mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
Soft drinks, which originated as flavored and carbonated elixirs in the late 1800s and became especially popular during the Prohibition era, have long been associated with the region in which they were first developed. While some brands have branched out from their humble beginnings—Coca-Cola is sold in more than 200 countries and territories throughout the world—others have maintained a more localized appeal. Here are 11 lesser-known soft drinks and the stories behind their regional ties.
1. Cheerwine
When a sugar shortage at the start of World War I made it difficult for L.D. Peeler to sweeten his Salisbury, NC-based bottling company’s popular Mint Cola, Peeler began looking for a less sweet, but equally tasty, alternative. The local businessman purchased a wild cherry flavor from a St. Louis salesman and developed the formula for Cheerwine in the basement of his grocery store in 1917. Cheerwine was an instant success and was outselling Mint Cola by the early 1920s. Shortly thereafter, Peeler changed the name of his business to the Cheerwine Bottling Co. The red-colored Carolina staple was distributed locally until 1981, when it expanded into Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia. While Cheerwine’s reach continues to grow, it remains most popular in the Carolinas and parts of Virginia. This year, Cheerwine partnered with a fellow Tar Heel State company, Krispy Kreme, to offer Cheerwine-infused doughnuts in stores throughout the Carolinas.
2. Moxie
It’s no wonder Moxie tastes medicinal. The soft drink, which remains popular in New England, was invented by Dr. Augustin Thompson in 1884. Thompson, a Maine native and Civil War veteran who worked in Lowell, MA, patented a nostrum called Moxie Nerve Food in 1876. Hoping to capitalize on the carbonated beverage craze at the time, Thompson reformulated his nostrum into Beverage Moxie Nerve Food, which was eventually shortened to Moxie, in 1884.
An aggressive marketing campaign helped the brand grow into one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. One early advertisement for the drink, which has an acquired, bitter taste, read: “It nourishes the nervous system, cools the blood, tones up the stomach, and causes healthful, restful sleep. The family who orders a case from their grocer feels better and happier; the man who buys it in town at the druggists by the glass can accomplish more work.”
Maine declared Moxie its state soft drink in 2005 and the beverage is celebrated with a festival in Lisbon Falls, ME, every year. The word moxie, meaning the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage, was derived from the soft drink.
3. Dr. Brown’s
Celery was a popular ingredient in herbal remedies in the 19th century and eventually found its way into a handful of competing soft drinks. Dr. Brown’s Celery Tonic, one of the only such beverages still around today, was first produced in Brooklyn in 1868. The name was changed to Cel-Ray soda in the early 1900s and, at the height of its popularity in New York around 1930, was often referred to as “Jewish Champagne.”
Today, Dr. Brown’s is owned by Pepsi and available at various delis throughout the country. The brand’s most loyal customers, many of whom find Cel-Ray the perfect foil to a pastrami sandwich, are in New York and South Florida.
4. Big Red
In 1937, Grover Thomsen and R.H. Roark developed Sun Tang Red Cream Soda while working as chemists at a barber and beauty supply company in Waco, Texas. According to Big Red, Inc., the Big Red nickname was coined by a couple of San Antonio golf caddies and officially adopted as the name of the drink in 1969. As of 2009, Big Red’s line of beverages, which also include Big Blue, Big Peach, Big Pineapple, and Big Punch, were available in 43 states. While Big Red has established itself as a big brand throughout the country, it remains especially popular in the southwest.
5. Green River
Chicago’s Schoenhofen Edelweiss Brewing Co. introduced Green River soda in 1919, just before the start of Prohibition. The lime-flavored and electric green-colored soft drink was initially bottled in the brewery’s beer bottles and was an instant success. Al Jolson recorded a song about Green River in the 1920s and by the end of Prohibition it trailed only Coke in fountain sales throughout the Midwest. The brewery made Green River a second priority when alcohol became legal again and sales of the soft drink dropped. While the brewery closed in 1950, Green River lived on. Today, Green River is bottled by Chicago’s Clover Bottling Co., and while it remains most popular in the Windy City, it is now sold nationwide. Green River was part of the inspiration for Creedence Clearwater Revival’s album by the same name and enjoys a major increase in sales in the weeks leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.
6. Belfast Sparkling Cider
Belfast Sparkling Cider, which can be found in many Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area, dates back to the Gold Rush of 1849. According to soda expert John Nese, who owns and operates Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles, gold prospectors, many of whom were sailors, would frequent San Francisco’s bar scene in search of a good time. The sailors treated the bar girls to what they thought was imported French champagne, but which was actually Belfast Sparkling Cider, a lightly sweetened drink introduced to the region by Irish refugees who immigrated to the United States during the potato famine. It was a ploy by the ship captains, who apparently paid the bar girls to play along and watched their sailors become intoxicated to the point that it wasn’t a struggle to get them back to sea.
According to a 2006 article in the San Jose Mercury News, DBI Beverage Inc. distributes Belfast to almost every large Chinese restaurant in San Francisco and to retailers throughout the city’s Chinatown. Belfast is especially popular in the month of the Chinese New Year.
7. Ale-8-One
Kentucky-based soft drink bottler G.L. Wainscott developed the formula for his ginger-flavored Ale-8-One in the early 1920s after experimenting with different recipes while traveling in Northern Europe. The beverage’s interesting logo is a pun on the winning entry in Wainscott’s name-the-product contest, “A Late One.” The drink has been bottled in Winchester, Ky., since 1926 and distribution remains limited outside of the Bluegrass State. The Ale-8-One Bottling Co. introduced Diet Ale 8 in 2003. Since then, the company, which remains family-owned and operated, has introduced Ale-8-One salsa, BBQ sauce, and apple butter.
8. Blenheim
Blenheim Ginger Ale traces its roots to the Blenheim Artesian Mineral Springs in South Carolina. It was there, in 1903, that Dr. C.R. May, a co-founder of the Blenheim Bottling Co., happened upon his recipe after adding Jamaican ginger to the foul-tasting mineral water he had advised his patients to drink. Today, Blenheim Ginger Ale, which is spicier than most soft drinks, comes in three flavors: Hot, Not as Hot, and Diet. The drink, which was sold for a time at Restoration Hardware stores throughout the country, boasts a bit of a cult following. The brand earned some rare publicity in 1994 when Penn Jillette wore a Blenheim T-shirt on a cover of Wired.
