AARoads Forum

I couldn't help it....after all the discussion on the restaurants thread I felt it was time for a poll.  I hope I'm not necroing an old topic.  If I am I apologize.

A couple items is that Dr Pepper can be distributed by Coke, Pepsi or 7up, depending on where you are.  And Mr Pibb is usually distributed by Coke.

7-Up should be a separate item in the poll.  In my area, it's distributed along with Canada Dry products, but I think that varies by region.

I drink both Diet Pepsi (when I need the caffeine) and Diet 7-Up (more often).

I don't drink a ton of soda, but when I do I drink Coke, Diet Coke, or Sprite. Pepsi is for communists.

Dr Pepper/7UP/A&W Root Beer/Sunkist/Canada Dry/Snapple are all owned by the same company, but I think they do an a la carte sort of distribution where places can opt to carry one or some of their products, unlike Coke and Pepsi

I haven't seen 7-Up around here in years...since Sierra Mist came out.  I was told Sierra Mist was made to replace 7-Up.  I guess I am used to who distributes what here in north Louisiana.  I wanted to include Fanta but didn't know who made it.  AFAIK, Mr. Pibb isn't sold by restaurants or stores around here either.

Fanta is made by Coke.

I voted for Coca-Cola because I prefer Coke-bottled Dr. Pepper, and because Coke/Fuze makes my preferred energy drink, Full Throttle.

Quote from: cjk374 on January 09, 2013, 09:02:18 PM
I haven't seen 7-Up around here in years...since Sierra Mist came out.  I was told Sierra Mist was made to replace 7-Up.  I guess I am used to who distributes what here in north Louisiana.  I wanted to include Fanta but didn't know who made it.  AFAIK, Mr. Pibb isn't sold by restaurants or stores around here either.

7UP is owned by Dr Pepper/Snapple. Sierra Mist is made by Pepsi and replaced Slice (though I miss Orange Slice).

I prefer Coke to Pepsi myself (but Diet Pepsi to Diet Coke), but have been indulging in "Throwback" Pepsi and "Throwback" Mouintain Dew (original sugar formulas).  Since January 1, though, I've been drinking more tea and a lot less soda.

I voted Coke because of cherry Coke, which I like best of all sodas, but I also like the Throwbacks and the occasional flavored Mountain Dew (Code Red, Voltage, etc.) But I don't drink soda much at all anymore.

The reason it appeared to "replace" 7UP was that since Pepsi didn't have a Sprite competitor in the USA (they do own and distribute 7UP internationally), they had to allow 7UP to be distributed through their channels. It only made sense for them to develop their own inhouse drink

Fanta is a Coke product.

I voted Coke because I prefer Diet Coke.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I prefer Vernor's to Ale-8.

Soda distribution is broken down into the soda companies, who make the syrup, and the bottlers, who add the water and deliver the product to retail.

7UP, RC, and Dr Pepper have, because of anti-trust settlements, different owners in different parts of the world.

7UP is owned by Dr Pepper in the USA, and by Pepsi everywhere else.

RC (and brands associated with it like Nehi, etc) is also owned by Dr Pepper in the USA, but by a Canadian company called Cott everywhere else.  Cott also makes the syrup for most "store brands", so you local store brand is probably really RC.

Dr Pepper belongs to the Dr Pepper company in the USA and in 14 specific European countries, to Pepsi in Canada, and to Coca-Cola everywhere else. 

Then come the distributors.  In the USA, bottlers have "lifetime" contracts, generally based on county lines. As to Dr Pepper in about 40% of the USA the local Coke bottler owns Dr Pepper and it will be distributed along wth the Coke brands, in another 40% the Pepsi bottlers will own it, and in the rest of the country, It will be distributed (along with a plethora of other small brands) by a "third tier" bottler, who disributes neither Coke nor Pepsi.  7UP is more complicated.  Similar situation used to exist for 7UP, but Coke forced its bottlers to give up 7UP back in the 80s, Pepsi tried to in the 90s with less success.    Therefore there are areas where 7UP is hard to find, as the local bottler has given it up, and no third tier is around to pick it up.

Anyway, Coke, thanks.

To be honest, I don't have a favorite all-round soda company. I'll drink Coke as a go-to choice at most restaurants, but if they have Dr Pepper, I'll usually have that. If they serve Pepsi products, I'll usually have Mountain Dew, or Sierra Mist if I don't want water nor caffeine. Some Coke or Pepsi-aligned establishments still carry Dr. Pepper, so there's not a lot of consistency.

Quote from: US71 on January 09, 2013, 09:59:03 PM
I prefer Coke to Pepsi myself (but Diet Pepsi to Diet Coke)

Funny, I'm the same way; Diet Coke has an awful aftertaste. They've removed a great deal of that with Coke Zero.

