Pepsi Shiso: Great Soft Drink, or GREATEST Soft Drink?June 25th, 2009 by Curzon |
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I bought and enjoyed Pepsi Shiso for the first time today (it went on sale on Tuesday). I’m a big fan of the shiso leaf flavor and have enjoyed shiso juice that I’ve bought in the inaka wilderness of both Hokkaido and Kyushu. I LOVE the new soft drink, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the general adventures that can be enjoyed in Japanese nutty snack cuisine.
Unfortunately, it’s a kisetsu gentei drink and will only be sold through the summer. And for those of you who think that Pepsi is some amazing cross-cultural mastermind of Japanese tastebuds, this is actually the brainchild of Suntory Foods, which has wholly owned Pepsi Japan since 1998.
All this being said, you’re going to have to like the taste of shiso to enjoy the drink. But if you love shiso, you’ll love Pepsi Shiso. Want to see a comparison of the color of Pepsi regular and Pepsi Shiso? Check out this photo.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
“I LOVE the new soft drink, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the general adventures that can be enjoyed in Japanese nutty snack cuisine.”
I’d imagine you were drinking this as you watch “the greatest film of all time”Transformers 2….
June 25th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I haven’t seen Transformers 2, but the first one so bad that I actually want Michael Bay to die. With any luck, in some fashion involving a car flying through the air.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
That just seems so wrong. Mrs. Adamu thought it was nasty. I’m sure Shiso Pepsi is just as good as Transformers 2.
BTW here is the link that we passed around on Twitter:
http://io9.com/5301898/michael-bay-finally-made-an-art-movie
June 26th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Transformers 2 sucks. Pepsi Shiso rocks. Nuff said.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Well I’m not a fan of shiso so I doubt I’ll like the stuff, but I may give it a try for the novelty. Which is their whole fiendish strategy.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:23 am
I’m curious.Is this one of those drinks that your pees go green?They are using artificial colour for that green,no?
June 26th, 2009 at 4:38 am
I can’t wait to try it. But the color is just so wrong. I would prefer a far paler shade of green.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Have you tried the shiso shochu (or quickly saying “shiso shochu” three times)? I’m not a huge fan of shiso in general, but I love this stuff:
http://www.tantakatan.jp/
June 26th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I picked up a bottle this morning on my way into the office; the kombini by my station had cleared out a whole row of refrigerator shelves for the stuff.
It really does taste like shiso, not like Pepsi. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s kind of bizarre to have this flavor in a soda. Perhaps it’s an acquired taste. I don’t know if I want to consume all the artificial coloring needed to acquire it, though.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Must try this Pepsi.
I am gathering that Transformers 2 is becoming the new standard for bad summer movies. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are… like a lynching.
and this
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090625/ap_en_mo/us_film_transformers_jar_jar_again
(Holy shit Michael Jackson died)
June 26th, 2009 at 10:55 am
The colour makes it look radioactive and rather unappealing. Having said that I have drunk green beer on St Patrick’s Day, however, there does come a time in the evening when all you notice about beer is that it is beer.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I gave it a try, and it indeed tastes like a shiso soft drink—but not much like Pepsi. More like a shiso-flavored Sierra Mist.
The color reminds me of a more vivid version of Surge (remember Surge?).
June 26th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I’ll say it: Transformers 2 was so bad it killed the king of pop.
June 26th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
“(Holy shit Michael Jackson died)”
Yeah – thought it was a joke at first. But we all know that he’s really returned to his home planet.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
King of pop was making huge cash out of selling soda pop.Wondering what he has a say on drinking shiso pepsi though.
The recent vending machines are pretty much occupied by the teas/coffees and sodas are being wiped out.Presumably they don’t much with rice oriented bento in convenience store.Does Shiso Pepsi much with onigiri?
June 27th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Jade: You mean Planet Jackson?
June 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Perhaps where Wacko Jacko has gone his family won’ tbe following too soon.
Anyway, I bought a bottle of this stuff at the supermarket today, figuring I can afford to spend 98 yen for a unique taste experience. It’s a nice green colour, and the design is quite nice. There is a definite smell of shiso when opened, but the flavour is not too strong: shiso can be quite potent, but this is tempered down, and to my surprise, actually works pretty well: it has a nice refreshing, almost peppery flavour to it. However the flavour does seem to lose impact as you get used to it, and the drink is way too sweet on the whole. Would I buy it again? Unlikely, but due to the sugar taste, not the shiso. If Poopsi comes up with a zero-cal version that doesn’t taste as much like you are drinking the stuff they drizzle on shaved ice, I might reconsider.