My friends at Sprecher sent me a special package of fall flavors. The soda I was most excited about was the Honeycrisp Apple, for several reasons. First of all, Sprecher does a terrific job with fruit flavors (take a look at my Sprecher reviews). They’re a brewery (beer and soda) based out of Milwaukee that are helping lead the charge for a new wave of craft sodas. I love their root beer, and I’ll jump at any chance to try a new seasonal flavor.

The second reason I was so excited is because I love Honeycrisp apples. I grew up in a family that toasted special occasions with sparkling apple cider (Martinelli’s was/is our brand). I take my kids apple picking in a Honeycrisp orchard every fall up in Bellingham. For me, apples are the epitome of fall. Not pumpkin spice.

The third reason I was so excited…it was free. This is a sponsored post, but my opinions are my own.

I’ve had other good apple sodas before (this caramel apple cream soda from Hank’s was awesome), but nothing close to resembling a fresh Honeycrisp apple. Sprecher nailed it. Honeycrisp apples are aggressively sweet and tart with just a touch of bitterness from the peel. They’re bright and crisp and juicy, and Sprecher’s soda hit all of those points. It’s carbonated enough that the bubbles kick up the apple scent to your nose and keep it alive on your tongue. It doesn’t just taste like apple, it tastes like a Honeycrisp. I found it extremely refreshing on its own, but pouring it over some good vanilla ice cream turned it into something special. The Honeycrisp apple soda float tasted a lot like a liquid apple pie (minus the crust and spices). The 16 ounce cans are ideal for sharing. If you don’t live somewhere that Sprecher sodas are sold, you can order them online. The price is reasonable for the quality, and I recommend trying out their root beer or other flavors while you’re at it.

One quick note for those that care, there’s only 12% juice content in the soda. They use both natural and artificial flavors, and a combination of sweeteners (Wisconsin honey, glucose syrup, and corn syrup solids). There’s a little more sugar per ounce than a can of Coke, but not much.

If you want to learn more about Honeycrisp apples, this video from NPR is pretty great. Honeycrisp saved us from the horrors of the red delicious and we should all be thankful. Also, here’s a link to other reviews I’ve done that include Honeycrisp apples.