9. Vernors
In 1862, Detroit pharmacist James Vernor developed a mixture of 19 ingredients that included ginger, vanilla, and natural flavors. Before leaving to fight in the Civil War, Vernor stored his experimental mixture in an oak cask. When he returned four years later, he opened the cask to find it had transformed his blend of flavors into a delicious ginger ale. Vernor sold his concoction at his drugstore’s soda fountain for the next 30 years. In 1896, with the help of his son, he began distributing his specially aged ginger ale in bottles. The Vernor family maintained ownership of the business until 1966. Vernors is distributed today as part of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, with Michigan accounting for most of its sales.
10. Hires
Like several of the soft drinks on this list, Hires Root Beer was developed by a pharmacist. According to one of the many stories behind the origin of America’s oldest root beer, Philadelphia’s Charles E. Hires discovered an herbal tea made of roots, berries, and herbs while on his honeymoon. Hires introduced a root beer mix that consumers could use to make their own root beer at the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where Alexander Graham Bell showcased his telephone. Hires developed a soda fountain syrup version of his root beer in 1884 and began bottling the drink in 1893. His decision to market the beverage as a beer rather than a tea, as he had originally considered doing, appealed to the Pennsylvania miners and added to Hires’ popularity during Prohibition.
11. Sun Drop
Before there was Sprite, there was Sun Drop. Charles Lazier developed the citrus-flavored drink in St. Louis in 1928. The beverage was later marketed under several different names, including Sun Drop Golden Cola, Golden Girl Cola, and Golden Sun Drop Cola. The beverage became popular in the South, with bottling plants in Tennessee and North Carolina, and carried the slogan, “Refreshing as a cup of coffee.” Today, Sun Drop is owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
* * * * *
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Share some of your favorite regional sodas in the comments.
More from mental_floss…
Where Did ‘Pringles’ Come From? The Stories Behind Your Favorite Salty Snacks
*
Spell It Out: 16 Abbreviated Company Names Explained
*
The Original Flavors of 9 Popular Candies
*
10 Secret Menu Items at Fast Food Restaurants
*
10 Things You Don’t Know About Starbucks (But Should!)
*
22 Fictional Characters Whose Names You Don’t Know
Comments (168)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
What . . . no Ski?
posted by Braden on 7-30-2010 at 1:56 pm
CHEERWINE! Now I want to go back to Camp in Brevard…
posted by LEW on 7-30-2010 at 1:58 pm
Mint Cola sounds interesting …
posted by Peteski on 7-30-2010 at 2:05 pm
I have only tried one of these, Big Red cream soada. It reminds me of one of the swimming pools I used to swim at when I was little. That was the only place I ever found it. I will be in Chicago next month. Maybe I will try to find a bottle of Green River and give it a try.
I can’t think of any other regional soda’s or pop as we call it in Colorado.
posted by Brit on 7-30-2010 at 2:07 pm
I miss me some Cactus Cooler.
posted by Caleb on 7-30-2010 at 2:08 pm
Vernors is the best cure for an upset stomach.
posted by Amy on 7-30-2010 at 2:08 pm
I had my first (diet) Cheerwine literally 2 days ago, and aside from the Splenda (ick) it was quite nice.
posted by JP on 7-30-2010 at 2:09 pm
man, no love for Grapico?
posted by Trey on 7-30-2010 at 2:11 pm
SKI is the very very best!
posted by Kieran on 7-30-2010 at 2:13 pm
What about OK Soda? Market tested in Seattle, my friends all loved it, but then it got canned (no pun intended).
posted by Nor Cal Beer Guy on 7-30-2010 at 2:15 pm
Wink, a grapefruit soda, used to exist in New England. Cotts was another NE brand that is no longer. Polar Soda (based in Worcester, MA) does still exist, however, and I think won a trademark battle vs. Coke when Coke started using a polar bear in its adds a few years ago.
posted by Cathy J on 7-30-2010 at 2:17 pm
er, that should be “ads”
posted by Cathy J on 7-30-2010 at 2:17 pm
As a southerner, we we raised on Sun Drop. I worked with an engineer who who take a 12-pack with him whenever he traveled out of the state. One small correction: instead of a Sprite comparison, I’d say Mountain Dew.
posted by Zane on 7-30-2010 at 2:20 pm
Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, out of Birmingham, AL. It’s a spicy, acquired tase as well. I’ll have to try out Blenheim to see how it measures up.
posted by William on 7-30-2010 at 2:20 pm
Cheerwine is awesome. I grew up and still live in Spartanburg, SC. My wife is from CT so I had to explain to her what it is and how amazing it is. Spartanburg used to have a minor league baseball team when I was a kid and my dad would always buy my brothers and me a Cheerwine when he would take us to the game. I still think about those baseball games at old Duncan Stadium everytime I have a Cheerwine. They tore that old stadium down years ago. Makes me sad.
posted by Eric on 7-30-2010 at 2:21 pm
You don’t have Sprecher’s sodas here? That’s what I missed the most about Wisconsin when I spent 3 years in Arizona!
posted by Rudekker on 7-30-2010 at 2:24 pm
Buffalo Rock!!!
posted by Bruce on 7-30-2010 at 2:25 pm
I’m so glad to see Big Red included in this list! It’s been a favorite of mine since childhood. Unfortunately, it’s not available where I live now, but I’m moving back to Texas soon, and this is just one of the many things I’m looking forward to!
posted by Michelle on 7-30-2010 at 2:27 pm
Oh, there is nothing better than some good Que (BBQ) & Big Red…
posted by Bob Jones, Esq on 7-30-2010 at 2:31 pm
I adore Cheerwine, Ale-8-One, and Sun Drop, but hands down gotta have Ski!!! I even got my kids hooked on it last summer in Kentucky. That resulted in an exhaustive search for it in our northern Ohio area with no luck. Either a 4 hour drive or hefty shipping costs for Ski. On a side note, we are one of the few not-in-Kentucky areas that Ale-8-One can be found, but only at one particular Wal-Mart. When they started selling it, it made the front page of the local paper (the area has a large Kentucky born, moved north to work in the factories population).
Another in-the-south-only would be Diet RC. I can get regular RC, but no diet.
posted by Christine on 7-30-2010 at 2:32 pm
Grew up on cheerwine, sun drop and the occasional Blenheim’s. Local to Concord, NC there are What-a-burger drive-in’s (not the same as Texas, out west) and they would make real cherry-lemon sun drop before it was marketed. Also sun drop is made with orange juice and you can really taste it in the regular, not diet – great as a mixer.
