Yep, that’s the way it is here. I actually get looked at like I’m odd by my co-workers if I bring a Pepsi back to my desk (back when work provided my desk).
Dang, I want a t-shirt with the Fritz-Kola logo on it. Somehow both creepy and comforting.
I’ve had Thums Up (so hard not to type the b). It’s..not awful..but woah, that’s a bitter cola.
I would like to try these from North Korea. I did not see any of them at the one North Korean restaurant I’ve been to in Beijing back when said restaurant was operating.
Here in the D.C. area, mainstream restaurants serve Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola. If there is a leading third cola at hipsterish sort of places, I’d guess it would have to be Boylan’s? Or Maine Root? Or Jones? Or Sprecher? Or Stewart’s? Or Reed’s? It’s hard to say which one is more common. It’s not a cola, but my favorite is Bruce Cost Unfiltered Ginger Ale.
Or maybe Dr. Brown’s at traditional New York-style sandwich places?
I do see Royal Crown Cola (R.C.) at one place, but I don’t think it’s more common than Boylan’s.
Ninja’d in post #24. 
At one time, Jones was even the only brand of soda served at Seahawks games, though they only held the rights for a few years. I haven’t seen it in 12-packs in years, but most stores carry it in glass bottle 4-packs.
I’m in Vermont, and while Coke and Pepsi are really the only options, our third cola is Moxie.
Calvin Coolidge’s favorite cola.
You can find it in grocery stores (though maybe not all of them, and I admit that I haven’t hunted for it in a few years).
Also, I did not know that the word “moxie” comes from the cola name (according to the wikipedia link above).
Before this topic I had no idea Shasta was a brand outside of California but I’d definitely say in Southern California Shasta is the definitive third brand since all stores stock it and pretty much every convenience store I’ve been to has those distinctive 20 ounce bottles.
RC is rarer but you can find places that stock it like Wal-Mart. Now finding Cherry RC to me was the Holy Grail as it was incredibly rare to find inside California. There’s only one restaurant near me that has RC instead of Coke/Pepsi and everyone around me doesn’t refer to the restaurant by it’s now but rather “That place that has RC”.
They advertised the snot out of it nationwide in the 70’s and 80’s. My parents bought it when I was a kid in the 60’s and 70’s growing up in southeastern Wisconsin. It was real cheap.
Every now and then I see Shasta in the dollar store and Big Lots. And I’m in Milwaukee.
Michigan. I’d have to say Faygo Cola would be the third cola here. I don’t know that I see RC around very much, but we do love our Faygo, even if the Cola isn’t the most popular flavor. (Rock n Rye for me.)
I’ll have a look the next time I’m in the local newsagent but I don’t remember ever seeing Barr’s in London. If Dr Pepper counts as a “cola”, that would be the third one.
When I was growing up we used to get our sodas from a local distributor called “A-Treat” that you would take the big glass bottles back to. Cola, orange soda, cream soda - I loved this stuff as a kid. I’m pretty sure that as an adult I’d find it revolting.
I had to Google this, because I’m in England too, and don’t know Barr’s. Turns out the third most sold brand (WAY behind the top 2) is Tesco’s own brand. No doubt because Tesco’s is the largest supermarket chain.
Haven’t seen RC Cola in years
While the supermarket has a variety of generic or speciality brands, its mostly Coke or Pepsi.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fountain machine other than Coke or Pepsi.
I can remember C&C cola when i was younger, ads went something like “C&C cola see for yourself”
Plenty of non cola brands floating around though.
It won’t let me view that without signing up, which I’m not going to do; but yeah blatantly Tesco own brand is going to be the “3rd cola” D’oh.
I assume “Asda cola”, “Morrisons cola” and “Sainsbury’s cola” will also have Barr beat.
I’m still guessing Barr is going to be the highest non Pepsi/Coke that is not exclusive to a supermarket.
I think a fair amount of store brands are actually made by a few companies that will put whatever label you want on your cola product. Your Safeway cola might the same as your Kroger Cola
I like Faygo very much even though it sounds like a homophobic slur. 
My buddy Danny is originally from Detroit and he told where to get it around here.
Ever since black Bear went out around here I get at least a 12 pack a week of Faygos flavored sodas. Faygo and Jolly Good are the only ones that have a diet purple grape. But faygo is a lot cheaper.
Totally - the stores don’t make anything themselves. That’s why ‘own brand’ is often a good buy - you can get pretty much the same product you can get from a named brand.
My Dad used to make equestrian clothing, and had a very well known quality brand. But he also made the same clothes for several major department stores (eg Harrods), well known sports stores (Decathlon) and fashion brands (eg Gucci), all with their own labels applied.
Overall sales include both store and restaurant sales. If we just look at fountain dispensers at restaurants, the only third I’ve seen in and around DC is Boylan at a few chains (District Taco, Rice Bowl) and a few standalone fast casual kinda places.
I don’t remember that brand. But I’m not exactly a Milwaukee native. I grew up in West Bend and didn’t come down to the metro area until 1982. When was this that you got that soda?
Anyway, I rode my Hog over to that location this morning. The property was obviously unused for years. There were no markings anywhere on the building indicating what type of business had been there. The only windows were block glass making it impossible to see inside. There was an old, unmarked semi-truck trailer parked in the back of the lot.
I suppose we could we could do a property title search and see who owned it over the years. Once again, how long ago was that? And how sure are you that’s the location?
Damn, it’s like having my own private investigator! Thanks so much for taking the time. I’m 80% sure (the other 20% would be if they tore it down and it’s now part of the parking lot further east on State St.). But I’m old, so this would’ve been the late 60’s.
I’ll text my sister and a high school friend (Wauwatosa) to see if they remember anything. I’m sure they’ll all go “Huh?”…
So, private investigator, how much cash do you need to break in and take some pics?
…
eta: This was so cool of you to do. I owe you a Zombie (everything) sundae from Gilles’ Frozen Custard.
When I was in college I used to buy six packs of Shasta from Big Lots for $0.99 each. Someone else earlier in the thread said that Shasta “feels” like a store brand, even though it isn’t, which I agree with. It probably feels that way because the only reason I ever bought it was because it was cheaper.
Like I said earlier, even in Northern California I only ever seem to see Shasta in dollar stores. It’s ironic that it seems to be more common in Southern California, from what people was in this thread, anyway. Or maybe I just don’t go to the right stores. I buy most of my soda at Target. Maybe I’d see it if I went to Safeway or something.
I did find these vintage bottles for sale on eBay, and they are Jo Jo from Milwaukee, WI: