Monday, September 8, 2008

THE TOP 10 GONE-BUT-NOT-FORGOTTEN OBSCURE SODAS... REVISITED

So about a year ago, I came up with a little list covering 10 discontinued sodas. You can see it if you click on the little link way at the top of the page on the right. It's in yellow. Well, at the time I also occasionally worked for another site, and it got posted on there, then, subsequently, to my first and only time on FARK... how many people can say that? Yeah, it was cool, and it did a ton for my fan base and traffic. Well, longer story short, since I no longer do work for anyone else but myself, I figured it was time to revisit the old Soda List, since there are just so damn may of them out there that have dwindled into soda pop limbo. So, with I believe only one copy from a previous list (I didn't do it justice before) here are 10 new sodas that have shuffled this mortal coil. Enjoy!



SODAPOPCOLACOKEPEPSISODAPOPCOLACOKEPEPSISODAPOPCOLA





10) BRIMFULL ROOTBEER





A root beer made exclusively for Red Owl Grocery in Hopkins, MN from the 70's. No, I can honestly say I have never had one of these, and that's too bad, since I thoroughly enjoy a good root beer. Actually, if you held me to it, I'd more often than not go for a sarsaparilla. Now that's tasty!






9) PEPSI AM






Originally marketed as a Pepsi product with significantly more caffeine to, supposedly, get you moving in the morning... hence the AM moniker. Anyway, I do remember drinking this at least once and it definitely had that tangy, back-of-the-throat thing that comes with those extra-caffeinated beverages. Think JOLT, but far sweeter. If that's possible.






8) COKE II




Coca-Cola did little to promote or otherwise distinguish this disaster. In a market already offering far more choice of drinks calling themselves "Coke" than necessary, the public saw little reason to embrace a product they had firmly flipped the finger to seven years earlier as New Coke, and within about a year, Coke II was largely off the American shelves.





7) JAC JIC



The Jic Jac brand produced by Jic Jac, Inc out of St Louis, Missouri is a rather obscure soft drink. The 12 ounce cone top can was produced about 1953, and a tab top can has been noted from the mid 1970's. Eleven painted label bottle variations have been reported dating from
1953 to 1977.






6) BUBBLE UP



This is taken from the Dr. Soda Company web site (right here) 'Bubble Up Is Made With Real Cane Sugar! Bubble Up Comes In A 12oz Glass Bottle. Bubble Up....Kiss Of Lemon & Kiss Of Lime'
Now I have no Earthly idea if that's the theme song or what, but it's damn catchy!






5) BIG VIC



Apparently bottled in the Nackard Bottling Company in Flagstaff, AZ, I could find out nothing more about this stuff other than that. Sorry, maybe someone out there can enlighten me. If so, comment to this page. Thanks. Move along.






4) CLEO COLA





In 1935, the Whistle Cola Company introduced Cleo Cola, named after the owner's favorite cigar and featured Cleopatra as a trademark. Cleo Cola advertising is classic soda pop memorabilia and is very sought after by collectors. Beautiful paper label and ACL bottles as well as some attractive tin and cardboard signs are to be found.






3) WHISTLE COLA




Whistle originated in the midwest, by Silvester Jones, very popular in the 20s. Jones introduced Vess flavors around 1927, using letters from his name as the product's name. There was a change of ownership because of bankruptcy during the depression, but Whistle continued on.







2) TROPI-COLA




Unbelievably sweet. This crap has a ton of carbonation and a lot of artificial banana flavor. It tastes like a circus peanut slowly dying in old Lemon Lime Slice mixed with cotton candy and orange-flavored bubble gum. It's a strange amalgam of flavors: mellow soothing creaminess and fierce carbonic sizzle that literally acidically roasts your nose and throat. But I digress. It's ok.





1) CHAMP'S COLA




From what I understand, this stuff has 'champagne' sensibilities and such a light and airy flavor that, being a caramel-colored beverage, it is almost too strange. Never had it, but it sounds intriguing.





3 comments:

  1. Jac Jic (Lemon Lime flavor) is a trademark of
    Orca Beverage soda works, Mukilteo, Wa.
    I think you can get it through Orca Beverage.com CrackerBarrel Old Country Store sells it as a seasonal flavor ( In a Winter Vintage Pac).
    They also sell Bubble Up Soda (along with other 'Old time' sodas, candies ect.) at both there stores & online at CrackerBarrel.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jic Jac and Bubble Up are bottled by Orca Beverage in Mukilteo, WA, and distributed all over the US.

    ReplyDelete

Say it loud, say it proud!