Puckjam wrote:Same, rare to drink soda anymore but when I do it is a coke.

I'm closing in on a year without drinking even a sip of pop thanks to Covid changing my shopping habits. Formerly I drank about 2 liters a day.

Coke with coffee has arrived. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/coke-w ... ee-release

Sprite is ditching the green bottle =
https://www.fastcompany.com/90602485/wh ... en-bottles

Thanks to Jewel-Osco's Saturday Sampler, I tried Coffee Coke. At first blush, the combo was pretty good. There wasn't much coffee and what was there had sort of a flat, dark, espresso-y flavor. Inoffensive, not much different from regular Coke. Foamy like regular, too. It did have an odd herbal aftertaste, which I assumed was coming from the coffee.

Then I read the nutrition facts and ingredient label. First up, 70 cals for a can. That's about half normal, so I figured they had mixed half no-cal coffee with regular Coke and carbonated to the normal level. Unfortunately, no. It's partly sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame. To me that's the worst of both worlds. It lacks the advantage of being sugar free and it has the aftertaste and wrong mouthfeel of artificial sweetener. It's also obvious why the coffee taste is flat: They use coffee powder, which I assume is another term for instant coffee.

Final thought: I would buy this if it were fully sweetened with sugar (preferably not corn syrup), but only if it were the same price as regular Coke. Or I might mix my own with brewed coffee and recarbonate.

Due to a Jewel Monopoly freebie coupon, I acquired Dr. Dynamite soda. It is clearly a Dr. Pepper knock-off, though one my Dad thought was better than Dr. Pepper.

We do not have any Dr. Pepper at home to make a side-by-side comparison. I felt it was not as fizzy as I normally expect.

It was good enough, I would not avoid it. Faint praise perhaps, but some knock offs just don't come close. Dr. Dynamite was close enough to work.

Regards,
CAthy2

A free 2 liter of Dr. Dynamite? That beats any of the coupons I've got so far. Seems like unopened 2 liters lose their carbonation relatively quickly. If Dr. D isn't a big seller, that may explain why yours was a little flat.

Cathy2 wrote:... I would not avoid it. Faint praise perhaps...

That reminds me of Calvin Trillin's "I wouldn't throw rocks at it ..."

Boozy Mountain Dew is coming in 3 flavors.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/business ... index.html

Coca-Cola is tapping into the canned cocktail craze with a boozy version of its Fresca soda.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/06/business ... 1556035229

Coke's new flavor is out of this world. At least, that's the idea behind Coca-Cola Starlight, a new limited-edition version of the classic soda that comes in regular and zero sugar. After deciding to discontinue half of its portfolio a few years ago, getting rid of outdated but beloved drinks including Tab and Odwalla, the soda giant has been focusing on promoting its core product, Coke. Starlight is the first beverage from Coca-Cola Creations, a new innovation platform.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/business ... index.html

In what the brand is billing as "the first-ever nitrogen-infused cola," Pepsi has announced the forthcoming nationwide launch of Nitro Pepsi — an innovative new soda that will arrive this March in two different canned varieties: Draft Cola and Vanilla Draft Cola.

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/nitro- ... rogen-soda

Finally tried Gingerbread Snap'd Mountain Dew. Seems like a great idea: blend strongly citrusy MD with a bold ginger beer flavor, like Goslings, or a clear but peppery one, like Vernors. Unfortunately, that's not quite what happened. It turns out to be pretty sweet with a somewhat gingery taste in a sugary but not very citrusy base, with some added sort of perfumey notes. I think those are supposed to be cinnamon or vanilla, maybe. Not horrible but certainly not an improvement or even a complement to the original. Much like Major Melon and Voodew Mystery 2021, it's just too sweet without enough tartness or strength of flavor. Still need to try Thrashed Apple just for the experience.

If you want some, Continental Sales has pint bottles, slightly out of date, for 10 cents and 12packs in date for $1.49.

Oh, and Starlight Coke is the Saturday Sampler 3/19/22 at JewelOsco. Could be worth every penny, or maybe it'll be great. Regular or diet available.

Starlight Coke: The regular soda for people who really like diet soda. Taste is fairly similar to regular Coke with a little less cola flavor, more of the unique Coke spicy flavor, and a sort of minty/bitter/chemical flavor slightly like Tab. It seems less sweet, like the light-on-the-syrup Coke served at McDonalds. It's an interesting slightly brownish red color, much darker than Big Red or strawberry soda. Label says vegetable juice coloring. That's likely to be beet juice, and it does look a little like borscht.

Overall, not an improvement over the original. Possibly useful if there's a need for a unique colored highball that's like 3 parts rum and Coke, 1 part gin and tonic.

HI,

Starlight Coke reminded me of Kvass.

I was really tickled by the statement, "Space flavored." Such an wonderfully imaginative ambigious statement, it reminded me how Tang made me feel one with the space program.

I like Coke, I cannot say I really like Starlight, though it just made me want to laugh. Not much to laugh about lately, so I guess that is a good thing.

