Soda Drinking Woes: Overhydrated and Underwhelmed

[chefann]

Learn more about Randy Sprecher's gourmet sodas, and his beer, incidentally, at the Sprecher Brewery Website.

Sprecher Root Beer is made with honey.

My sister did an internship there during college. The tour of the facilities is awesome! It's only $2 and you get beer samples (limit 4 per person) and unlimited soda samples. Any unused beer tickets can be turned in for free tour tickets in the gift shop.

Love love LOVE the Root Beer, Cream Soda, Red, Orange Dream, Ginger Ale (super spicy from the real ginger). Whenever we visit my sister, we bring back a bunch of both beer and soda. hmmm... I've got 1 root beer and 1 orange dream sitting in my kitchen right now.

 

[BethCooks4U]

KG - Do you remember Springtime soda from Kenosha? We used to always make trips down there to get some...used to like grape...brother like orange...

Not KG but I am from South Milwaukee (just north of Kenosha and South of Milwaukee - not the south side of Milwaukee). ...ANYWAY, I never heard of Springtime soda?! I bet it was good. We had an off brand that was REALLY good too (I can't remember the name but it wasn't "springtime"). I'll let you know if I think of it...

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Big RedBig Red is my weakness. But of course with my pregnancy I have cut down dramatically. As crazy as it sounds, I can have a Big Red and skip lunch. It's that delicious to me.
I know it's bad but I love it!!

Debbie

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Not KG but I am from South Milwaukee (just north of Kenosha and South of Milwaukee - not the south side of Milwaukee). ...ANYWAY, I never heard of Springtime soda?! I bet it was good. We had an off brand that was REALLY good too (I can't remember the name but it wasn't "springtime"). I'll let you know if I think of it...

I don't remember Springtime, either, but I do remember Black Bear that was in returnable bottles. We never bought it because it was strictly southside and we lived on the far north side. It is still available in non-returnables.

We also had Graf's and Grandpa Graf's root beer was quite good. The adults used 50-50 for drink mix, but the kids who liked the sour taste drank 50-50 as a thirst quencher before anyone knew what Gatorade was. Graf's also had flavors. They were bought out by someone from Chicago, Canfields, I think.

Waukesha had Bethesda and White Rock. White Rock soda was famous all over the east coast but I don't think they sold it around here at all.

There was a bottling company in Antigo that had flavors, too, and Grandma always had several bottles of it in her refrigerator. Red Cream Soda was my favorite.

As a kid, I also really liked Squirt.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I don't remember Springtime, either, but I do remember Black Bear that was in returnable bottles. We never bought it because it was strictly southside and we lived on the far north side. It is still available in non-returnables.

We also had Graf's and Grandpa Graf's root beer was quite good. The adults used 50-50 for drink mix, but the kids who liked the sour taste drank 50-50 as a thirst quencher before anyone knew what Gatorade was. Graf's also had flavors. They were bought out by someone from Chicago, Canfields, I think.

Waukesha had Bethesda and White Rock. White Rock soda was famous all over the east coast but I don't think they sold it around here at all.

There was a bottling company in Antigo that had flavors, too, and Grandma always had several bottles of it in her refrigerator. Red Cream Soda was my favorite.

As a kid, I also really liked Squirt.

That's IT!! Black Bear!! You should have come down to our neck of the woods! I remember Graf's too and loved that root beer!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

There was (is?) a bottler (Faygo) in Detroit that has Red Pop and Rock-and-Rye brands. One of my firends was just nuts for Rock n Rye and he got me addicted to Red Pop. Every time I went to Michigan or Indiana, I had to bring cases of that stuff back for him.Well, for me, too.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That reminds me of another childhood adventure - until 1967, it was illegal to sell colored margarine in Wisconsin. Since they weren't able to block the sale of "Oleomargarine" completely, the state outlawed artificial coloring. If you ever saw margarine without color added, you'd never eat that crap. (If you knew what was in it, you wouldn't eat it, either.) It was sold here in one pound bricks and included, this is a riot, a packet of powdered coloring. It was a red powder. You'd leave the brick on the kitchen table and when the block of oleomargarine reached a temperature where you could work it, you'd sprinkle the red powder on the top and mix it all together. Voila! Yellow spread.As a result of the stupid law, people used to go to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Michigan to smuggle contraband oleomargarine into the state.We lived in Grand Rapids for a couple of years when I was a kid, and I remember my brother and I being jammed into the back seat of the family Buick with our luggage because the truck was loaded with cases of oleo that we were smuggling back to my uncle and grandmother.There also used to be a large grocery store in Illinois on Hwy 41, just across the Cheddar Curtain. (I think it's a strip club now.) There used be car after car with Wisconsin plates and, from what I understood, those car owners used to get letters from the state patrol about smuggling contraband into the state.

