Generic pop = faux pas?

In My Humble Opinion
1

We occasionally have potluck-style dinners at my workplace, and this time it was my responsibility to bring the beverages. I admit to not paying all that close attention to what others have brought in the past, other than it usually involved some variety of soda pop and tea. I asked what I should bring, and my co-workers answered in helpful generalities: be sure to bring something diet, Dr. T likes root beer, etc.

Now when I purchase pop for myself, I reflexively get the generic stuff instead of the name brand, because it’s like a third of the price and (to me) tastes pretty much the same. So I went ahead and did the exact same thing for the work luncheon. It’s not like I’m made of money, and if I can get ten different varieties for the same price as four name-brand 2-liters, then so much the better-- such, at least, was my operating premise. A lavish and diverse selection, everybody gets their choice, everybody’s happy… right?

You have never heard such whining. Evidently store-brand pop is a total and unforgivable breach of etiquette here in this strange land called “America.” From the comments offered, buying the cheaper variety of beverage illustrated that I don’t particularly value my co-workers. (This last is actually true, but I don’t feel that my choice of pop necessarily demonstrates that.) What do you want from me? I’m dirt poor!

I should add that the contempt for my choice of beverages didn’t actually deter anyone from drinking them, oh no. But they made it clear they weren’t happy about having to force my inferior store brand down their gullets. It was like that ventriloquist routine where the guy drinks and complains at the same time.

So was I just completely off-base here? I know for a fact that, at past luncheons, people have brought different store-brand items from that exact same grocery chain-- deli-brewed tea, lemonade, salad trays-- without anyone having an aneurysm about it. Is soda pop an exception to this? If someone were to bring generic pop to your picnic or luncheon, would you feel that you had been slighted or insulted? This is a possibility that had not occurred to me beforehand.

I ask merely for informational purposes. As far as work is concerned, I think that next time it’s my turn to bring the drinks, I’ll show up with a case of that “delicious peanut beverage” they sell at the local Haitian grocery store… maybe a 12-pack of “watercress soda” from the Vietnamese restaurant across the way…

2

I personally never mind if someone serves the generic sodas. I used to think it was kind of stupid to have them, since I thought mainstream soda like Pepsi and Coke was inherently cheap as it is, but now I realize that if you’re serving a large group of people it can be a good bargain to get the store brand. I’ve found store-brand cola type drinks to generally be pretty good and not much different from Coke, but I never really liked store brand root beer.

3

Two words: Coco Rico.

When they bitch, say “Hey, it’s name brand!”

4

BTW, I work for a major national grocery chain, and I know for a fact that we buy our syrup from the same places the local bottlers do. We may shop around a bitm though - IIRC, we get the cola syrup from RC, not Coke (who probably wouldn’t sell it to us, anyway) or Pepsi.

5

As a super-taster, I find there’s a world of difference between generic and name brand. I do not like the generic, and I will not drink it. Ever.

But I wouldn’t complain about it in a million years- that was rude.

6

When I used to drink colas, I actually preferred the Safeway Select brand to Coke or Pepsi. But as to the specific question raised by the OP, no, you didn’t do anything wrong, and your coworkers are a bunch of graceless jerks.

7

I’d be surprised if someone brought store-brand soda to a potluck, but I wouldn’t care. I used to buy it myself, before I cut back my soda intake.

8

Only in a particular case - my husband has a coworker who is notoriously cheap. He obviously indulges heavily in what other people bring to office parties or parties at coworkers’ houses, but if asked to bring something he will bring a couple of sub-$1 two-liters of soda and consider that to be sufficient. He’ll also grab the soda when he leaves, along with anything else he thinks he can get away with. Contrast this with other coworkers, who have brought to parties at our house things like a slab of beef tenderloin, a big batch of fried chicken, expensive microbrew, that kind of thing.

I can sympathize with not having a lot of money, really, so that’s not it. It’s just his whole attitude about the matter - with the others, we practically have to nag them to please, take things home with them, but for him it’s always one or two liters of the cheapest soda possible and then watch him devour everything without blinking an eye. If he’d just do something thoughtful like maybe get his wife to make some homemade potato salad (cheap to make, and yummy!) we wouldn’t think twice about the soda or the rest of his antics. It simply fits into the pattern for him.