I’m going to the store right now…
posted by rccola20 on 7-30-2010 at 2:33 pm
Where’s the ski???????
posted by sb on 7-30-2010 at 2:33 pm
I love Vernor’s.
posted by henry on 7-30-2010 at 2:33 pm
They make Cheerwine in glass bottles with real cane sugar, and its the best! The only place I’ve seen them for sale anymore is at the NC farmers market in Raleigh. Most of our friends who are northern transplants don’t understand the awesomeness of Cheerwine, I think you have to be born in the Carolinas…
posted by Chris on 7-30-2010 at 2:36 pm
No Spring Grove pop? During the summer months in NE Iowa, that was a huge treat, to pile into the family car and go fishing up by La Crosse and then come home via Spring Grove to pick up a case of Spring Grove pop.
posted by Deb on 7-30-2010 at 2:36 pm
Northern Neck Ginger Ale. Bottled in Montross, VA. THE best ginger ale I have ever tasted. Has a great bite and is made with real ginger.
posted by Todd on 7-30-2010 at 2:37 pm
When I vacationed in N.C. a few years ago I found Cheerwine, now it reminds me of that trip and I love it when someone brings some home for me.
I can’t drink Vernons anymore, my Mom gave it to me everytime I had an upset stomach, so now smelling it makes my stomach turn.
Can’t forget Faygo, a great Detroit based Soda
posted by hockeyzombie on 7-30-2010 at 2:39 pm
Glad to see I’m not the only one who noticed the lack of Ski-love! I’d never heard of the stuff until I moved to southern Kentucky for college, but quickly learned that it’s a relic.
posted by Lindsaur on 7-30-2010 at 2:40 pm
Virginia has Northern Neck Ginger Ale
posted by Diane on 7-30-2010 at 2:42 pm
I’m surprised Faygo is not mentioned. I’m from TN and my brother used to work for the Sun Drop dist. center but I have to say Ski is way better than Sun Drop. Also to Rudekker, I just recently tried Sprecher’s down here. It was in Stuckeys of all places. That orange soda was the most delicious I’ve ever had.
posted by Terri on 7-30-2010 at 2:47 pm
Pokagon Soda was made in Angola, Ind., until sometime in the 70s. (Pokagon Lake and Pokagon State Park were right outside of town). They had a lot of great fruit flavors. There are many lakes in the area where families would spend their summers or rent a cottage for a couple of weeks. Pokagon soda was part of summer at the lake for a lot of us.
posted by Pat on 7-30-2010 at 2:49 pm
What about Lehigh Valley’s A-Treat sodas? They make a million flavors, including Sarsaparilla, Pineapple soda and one just named Big Blue. Blue is a wonderful flavor.
posted by hayden on 7-30-2010 at 2:51 pm
Here in Michigan, doctors will still prescribe Vernors if you have a sore throat. Put some in a coffee mug and heat it in the microwave with a slice of lemon, and you have the cure. It’s awesome.
posted by Ophelia on 7-30-2010 at 2:52 pm
Vernor’s is yummy!
posted by Melissa J. on 7-30-2010 at 2:52 pm
Also can’t believe that Grapico was left out… It’s been in the southeast since 1917.
posted by Ed on 7-30-2010 at 2:54 pm
I agree with Trey, Grapico deserves a mention.
posted by Ben on 7-30-2010 at 2:56 pm
I love Big Red, especially at Taco Bell or Arby’s, which I can only seem to find in New Albany, IN. Just moved to Eastern Kentucky last year, and you can get Ale-8 at the fountain at a lot of restaurants. Someone mentioned Sprecher’s sodas. They have the best root beer!
Oh, and if you’re interested in what different parts of the country call soft drinks, you should check out this map:
http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/popvssodamap.gif
posted by Emilee on 7-30-2010 at 3:00 pm
I cant believe there is no mention of Dr. Enuf. Popular here in Upper East Tennessee….Its claim to fame is that it’s “chock full o’ vitamins”. It tases like sprite infused with crushed up Flinstones vitamins……but the folks here drink it like water.
posted by David K on 7-30-2010 at 3:09 pm
I see Philly is represented with Hires. But what about the other Philly treat… Frank’s Soda?
posted by Mike on 7-30-2010 at 3:12 pm
I live in Middle Tennessee, ground zero for SunDrop, and Sprite is not the right comparison. It’s closer to Mountain Dew or Mello Yello.
I have never tried the Blenheim ginger ale, but I still recall Charles Kuralt doing some sort of prime time special or summer replacement series of his CBS News “On The Road” segments back in the 1970s, and he visited the plant.
posted by John Carney on 7-30-2010 at 3:22 pm
Vess Sodas here in Missouri.
posted by Brenna on 7-30-2010 at 3:29 pm
In St Louis we have Vess, Fitz’s, IBC…
We also have a couple stores that carry Faygo.
posted by Paul on 7-30-2010 at 3:29 pm
Barq’s! The red creme soda is amazing! They make root beer, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barq%27s
posted by El Capitahn on 7-30-2010 at 3:33 pm
CHEERWINE! <3
posted by Lynnie on 7-30-2010 at 3:35 pm
Champagne Cola.
Tastes a little like carbonated bubble gum – but better than it sounds. Only have seen it in the Caribbean.
posted by n2y2 on 7-30-2010 at 3:38 pm
Manchester, CT has Hosmer Mountain Beverages. It’s a full line of sodas and sparkling waters. Everything from strawberry, to blackberry, orange to cola, ginger ale, Lime, and many original flavors as well. It’s quite yummy.
posted by Jo-Ann Burton on 7-30-2010 at 3:40 pm
Is it Frank’s? Thanks.
posted by Turtle on 7-30-2010 at 3:40 pm
I did not know that Cheerwine and Sundrop were regional drinks. I should travel more.
posted by Shayla on 7-30-2010 at 3:49 pm
I live in CT and the is a local New Haven soda company called Foxon Park they make Iron Brew…its the best soda ever. Especially with New Haven pizza.
posted by Vicki on 7-30-2010 at 3:51 pm
Budwine cherry cola from North Georgia. “Makes you glad you’re thirsty!” I would kill for a can of that stuff.
posted by MHB on 7-30-2010 at 3:51 pm
Wait…No BIG SHOT a New Orleans favorite everything from Cream Soda to Pineapple
posted by Southern Girl on 7-30-2010 at 3:53 pm
Anyone else like Brio Chinotto?
posted by TheBear on 7-30-2010 at 4:09 pm
I miss the Baltimore drink “Almond Smash” it’s difficult to find, but still is around in some shops when I go back home
posted by Chris on 7-30-2010 at 4:11 pm
I gotta pipe in with some love for Moxie and Dr. Browns.
posted by jdthinksso on 7-30-2010 at 4:13 pm
Seriously, I fully expected to see Ski on the list.