Regards,
Cathy2

We tried Starlight just last night, and thought it was a perfect rendition of cotton candy in liquid form.

Starlight Coke reminded me of Kvass.

a perfect rendition of cotton candy in liquid form

These descriptions don't sound like the same beverage. Is it possible Starlight contains a flavor that, like cilantro, tastes different to different people?

Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple: Once again, Continental Sales comes through on the obsolete pop. $1.49 with 10% discount for a twelver.
It's pretty good. In fact, this might be my second or third favorite MD flavor, behind Voltage (far and away favorite) and maybe Throwback/Real Sugar. It's a fairly straightforward apple flavor with enough citrus. A considerably better apple soda than the slightly cloying Manzanita Sol. Sort of like drinking a Granny Smith, or a good cider minus the alcohol plus a jolt of caffeine.
And why is there a Kroger-logo K on the drumset on the box?

tjr wrote:It seems less sweet, like the light-on-the-syrup Coke served at McDonalds.

Here's Why the Coke at McDonald's Is So Good

Not every cup of Coke is created equal. If you're a McDonald's customer who can't resist ordering a large Coke with your Big Mac and fries, you may suspect that the soda from the fast food chain is superior to versions found elsewhere. It's not childhood nostalgia warping your taste buds: McDonald's takes steps to ensure their Coke really does taste better than the competitor's.

Coca-Cola is serious about preserving its secret formula, and the drink you get at McDonald's is made from the same ingredients that you'd get in a can from a vending machine. The difference lies in the way McDonald's treats those ingredients right up to the moment they fill your cup.
...

tjr wrote:Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple: Once again, Continental Sales comes through on the obsolete pop. $1.49 with 10% discount for a twelver.
It's pretty good. In fact, this might be my second or third favorite MD flavor, behind Voltage (far and away favorite) and maybe Throwback/Real Sugar. It's a fairly straightforward apple flavor with enough citrus. A considerably better apple soda than the slightly cloying Manzanita Sol. Sort of like drinking a Granny Smith, or a good cider minus the alcohol plus a jolt of caffeine.
And why is there a Kroger-logo K on the drumset on the box?

It’s a Kroger brands exclusive. They’ve done that with a lot of stores and restaurants ( Applebees, BW3, Circle K, KFC, Bojangles)

In something you were about to ask, I hereby annotate the 12-packs of 12-oz. soda bought on Fri., 1 July 2022 @ Food 4 Less, Tony's, and Jewel-Osco.
These will be served once I finish off the four 12-packs remnant from September 2020.

• Sunkist Berry Lemonade
• Sunkist Strawberry Lemonade
• Crush Strawberry^
• Crush Watermelon^
• Schweppes Ginger Ale^
• Dr. Pepper Dark Berry [can depiction yet unknown]
• Dr. Pepper
• Dr. Pepper Cherry
• Big Red
• 7UP Cherry
• 7UP Simple
• Royal Crown Cola
• Coca-Cola Caffeine Free (2)
• Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla (2)
• Coca-Cola Cherry
• Coca-Cola Vanilla
• Fanta Orange
• Minute Maid Lemonade
• Pepsi Wild Cherry
• Pepsi Mango
• Sierra Mist

^ = Just4U Jewel $1.00 off three 12-packs.
There were deviations off my list. I wanted to buy Sunkist Cherry Limeade, which was indicated as in stock at this particular Jewel-Osco, but it was out-of-stock. Conversely, the Dr. Pepper Dark Berry was shown as out-of-stock, but it was actually in stock. Incredibly, the Jewel-Osco had no Crush Orange, which one would expect to have the largest selection; I had to substitute in Crush Watermelon to get the 'buy 3, get $1 off each' Just4U deal. The Fanta Orange was the flavor delegation.
The last 12-pack in was Big Red. The first eliminated 12-pack was Pepsi Caffeine Free.
The breakdown of soda by manufacturer:

• Dr. Pepper / 7-UP = 12
• Coca-Cola = 8
• Pepsi-Cola = 3

One last reminder: These are on-sale through tomorrow the 5th, so go on and stock up.

HI,

I like Dr. Pepper. I like Cherry Coke. I once bought Cherry Dr. Pepper believing I would like it.

It was terrible. Can't quite put my finger on why it was bad, but it was bad.

I am not sure from this experience I would consider buying Dark Berry Dr. Pepper.

When you get to these, please comment on your reaction to these beverages.

Regards,
CAthy2

I was in Patel Brothers in Niles the other day, picking up a cheap lunch (Kathi Rolls For the Win), and snagged a bottle of something that was either called Lemon Ginger or Ginger Lemon, $1.99 for a 12oz plastic bottle.

Not sure if it was carbonated because of the brightness/tingliness of the ginger. It had a definite pronounced fresh ginger flavor you don't get in ginger ale or ginger beer. Sweet but not overly so. Very refreshing (good for spicy foods). I'll be back for that -- maybe it comes in bigger bottles?

