# Unusual soft drinks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [April 10, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885 "2011-04-10T18:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/81 "2011-04-13T21:21:23Z")
Have any of you soda home-brewers tried making Coca-Cola with the “original recipe” published by NPR? I’d love to know how it tastes! ---
**Author:** ![TheTerribleTako](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@TheTerribleTako](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTerribleTako)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/82 "2011-04-13T21:56:35Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Does the kumquat drink mentioned actually exist? I’d love to try that. If you’re talking about the sugar cane kumquat drink that I mentioned earlier, I’ve only ever had it at this little hole in the wall place in Little Saigon, CA. It’s a fancier take on the fairly common sugar cane drink that you can find bottled in any Asian market. It’s not bottled, so depending on your definition, maybe it doesn’t really count as a soft drink. I wish they would bottle it, I’d be drinking it every single day. It’s not hard to make if you can track down some kumquats though. Get a can of sugar cane juice, cut up kumquats and soak in juice, pressing on the kumquats to release the pulp. I do love the grass jelly drinks, but I think you need to grow up with it to fully appreciate it. Similarly, the sweet peanut drinks with whole peanuts on the bottom seem to weird out a lot of people. They’re often put in the soft drink section at the grocery stores, but they’re really more like dessert in a can to me. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/83 "2011-04-13T22:13:28Z")
Since “mass-produced” was not specified as a criteria, I submit DrunCola as an oddity I have tasted. DrunCola is fermented cola, in this case using a base of HFCS Coca Cola. I essentially made it on a dare, and it was named by my niece. I started with 18 liters of Coke and two pounds of cane sugar, fermented with Champagne yeast; primary fermentation took about 2 weeks, as I recall, producing a very flat, very mildly alcoholic cola, somewhat reminiscent of a weak Rum & Coke. After clarification, I racked it into a keg, then forgot about it for a while…after which, I was a trifle afraid to open it, so I continued to ignore it for about a year. Finally, with my family on hand for backup, I dared to crack the seal. It appeared unharmed by the aging process, so I gave it another taste. This time, the result was a pleasantly fizzy, mildly alcoholic, sweet cola flavor with hints of honey, similar to what you might get if you mixed a light mead with Coke. Considering how demented the idea was to start with, I consider it a success. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/84 "2011-04-13T22:59:33Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > In Epcot I tried an Italian coke product called Beverly. It was vile. I question this stuff. I’ve been to Epcot many times and have tried it like everyone else. Well, when I as in Italy for two weeks, I actually made an effort to find it, just for fun. Never saw a single trace of it over two weeks. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places? It was never next to the sodas anywhere I looked. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/85 "2011-04-14T02:26:12Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > I love Ting, it’s a Jamaican grapefruit soda and the most awesome thing ever on a hot day. I’ve occasionally found it here, but rarely enough that it’s always a treat. I love Ting too. Jarritos produces a grapefruit softdrink too but it is too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/86 "2011-04-14T02:34:13Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > This time, the result was a pleasantly fizzy, mildly alcoholic, sweet cola flavor with hints of honey, similar to what you might get if you mixed a light mead with Coke. If I did my math right, for 18 L of liquid, with 2.85 kg of fermentable sugars (.9 in the sugar you added, the rest as corn syrup in the Coke), that should yield something with a potential in the 8-9% ABV range. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/87 "2011-04-14T02:51:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you know anywhere around you that has a Mexican population, check to see if they sell Jarritos-brand soft drinks. They’re pretty much ubiquitous here in Chicago I was having this exact thought today as I stared at a case full of Jarritos sodas. My in-laws are in the Washington DC area with a significant population of South American immigrants and Inca Cola is easy to come by there. Meanwhile, I can’t go ten feet without finding a place selling Jarritos. Next time I’m visiting DC I should see if I can find any Jarritos sodas. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/88 "2011-04-14T03:40:17Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > ¡Colombiana! ¡La nuestra! ¡Claro! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/89 "2011-04-14T03:46:20Z")
Mannishewitz makes all kinds of kosher foods. This includes several varieties of borscht. Some executive got the bright idea that maybe people wanted to drink beet juice straight. They put it in glass iced tea bottles and called it (Swear to Uncle Cecil I am not making this up) Borscht Belt. If you collected enough labels and sent them in, you got a borscht belt buckle. The product did not do well. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/90 "2011-04-14T04:31:14Z")
I’m particular to Peardrax (pear soda) and Cydrax (apple soda), which were available in the UK in the 70s and 80s but apparently now are only bottled in Trinidad and Tobago. I love Lilt as as well, which is a pineapple and grapefruit juice soda. Also only available in the UK. You think that it would do well in the US, as we have had Fresca (grapefruit soda) for many years. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/91 "2011-04-14T04:46:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If I did my math right, for 18 L of liquid, with 2.85 kg of fermentable sugars (.9 in the sugar you added, the rest as corn syrup in the Coke), that should yield something with a potential in the 8-9% ABV range. That sounds about right for the potential, but the actual yield was not that strong; maybe 4 or 5% ABV at most. It can be difficult to maintain fermentation in a fructose-heavy mix–my mead may take anywhere from 6 weeks to a couple of months to ferment to completion, but this concoction stopped after 2 weeks, aside from very minor action in the keg. If I ever do it again, I will take proper measurements, in the name of (Mad) Science. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/92 "2011-04-14T05:42:05Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > That sounds about right for the potential, but the actual yield was not that strong; maybe 4 or 5% ABV at most. It can be difficult to maintain fermentation in a fructose-heavy mix–my mead may take anywhere from 6 weeks to a couple of months to ferment to completion, but this concoction stopped after 2 weeks, aside from very minor action in the keg. If I ever do it again, I will take proper measurements, in the name of (Mad) Science. Even with champagne yeast? I confess, I’ve never used any additional sugars in any of my fermentations, whether beer, cider, or mead, so I don’t know how well they ferment out. I would have thought the yeast would have just chewed right through that sucker. So what’s the deal with fructose and yeast? I thoughts fructose was one of the more fermentable sugars, no? ETA: [According to this](http://www.sweetsurprise.com/learning-center/hfcs-benefits), 96% of the sugars in HFCS are fermentable. Is this more of a nutrient issue? ---
**Author:** ![Rahne\_McCloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rahne\_McCloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rahne_McCloud)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/93 "2011-04-14T07:52:35Z")
Any one for Birch Beer? ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/94 "2011-04-14T16:04:19Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I’m particular to Peardrax (pear soda) and Cydrax (apple soda), which were available in the UK in the 70s and 80s but apparently now are only bottled in Trinidad and Tobago. Oh! I can’t believe I forgot–there’s a local Portland soda-brewing company (and pizzaria 😃 ) that makes an \*unbelievably \*fantastic pear soda. Their sodas are brewed with all locally-grown fruit; their apple, cherry and boysenberry sodas are great (well, they’re all great), but their pear is absolutely my favorite. They’re called [Hotlips](http://hotlipssoda.com/our-sodas/)! ---
**Author:** ![A2Steve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@A2Steve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A2Steve)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/95 "2011-04-14T16:26:45Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > One of my favorite passages about the Jones Soda holiday flavors… The scary part is, the green bean casserole was one of the BETTER tasting sodas in that pack. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/96 "2011-04-14T22:50:30Z")
I just went into a soda shop and asked the owner for the nastiest soda he had. He said “if you can drink this whole thing, it’s free” and handed me a spruce beer. Blech. Couldn’t decide if it tasted more like pine sol or vicks vap-o-rub. Absolutely revolting. Free, though. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/97 "2011-04-14T23:01:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > So what’s the deal with fructose and yeast? I thoughts fructose was one of the more fermentable sugars, no? ETA: [According to this](http://www.sweetsurprise.com/learning-center/hfcs-benefits), 96% of the sugars in HFCS are fermentable. Is this more of a nutrient issue? I’ve always thought so; my mead often requires a nutrient boost to kick-start it, and tends to ferment slowly. I occasionally have trouble with stuck fermentation, too. The DrunCola, on the other hand, may well have stopped short because of an unfavorable interaction between the yeast and some ingredient in the Coke besides the sugars. That’s probably enough homebrew hijack, though. (Besides, you’re tempting me to repeat the experiment, and I’m not even out of the first batch yet.) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/98 "2011-04-15T07:28:12Z")
I have a SodaStream and make non-sweet or low-sweet sodas/spritzers. Slightly sweetened lemon with rosemary is a favorite. So is black currant. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/99 "2011-04-15T10:17:39Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > It’s not a very precise thing, but make simple syrup (1 part sugar plus 1 part water, heating just until the sugar is fully dissolved). Add a lot of nickel-wide slices of ginger; if you’d like to make candied ginger, peel it first, but if you just want ginger ale, don’t bother. Cook at a brisk simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the syrup has a very, very strong ginger flavor. Cool, strain out ginger pieces, and store in the fridge; to make ginger ale, put about two tablespoons (or to taste) of ginger syrup in the bottom of a glass, then top off with chilled seltzer. The syrup keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. If you’d like more precise measurements, there are plenty of recipes online. > > If you’re making candied ginger, lay the cooked ginger slices out on paper towels and blot dry, then coat with table sugar. I have never managed to get mine totally dry enough that they keep indefinitely, so store in the fridge and eat within a couple of weeks. Thanks for this GilaB. Do you know if this can be done sugar free? Could the sugar be substituted with for example honey? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885/100 "2011-04-15T13:47:29Z")
> [@Rahne\_McCloud](#): > > Any one for Birch Beer? Yes, please! A.J. Stephans and Boylans make pretty good ones. I bought a liter bottle of Polar Diet Birch Beer for comparison, but the A.J. Stephans was the clear winner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-soft-drinks/577885.md?page=6)