Also, Big Red is extremely popular in Kentucky and Indiana.
posted by Jared on 7-30-2010 at 4:31 pm
Vernor’s is good, but Blemheim’s ROCKS!! That stuff is soooooooo tasty and the hot leaves a nice tingling in your mouth! Wish I could find it in FL!!!
posted by Gretchen on 7-30-2010 at 4:31 pm
We used to make “Cheerwine Runs” up to NC because we couldn’t find it in Atlanta. The Cheerwine was only an excuse for a great trip through the mountains with our kids and their friends. As they say “it’s not the destination but rather the journey”. But the Cheerwine was a good trophy for our effort. We used to clean out the Ingles in Murphy NC. The locals thought we were nuts. Good times!
posted by Dan on 7-30-2010 at 4:40 pm
We can’t get Big Red where I live, so my parents have a standing order to bring me some cases whenever they visit my mom’s family in Texas. I’ve tried describing its wonderfulness to friends, but it’s kind of hard to do since I will never share my limited supply.
posted by CamilleR on 7-30-2010 at 4:48 pm
DR ENUF! That’s where its at. Definitely a Jackson City type of a thing though, I’ve got family up in Carter County and everytime we see eachother, I’m taking a case of it home. <3 And it's got all your vitamins!
posted by Casey on 7-30-2010 at 4:49 pm
I miss the dear departed Briardale Cola, with a beautiful mahogany tinge and a flavor I liked better than Coke or Pepsi. And the wonderful glass bottles with a horse’s head framed by a horseshoe. Gone are the days.
@Cathy J–yes, Polar still thrives in New England, and they reached a settlement with Coca-Cola over the use of the polar bear. I think Coke still uses polar bears at Christmastime, though. And Wink was also available in Maryland. It went away for a while, and when it came back, the “zing” was gone. Polar Half-and-Half (lemon and grapefruit) tastes pretty much like the old original Wink.
posted by jmmc on 7-30-2010 at 5:02 pm
I love Red Flash! It’s a Coke product, so I don’t know if it qualifies for this list, but it was only ever sold in the south. Supposed to compete with Big Red, I believe. I moved up north almost six years ago, though, and haven’t had oppurtunity to go back. Anyone out there know if it still available somewhere? My grandparents would being/ship me some, but they can’t find it bear them :-(
posted by Peacefultaru on 7-30-2010 at 5:12 pm
Cheerwine slushies are amazing! The only soda my grandfather used to drink was Sun Drop. I’m from Charlotte, NC. Interestingly, a sandwich shop I frequent sells Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda. I haven’t braved it yet, but maybe I will the next time I grab a pastrami sandwich there!
posted by Julia on 7-30-2010 at 5:14 pm
Are RC and Nehi now distributed nationally? They’re huge here in the south! There is NOTHING like a Nehi Peach soda on a hot day.
posted by GWSTB on 7-30-2010 at 5:21 pm
Big Red is the mascot for Western Kentucky University and we used to keep Big Red soda in stock at the alumni office to use in gift bags and things of that nature. Also, Ale 8 is a very central-Kentucky thing. I grew up in southern Kentucky and couldn’t easily find it until I moved to Lexington. Although I only lived in Lexington for a year, I really miss Ale 8!
posted by Holly on 7-30-2010 at 5:34 pm
Cheerwine
Cheerwine
Cheerwine
So very good. It’s really about the only soft drink I will consume with any regularity. Best main-stream soft drink in existence.
A local dive here in Burlington, N.C. known as “Zack’s” is famous for their hotdogs, which you wash down with copious amounts of Cheerwine, fresh out of the glass bottle.
Cheerwine out of a bottle is second to none.
posted by Josiah on 7-30-2010 at 5:35 pm
I apologize for nitpicking but when you stated that Coca Cola is in “more than 200 countries around the world” you are incorrect. There aren’t even 200 countries in the world. Officially there are 195 countries; the UN has 192 members and the US recognizes 194 (not Taiwan).
Sorry, as a student of foreign policy this is something that just caught my eye.
Otherwise, awesome article. Thanks again for all the dedicated work by the mental_floss staff!
posted by izzi on 7-30-2010 at 6:15 pm
+1 for being surprised at the lack of a Faygo mention.
posted by Renee on 7-30-2010 at 6:44 pm
Another vote for Nehi…both peach and grape! Also, I’m a big fan of Shasta (the entire line)!
posted by loripop on 7-30-2010 at 7:13 pm
Sun Drop is great. I like Diet Sun Drop, but only seem to be able to find it in and around NC and upstate SC. There’s regular Sun Drop in places I’ve been in Georgia and Virginia, but haven’t found the diet version. I have to say that the Cherry-Lemon Sun Drop is incredible, but way too sweet for me to drink regularly. I never was crazy about Cheerwine, but I know plenty of people who down it like water. It’s always tough to describe Sun Drop to folks I meet throughout the US, but I am kinda glad it is a regional drink. It makes it that much more special. Great list. I can’t wait to try some of these other regional drinks when I travel.
posted by Matt on 7-30-2010 at 7:24 pm
Ski, Cheerwine, Hires, Fargo, Sun Drop, and many of the other bigger ones are available here in West Virginia. Guess we get the best of the southern AND northern delicacies.
Only big regional drink you didn’t mention was Hawaiian Sun. Just about everyone who lives or has been to Hawaii has had at least one of their drinks, many flavors not available anywhere else in the world. I know of quite a few people who ship cases to the mainland at great cost just to have some.
posted by Craig on 7-30-2010 at 7:31 pm
Nehi, RC Cola and Dublin Dr.Pepper
posted by Tony on 7-30-2010 at 8:04 pm
I love sundrop!!!
posted by Sydney on 7-30-2010 at 9:03 pm
We have Big Red, Sundrop,(rare) and maybe Vernors here in Minnesota.
posted by J.S. on 7-30-2010 at 9:23 pm
Dad’s Root Beer ; A&W Root Beer ( Miss the Days when I could go to an A&W Drive-in Restaraunt buy a Poppa,Momma, Teen & Baby Burger and have a frosted (Frozen)mug of Tapped Root Beer there)!
posted by Tony Clark on 7-30-2010 at 9:34 pm
“So Good… With Food” is maybe the best motto ever.
posted by Hailey on 7-30-2010 at 9:36 pm
Also, love the pop vs soda map! I can’t believe Oregon is so completely a pop state– I have only ever heard people say soda.
posted by Hailey on 7-30-2010 at 9:39 pm
Oh, thank you David K, I was starting to worry that nobody said Dt. Enuf. Although Casey, dear, it’s Johnson City, TN that has Dr. Enuf. Not sure Jackson City exists.
posted by Jill B on 7-30-2010 at 10:02 pm
They used to sell a soda in Borders Books called Afri-Cola. It was supercharged with caffeine, and the tagline was “Kein Vergnugen ohne Gefahr.” It means “No pleasure without danger.”
