I came in to mention that one, which I remember from my travels in NZ. It’s quite nice, although I believe it’s a bit of a con now as it’s no longer made with the Paeroa mineral water that gives it its name.
I was going to say Vimto is only popular in the UK, but it appears it also enjoys a following in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, of all places, if Wikipedia is to be believed.
DFW has something like 6M people and you can find a lot of imported stuff that you wouldn’t find in small town USA.
Maaza in India is mango-flavored and tasty.
Orangina from France, mmm baby! Like carbonated orange juice with some other citrus.
I’ve never worked up the courage to try it, but around here there’s one imported from Mexico that is tamarind flavored. I like tamarind in Indian dishes but it doesn’t sound like soft drink material to me.
I had a sip from a can of a Persian carbonated yogurt thing…well, more for them!
My main memory of visiting Paris as a child of 7 is the taste of Orangina and hot dogs. They sell it or sold it here too but it didn’t taste as nice.
Interesting… it must not have gotten as far as southeast Louisiana. I’ve never seen it in my life. Of course, that could be because the region has a lot of its own speciality sodas.
Barq’s Root Beer used to be exclusive to this region, but I’m pretty sure it’s nationally distributed now.
It is made in North Carolina, and isn’t sold very far from that state’s borders. It was recently announced that the company will begin distribution to Georgia for the first time.
I adore Cheerwine. Last time I visited NC, I seriously contemplated stowing a six-pack in my luggage despite the rule against liquids on airplanes.
Outside of the New York Jewish cultural diaspora, the idea of a chocolate flavored soft drink becomes a non sequitur. By and large, chocolate syrup is for milk, period.
I had never heard of Big Red until I moved to Texas. I don’t think it is popular anywhere but down here. It is a red colored, cream soda tasting drink.
You are allowed have liquids in your check-in baggage.
I can get Blenheim’s here in Ohio. It’s fabulous.
We used to get it in IL when I was a kid. However, it was no match for Swiss Creme Soda by Canfield’s, so that was always first choice.
Yeah, but I usually travel without checking bags. I may have to make an exception next time, though.
Vess is an ancient St. Louis-area soda company (apparently no longer locally-owned). I haven’t had a Vess product in an eon, but I will always love them for two reasons: 1) their orange soda, Whistle Orange (“Thirsty? Just Whistle!”) was my childhood favorite; and 2) their motto is “The Billion Bubble Beverage”, which is a phrase that just makes me smile.
I always liked Shasta Creme Soda.
Where in Illinois? I grew up in central IL and don’t remember seeing Big Red. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t available, I just don’t remember it.
…is aboslutely the strangest-tasting soda i’ve ever had. it’s popular in NYC, and areas with a large jewish population.
It’s not unpleasant…just weird!
Buffalo, New York has loganberry pop of various brands; Aunt Rosie’s, Crystal Beach, and some others.
Vernor’s seems to be a Lake Erie region thing; Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo.
Birch beer and cream soda are also very popular in upstate New York, although it’s not that difficult finding the drinks elsewhere in the country.
North Central…you know LaSalle-Peru or Ottawa? Shasta was pretty good for a quasi-generic brand.
Wait, Orangina is from France?! I see it all over the place here and thought it was just some brand that no one ever bought. Seriously, I don’t understand, you can find the stuff anywhere, but I’ve never actually seen anyone buy it. Usually imports are not that ubiquitous.
I do know LaSalle. Near Starved Rock, not too far from Rockford?
I grew up in Springfield, went to U of I, Urbana.
As for the Shasta, what can I say, cheap parents. 
I grew up around Cleveland, and remember not only Wink commercials (Drink Wink! The sassy one – from Canada Dry!"), but a promotional button which you could flip to see two different images of an eye which appeared to be winking at the viewer. This would have been in the mid-'60’s – Wink seemed to disappear after a few years in the market.
lobotomyboy63: According to this page, there’s no lemon flavoring, and the label appears to depict only two different fruits. Apparently the Cotton Club 50/50 I remember is the same stuff, although Cotton Club’s signature product was its ginger ale. I remember a previous thread on “stuff you just learned” in which someone confessed to just recently realizing that ginger ale got its name from the ginger that flavored it. I never had that disconnect, as Cotton Club commercials featured a woman singing “I’m Big Ginger with the big ginger taste – Cotton Club/ Less Sweet Ginger Ale!”
cher3: When were you a kid? I was born in 1959, and don’t recall “Vernors Burners” (as my dad’s sisters called it, in recognition of the fact it wasn’t as mild as Cotton Club’s ginger ale) ever not being available in Northeast Ohio. We even drank Boston Coolers on occasion, although Aunt Karen used the term for any concoction of pop poured over ice cream.