The cola wars

[US71]

I believe I will have another big Orange   

[rickmastfan67]

Personally, I'm a Dr. Pepper addict. lol.  I still have 2 unopened 12-packs of Dr. Pepper Sugar from the 125th Anniversary (2010) run that I've been slowly drinking. (yes, it's still good even now!)

I also like the Mountain Dew Throwback.  Also have a few 2L of Sierra Mist Cranberry sitting around here.  That stuff is GOOD!

So, as you can see a trend with me, I prefer the Sugar based drinks instead of the HFCS ones.  However, I still drink the HFCS versions of Dr. Pepper and Dr. Pepper Cherry.

I also do occasionally drink Coca-Cola.  Especially like the Orange and Lime flavored versions. (can only get them via the Freestyle machines)

[cu2010]

I am way too addicted to Mountain Dew for my own good. I've been known to drink an entire six pack of 24-ounce bottles in one day.

As for colas, though, Coke all the way. That might be because for four years I went to a college that served mostly Pepsi (the lone Coke machine, unknown to the Pepsi distributor, was hidden in a basement and has since been removed), so I grew tired of Pepsi...but, fact is, I like the taste of it better.

[US71]

Personally, I'm a Dr. Pepper addict. lol.  I still have 2 unopened 12-packs of Dr. Pepper Sugar from the 125th Anniversary (2010) run that I've been slowly drinking. (yes, it's still good even now!)

It's hit and miss, but I've seen Heritage Dr Pepper which is the sugar formula. If you're ever in southern Texas, there's Dublin Dr Pepper (though it's not called that anymore).

I can't stand DP in any way, shape, or form

[vdeane]

I am way too addicted to Mountain Dew for my own good. I've been known to drink an entire six pack of 24-ounce bottles in one day.

As for colas, though, Coke all the way. That might be because for four years I went to a college that served mostly Pepsi (the lone Coke machine, unknown to the Pepsi distributor, was hidden in a basement and has since been removed), so I grew tired of Pepsi...but, fact is, I like the taste of it better.

The Applied CS Labs used to sell Coke too, at least until the current members arrived with their Mountain Dew addiction, and cultural changes later led to the end of the soda fund.

[Molandfreak]

My favorite brand is Sprecher! Never tasted anything by them I haven't liked! I especially like the "Orange Dream!"

I also really like Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and Vernors ginger ale. Of the major cola companies, coke all the way!

There hasn't been much else I've tried and really liked... Other than some of the little tiny companies that I've only tried over at Jim's Apple Farm

[realjd]

My top four in purchase regularity:
* Pepsi Max
* Diet Mt. Dew
* Coke Zero
* Diet A&W

I like Pepsi Max and Coke Zero equally when it comes to diet soda taste. I usually get Pepsi Max though because it has more than twice the caffeine as Coke Zero and a good bit more than Mountain Dew.

[bugo]

I don't drink diet anything.  I try to avoid aspartame altogether, even though it's hard to because they put it in everything from gum to medicines.

[Alps]

It's clear that Coke beats Pepsi among the well-educated and handsome, such as ourselves. We should show this thread to Coke and demand money.

[cjk374]

^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!   

Here is a scary factoid I was told by someone who works at a bottling company:  the syrup used to make Diet Coke, before being mixed with the carbonated water, is officially listed as a hazardous substance and is to be treated as such.      

[Molandfreak]

I've noticed an error: Pibb is owned by coke, not pepsi.

[Alps]

^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!   

Here is a scary factoid I was told by someone who works at a bottling company:  the syrup used to make Diet Coke, before being mixed with the carbonated water, is officially listed as a hazardous substance and is to be treated as such.      

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. I would doubt that syrup is hazardous until mixed with water. Highly doubt. It either is or isn't hazardous. Here's a forum with some discussion: http://forums.randi.org/archive/index.php/t-127200.html

* Coke is acidic, and more so before dilution [although, even undiluted, probably less so than pure lemon juice]

[Road Hog]

^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!   

Here is a scary factoid I was told by someone who works at a bottling company:  the syrup used to make Diet Coke, before being mixed with the carbonated water, is officially listed as a hazardous substance and is to be treated as such.      

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. I would doubt that syrup is hazardous until mixed with water. Highly doubt. It either is or isn't hazardous. Here's a forum with some discussion: http://forums.randi.org/archive/index.php/t-127200.html

* Coke is acidic, and more so before dilution [although, even undiluted, probably less so than pure lemon juice]

You can leave a penny in a glass of Coke and it will dissolve. But the body is naturally acidic (your stomach contains hydrochloric acid), so Coke is probably a bigger hazard to your teeth than anything else.

