket and, from the looks of things, his left eye isn't too far behind.  Is he a zombie?  If he is, he'll be a skeleton before he knows it.  My only hope was that the flavor didn't do this to him.  Perhaps it was a cruel joke by Jones.  Time to guess the color and see for ourselves!

 

I was hoping for a green color.  I would have killed for a neon green color to match whatever juice is leaking out from Melt-Man's pores, but we get a dark brown color.  When it settles, it looks more maroon, but regardless it smells like Fall.

The flavor is unique.  You can tell there's a hint of caramel and apples, but it's also bitter enough to taste like Fall.  Again, it's not something I'd drink on a regular basis, but it's far from bad.  If I was having a Halloween party or camping out on a dark night, this would be the drink I'd offer friends.  They may turn it down for a Pepsi, but to truly embrace the Fall season, this is the type of drink you'd want to have.  It's not the best tasting Jones Soda , but it finds the perfect medium between Halloween and flavor.  In moderation, I like it!

In real-life and in this post, "Blood Orange" was saved for last because I had a feeling this was going to be the best flavor.  But before we get into that, we gotta give major props to Jones for another amazing can.  I love Dracula, but any Dracula colored anything other than white gets bonus points in my book.  In this case, we have a purple Dracula, with yellow eyes, and blood stains on his teeth and lips.  Plus, this is the only can that displays an actual pun associated with the can character. "Blood" Orange, get it?  I remember when Jones Soda used to do that with all their Halloween flavors, but I think they've realized they don't need to.  Just the fact that they're designed for the season with flavors associated with it is enough for us all.

I was hoping for a purple color, expected orange, but received something in the middle.  This is such an awesome color and confirms that whatever dye Jones Soda uses is better than anything I've ever seen before.  It's probably horrible for us, but so is everything else we eat and drink on Halloween.  I'll take my chances to drink a pinkish-red colored, Blood Orange flavored, Dracula canned, Halloween soda in the middle of September.  Sounds good to me!

As I assumed, this is the best Jones Soda of them all.  Imagine orange soda with a hint of something else to provide an extra punch of flavor.  I guess that's the "blood."  I've never actually had a blood orange before, but if it tastes anything like this drink then I have a new favorite fruit.  This is delicious and, along with "Candy Corn," this is something that I'd drink at any time.  If you're going to pick up any 4-pack of Jones Soda Halloween mini-cans, this is the one I recommend, most.

Finding these cans were a pleasant surprise.  As soon as I heard the rumor, I knew this would be my opportunity to finally try them.  After missing out on them so many years prior to now, I'm happy to have finally redeemed myself and picked these up.  In my opinion, these are the best can designs I've seen released by Jones and, if there was ever a year to join in on the fun, this is the one.  If we've learned nothing else this season, it's that this may very well be the greatest Halloween of all-time.  Of course, it's up to us to create memories and moments outside of trying candy, food, drinks, and cereal, but these companies are surely giving us enough gasoline to fuel our energy.