 

[dollfangs]

Ask for a "coke" in Mexico and they ask "what kind"? Coke is generic there to a soda...

This is true in the south too. I once dated a guy from NY and asked him to get me a coke and he came back with a coke even though he KNEW I drank diet coke at the time. He was like but you asked for a coke lol

 

[BethCooks4U]

That reminds me of another childhood adventure - until 1967, it was illegal to sell colored margarine in Wisconsin. Since they weren't able to block the sale of "Oleomargarine" completely, the state outlawed artificial coloring. If you ever saw margarine without color added, you'd never eat that crap. (If you knew what was in it, you wouldn't eat it, either.)

It was sold here in one pound bricks and included, this is a riot, a packet of powdered coloring. It was a red powder. You'd leave the brick on the kitchen table and when the block of oleomargarine reached a temperature where you could work it, you'd sprinkle the red powder on the top and mix it all together. Voila! Yellow spread.

As a result of the stupid law, people used to go to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota or Michigan to smuggle contraband oleomargarine into the state.

We lived in Grand Rapids for a couple of years when I was a kid, and I remember my brother and I being jammed into the back seat of the family Buick with our luggage because the truck was loaded with cases of oleo that we were smuggling back to my uncle and grandmother.

There also used to be a large grocery store in Illinois on Hwy 41, just across the Cheddar Curtain. (I think it's a strip club now.) There used be car after car with Wisconsin plates and, from what I understood, those car owners used to get letters from the state patrol about smuggling contraband into the state.

I remember that too. My family only used butter but we knew people who went to Illinois all the time for their margarine.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

This is true in the south too. I once dated a guy from NY and asked him to get me a coke and he came back with a coke even though he KNEW I drank diet coke at the time. He was like but you asked for a coke lol

A friend of mine from Alabama explained that to me years ago - he told me "Co-cola" came in several flavors there. Orange co-cola, grape co-cola, cream co-cola and even Coke co-cola.

He drank mostly Pabst co-cola anyway.

 

[Jennie4PC]

did you know that you can pur coke on your battery cables to clean them and it will get the ring around your inside toilet bowl clean,. Just think about what it doing on the inside.
Gillian- I knew a guy from Alaska and he would drink I believe it was Thomas Kemper honey sweetened root beer I found it once in Ut but haent seen it since it was pretty good

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That's probably also true of other sodas, from Coke to Gatorade and Ginger Ale. They all contain citric acid.The Mythbusters tackled the Mentos/Diet Coke fountain phenomenon and determined that the chemical makeup of Diet Coke reacted with Mentos better than the other types of sodas to make a fountain.I'm no chemist, but I'd bet you're talking about what citric acid would do in those cases.

 

[thechefofnorthbend]

That's probably also true of other sodas, from Coke to Gatorade and Ginger Ale. They all contain citric acid.

The Mythbusters tackled the Mentos/Diet Coke fountain phenomenon and determined that the chemical makeup of Diet Coke reacted with Mentos better than the other types of sodas to make a fountain.

I'm no chemist, but I'd bet you're talking about what citric acid would do in those cases.

I love that show...

just had to add my

 

[speedychef]

LOL Pabst Cola! I have friends that call them "barley pop," and they try to avoid drinking too many of them, lest they wake up the next day with the Irish flu....

 

[ChefBeckyD]

There was (is?) a bottler (Faygo) in Detroit that has Red Pop and Rock-and-Rye brands. One of my firends was just nuts for Rock n Rye and he got me addicted to Red Pop. Every time I went to Michigan or Indiana, I had to bring cases of that stuff back for him.

