Coca-Cola to discontinue Tab

[kphoger]

I could still get 2-liter bottles of Diet RC there ...

Is that not common?  I so rarely buy 2-liter bottles that I guess I hadn't noticed.  RC Cola is my go-to cola for parties, because it avoids the Coke/Pepsi argument, plus I like it, but I never really buy diet even for parties.

[1995hoo]

Hires Root Beer! There's a name I hadn't heard in years. I used to drink that all the time when I was a kid, but I haven't seen Hires in years (if it's even still on the market). If I get root beer now, I get Diet Barq's.

[Dirt Roads]

I can't remember the city, but I was road-tripping a few years ago in central NC (somewhere south or southwest of Raleigh), saw a Kroger, and decided on a whim to run in to see if they had Diet Cheerwine. They did, and it was on sale, so I bought several 12-pack cans of it.

On another trip, I was clipping a corner of SW NC near Asheville and needed to stop for a gas and comfort break at an Ingles near Weaverville. Again, I made a Diet Cheerwine run and ended up with several of the 20- or 16.9-oz bottles.

Some DoubleKwik markets in SE KY have Cheerwine now.

Perhaps longer ago than that.  Kroger abandoned North Carolina in August 2018, with most of the store closing everything except the pharmacy before mid-July.  They purchased Harris-Teeter a few years before and promised not to convert the Krogers (unionized) to Harris Teeters (non-union).  But most of their properties were hard to sell, so several have now been reopened as HT.

Which all reminds me, my grandmother and I were both hooked on Diet Big K Black Cherry (which was much fizzier than Diet Cheerwine).  As more Food Lion stores opened out this way, we quit going into Durham to Kroger except for the holidays (and certain big sales).  But when my aunt moved here after my grandmother passed, she would wax poetic about Diet Big K Black Cherry would get excited anytime I was close to any one of the three Krogers there.  I also would pick up some Diet Big K Dr. K (which might belong in the Department of Redundancy Department thread).  By far, the best priced diet drinks on the market (last time I bought them 3/$1).

[Dirt Roads]

I could still get 2-liter bottles of Diet RC there ...

Is that not common?  I so rarely buy 2-liter bottles that I guess I hadn't noticed.  RC Cola is my go-to cola for parties, because it avoids the Coke/Pepsi argument, plus I like it, but I never really buy diet even for parties.

Haven't seen it in years, but the local Coke and Pepsi bottlers have pretty much squeezed Royal Crown off the shelves.  You can still get regular RC, but you will very seldom see Diet Rite (cola), Nehi or similar-flavored Diet Rite (soft drinks) anymore.  Even the country-fried stores like Red-and-White (a few around here) or Piggly Wiggly (none close to here) have much selection.  I believe that this dropped off after Cadbury-Schweppes moved the RC products over to the Dr. Pepper division (which eventually spun off).

Did I say Diet Rite?  Been known to hoard Diet Rite White Grape when visiting family in West Virginia.  Seems like I keep admitting this stuff.  No wonder I lost most of my hair 40 years ago.

[1995hoo]

What does Cheerwine taste like, anyway? (Assuming, that is, that it can be analogized to something else?)

[briantroutman]

What does Cheerwine taste like, anyway? (Assuming, that is, that it can be analogized to something else?)

Mostly cherry...I don't recall exactly.

I spent a handful of months in Wilmington, North Carolina about a decade ago, and it was then that I first became aware of this soda on store shelves that I had never heard of before. So eventually, I decided that I had to try Cheerwine at least once. My only recollection is that I decided very quickly that one single-serve bottle was enough for my lifetime.

[Dirt Roads]

What does Cheerwine taste like, anyway? (Assuming, that is, that it can be analogized to something else?)

Mostly cherry...I don't recall exactly.

I spent a handful of months in Wilmington, North Carolina about a decade ago, and it was then that I first became aware of this soda on store shelves that I had never heard of before. So eventually, I decided that I had to try Cheerwine at least once. My only recollection is that I decided very quickly that one single-serve bottle was enough for my lifetime.

Indeed.  Although I've always thought that it tasted a lot like a generic cherry cola, just heavier on the cherry and lighter on the cola.  Carolinians make nearly everything you can think of (soda-wise) with Cheerwine.  Cake, pie, pastries, holiday punch, ice cream floats,  BBQ sauce, cheesecake, candies and all sorts of Family Reunion stuff.  Never had anything made of Cheerwine that wasn't pretty good.  Plus, the food is never too sweet.

[hbelkins]

Cook-Out has expanded into Kentucky, and has Cheerwine on the fountain. Now, Kentucky needs to return the favor and sell Ale-8 on the fountain at Yum brand restaurants.