Also, there is a brewery in Wisconsin called Sprecher’s, and their root beer is the best I’ve ever tasted.
posted by Bob on 7-30-2010 at 10:26 pm
As a lifelong Michigander, it’s difficult for me to imagine people in other parts of the country living without Vernors! Vernors has an awesome balance of sweet and bite, as well as a complexity of flavor, plus, as mentioned, it calms upset stomaches. Even when completely well I find that enjoying a can poured over ice in a rocks glass to be oddly soothing!
posted by Becky on 7-30-2010 at 10:30 pm
I can’t believe no one has given a shoutout for Shasta! Also love Peach Nehi here in KY.
posted by Jeremy on 7-30-2010 at 11:25 pm
@Becky-I understand what you mean. Up until a few years ago,I thought Sun Drop was a nationwide brand b/c it’s sold as regularly as Coke around here in Eastern NC. I guess we all really do live in some sort of bubble whether we know it or not.
posted by lisaj6112 on 7-30-2010 at 11:46 pm
In northeast IL we had Glen Rock soda – it was bottled in Waukegan, IL and came in little glass bottles sold by the case
posted by Dan on 7-31-2010 at 12:20 am
I’ve heard of the first three and have had the displeasure of drinking Cel-Ray soda. Ugh, my mom liked it I couldn’t stand it. This did get me to thinking about regional snacks, like Utz chips. I can mostly find them up in New York and I don’t know how often they’re sold in Virginia anymore. My mom was a field for the sour cream and onion utz potato chips.
posted by JasmineP on 7-31-2010 at 12:28 am
Izzi, your comment caught my eye so I wandered off to do my own reading – the “more than 200 countries” idea appears to come from Coca-Cola itself:
“…our portfolio of more than 3,300 beverages are produced by a vibrant business system operating in more than 200 countries around the world…”
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/careers/how_we_operate.html
I wonder if they know of their mistake. Honestly – that’s a pretty big deal. You should contact them about it. Good catch!
posted by Sara on 7-31-2010 at 12:34 am
Was surprised and delighted to see Ale-8 on your list. I have to make a pilgrimage at least once a year to Ky to buy some. Grew up with it and still love it today.
posted by deb on 7-31-2010 at 1:00 am
Vernors…that’s a treat!
posted by Kelly on 7-31-2010 at 1:06 am
So happy to see Ale-8 represented here! I grew up in Eastern Ky and used to live down the road from the bottling plant. We are downright cultish when it comes to Ale-8!
posted by Nicosia on 7-31-2010 at 1:20 am
Shasta is just a cheap soda just like Faygo or C&C. I dont think they are regional.
posted by Jeff on 7-31-2010 at 1:22 am
I know when I was in high school (about 5 years ago) Cheerwine was pretty popular all the sudden, and this was in Missouri. I’ve never tried it because I don’t much favor soda, but apparently everyone else was a fan. Since then, though, I haven’t really seen it available.
posted by Faith on 7-31-2010 at 2:04 am
Galco’s Soda Pop Shop (mentioned in #6) here in L.A. is as close to heaven as earth will allow for a soda-lover. They have everything! Belfast Cider is great, as is Ale-8-One, but I’d have to give Cheerwine the first prize. Fortunately they sell it a gourmet deli nearer to where I live. I usually go for the soda alone.
Grew up with Cel-Ray, which my NY- born mom got me drinking. I love the stuff, it’s like a caramel-ly cream soda without the cloying sweetness, and with just a hint of celery.
Also, shoutouts to Boylan Sugar Cane Cola and New Orleans’ own Abita Root Beer.
posted by Wallis Lane on 7-31-2010 at 2:07 am
Only occasionally do I find Cactus Cooler. Recedntly, it was a petrolstation on I-5 in the CA cnetral valley, but mostly San Diego (and Albuquerque? can’t recall) were where I’d had some.
For ginger *beer*, Cock ‘n’ Bull or Bundaberg are for me, but not regional, exactly.
Found Blenheim ginger ale (hotter & stronger than any ginger beer I’ve ever had!) in a coffee shop in Capitola CA. Used to sell it at BevMo, but no mo’. I can’t tell that the diet IS diet. I likes my ginger nice and strong!
I can find Virgil’s wonderfully complex root beer easily enough, but it’s been years since I’ve seen their extra large ceramic stoppered bottle of Nutmeg Root Beer, which is even better.
Was introduced to Vernor’s in college.
posted by A. Marina Fournier on 7-31-2010 at 4:26 am
This isn’t the same thing, but when I was a kid you couldn’t buy Mountain Dew in Texas, but you could in Colorado. We’d drive up for vacation and the best thing about vacation was that you could buy this amazing soft drink. Then at some point Pepsi bought it and it went national, but I still associate it with a kind of “special treat.”
posted by sweaver on 7-31-2010 at 6:51 am
Cheerwine-infused Krispy Kreme’s? It can’t get any better than that!
posted by Mike on 7-31-2010 at 7:42 am
In South Jersey, there was also BOOST! (Aka Tak-a-Boost or Drink-a-Toast). My older aunt used to LOVE the stuff. It’s basically flat soda.
http://www.takaboost.com/home.html
posted by josh on 7-31-2010 at 8:34 am
Faygo !!!!!!
Faygo is definitely a Michigan favorite. My personal faves being Faygo Rock N Rye and Faygo Redpop.
posted by Trish on 7-31-2010 at 9:27 am
Not regional in the US, but Irn Bru seems to be the soft drink of choice in Scotland, but isn’t found that much in the rest of the UK and definitely not in the US. My favorite part of visiting is drinking the stuff, which tastes a bit like bubble gum, but is orange colored.
posted by Katie F on 7-31-2010 at 9:58 am
Wow! I am sooo surprised to see Sundrop mentioned on this list. It is HUGE in Middle Tennessee. I am a Sundrop Junkie!
posted by Tammy on 7-31-2010 at 10:22 am
i am from St. Louis and there is nothing like a cold Peach Vess :-)
posted by Ryane on 7-31-2010 at 10:26 am
I just came back to Maine after 20 years..had forgotten about Moxie! Took me a long time to like it, but man…it’s great!