Well, for me, too.

I LOVE Faygo Red Pop = can't remember the last time I had it - but thinking about brings back alot of good memories! There used to be a very nostalgic Faygo Red Pop commercial about all the good things in life.....
In Michigan, we also have Vernors Ginger Ale - to me, there is no Ginger Ale but Vernors, and when I lived in SC....I used to bring back cases of it with me!

 

[DebbieJ]

We love Vernors. They sell it here in Chicago, too.

 

[Jennie4PC]

KG I did the diet soda and mentos thing for my kids and they wanted me to do it again they just loed watching it spray

 

[Kathytnt]

I work at a natural foods store called Sprouts - The only sweeteners we carry are Stevia, Xylitol and fruit sweetener (Not high fructose corn syrup)

I know I need to stop drinking diet sodas but it is soooo hard - I have to hide my Diet coke when I bring one into work.

 

[lisacb77]

Vernors is a good memory from growing up in Western NY.

I have to say I have not eaten TB since November. I ate it the day before an event. Gave me a horrible case of runs so bad (sorry if TMI!) that I have permanently sworn off. Poor DH had to go get Immodium at 1 in the morning and won't let me forget it.

I gave up regular soda a long time ago. Kicking the bad food that goes with it has been harder but making good progress I think!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I LOVE Faygo Red Pop = can't remember the last time I had it - but thinking about brings back alot of good memories! There used to be a very nostalgic Faygo Red Pop commercial about all the good things in life.....
In Michigan, we also have Vernors Ginger Ale - to me, there is no Ginger Ale but Vernors, and when I lived in SC....I used to bring back cases of it with me!

Vernor's is available here, off and on. It is the best, and ginger ale also serves several medicinal purposes. Ginger is a great all-purpose root!

 

[Ishah]

I would say try gatorade or even pedialite, something with electrolites in it. It is possible to drink too much water, although difficult. If you still are so thirsty after another day I agree that you should see a doctor.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

did you know that you can pur coke on your battery cables to clean them and it will get the ring around your inside toilet bowl clean,. Just think about what it doing on the inside.
Gillian- I knew a guy from Alaska and he would drink I believe it was Thomas Kemper honey sweetened root beer I found it once in Ut but haent seen it since it was pretty good

I've been thinking about this one since I posted my answer earlier today and it sent me to snopes.com where I found that they have an entire section dedicated to Coca-Cola mythology.

While your particular claim is not a stand-alone myth, it appears as part of another myth that contains the battery terminal claim, along with the toilet bowl and several other myths. Snopes does pretty much back up what I said but with far more precision.

The rest of the claims offered here are specious. Coca-Cola does contain small amounts of citric acid and phosphoric acid; however, all the insinuations about the dangers these acids might pose to people who drink Coca-Cola ignore a simple concept familiar to any first-year chemistry student: concentration. Coca-Cola contains less citric acid than orange juice does, and the concentration of phosphoric acid in Coke is far too small (a mere 11 to 13 grams per gallon of syrup, or about 0.20 to 0.30 per cent of the total formula) to dissolve a steak, a tooth, or a nail overnight. (Much of the item will dissolve eventually, but after a day or two you'll still have most of the tooth, a whole nail, and one very soggy t-bone.)

Besides, the gastric acid in your stomach is much stronger than any of the acids in Coca-Cola, so the Coca-Cola is harmless.

You can read it here: snopes.com Cokelore.

 

[PampMomof3]

WOW!! I've been gone a day and look what happens! This thread is way farther than I thought! Well, I had NO soda today and I DON'T miss it!!! It was weird though because my dh and I went out to dinner tonight and I ALWAYS order Pepsi/Coke and when the waitress asked, I was dumbfounded! I just told her water (which I only like Dasani or Aquafina) which was okay. I'm so happy to not be drinking soda anymore but I will miss it at times ESPECIALLY at Taco Bell! I love TB's Pepsi and McDonalds Cokes! They are SO good!!!

I'm originally from Lapeer, Michigan and I LOVE Faygo & Vernors!!!

