My New Favorite Beverage

     In 1891, a pharmacist in New Jersey named William Boylan created an elixir in his apothecary that became the New Jersey staple known as Boylan's Birch Beer. Flash forward 122 years and you get me sitting in a gourmet hamburger place in Atlanta called Yeah! Burger sipping on my first taste of Boylan's Black Cherry beverage. I know I left out a lot, but you can read about their history on the webpage. (Click the link!)

     The Boylan Bottling Company has had a long history of brewing small batches of fine beverages. It began with the Birch Beer which was sold from unused beer barrels during Prohibition and now they are known for their Pure Cane Soda line; of which Black Cherry is a part of. They are still most popular around the New Jersey/New York region, but they are beginning to be found in a lot of places like right here in Macon, Georgia: population 92k. Part of that popularity is the actual shape and look of the bottle in which the beverage comes out of. The Boylan name has always been found on very colorful and/or decorative glass bottles. They began selling their beverages in them and still continue to do so even when most other companies have long abandoned the practice save for special or commemorative editions of their beverages. And if you are like me, you will know that for some reason, most beverages taste best when served very cold and come from a glass container.

     

       I will be very honest and say that I have only had the Black Cherry variety, but I do hope to sample the other flavors. (I have even read about places that a fountain machine option of Boylan beverages!) I have always loved a good cherry based beverage, but for many reasons, Boylan's Black Cherry is the best I have ever had. Previously, my favorite had been Dr. Brown's Black Cherry Soda, but one taste of Boylan's changed that for me for several reasons. The first reason being the taste. It tastes more like carbonated juice rather than a soda and I love juice. The second being the ingredients. Boylan's only uses real and natural ingredients in their beverages. They don't use any artificial flavors, additives, or preservatives and in their Cane Sugar line of beverages, they do not use High Fructose Corn Syrup. The Boylan Black Cherry beverage gets its incredible and remarkable flavor from a variety of cherry flavors, wild cherry bark, and vanilla bourbon extract. You can really taste the cherry juice and it reminds me of the cherry juice my sister Amy once brought home from a German cherry farm she lived at when she was 14 during a summer mission trip.

       Another plus for me is that I can consume the beverage during XC and Track & Field seasons. The reason for that is that I require my runners to give up caffeinated beverages for the season due to numerous studies that show caffeine to lessen the fitness levels and the oxygen processing ability of athletes who participate in endurance sports. And most people who consume caffeinated beverages end up consuming more of those than water and are not able to perform at 100% due to being dehydrated. And I never require my runners to do anything that I'm not willing to at least try to myself. 

     I am so glad that first cold bottle of Black Cherry fell into my hands. I have purchased one four pack since then, along with a a few singles here and there when I see them offered, and I let myself have one every few nights as an after dinner treat and it is worth it. I would spend the day looking forward to it. That may mean that my life has come to a lower point than I think it has, but I don't think that is the case. I think its just that Boylan's Black Cherry is just that deliciously satisfying. Think I'll go put one in the freezer to sit a little while so it will be extra cold for dinner. 

Happy reading,

   DAVID