Now here’s one I bet you’ve never heard of…in Levant, Maine they have: Capt Eli’s Strawberry Pop! Like biting into a fresh strawberry! Best strawberry soda I’ve EVER had
It comes in a dark brown bottle. like a beer bottle. If you can find it, try it..see if I’m right…fresh picked strawberrys…I’m hooked!
posted by Doug on 7-31-2010 at 10:37 am
Our family moved from Texas to New York in 1963, and there was no Dr. Pepper! We had folks ship it to us or bring it back from visits to The South. Later on, it became available up there, and I had a friend who used it instead of milk on his breakfast cereal.
Grapette was a childhood favorite that seems to be long gone…
posted by Mistertroll on 7-31-2010 at 11:12 am
My family is from the south, and I always loved Sun Drop when we went down. As others have pointed out, Sprite isn’t the right comparison. I’d say Squirt myself.
A few of my uncles and cousins spent time in the North, and whenever we would visit AL, we took Vernors with us. They would fight over it! I’ve never liked it – I guess I associate it with being sick!
I’m also surprised that Faygo isn’t mentioned. Has it gone national?
posted by Tammy King on 7-31-2010 at 11:30 am
I live in Southeastern PA, about half an hour away from Philly, and I had no idea that Hires was a regional thing! (Of course I’ve had it…makes a great root beer float.) They even used to sell Hires root beer float popsicles–like a creamsicle, only with root beer around the vanilla ice cream center, instead of orange–but I haven’t seen them in years.
Anyone ever heard of Skal soda? My uncle used to bring it home to PA when he came to visit, either when he lived in Minnesota or Washington state. It looked like cloudy dishwater, but it had kind of a citrus or lemon-lime flavor. Can’t even find a mention of it anywhere online, so I guess it’s gone by now…
posted by Kim on 7-31-2010 at 11:43 am
Vernors is amazing. After a lifetime of drinking Vernors, I can’t drink any other ginger ale. They all taste flat and watered down by comparison.
posted by Emily on 7-31-2010 at 12:02 pm
I wish Nehi would bring back, it’s blue Nehi soda from the late 80′s. I would pay for one right now!!
posted by Sandi on 7-31-2010 at 12:11 pm
I agree with Todd. Northern Neck Ginger Ale is the best Ginger Ale ever. I get it every time I can find it at the Grocery. I love drinking it at the Rivah.
posted by Lindsay on 7-31-2010 at 12:40 pm
Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale out of Birmingham AL – it’s darker than most ginger ales, and way spicier. It’s also the perfect hangover cure.
posted by Megan on 7-31-2010 at 1:06 pm
What ever happened to Birch Beer…We used to get it in frosty mugs at Royal Castle here in Florida…We do have Vernors here and Cheerwine is available at Food Lion…
posted by YUMYUM on 7-31-2010 at 1:20 pm
The Pop Shoppe pop. It use to be everywhere when I was a kid, but disappeared for awhile. The Lime Rickey pop was my fav. The wiki link explains where it went and why. I will be finding some today however as I located a local retailer who sells it! Muhahahaha!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pop_Shoppe
posted by Eden on 7-31-2010 at 2:23 pm
When I saw regional soft drinks I thought of Ale 8 but I thought it would be too localized for mention. It is indeed, as someone mentioned, more of a centraleastern KY thing – I grew up in western Kentucky and never even saw it till I was in my late twenties.
Also, I never noticed the One at the end of the name, Ale-8-1. Sounds like a lot of people leave that off.
posted by Amy on 7-31-2010 at 3:00 pm
what about brooklyn’s own Manhattan Special? espresso soda. better than it sounds.
posted by theo on 7-31-2010 at 3:08 pm
hocketzombie, love the Faygo! It’s advertised as being sold in our Super Foods, but I can only find it at Piggly Wiggly or Fred’s.
posted by Sara in Al on 7-31-2010 at 3:43 pm
I have two favorites that aren’t mentioned. Growing up I loved Aspen soda. It was an apple soda with a real kick. Probably based on Granny Smith apples. And I lived in Brazil for a couple of years and really got hooked on a Brazilian soda called Guarana (pronounced guad-a-nah). It’s fruity and awesome. I can find it in the states when I want it, but it’s costly!
posted by Chris on 7-31-2010 at 3:54 pm
Vernors is the best cure for anything. I agree, Emily, once you get a taste for Vernors, every other ginger ale literally “pales” by comparison.
As for the others, I’ve had Big Red, Hires and Sun Drop (live in Central Ohio). Also Faygo and Shasta.
Anyone remember Cherokee Red?
posted by Metalhed on 7-31-2010 at 4:35 pm
I’d love to get my hands on some Cheerwine. I think I saw them make it on an episode of Unwrapped on Food Network.
Can’t watch as much Food Network as I used to. Either makes me too hungry, too thirsty or both.
posted by Metalhed on 7-31-2010 at 4:38 pm
gosh, cheerwine is awesome!
posted by Makayla on 7-31-2010 at 4:42 pm
I’ve had the Cheerwine Krispy Kremes. They are freakishly amazing.
posted by Paige on 7-31-2010 at 5:45 pm
Woohoo! Cheerwine AND Sun Drop made the list!!! Although, I have to say Cherry Lemon Sun Drop is by far the best version.
Around here in NC, you can’t walk into a home and not find either one of these sodas or sweet tea.
posted by KerriD on 7-31-2010 at 6:06 pm
Love Dr. Enuf and Cheerwine (I’m a Johnson City native and have to bring cases back to Atlanta.) Had Ting in Jamaica and it’s actually pretty good. We need to support regional sodas and breweries as they are far and above more interesting than national brands.
posted by Jason on 7-31-2010 at 7:00 pm
I was glad to see Ale8 on the list. When we were growing up we used to call it Winchester Swamp Water but that never stopped anyone from drinking it.
I remember seeing the commercials for it on tv “a soft drink for everyone.. ale 8 one” . It wasn’t until I moved away that I realized that you couldn’t get it at every gas station.
I have friends who load up on it every time they go home to Kentucky.
posted by veetie on 7-31-2010 at 7:02 pm
Does any one else remember the Whistle Stop Pop Shop? They used to sell all sorts of drink. You could buy it in a large wooden case. You paid a deposit on the case and got it back when you returned the case and the bottles. We use to love that stuff… grape, root beer, lime.. you name it. I am not sure if it was a regional drink or not but you could get it in central Kentucky.
posted by veetie on 7-31-2010 at 7:06 pm
How about Royal Crown, RC? Or is that too much of a “national” brand now?
posted by indotexan on 7-31-2010 at 9:21 pm
My mom is from from Michigan (where I was born) and my dad is from Birmingham, AL (where I have lived for most of my life) so when it comes to ginger ale (which i love in any form really), I carry dual soda-citizenship between Vernor’s and Buffalo Rock’ Southern Spice Ginger Ale. Also, I’ve been known to select a nice Sun Drop from time to time.
posted by Mr. E on 7-31-2010 at 9:52 pm
When I was growing up in W.Va. there was a popular soda called Whistle. It came in different flavors, like, orange whistle, grape whistle and my favorite, cherry whistle.
