By Miles Clements

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Describing Ramune soda is about as awkward as trying to drink one for the first time. That’s because the sodas are the most elaborate little things I’ve ever seen, housed in a distinctive glass bottle that curves inwards at the neck and juts out again towards the mouth, carving out a little glass ledge inside. The real curiosity, however, is how you open the sodas, as they don’t come capped or even corked—they’re held shut with a plastic cap and a glass marble. Carbonation (and a lot of science) is what keeps the marble pinned against the mouth of the bottle and to release that and open the thing, you pop off the plastic cap and press it down against the marble, shooting that down onto the little ledge inside the bottle, where it rocks back and forth with each sip. It actually makes a lot of sense when you get your hands on one, which is easy now that Famima!! has come to town. Ramune sodas come in a lot of flavors, but melon is one of the best, sweet enough to taste like a honeydew candy but subtle enough to be refreshing. They’re perfectly portioned, too, as the roughly seven-ounce bottle won’t overwhelm, but instead lingers just long enough to make you want to labor over opening another.

FAMIMA!! 4816 E SECOND ST | LONG BEACH 90803 | 562.434.3000 | AND 5094 E LOS COYOTES DIAGONAL | LONG BEACH 90815 | 562.597.8900