Area-specific soft drinks

[1995hoo]

I don't think it's actually area-specific, but I don't ever recall seeing C&C Cola for sale anywhere outside the New York area (though I admit I've never looked all that closely, and I don't buy much soda these days anyway). My grandparents used to buy C&C when I was a kid, probably because it was cheaper than Coke, and the only time we ever had it was when we visited them in Brooklyn. They died during the 1990s and I don't believe I've had C&C since.

[Pete from Boston]

Still around:

http://cccola.com/

I see it at ShopRite.

[1995hoo]

Yeah, I didn't doubt it's still around. I just haven't had it in about 20 years, and I visit New York far less frequently since my last grandparent died in 1998.

[Laura]

Ooh, forgot about Adirondack Cola. It's my favorite cola (I like it more than Coke and Pepsi). It's sold as the "generic" in a local grocery chain here in 3 liter bottle. I know it's sold in NY, and I assume elsewhere? Is it considered "generic brand" elsewhere?


iPhone

[Pete from Boston]

Ooh, forgot about Adirondack Cola. It's my favorite cola (I like it more than Coke and Pepsi). It's sold as the "generic" in a local grocery chain here in 3 liter bottle. I know it's sold in NY, and I assume elsewhere? Is it considered "generic brand" elsewhere?

I mentioned upthread that I think Adirondack is put out by Polar (Worcester, MA) but I forget why I think that.

I pretty much quit drinking sweetened soda (just too easy a useless-calorie delivery vehicle) but Adirondack is generally the cheapest seltzer in Eastern Mass.

[6a]

Yep! You know what I really miss? Cheer wine Popsicles. They sell them at Food Lion in Virginia (and I assume in food lions in other states where they distribute ).

I sorely miss Cheerwine ice cream. Holy cow, talk about a guilty pleasure.

[The Great Zo]

Guarana Antarctica. It's a Brazilian soda.

I found the US version (Guarana Brazilia, made in New Jersey) at Jungle Jim's outside of Cincinnati. It's very good, but not cheap -- a 12-pack of cans was about $9.

[tidecat]

Shasta is a west coast-based soft drink company, I've seen Shasta sodas in many supermarkets and stores like Wal-Mart. Where I happen to work (Ralph's) in southern CA used to carry Shasta sodas, but stopped like 3 years ago...their sister store Food-4-Less continues to carry them. If anyone else in the US has Shasta, let me know. Shasta began as a bottled water company in the 1890s named after Mount Shasta, one of CA's tall peaks and two of CA's volcanoes.

I remember having Shasta growing up in Alabama (80s/90s) fairly regularly.

[tidecat]

Is Nehi still around anywhere?  Delaware Punch? (my sister loved this as a small girl)

We have Nehi here in Kentucky.  Their peach soda is good.

[hbelkins]

Nehi used to be distributed in my area by Royal Crown (RC) Cola. There were RC bottlers and/or distributors in Jackson and Whitesburg, so it was very popular in eastern Kentucky.

[US71]

One I forgot: Diamond Bear Root Beer. Available only in growlers and kegs from Diamond Bear Brewery in Little Rock, AR.  The root beer is non-alcoholic and is made with real sugar. It's very good, if one can get their hands on some.

[bugo]

One I forgot: Diamond Bear Root Beer. Available only in growlers and kegs from Diamond Bear Brewery in Little Rock, AR.  The root beer is non-alcoholic and is made with real sugar. It's very good, if one can get their hands on some.

Non-alcoholic root beer?  Get outta here!

[SP Cook]

RC.  This used to be a major product.  When Corridor G was "unfunded" it ended for a long time at what is now the Madison exit and there was a real drive in that had a sign that was in plain black letters on white "this establishment is proud to serve Royal Crown Cola as our only cola drink".  Today it is a park and ride.

Here is what I don't get about RC.  Most of the products in this thread are distributed via the grocery system.  But RC is an intergrated soft drink product.  It is a part of the same company that makes Nehi, Dr Pepper, 7UP and other products.  When I was a kid, it competed with Coke and Pepsi in the fountain business.  Shoney's had RC, for example, and, IIRC, it actually owned Arby's for a time.  Lots of movie theatres and sports venues had it, probably lower cost to the distributor.  If you watch ball games on ESPN Classic and like that, you see RC ads in several stadiums.  Today they have given up on that.  It would seem that it could put together a line up that could undercut the big 2 in that market.

[US71]

One I forgot: Diamond Bear Root Beer. Available only in growlers and kegs from Diamond Bear Brewery in Little Rock, AR.  The root beer is non-alcoholic and is made with real sugar. It's very good, if one can get their hands on some.

Non-alcoholic root beer?  Get outta here!