Indotexan, they still make Royal Crown. It’s been around a long time. They even have R C cherry, which is really good. I’m drinking one now.
posted by Joyce S on 7-31-2010 at 9:59 pm
Now that I live in Florida, I say “soda”, but in W,Va. it was “pop”.
posted by Joyce S on 7-31-2010 at 10:22 pm
Vess? It’s not mentioned because it is terrible! Ok, not terrible, but it is cheap soda in every way. Fritz root beer deserves a mention for sure, and even more important is Ski! I can’t go a day without it.
posted by Nathan on 7-31-2010 at 10:43 pm
ale 81 is delicious! my friends and i stumbled upon it in one small convenience store while visiting west virginia two years ago (we’re from upstate new york) we brought a case back, but it’s gone now unfortunately
posted by Jill on 8-1-2010 at 12:44 am
+1 for the awesomeness of Vernor’s
+1 for the need to include Faygo on the list
I live in San Antonio and used to visit my family in Detroit every Christmas. There was always a wide selection of Faygo in their fridge. I dare say that as a kid, I think I liked Red Faygo better than Big Red. (Maybe it was just the special vacation red pop vs. the accessible every day red soda.) Any thoughts on that?
I haven’t been able to find Faygo down here, but I was happy to discover a few years ago that the local HEB grocery stores sell Vernors! There is always a stash of them in the pantry :-)
posted by Christi on 8-1-2010 at 12:58 am
Boost! is a terrific drink, much better than “flat soda” – it’s sold in concentrated form and then mixed with water and ice. It tastes similar to cola, with more body and deep citrus. I get some every time I go back to South Jersey. People used to give it to babies in their bottles.
posted by Steve W on 8-1-2010 at 1:35 am
In St. Louis, Fitz’s is pretty big. They mainly make root beer, but they also have grape, strawberry, orange and cream, and it is so good! They have a Fitz’s restaurant downtown where you can eat and watch them bottle it as well. They have really good burgers and fried pickles! And I know it is not a local soda, but my favorite brand will always be Jones. I love all of their flavors:)
posted by Lindsay on 8-1-2010 at 1:43 am
Vernors burns so good all the way down………..
posted by Brad on 8-1-2010 at 2:04 am
Big Red is great, wish I could find the Big Pineapple
posted by Brad on 8-1-2010 at 2:05 am
Vernors has a great burn all the way down! Wonderful stuff….
posted by Brad on 8-1-2010 at 2:06 am
I’m pitching another vote for Cactus Cooler!
It’s great with rum, too :D
posted by Jane on 8-1-2010 at 3:40 am
Vernors is easy to find in stores up here in Ontario.
posted by Chris on 8-1-2010 at 5:27 am
Here’s another vote for Buffalo Rock!
posted by MamaBug on 8-1-2010 at 10:13 am
Wink and Northern Neck Ginger Ale…….Mix Wink with OJ and Northern Neck is the BEST ginger ale ever……
posted by Annie on 8-1-2010 at 12:48 pm
Here in Phoenix Cactus Cooler is available in 2 liter and 20oz bottles- we have RC flavors, Big Red, Hires, Vernor’s and IBC too. There is a shop called The Pop Shop where we can get other sodas to- they have a website where you can order sodas too!
posted by DialectDerelict on 8-1-2010 at 12:52 pm
In Buffalo, NY a lot of local restaurants have lingonberry soda. I think you can also find it at most Ikea cafeterias.
posted by Nick on 8-1-2010 at 1:39 pm
Gotta have ski!
posted by Jim on 8-1-2010 at 3:23 pm
Shasta Cola, Diet Shasta Cola, and other Shasta sodas are really good(Orange, Mtn Rush, Root Beer, etc.)
posted by J.S. on 8-1-2010 at 3:43 pm
You left out what is by far the best historic, family-owned, regional soda company: Foxon Park of New Haven, CT and its famed “white birch”: http://foxonpark.com/about.php
posted by Bob on 8-1-2010 at 4:09 pm
My local Carolina BBQ restaurant has Cheerwine — they trade out with regulars to bring 10 cases or so back with them from vacations.
I used to hang out at a bottling plant (Myopia Club) where I grew up in Massachusetts, which bottled Moxie, disliked it as much as I do Guinness. It’s basically no-alcohol Guinness, anyway. ;-)
Anyone who calls Vernor’s “ginger ale” is out of their mind — much less anyone who drinks it. :-) If you like ginger ale, get Stewarts — if you can handle it. If not, try the house brand at Sweetbay, called Pilot: it’s not near as sharp as the Stewarts, but still quite identifiably contains *ginger*, which you can’t really say about Canada Dry, Schweppes, or Seagrams, IMO.
Wink is still in production, as is it’s competitor Squirt: Publix often carries the latter, and I occasionally see the former there.
I don’t think Hansen’s is actually a regional, but I quite like their Mandarin Lime.
And let’s not forget that Barq’s used to not be national, *nor a root beer*; I have a bottle in my teeny collection old enough to be painted and pre Pepsi, and it doesn’t say Root Beer anywhere.
posted by Baylink on 8-1-2010 at 4:13 pm
And, BTW: if you’d rather just make your own, here’s an entire website on how to get *bubbles* in the water:
http://www.truetex.com/carbonation.htm
This guy is a *maniac*, but I love his stuff…
posted by Baylink on 8-1-2010 at 4:15 pm
Nowadays, the Vernors sold outside of Michigan/Ohio doesn’t have the same gingery “kick in the back of your throat” sensation. Must be because it’s bottled in Texas or someplace.
And while we’re on the topic, how in the world can you not include Faygo or Town Club? :)
I once tried Cheerwine. The cherry flavor tasted like cherry cough syrup!
posted by Bye2MI on 8-1-2010 at 6:09 pm
popsoda.com
posted by DialectDerelict on 8-1-2010 at 6:28 pm
+1 for the need to include Faygo
posted by jeesi on 8-1-2010 at 7:06 pm
Re the Cheerwine-Krispy Kreme combo, as a kid my parents used to take my brother and I for Krispy Kremes on the weekends and we used to rinse them down w/ a glass of Cheerwine w/crushed ice.
Though I enjoyed them individually, I don’t know that they appeal to me all that much combined.
As for the others, I enjoy Cel Ray – it is kind of an acquired taste.
