A few things I remember:
No one’s mentioned Squirt yet, which is a pity…they’re mighty thirst-quenching. Pleasing citrus taste. When I worked in a supermarket, my lunch break usually consisted of a Squirt and a Bar None candy bar. Mmmm…
Anyone know what happened to the Orange Crush/Sunkist wars? They used to battle openly for control of the orange soda market, but lately things seem to have died down…
When I visited family in Minnesota years ago, they used to visit a Soda Pop Shoppe often. I remember getting seven cases of soda at one time. They had lots of giveaways under the caps (free bottles, free cases). And they were odd, squat little bottles. But we gulped 'em down by the truckload.
IBC makes some wicked drinks, all right. Their root beer is superb, their cream soda is to die for, and even their black cherry is better than anything else I’ve tasted.
One thing I miss is New York Seltzer. I can get it here, but only in a few flavors…where’s my concord grape? All I can get is peach, vanilla cream, and raspberry.
Although not carbonated, I also miss Cappio, the original iced cappucchino beverage. It made a wicked milkshake.
For those of you looking for something in particular: find out who owns the flavor, then call a nearby bottler. Going to the local bottler is the only way I know of to get Dr Pepper with real cane sugar instead of corn syrup. OH, it’s good…
These days, I mostly drink Mountain Dew, as I have since high school. I never get sick of it…so simple, yet so good.