I have a good sense of taste so I’d notice the flavor, but I wouldn’t bitch about it. My WAG in this case would be that your coworkers are: a) spoiled brats, b) interpreting your buying of off-brand soda as an intentional act on your part to be annoyingly cheap, c) both of the above.

9

Walgreens’ regular cola is vile dirt. Found out the hard way.

10

Not in the least. I’ve often taken generic soft drinks to functions. They all taste the same anyway.

11

If it happens at my church, where we are very economically diverse, I would think nothing of it. I am very negatively disposed toward people who complain at church potlucks. If we have anyone who “takes advantage,” I am confident they are less well off than I am, and don’t begrudge them their inclination to fill their plates and feed their kids.

At my previous office, it probably would have been a faux pas. If one of the admins had done it, and we know money is fairly tight for her, I don’t think anyone would have minded. I suspect her budget is such that if she buys soda for herself, it’s generic. But if one of the professional staff did it, it would have seemed tacky.

My current circle may include Son of **Ferret Herder’s ** Husband’s Coworker. Hmm, he is originally from Chicago… I’m so sick of his BS. He usually brings one bottle of Gallo.

I think the key to avoiding a faux pas is to observe what is typical for your group and go with that. If you are socializing with economic peers, you shouldn’t try to scrimp on one another, if that makes sense. If you are low on the food chain, so to speak, others should not be rude and pressure you to financially overextend yourself.

12

As far as generic/name brand stuff goes, I think the biggest thing is that people ought to bring at least as nice as they would get for themselves.

13

I buy RC products, 2 liters for 58 cents. Premium brands go for a buck, on sale, or around $1.25 regularly. You cannot tell the difference after the first glass. It’s not as if there were any difference nutritional value. Taste buds adjust very quickly. Why would I throw away 40 to 60 cents everytime I buy a bottle of soda?

14

Did you have the grape kind? I like the grape.

I certainly wouldn’t have complained, that’s just rude. I don’t think it was bad for you to do it, either. But it is a good rule to get something at least as good as what you would buy for yourself—so you are fine IMO.

15

easy there. Coco Rico rocks. It just needs to be chilled down to about -78oF for it to be palatable.

I do groan to myself when I get generic soda at a potluck dinner but I would never, ever make a comment about it.

16

As long as there’s a diet version available, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at generic soda at a potluck. If I never tried it, I might like it.
They were very rude to complain. They can drink water.

17

Personally, I do prefer certain name brands to the generics. But I don’t prefer them strongly enough to justify the difference in price, so I always buy the cheap stuff. Given that, I can hardly complain when someone else gets them (though I do appreciate it when someone happens to have one of my favorites). And even if I did buy the name brands, I think it would still be pretty tacky to complain: If you don’t like what’s offered, bring your own.

18

And how is this guy asking his wife to spend her time and effort making homemade potato salad “thoughtful”? His wife might have other things to do, like caring for children, having a career or a job, or a multitude of other obligations.

Now if he decided to make homemade potato salad, for his co-workers, that would be more “thoughtful.” I think expecting his wife to do so is condescending to her.

That said…

I once worked at a place that had potluck lunches almost every week. I was a single mother at the time, and I couldn’t afford to bring dishes, or even generic pop, to these. I talked to my supervisor, and I talked to the HR guy, but I was told to bring whatever I could. I couldn’t, without taking diapers away from my baby, so I didn’t partake in these lunches. Not one bite, not one cup of pop. Then I was told I wasn’t sociable enough, because I didn’t wander around the lunchroom during these lunches. :rolleyes: Whatever.

19

Were it me providing the generic soft drinks, after the third complaint, I would have taken the bottles, poured them down the sink, and left.
Okay, not really. But I would have thought it really really hard!

20

It wouldn’t bother me any.
In my case, I usually bring diet soda to a potluck and get hooted at and ridiculed for bringing diet. Then at the end of the party, the diet soda is all gone.