I remember having Sun Drop one summer at the beach, and think I had some Blenheim’s but I can’t recall the flavor. The one ginger beverage I drink that has more of a Ginger BEER quality is Stewarts; in college, I used to get ‘Old Tyme’ but haven’t found it for over 15 yrs, I’d estimate. For ginger ALE w/ bite, I like Schwepp’s. Need to give Vernor’s a go…
posted by Amy on 8-1-2010 at 7:12 pm
@LEW -
Which camp in Brevard? I assume you mean NC?
I attended an Arts camp there once
posted by Amy on 8-1-2010 at 7:20 pm
Here in Ohio m favorite regional soda is Jone’s Cola. They make some insane flavors (like gravy and turkey flavored at Thanksgiving), and have the coolest bottles ever. They have their customers send in crazy photos, and then they print them on the labels.
My other favorite is Stewart’s from New York. Especially the Orange and Cream soda. That stuff is to die for!
posted by Jess on 8-1-2010 at 10:38 pm
what about “Rio”??? – I saw it @ MacFrugals in California, many, many years ago, but I have NEVER seen it again?
posted by JellyBellyS on 8-2-2010 at 12:10 am
A-TREAT! Out of Allentown, PA has better cola than Coke, a cream soda that is red and sweet and delicious, pineapple soda, grapefruit soda, blueberry soda, sasparilla (kind of like root beer, but not quite). SO GOOD
posted by AvengingAngel016 on 8-2-2010 at 9:39 am
We hosted an exchange student from Scotland for a year, and she told us that Iron Bru is more popular than Coca-Cola in Scotland–she actually had her family ship her some from Edinburgh. She was so excited when we later found that the local Publix here in Georgia carries it!
posted by AlphaD on 8-2-2010 at 1:23 pm
I so expected Ski to be on this list. Feel a little disloyal, but gotta admit I’ll take a Sun Drop over Ski any time. For long hours and not enough sleep, Ski’s sugar and caffeine gives that extra jolt I need, but too many seriously does a number on my stomach.
posted by Amanda on 8-2-2010 at 1:23 pm
My fiance swears by Vernors. Every time she thinks she is getting sick, I am off to the store to buy some.
I, however am a huge Faygo red pop and rock & rye junkie. Hook us MI people up.
posted by Greg on 8-2-2010 at 1:23 pm
Faygo
posted by Evan on 8-2-2010 at 1:39 pm
Vernors is ridiculously, ridiculously good.
posted by Allison on 8-2-2010 at 3:13 pm
How about upper 10? I just came across it at a royal crown soda fountain, it is what all wink, squirt, 7 up, sierra mist, and sprite aspire
to be
posted by A treat on 8-2-2010 at 3:55 pm
Wow, no mention of Kutztown bottling works in PA. They must really be regional.Their Sarsaparilla and Birch Beer are incredible. All of their products are made with cane sugar only, a rarity these days.
posted by Gary on 8-4-2010 at 11:07 am
another vote for Vess! Strawberry and Whistle (orange) were my two favorites growing up. Vess disappeared for awhile (I’m in Nebraska) but I found it again 2 years ago.
and Faygo Red Pop is delicious! my stepdad is from Michigan and I loved drinking it when we went up there to visit!
posted by vegebrarian on 8-4-2010 at 2:59 pm
@ Jasmine…Farm Fresh and Food Lion’s Hampton Roads, VA…Still has UTZ potato chips
http://www.UTZ.com
Let see I think I’ve had almost everything on here…My all time favorite… a combination of a cheerwine and a Sundrop! Husband had never had Cheerwine…now he is an addict! Glass bottles only!
But Dr. Brown’s Extra Dry Ginger Ale…Nothing like it! Yummy!
posted by Happy from Hickory! on 8-5-2010 at 5:58 pm
We had Squirt in Central PA in the 50′s.
Nehi made a Rot Beer, a Birch Beer,
and a Beech Beer.
Every trip to Saginaw, my grandmother
brought back Vernor’s with her.
She liked it warm as a tonic.
Homemade soda was not uncommon
–mostly root beer. Sassafrass is
everywhere up there. Primarily folks
made it in the summer, sometimes as
a church picnic thing–& not always that tasty.
I remember some homemade elderberry soda served at a Covenant Church youth function
that was mighty bitter. Likely due to some
frugal Swede going easy on the sugar.
And, of course, Fizzees.
posted by Calvert on 8-7-2010 at 1:43 am
Love this article, there are a lot of great regional sodas that deserve respect and a wider audience….we are especially fond of Cheerwine and Sundrop….grew up drinking them and love the fact you can now get them in glass bottles…also Nehi Grape and Nehi Orange are put out by the same bottlers and are available again here in the Carolinas….
Blenheim is pretty good too ;)
posted by www.blenhemgingerale.com on 8-9-2010 at 3:21 pm
I just got back from visiting North Carolina! Not only was it my first time in the mountains, my first hike on the AT, and my first trip rafting (the Nantahala River) it was also my first taste of Cheerwine! Can’t say I really liked it, I don’t care for cherry flavoring, and it was a bit thick tasting, but I had to try the ‘Drink of the Carolinas’ while I was there!
posted by Heather on 8-10-2010 at 12:15 pm
Since Barq’s was bought by Coca-Cola, the whole country now gets to enjoy my favorite root beer while I was growing up in New Orleans.
posted by Derek on 8-10-2010 at 12:46 pm
Here in Southern Indiana, we are enjoying the reintroduction of Derr’s sodas. The first flavor to be reintroduced was Derr’s Strawberry. It is wonderful over vanilla ice cream or straight out of the bottle.
Next up was Derr’s Orange-Pineapple. Also delicious in an ice cream float or straight out of the bottle, some have been known to mix it with rum.
I am looking forward to Derr’s Dry, similar to 7Up. It is truly a dry drink. Perhaps I will mix it with vodka…or maybe whiskey.
http://www.derrs.com/
posted by D on 8-11-2010 at 1:26 am
I remember that the same time that Mountain Dew became available that there was another soft drink almost identical called Kickapoo Joy Juice. Their commercial used Yahoo in it. I preferred it to Mountain Dew, but I haven’t seen it for around 35 years. Anyone else found it recently? This was in the midwest(KS).
posted by Elaine on 8-12-2010 at 12:57 am
Mr Pibb, which I first tried in Rochester, NY in 1975, but it never made its way to Boston. It’s hard to find in the northeast. And I miss Wink.
posted by Mpitt on 8-20-2010 at 10:53 am
Vernors is the ONLY ginger ale.
posted by Mae on 8-21-2010 at 1:52 am