Strange brew

Malta Goya

Some swear it's a sugared-up by-product from the bottoms of the beer vats at Cerveceria Goya. Some say it's just a soda. Whatever it is, this very sweet, very brown malt beverage (0.5 percent alcohol) goes down fast and mystifies the uninitiated. If you think about corn, it tastes like corn. If you think about beer, it tastes like beer. If you think about molasses, it tastes like molasses. If you think about baked ziti -- well, tell us what happens. We were too scared to try. Best of all, it's just 39 cents for a 12-ounce bottle at your nearest supermarket.

-- Jordan Ellenberg