[Brandon]

^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!   

Here is a scary factoid I was told by someone who works at a bottling company:  the syrup used to make Diet Coke, before being mixed with the carbonated water, is officially listed as a hazardous substance and is to be treated as such.      

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. I would doubt that syrup is hazardous until mixed with water. Highly doubt. It either is or isn't hazardous. Here's a forum with some discussion: http://forums.randi.org/archive/index.php/t-127200.html

* Coke is acidic, and more so before dilution [although, even undiluted, probably less so than pure lemon juice]

You can leave a penny in a glass of Coke and it will dissolve. But the body is naturally acidic (your stomach contains hydrochloric acid), so Coke is probably a bigger hazard to your teeth than anything else.

Busted, but it can clean a penny.
2003 Season, Episode 5, 101 Uses for Cola

[SP Cook]

I've never heard of Vernor's or Ale-8. 

Vernor's is a ginger ale drink that purports to be aged in oak barrels.  It has a whole origin story realting to the Civil War on the northern side.  It tastes like ginger ale drunk out of a cigar ashtray.  Truly vile.   It comes out of Detroit and is quite popular along the Great Lakes. 

Ale-8-One is a sort of mix of a Sprit type drink, ginger ale, and a tiny splash of Mountain Dew, with substantially less fizz.  It's OK, IMHO.  Tastes about like what you would think it does. 

Ale-8-One however has cultic status among Kentuckians.  Think Coors beer in the Smokey and the Bandit days.  Historically only available in Kentucky and nearby.  People have been known to buy truckloads on trips through the state.  HB's admission, and admission is the first stage of recovery, causes one to question his entire status in the Big Blue Nation.  (Just kidding, HB). 

[cjk374]

I've noticed an error: Pibb is owned by coke, not pepsi.

I'm afraid I was assuming Pibb was made/owned by Pepsi because I saw it sold w/Pepsi products up north. I apologize.

[hbelkins]

It's not the caffeine that I like in colas, it's the carbonation. I hate to drink plain tap or bottled water. However, I like those flavored waters (Sam's American Choice, available at Walmart, and the like) that are carbonated.

Ale-8-One however has cultic status among Kentuckians.  Think Coors beer in the Smokey and the Bandit days.  Historically only available in Kentucky and nearby.  People have been known to buy truckloads on trips through the state.  HB's admission, and admission is the first stage of recovery, causes one to question his entire status in the Big Blue Nation.  (Just kidding, HB).

LOL. It's the sweetness of the Michigan drink that I prefer. Ale-8 isn't as sweet as Vernor's. Even with the diet versions, Vernor's is sweeter tasting.

It's a common misconception around here that Ale-8 is loaded with caffeine. It's nowhere near as caffeinated as Mountain Dew.

Ale-8 is bottled in Winchester and for years was available only in a handful of counties around Clark County. My home county was one of those; the counties immediately to the south and east weren't so a lot of people drove down here to get it.

For years it was available only in 12-oz returnable bottles and in cans. There is a definite difference in taste. The bottled version is much better. Even now, there is a difference between the 12-oz returnable bottles and 12-oz nonreturnable bottles.

My dad's youngest brother would buy it by the case whenever he'd come to visit and take it back with him to his home in Shepherdsville, the next town south of Louisville. If he forgot to bring his empty bottles with him, he'd scrounge to find bottles here and at Grandmother's. To grocery stores, it didn't matter what kind of bottles you brought in to get credit on the deposit. Coke, Pepsi, RC, Ale-8. Didn't make any difference. He was thrilled when some of the Kroger stores across the river in southern Indiana started carrying Ale-8.

When I was a high school student, I attended a summer band camp at Morehead State University. Rowan County was an Ale-8 county and I walked down to the near-campus convenience store (Convenient Food Mart, does anyone remember them?) and got some Ale-8. We were drinking them and some out-of-stater came in the dorm room, saw the green bottles, and yelled, "Counselor, they've got booze in here!"

A cousin of mine opted to go to college in Florida, which prompted Ale-8 withdrawals. His parents went down to visit him over Thanksgiving and took him some Ale-8. He was explaining to a friend how this was a popular soft drink available only in parts of eastern and central Kentucky when another friend walked by, overheard, and said, "I've seen this at the Kroger down the street." So my cousin could have gotten some anytime he wanted it; he just didn't know it.