Quote from: hbelkins on January 09, 2013, 10:28:45 PM
This may come as a surprise to some, but I prefer Vernor's to Ale-8.

I found Ale-8 to taste halfway between a Mountain Dew and a Sierra Mist. Vernor's seems more like a ginger ale, although on the sweet end of the spectrum. (I suppose Blenheim's Red Cap would be the opposite end of that scale!)

That reminds me, it's been a few months since I've had a bottle of Blenheim's.

I prefer the Wegmans store brand W up.

Personally, I'd rather have a Faygo or a Vernor's.

Hard to vote.  I guess, when I tally them up, Dr Pepper is the winner.

My most common purchases:

Dr Pepper products
RC Cherry Cola
Cherry 7-Up
Sunkist Orange
Sunkist Grape
Schweppes Ginger Ale

Pepsi products
Pepsi Cola Throwback
Manzanita Sol

Coke products
Cherry Coke Zero
Mexican Coke

Novamex products
Jarritos (various flavors)

Nestlé products
Perrier mineral water

FEMSA products
Sidral Mundet

For the record, whenever a new soda comes out that I absolutely LOVE, they discontinue it shortly thereafter.

Specifically:
Sprite Remix (soda that tastes like Skittles!)
Sunkist Solar Fusion (soda that tastes like Starburst!)
Pepsi Next Mango (a mainstream mango-flavored soda was too good to be true)

I drink anywhere from 8-11 regular Cokes a day.  Yes, I am an addict.  I like a Pepsi every now and then, but I prefer Coke. 

Anyone ever consume Cheerwine (http://www.cheerwine.com/)?  I've usually seen it sold in the Carolinas (and it has enough sugar to put some folks into a diabetic coma), though it can be found elsewhere.

In Maryland, Virginia and D.C., there used to be a beverage somewhat like Cheerwine sold in the stores called Cherry Smash, but I have not seen it in many years.  It was also loaded with sugar (by comparison "real" Coke and Pepsi would be considered "diet" sodas).

 :bigass: Yep Coke and Vernors

Quote from: cpzilliacus on January 10, 2013, 04:22:02 PM
Anyone ever consume Cheerwine (http://www.cheerwine.com/)?  I've usually seen it sold in the Carolinas (and it has enough sugar to put some folks into a diabetic coma), though it can be found elsewhere.

In Maryland, Virginia and D.C., there used to be a beverage somewhat like Cheerwine sold in the stores called Cherry Smash, but I have not seen it in many years.  It was also loaded with sugar (by comparison "real" Coke and Pepsi would be considered "diet" sodas).

The Old Carolina BBQ chain (that started) here in Stark County sells Cheerwine.  I was not all that impressed.

Remember Clearly Canadian?  I felt like my teeth were rotting by the time I was half done with a bottle.

Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2013, 05:11:35 PM
Remember Clearly Canadian?  I felt like my teeth were rotting by the time I was half done with a bottle.

Ah yes.  That was good stuff.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on January 10, 2013, 04:22:02 PM
Anyone ever consume Cheerwine (http://www.cheerwine.com/)?  I've usually seen it sold in the Carolinas (and it has enough sugar to put some folks into a diabetic coma), though it can be found elsewhere.

Yes, I brought home my 6 month supply of Diet Cheerwine (4 cases of 12oz cans) last week. I can get it in glass bottle form here in NJ, but its $1.50 each! Its not so much the sugar (a non-issue for me as I drink diet), but the caffeine content is higher then Coke/Pepsi/Dr Pepper. A friend of mine calls it the RC Cola of the Carolinas for some reason. In the Raleigh area its bottled by the local Pepsi bottler, I guess they are just far enough away from Carolina Beverage's HQ in Salisbury for it to make sense.

I've never heard of Vernor's or Ale-8.  But I know how delicious an RC & a moonpie go together!    :bigass:

I believe I will have another big Orange   :cheers:

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)

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.

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on January 10, 2013, 10:20:03 PM
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

Quote from: cu2010 on January 11, 2013, 03:24:22 AM
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.

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

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

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 :sombrero:

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.

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.

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.

^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!    :cheers:

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.   :wow:   X-(

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

Quote from: cjk374 on January 11, 2013, 10:28:04 PM
^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!    :cheers:

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.   :wow:   X-(

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. :D 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]

Quote from: Steve on January 12, 2013, 12:19:16 AM

Quote from: cjk374 on January 11, 2013, 10:28:04 PM
^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!    :cheers:

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.   :wow:   X-(

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. :D 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.

