It's not often I find something I've never tried before despite it being pretty much right in front of me my entire life. Michigan pops have their two staples - Vernors and Faygo, but there's actually a third, just as popular brand called Towne Club. I've heard of Towne Club only once - when my parents were reminiscing about it one day after I was talking about sodas (because of course that's what I talk about). They said it was huge in the Detroit area and was a direct competitor to Faygo. I've probably seen it a million times in stores in Michigan and never even noticed. So what is Towne Club?
Towne Club started appearing in the mid-60s in Detroit's poorer neighborhoods and was an instant hint. Apparently, and this is why I was obviously born in the wrong decade - Towne Club has warehouses called Pop Centers, where people would grab a wooden crate and fill it up with various flavors of Towne Club. Sounds like my kinda place! The brand even expanded outside of Michigan into neighboring states. While still readily available today, it is not as mass produced and a little bit harder to find than the other Michigan soda brands. They do have A LOT of flavors, and you bet your booty I'll be keeping an eye out for some more. 
Towne Club Michigan Cherry comes in a massive 16 oz glass bottle and claims to have pure cane sugar and 3% juice (97% Kid Rock blood). Interestingly enough, one of the ingredients is actually Michigan Cherry Juice, so this might be a little more legitimate than the usual chemical-bath cherry pops. I unscrew the bottle and the smell is really fresh - like real cherries. I'm hopeful. The taste is...underwhelming to be honest. It's good, but the flavor is so subtle that it's almost unnoticeable. This one gets a rating of MEH. Hoping for a better one next time I'm in a Pop Center...and in the 1960s. 
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