[US71]

Cook-Out has expanded into Kentucky, and has Cheerwine on the fountain. Now, Kentucky needs to return the favor and sell Ale-8 on the fountain at Yum brand restaurants.

Write them and ask

[ClassicHasClass]

Cheerwine is super fizzy cherry. It's delightful. I have friends who baste BBQ with the stuff.

[Dirt Roads]

Cook-Out has expanded into Kentucky, and has Cheerwine on the fountain. <snipped>

Looks like the only Cook-out in the mountainous eastern part of the state is in Morehead.  Did somebody say "Home of the Smashburger"?  How can Cook-Out compete with Dairy Cheer in Eastern Kentucky?  It's still hard to live without blackberry milkshakes. 

No wonder I still need diet drinks. 

[hbelkins]

Cook-Out has expanded into Kentucky, and has Cheerwine on the fountain. <snipped>

Looks like the only Cook-out in the mountainous eastern part of the state is in Morehead.  Did somebody say "Home of the Smashburger"?  How can Cook-Out compete with Dairy Cheer in Eastern Kentucky?  It's still hard to live without blackberry milkshakes. 

No wonder I still need diet drinks.

That Cook-Out has only walk-up and drive-through options. No indoor dining.

And, sad to say, Dairy Cheer is pretty much gone. There's one in Pikeville and one in Prestonsburg, but I think the rest are gone unless there's one in the Ashland area I don't know about. I think I kept the one in Morehead in business when I was in college. And I like their blueberry shakes.

[SectorZ]

I could still get 2-liter bottles of Diet RC there ...

Is that not common?  I so rarely buy 2-liter bottles that I guess I hadn't noticed.  RC Cola is my go-to cola for parties, because it avoids the Coke/Pepsi argument, plus I like it, but I never really buy diet even for parties.

I get avoiding the Coke/Pepsi argument, but I figured most people like both better than RC regardless.

[US71]

I could still get 2-liter bottles of Diet RC there ...

Is that not common?  I so rarely buy 2-liter bottles that I guess I hadn't noticed.  RC Cola is my go-to cola for parties, because it avoids the Coke/Pepsi argument, plus I like it, but I never really buy diet even for parties.

I get avoiding the Coke/Pepsi argument, but I figured most people like both better than RC regardless.

I've not had RC for a long time.I'm not sure it's even available around here

[ClassicHasClass]

RC isn't bad, but I'd rather have a Coke if I'm going to have a cola.

For a while in the 1990s RC made a "draft" version with extra vanilla and cane sugar. It was quite nice and of course didn't sell at all.

[hbelkins]

RC maintained its popularity in eastern Kentucky for years due to bottling/distribution facilities in Jackson and Whitesburg.

[kphoger]

I have yet to hear someone say they don't like RC Cola.  It's a safe bet for a party.

[US71]

I have yet to hear someone say they don't like RC Cola.  It's a safe bet for a party.

Don't forget the Moon Pies

[Scott5114]

I have yet to hear someone say they don't like RC Cola.  It's a safe bet for a party.

I remember liking it the last time I had it, but that was when my age could be expressed in a single digit. I don't know what my feelings on it would be now.

[Big John]

I actually liked New Coke. I bought some when Coke brought it back for the Stranger Things promotion. I still liked it.

I'm wondering if they'll axe Pibb next. I may go into mourning. I actually have some Pibb in the fridge.

Well, I wonder what would Coke sell in areas where they don't have distribution rights for Dr. Pepper.  Still, Pepsi has no equivalent in areas where Coke sells Dr. Pepper.

DR Pepper is "independent", so if Coke doesn't distribute them Pepsi does. Different regions have different distributors.

Around here, both Coke and Pepsi have rights to Dr Pepper

[Rothman]

RC maintained its popularity in eastern Kentucky for years due to bottling/distribution facilities in Jackson and Whitesburg.

I always wondered why it was popular in eastern Kentucky and you see signs for it everywhere.  I didn't known it was bottled in the vicinity.

[Big John]

Homer on a computer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siaxGjttoVM

[Dirt Roads]

Homer on a computer

Just pushed the TaB key to see if I could get some for myself.  Doh!  Will wonders never cease?

[kphoger]

Speaking of Cheerwine...  Last night, my wife and I were waiting in the Chick-fil-A parking lot, waiting for our order to be brought out, and I saw a Cheerwine license plate.  Never seen one of those before.

[hbelkins]

Speaking of Cheerwine...  Last night, my wife and I were waiting in the Chick-fil-A parking lot, waiting for our order to be brought out, and I saw a Cheerwine license plate.  Never seen one of those before.

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