Quote from: Road Hog on January 12, 2013, 01:11:46 AM

Quote from: Steve on January 12, 2013, 12:19:16 AM

Quote from: cjk374 on January 11, 2013, 10:28:04 PM
^^^AMEN brotha Steve!!    :cheers:

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.   :wow:   X-(

Caffeine is a hazardous substance. Capsaicin, which makes hot sauce hot, is practically a biohazard. Either sodium or chloride can kill you. :D 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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282003_season%29)

Quote from: cjk374 on January 10, 2013, 10:04:12 PM
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). 

Quote from: Molandfreak on January 11, 2013, 11:49:24 PM
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.

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.

Quote from: SP Cook on January 12, 2013, 07:43:03 AM
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.

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.

Quote from: cjk374 on January 12, 2013, 10:47:41 AM
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.

Quote from: english si on January 12, 2013, 06:21:45 PM
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.

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

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

Quote from: cjk374 on January 12, 2013, 10:47:41 AM

Quote from: Molandfreak on January 11, 2013, 11:49:24 PM
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!

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.

Quote from: realjd on January 12, 2013, 11:14:53 PMI 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.

I went to Washington, DC in 1991 for a school-related trip.  Talk about country-done-come-to-town!   :spin:  There were 360 other students coming to this program.  I knew I would talk & be different than everyone else (I was asked what "fixin to" meant & I had to think of a way to explain it!!   :sombrero: ), but the biggest difference I discovered was what everyone called these carbonated drinks....I called any carbonated drink a "coke" (confusing my new-found friends when I would ask them what kind of coke they wanted to drink.)  Others called them "sodas"....and others called them "pops".  :banghead: This was further explained on the show "You Don't Know Dixie" (hosted by Charlie Daniels on the History Channel...highly recommended viewing if you want an education about us in the South).  So to add to the cola wars, what do you call carbonated beverages?   :hmmm:

Quote from: cjk374 on January 13, 2013, 09:34:00 AM
I went to Washington, DC in 1991 for a school-related trip.  Talk about country-done-come-to-town!   :spin:  There were 360 other students coming to this program.  I knew I would talk & be different than everyone else (I was asked what "fixin to" meant & I had to think of a way to explain it!!   :sombrero: ), but the biggest difference I discovered was what everyone called these carbonated drinks....I called any carbonated drink a "coke" (confusing my new-found friends when I would ask them what kind of coke they wanted to drink.)  Others called them "sodas"....and others called them "pops".  :banghead: This was further explained on the show "You Don't Know Dixie" (hosted by Charlie Daniels on the History Channel...highly recommended viewing if you want an education about us in the South).  So to add to the cola wars, what do you call carbonated beverages?   :hmmm:

"Pop".  "Soda" is a caustic substance, and "Coke" is a brand name of a type of pop.

I call it soda. My dad calls it soda pop.

Soda. Pop is something my car does when something breaks and Coke is a brand name.

It's soda and though I'm pretty much off the fizzy sugar water these days, it's Pepsi all the way.  I hitched my horse to that wagon as a kid and I've stuck with it ever since.  To the point where I'd claim I "hated" Coke.  That's ridiculous, of course.  The same way I pantomime vomiting at the suggestion of drinking Budweiser, then turn around and drink 10 High Life's.  It's just stupid, arbitrary brand loyalty.

The thing I think I hated about Coke was you couldn't eat at a fast food joint without that as your only option.  Coke had locked in a monopoly with all the scarf n' barf's around me when I was young and it pissed me off.  I was being denied options as a consumer!
I don't partake in either very much anymore.

It's pop.

"Soda" is short for baking soda, which is mixed with water and consumed as an antacid by many older folks in this area.

"Coke" is a brand of pop.

Not sure if this is still true, but at one point Pike County, Ky. boasted the nation's largest per-capital consumption rate for Pepsi and Pepsi products. I always feel like I'm committing sacrilege if I buy a Coke product when I'm in Pikeville.  :bigass:

I'm currently cutting back more on soda to try and get healthier, but in terms of the Coke vs. Pepsi war, I prefer Coke. That being said, I really don't mind the taste of Pepsi at all. At a restaurant, I'm usually perfectly fine with getting a Pepsi vs. a Coke.

Quote from: US71 on January 11, 2013, 09:01:53 AM

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on January 10, 2013, 10:20:03 PM
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 know the "Heritage Dr Pepper" was mostly made by Pepsi distributors.  My "Dr Pepper made with real sugar" was done by my local Coca-Cola distributor.  As for the Dublin Dr Pepper, I wish I could have gotten some of that before they were bought out by Dr Pepper HQ. :(

I grew up calling it "pop", but I've been converted to the "soda" religion by my wife.  Now that we live back in "pop" country, that word occasionally comes out of my mouth by mistake, but at least she doesn't glare at me and argue anymore.  Seriously, it doesn't strike me as odd to hear either "pop" or "soda", but I usually say "soda" simply because Carrie is from the Ozarks.  I used to have a boss who called it "seltzer".  Crazy Bostonite.