Now that I think of it, Abita brewery in Louisiana does the same, but it's hard to find in stores.

[BamaZeus]

My local package store occasionally carries the Abita Root Beer, so I'll grab a 6-pack here and there.  It's quite a different taste from the usual A+W, I presume because of the real sugar.

[hbelkins]

IIRC, it actually owned Arby's for a time.

I remember when Arby's served RC as its fountain soft drink. It's the only place I remember doing so. And I also remember when Diet-Rite (RC's diet cola), Tab and Fresca were the biggest diet soft drinks.

An RC and a Moon Pie was for many years a very popular snack around here.

Double Cola had a short run for a few years in eastern Kentucky as an alternative to RC, but I haven't seen it in this area in years.

One I forgot: Diamond Bear Root Beer. Available only in growlers and kegs from Diamond Bear Brewery in Little Rock, AR.  The root beer is non-alcoholic and is made with real sugar. It's very good, if one can get their hands on some.

Non-alcoholic root beer?  Get outta here!

I never heard of alcoholic root beer.

[texaskdog]

I know it's not area specific but Dr. Pepper is a weird off brand in Minnesota and in Texas you can get it anywhere.

[agentsteel53]

I know it's not area specific but Dr. Pepper is a weird off brand in Minnesota and in Texas you can get it anywhere.

you can get it anywhere in California, and really almost anywhere in the entire Southwest.

[jeffandnicole]

I know it's not area specific but Dr. Pepper is a weird off brand in Minnesota and in Texas you can get it anywhere.

you can get it anywhere in California, and really almost anywhere in the entire Southwest.

I didn't think there was an area where you *couldn't* get it.

[english si]

I never heard of alcoholic root beer.

I can obtain Swedish alcoholic root beer from my local superstore. It's rather strong on liquorice and wintergreen making it an acquired taste even if you like root beer, but it's not horrific.

It's cheaper (by volume) than the soft root beer (imported, very expensive for what it is, but not as bad as £7 for a smallish box of Captain Crunch!) in the store. And other than other stores that have a similar choice, that's the only way I can get my hands on root beer ;(

[Brandon]

I know it's not area specific but Dr. Pepper is a weird off brand in Minnesota and in Texas you can get it anywhere.

you can get it anywhere in California, and really almost anywhere in the entire Southwest.

You can get Dr. Pepper anywhere in the Midwest as far as I've seen.  It's Mr. Pibb, the Coca-Cola copy that's considered the "knock-off" brand around here.

[busman_49]

You can get Dr. Pepper anywhere in the Midwest as far as I've seen.  It's Mr. Pibb, the Coca-Cola copy that's considered the "knock-off" brand around here.

Yeah, the same around here.  But my wife & I both think that Pibb tastes SO much better.  I love going to Chipotle & Fazoli's because it's about the only place I can get it from a soda machine.  Otherwise I have to go to Kroger for the cans & Wal-Mart for the 2-liters.

[SP Cook]

Dr Pepper has a weird ownership history and bottler history.  In the US, your local Coke bottler bottles Dr Pepper in about 40% of the country.  Your local Pepsi bottler in another 40% and some "third tier" bottler in the remainder.  Usually you can tell because Pepsi bottlers will use the standard Pepsi bottle, while Coke and "third tier" bottlers will use a specific Dr Pepper bottle.   In areas where it bottles Dr Pepper, Coke makes only a token effort at Pibb, while it markets it heavily where it does not, depending on the relative popularity of that type of drink, which is most popular in Texas and the southwest.  Oddly, Dr Pepper actually belongs to Coke in most countries outside North America.

[getemngo]

Usually you can tell because Pepsi bottlers will use the standard Pepsi bottle, while Coke and "third tier" bottlers will use a specific Dr Pepper bottle.

I'm not sure there is what you'd call a "standard" Pepsi bottle, because it varies from region to region. For example, I see this Mountain Dew bottle in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, and Indiana:



But I see this Mountain Dew bottle in Grand Rapids and Detroit:



...and it's been like that since at least 2011, so if the former is a "new" design and the latter an "old" design, they're taking their sweet time rolling it out nationwide.

[mcdonaat]

Those "grip style" Mtn Dew bottles were a big surprise to me! However, head on down to Opelousas, and you have Dr Pepper-7up products in the typical 7up-style bottle...



As well as Pepsi, Mtn Dew, Sierra Mist, and Tropicana. Bottling systems will play with you! In Opelousas, 7up and Dr Pepper are bottled alongside Pepsi, where in other places, Coke bottles Dr Pepper. 7up is always split to a third party. We have Coke for Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper, Pepsi of Alexandria distributes Pepsi products... Glazers distributes Coors, Redd's Apple Ale, and Sunkist/RC products.