Distribution has widened over the years and Ale-8 is available in other states now.

I've been known to take Ale-8 to pass out to attendees at road meets, and I get requests for it when I'm traveling.

[english si]

Diet drinks make me feel ill, as do Coke Zero/Pepsi Max (to a lesser extent).

Fountain sodas often taste watery, and I don't like that. Also don't like chilled drinks, and worse are those that are mostly ice (can tolerate a few cubes). I can drink plain water happily, but only from certain places* and never from a bottle. Typically with tap water put squash in it, but most of the time (ignoring alcohol) I drink juice or tea (hot, unsweetened, with milk) or coffee or TESCO's (a supermarket) cola that I've not put in the fridge (never in the fridge - chilled drinks simply taste of cold).

I'm not a huge fan of cold tea - unless it's peach or lemon, rather than just 'sweet'. Tea done properly, of course, is a culturally important and the ultimate non-alcoholic fortifier - the answer to all problems - so anything too close is sacrilege! Peach tea, or lemon tea is far enough away.

*never softened, but my current local hard water isn't great, just about tolerable - Southampton's is fine though.

[NJRoadfan]

I'm afraid I was assuming Pibb was made/owned by Pepsi because I saw it sold w/Pepsi products up north. I apologize.

Its Coke, and you will never see it in areas where Coca-Cola bottles Dr Pepper. Mr Pibb is the substitute beverage in areas where and indy or Pepsico bottles DP. There are exceptions though, I was quite surprised to see the local Coke Freestyle machine sporting Mr Pibb instead of Dr Pepper.

[realjd]

Diet drinks make me feel ill, as do Coke Zero/Pepsi Max (to a lesser extent).

Fountain sodas often taste watery, and I don't like that. Also don't like chilled drinks, and worse are those that are mostly ice (can tolerate a few cubes). I can drink plain water happily, but only from certain places* and never from a bottle. Typically with tap water put squash in it, but most of the time (ignoring alcohol) I drink juice or tea (hot, unsweetened, with milk) or coffee or TESCO's (a supermarket) cola that I've not put in the fridge (never in the fridge - chilled drinks simply taste of cold).

I'm not a huge fan of cold tea - unless it's peach or lemon, rather than just 'sweet'. Tea done properly, of course, is a culturally important and the ultimate non-alcoholic fortifier - the answer to all problems - so anything too close is sacrilege! Peach tea, or lemon tea is far enough away.

*never softened, but my current local hard water isn't great, just about tolerable - Southampton's is fine though.

Fountain drinks are tunable by the fountain owner. To generalize, in the US south, they tend to be mixed stronger with more syrup so they're thicker and more sugary. In the US north they're more water and less syrup. I don't know that I've seen fountain soda in the UK, at least not that I noticed.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I picked "Others" because I couldn't bring myself to say that Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper are even close to each other.... I'm from Texas, Dr. Pepper is our artificial water! Haha, only I don't drink soda, makes for a less-sexy self..
BigMatt

[Brian556]

I love Sunkist orange. If at a resteraunt, I generally choose Dr Pepper. I hate Pepsi.

[Molandfreak]

I've noticed an error: Pibb is owned by coke, not pepsi.

I'm afraid I was assuming Pibb was made/owned by Pepsi because I saw it sold w/Pepsi products up north. I apologize.

Hey, no worries! Just felt like pointing it out!

[doorknob60]

I like both Pepsi and Coke, depending on my mood. Mt. Dew is also one of my favorites. When it comes to buying cans for at home though, I usually go with "el cheapo" store brand. Safeway sells 12 packs of them for as low as $2 (and never more than $3), while places often like to charge $6 for the real brands (even Wal-Mart sells them for like $4). The Kirkland brand Cola from Costco also tastes quite good, and is $5 for 24 cans, not too bad.

[english si]

I don't know that I've seen fountain soda in the UK, at least not that I noticed.

Most pubs do most soft drinks via a hose-shaped fountain. Your McDonalds, etc (with occasional exceptions - the McDonalds at the Millennium Dome had self-service drinks and sauces, but that's the only one I've seen) have what would be a self-serve type fountain behind the counter for staff to make your fountain drink (refills are the rare exception - I think Subway does self-service and refills). Refectories/canteens often have self-serve fountains.