 

[dollfangs]

My son just did a science project on dissolving steaks in colas. He disproved the theory as he soaked the steaks in cola for 9 days and they gained weight. He put one in coke, one in pepsi, one in mountain dew and one in root beer. The ones that gained the most weight were the pepsi and coke. So I guess that the acid is not strong enough to dissolve the steaks in a little over a week. Oh yeah and he won 3rd place and is going to regionals. I am so proud!!!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Why, he's just a little Jamie or Adam, isn't he? MYTHBUSTER!Send Mythbuster's a video of him with his project - that's a good one!Come to think of it, maybe he should send a copy of his report to snopes.com for the Mikelson's to update their Cokelore page!

 

[Paige Dixon]

I cured my addiction to Coke by taking on Monster Energy.

Stay away from Monster Energy!!

Now it's all I want to drink, and I really would rather drink it than eat, too.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Vernor's is available here, off and on. It is the best, and ginger ale also serves several medicinal purposes. Ginger is a great all-purpose root!

If you only knew how many times, as a child, I faked a stomach ache so I could have my own bottle of Vernors..... I still use ginger (in a more natural form) for upset stomach - Ginger Tea was a staple for morning sickness.....but I've also convinced myself and my family that Ginger Snaps are GOOD for us!!

 

[raebates]

Ginger ale was all I could keep down when I had morning sickness with my son. Why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day? Anyhoo, once I was over the queasies, I couldn't drink ginger ale without getting nauseated. Even the smell of ginger ale still makes my tummy do a flip. The kid's 20 years old. Why can't I have a memory like that for things I WANT to remember?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Ginger ale was all I could keep down when I had morning sickness with my son. Why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day? Anyhoo, once I was over the queasies, I couldn't drink ginger ale without getting nauseated. Even the smell of ginger ale still makes my tummy do a flip. The kid's 20 years old. Why can't I have a memory like that for things I WANT to remember?

Isn't that a bummer? When I was pregnant, I HAD to have chicken salad and real Strawberry Milkshakes (with chunks of strawberries), and now......either one makes me queasy to even think about them.....and they are foods I used to love. I have kept hoping that maybe I'll get over it, my DS is 2 1/2.....but if 20 yrs later you are still that way.....I guess my chances of forgetting aren't good huh?

 

[raebates]

Becky, don't use me as an example. Normal isn't something that usually applies to me. My dryer doesn't even have a normal setting.

 

[Cindycooks]

I live in the town that invented Pepsi! We have the original drugstore where it was invented, right down town and you can still get it the old fashioned way - made with syrup and carbonated water (and other stuff)..right before your eyes! 25 cents a cup. They have the regular frountain kind, bottle and cans too and every pepsi souvenir you can think of. Its fun and we always have to take company there. So we are a Pepsi town - Coke is here but Pepsi rules.

I drink one soda a day (we call them drinks - Pepsi, coke, its all a drink)...and I've gotten so used to diet drinks that the regular drinks taste so sweet and artificial now! I drink tons of water. I got a quart water bottle with a straw at Weight Watchers a few years ago and I fill it up with water and ice in the mornings and take it everywhere.

 

[smarteez2]

I am sooooooooooo badwhen it comes to drinking soda!! I only drink diet coke or diet sprite, but I will go on binges of diet coke until i get a UTI!! I know to much info. But I hate water so it is usually soda or sweet tea for me. After my last one (UTI) I have been pretty careful this time. Did I mention I HATE water!! LOL

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I live in the town that invented Pepsi! <snip> (we call them drinks - Pepsi, coke, its all a drink)<snip>

Pepsi-Cola hits the spot!
12 full ounces, that's a lot!
Twice as much for a nickle, too!
Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you!

Check it out at http://www.cannet.com/~kathyr/Pepsi.htm. There are links there to hear that jingle along with three other ones.

I remember Petula Clark singing "You're in the Pepsi generation" back when I was a kid. Pepsi has had some very aggressive marketing over the last 60 years, trying hard to unseat Coke as the number one soft drink and there seems to be a thread running through all of it the last 35 years, trying to market to the kids so they can take over Number One as kids have kids who have kids. (Take a bow, Ronald McDonald.)