Quote from: Brandon on January 12, 2013, 07:36:08 AM

Quote from: Road Hog on January 12, 2013, 01:11:46 AM

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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282003_season%29)

Cola is the most acidic soda in general, but it's not totally out of line with other things we consume with hardly a second thought–especially orange juice.

pH level of water:  7
pH level of Mug root beer:  4.038
pH level of orange juice:  approx. 3—3.5
pH level of Coca-Cola:  2.535
pH level of RC Cola:  2.387
pH level of vinegar:  approx. 2
pH level of lemon juice:  approx. 2

The amount of sugar in cola is also not totally out of line with other things we drink and consider "healthy".

Sugar in Welch's white grape juice:  4o g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in pomegranite juice:  33—38 g / 8 fl oz, depending on the brand
Sugar in Sunkist orange soda:  35 g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in Coca-cola:  27 g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in orange juice:  12—22 g / 8 fl oz, depending on the brand

Quote from: kphoger on January 14, 2013, 12:51:56 PM
I used to have a boss who called it "seltzer".  Crazy Bostonite.

first I heard that one!  I grew up in Boston, and the local variant I remember was "tonic".  but, mostly we called it "soda".

Quote from: kphoger on January 14, 2013, 12:51:56 PM
The amount of sugar in cola is also not totally out of line with other things we drink and consider "healthy".

Sugar in Welch's white grape juice:  4o g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in pomegranite juice:  33—38 g / 8 fl oz, depending on the brand
Sugar in Sunkist orange soda:  35 g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in Coca-cola:  27 g / 8 fl oz
Sugar in orange juice:  12—22 g / 8 fl oz, depending on the brand

We consider fruit juice healthy, though it isn't particularly. The only benefit it has over soda is that it tends to include more vitamins and such, so the calories gained from fruit juice are not "empty calories" like those in soda.

I saw a health fair display of various beverages represented with the equivalent amount of granulated sugar on display in a glass of the serving size (e.g. for Coke it had a 8 oz glass with 27g of sugar in it). Rather eye-opening.

The unfortunate thing is, the sweetener used in almost all of these drinks (even the juices, check the label) is high fructose corn syrup, which is bad for you in myriad ways. Pure cane sugar isn't as bad. That is why I go for sweet tea when I make a drive-thru run, because I know they use real sugar.

Quote from: Road Hog on January 14, 2013, 08:31:37 PM
The unfortunate thing is, the sweetener used in almost all of these drinks (even the juices, check the label) is high fructose corn syrup, which is bad for you in myriad ways. Pure cane sugar isn't as bad. That is why I go for sweet tea when I make a drive-thru run, because I know they use real sugar.

That's one reason why I drink 100 percent juice and not "juice drinks".  Red Diamond tea has real sugar, but is watery. Pure Leaf uses real sugar, but is pricey. Snapple, Nestea and Arizona teas use HFCS.

Quote from: english si on January 12, 2013, 06:21:45 PM
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.

I like to imagine the English reaction to iced tea as a quasi-religious matter of national pride.  "And did those feet in ancient time . . . try some of England's finest tea" and all that.  I'm not exactly sure what to compare it to in America . . . even room-temp beer doesn't quite approach what I have in mind.

Maybe it's like Piss Christ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ):  you feel there's something somehow sacrilegious about (iced tea)(Piss Christ), but you can't quite put your finger on what it is.  The younger generation is more likely to appreciate (iced tea)(Piss Christ) than the older generation, and the latter feels it may be indicative of the downfall of (English)(American) society.

Yeah, now you've all taken a tour of what happens inside my head.  It doesn't always make sense, and sometimes I'm way off base.

Quote from: Road Hog on January 14, 2013, 08:31:37 PM
The unfortunate thing is, the sweetener used in almost all of these drinks (even the juices, check the label) is high fructose corn syrup, which is bad for you in myriad ways. Pure cane sugar isn't as bad. That is why I go for sweet tea when I make a drive-thru run, because I know they use real sugar.

I don't buy the whole anti-HFCS hype.  I figure sugar is sugar, it gets broken down into the same  bits by your body anyway.  Of course, this will start a two-page discussion on types of sugar, but whatever.  As for taste, I prefer Pepsi throwback to regular Pepsi, but I prefer regular Mountain Dew to throwback Mountain Dew.