Seattle ? Jones Soda Co. takes the idea of a liquid diet to a new low.

Green Bean Casserole Soda? Mmmmmm. And how about an aggressively buttery-smelling Mashed Potato Soda?

Even the creators of the fizzy concoctions at this small Seattle soda company can hardly stomach the stuff. But last year’s unexpected success of the Turkey & Gravy Soda means another round of bizarre food-flavored soft drinks.

An added bonus: They’re calorie-free.

Jones Soda Co. recently launched a full meal deal of five Thanksgiving soda flavors, from the bile-colored Green Bean Casserole to the sweet — but slightly sickly — Fruitcake Soda. Last year’s Turkey & Gravy also is back on the menu.

If you think it sounds less than appetizing, you’re not alone.

“Oh, man, I can’t drink that!” cries out Peter van Stolk, company chief executive, after pouring himself a drink of mashed potatoes.

To banish the buttery aftertaste, he recommends a chaser of Cranberry Soda, the only one of the holiday bunch that doesn’t make you want to pick up a toothbrush.

Dig in — with a toothpick?

Drinking last year’s savory Turkey & Gravy was no picnic, either, but that didn’t stop people from clamoring for it, pushing bidding on auction site eBay Inc. up to $63 for a two-bottle set.

This year Jones plans to produce up to 15,000 five-packs of the 12-ounce bottles, which come complete with utensils — a straw and a toothpick. The sodas may not be as satisfying as a real holiday meal, but they can boast being both calorie- and carb-free, not to mention vegan and kosher.

They’ll be on sale at Target Corp. stores in selected markets — none in Kansas or Missouri — and at other retailers, for between $14.95 and $16.95, with proceeds benefiting Toys for Tots.

Lawrence’s SuperTarget has been fielding plenty of calls from people inquiring about the availability of the odd sodas, but the Minneapolis-based retailer simply doesn’t have enough to go around.

“It’s only in 40 of our stores,” said Brie Heath, a Target spokesperson, who noted that the sodas would be offered on www.target.com beginning Monday. “That’s how limited the supply is.”

Known for its quirky ads and offbeat bottle designs, Jones traces its roots to a soda distribution operation that began in 1987. But it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the company began its own line of sodas, cultivating a following among skaters, surfers and snowboarders by offering unusual flavors like blue bubble gum, green apple and watermelon.

Tastes face internal tests

For this holiday season, five tasters were assigned the task of perfecting the latest flavors, although van Stolk said that most Jones employees ended up trying the sodas sooner or later.

In the early stages, the staff grew deeply divided over mashed potato versus sweet potato.

“It was like red versus blue,” van Stolk said, referring to the recent presidential election.

In the end, he declared mashed potato the winner, arguing that it was the more familiar food.

Jones isn’t the only company to find that people have a certain fascination with foods that make you go “yuck.” There’s the real-life version of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, made famous by the Harry Potter books and featuring tastes like Vomit, Booger and Earthworm. And millions of Americans regularly tune in to reality shows to watch contestants eat things like spiders and snails.

Experts say part of the human fascination with such foods is the omnivore’s natural tendency to try a varied diet. But there’s also a certain group of people who simply are novelty seekers who get a thrill out of more extreme gastronomical adventures, said Virginia Utermohlen, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University.

For those people, she said, the thinking is, “So long as I know it’s not going to kill me, it might be just interesting.”

Research shows young people are more likely to try new foods, said Barbara Rolls, nutritional sciences professor at Penn State University. But she speculates that it’s not just a matter of nature.

“It’s that bravado factor,” she said.

And for some, Rolls added, the risk will have a reward.

“Who knows?” she said. “Maybe it really tastes good.”