Probably great with a splash of Jameson's.

Cathy2 wrote: I like Dr. Pepper. I like Cherry Coke. I once bought Cherry Dr. Pepper believing I would like it.
It was terrible. Can't quite put my finger on why it was bad, but it was bad.
I am not sure from this experience I would consider buying Dark Berry Dr. Pepper.
When you get to these, please comment on your reaction to these beverages.

You know what? I seem to vaguely remember that I did not like the taste of Dr. Pepper Cherry. But I have opted to give it one more chance. It could wind up in the stockpile of the other 12-packs which have been partially depleted {One of which is Canada Dry Bold Ginger Ale. }. It also had in stock Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla. That I definitely did not like, and did not buy it. I also did not buy Vernor's this time.
Earlier in this thread was a response that due to the pandemic, soda packagers were concocting fewer of the brand extensions. I think this definately illustrates that that spell has elapsed.

pudgym29 wrote:that spell has elapsed.

Yup, the 3 Taco Bell/Mountain Dew collabs that came out recently tend to support that view. Thank the gods, MD Voltage is back pretty much everywhere along with MD Real Sugar (was Throwback with cooler packaging, but can't get too picky.)

I had high hopes for the Taco Bell Mango Gem. It was good, but marred by far too much orange flavor hiding the mango. Gold is a slight improvement over Fanta Pineapple with the added benefit of caffeine. Pudgym29, it will be interesting to hear what you think of Pepsi Mango. Sounds like too much of a train wreck to invest in a twelver even on sale.

Cathy, perhaps Cherry Dr. Pepper was too much cherry and related fruits. I remember reading somewhere that Dr. Pepper and Mr. Pibb are flavored mostly with prune juice and black cherries. The web suggests a lot of additional ingredients that are likely but doesn't say anything about proportions.

For your information, here are select photographs of the soda in the beer cellar here at the abode.
This is three reused 12-packs holding the remnant cans of soda which I do not like. The packaging is not what is contained within. This is what will appear on 18 September.
This is the now-remaining two 12-packs bought in September 2020 [$2.99]. They are the next two which will come upstairs.
Here is what was bought on 1 July 2022. There are two columns: One for Coca-Cola & Pepsi-Cola products, and one for Dr. Pepper | 7-Up products. The 12-packs will be consumed in order ~ top-down. The Dr. Pepper Dark Berry & Pepsi Mango are at the top.

Coca-Cola's latest experimental, limited-time flavor is here. It's called ... wait for it ... Dreamworld. And it tastes like ... dreams?

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/business ... 0214320980

Following up here: One of the other 12-packs of soda I bought back then was Pepsi Mango. It was atop the stack of cases, and it has now come upstairs. I was requested to report on how it tastes.
This tastes nice. It contains 1% clarified mango juice concentrate. It is the third ingredient behind carbonated water and high fructose corn syrup. {I believe Sierra Mist no longer contains any juice.} Probably because of this, the total sugars are 41g of added sugars, constituting 81% of the 15% of total carbohydrate. Caffeine is 34mg | 12-oz. can. The 'best before' date on it is 10 October 2022. I would buy this again.
The Dr. Pepper Dark Berry concoction was a seasonal release (boosted by a movie) which probably will not be again packaged. I can surmise Pepsi will re-release this mango flavored soda. Whether it becomes as regular as Pepsi Vanilla is speculation.
I also direct your attention that this was available at supermarkets and other regular consumer outlets. I have been on CTA "L" cars whose interior is wrapped in adverts for Coca-Cola Starlight, but I have never seen a package of it where I shop. I guess it is only available at convenience stores and select vending machines. It is not on Coca-Cola 'Freestyle' dispensers [e.g.: Wendy's].
Not-quite-P.S.: As of 1:46 pm, the weekly flyer has not yet arrived here at the abode.

I really like Cola, but one year ago I decided to stop drinking it. Too much harm to health. I decided to replace it with homemade lemonade. Sharing this super easy recipe:

You will need 3-4 lemons, sugar, and water.
Combine 1 cup each of sugar and water and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Set the syrup aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
Combine the cooled syrup and freshly-squeezed lemon juice in a pitcher.
Add the remaining water and stir, then pour over ice (you can use an ice maker) and enjoy!

I learned something important today: I never need to buy Coca-Cola with Coffee ever again. I grabbed a can out of the coolers by the register on Saturday as it was the weekly freebie at Jewel -- unintentionally getting the Zero Sugar Vanilla variety. Vanilla Coke is fine, Vanilla bottled Frappucino is fine... this is awful. Didn't really taste of Coke or Coffee, more like a rancid butterscotch. Took a gulp, said, "Nope." Tried another sip, "Still nope." Even the jeera (cumin) soda from the Indian grocer got a longer performance before it got the gong.

Yes! To me, the idea of mixing cola and coffee seemed sorta ok. But that's not what Coke Coffee is. Even the caloric varieties contain some artificial sweetener. The flavor doesn't seem like real coffee, either.