Me? I'm a Coke kinda guy. Drank it all the time as a kid, and still would if I could. When the Braves moved out of Milwaukee to Atlanta, with a lot of Coca-Cola money behind the move (according to local legend, anyway) The Old Man swore off Coke and drank anything but for the rest of his life.

While the Braves broke my heart when they moved, and I root against them to this day, I could never participate in The Old Man's boycott of Coke.

 

[lisacb77]

KG we love Mythbusters in our house! I love how they make science cool

 

[PCJen]

did you know that you can pur coke on your battery cables to clean them and it will get the ring around your inside toilet bowl clean,. Just think about what it doing on the inside.
Gillian- I knew a guy from Alaska and he would drink I believe it was Thomas Kemper honey sweetened root beer I found it once in Ut but haent seen it since it was pretty good

That is very true. When my father-in-law was working on my '64 Mustang we used some coke to clean some of the parts off.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

See "Cokelore" at Snopes.

 

[PampMomof3]

Well, it's been a week and NO Soda! Well, I did try it once and couldn't stand it so I had to give it another shot but it was still gross!!! So, I have over 100 bottles of water here and am doing great with my new best friend. I do feel like I've lost a friend though! I miss my caffeine but luckily the headaches are GONE!!!

 

[pamperedharriet]

I have stopped drinking soda for the past 6 months --only have it once in awhile if I go out to dinner and can't get good water. I now drink about 2 quarts of Crystal Light Raspberry Ice a day and have lost some weight! My doctors asked me what I was doing differently when they saw I lost weight and they told me to stay with the Crystal Light as it is better than soda and apparently is helping me lose weight.

 

[PampMomof3]

Great Job Harriet! I hope that happens to me too! I'm trying!!!

 

[Stampaholic1961]

I'm so glad to see someone else talking about how awful Splenda is. The stuff just about killed me. They claim that your body doesn't absorm the stuff===it just passes thru. Most people absorb some of it & some people, like me, absorm tons of it. It was actually causing salt poisoning type symptoms. I had a migraine for about a week from it. I try to warn people about it any chance I get. What really bothers me about it is that they are marketing it to kids in products like Kool-aid singles. We have absolutely no idea what this is going to do to our kids down the line. My kids are not allowed to have any Splenda at all.
Bev

 

[PampMomof3]

I don't gime my kids splenda AT ALL!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

So you give them gimlets instead? I kinda like vodka, myself!

 

[PampMomof3]

So you give them gimlets instead? I kinda like vodka, myself!

That's too funny KG!! I usually ALWAYS go back and make sure I don't have any spelling errors! That made me chuckle! Thanks!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I don't like to make fun of spelling errosr (sicne I haev dsylexci fingres myself) but that one was just too easy. Thanks for the setup!

 

[chefann]

I LOVE Faygo Red Pop = can't remember the last time I had it - but thinking about brings back alot of good memories! There used to be a very nostalgic Faygo Red Pop commercial about all the good things in life.....

Remember when you were a kid?
Well, part of you still is.
And that's why we have Faygo.

(Sorry, I don't remember more than a couple of words from the verses, just the refrain.) Faygo turns 100 this year!

Which way did he go? Which way did he go?
He went for Faaaaaaygo!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Remember when you were a kid?
Well, part of you still is.
And that's why we have Faygo.

(Sorry, I don't remember more than a couple of words from the verses, just the refrain.) Faygo turns 100 this year!

Which way did he go? Which way did he go?
He went for Faaaaaaygo!

That's it!!! I was humming as I read your post Ann!

 

[Chef Kearns]

Remember when you were a kid?
Well, part of you still is.
And that's why we have Faygo.

(Sorry, I don't remember more than a couple of words from the verses, just the refrain.) Faygo turns 100 this year!

Which way did he go? Which way did he go?
He went for Faaaaaaygo!

What in the world are you talking about? Is is a local thing or a Northern thing? I'm in the dark here!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

You can read http://www.sodamuseum.bigstep.com/generic.html?pid=30 here, or you can log on to Faygo's Own website to learn about it.It's a regional bottler.My favorite:

My buddy, Rick's favorite flavor:

 

[raebates]

It also makes some of the best flavored (rather than cola) sodas ever!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Someone may have to smuggle some Faygo into conference, Ann.