Monday, February 16, 2009

Adventures in refreshment

The oddest things pop up as you're driving. Pop, in this case.

When I was a boy, I had several "favorite" soft drinks. But near the top of the list was something called "Sun Drop." A tart citrus drink, with more flavor to it than 7-up*, (and a caffeine kick, not that a three-year-old would notice that). It's no longer available (that I know of) in West Tennessee (where I lived then), and it's hard to find in Georgia (where I live now), but I grab a bottle whenever I'm in the right truck stops.

Years later, after Sun Drop had disappeared from the stores of my youth, I discovered a substitute. Something called "Mountain Dew."** Sweeter than Sun Drop, but otherwise very like it. Now there were two.***

And just today I've discovered a new addition to the list. It's called "Ski." ("Taste the wake," the can says.) Sweeter than Sun Drop, tarter than Mountain Dew. A worthy addition to the citrus-with-a-kick brigade.

I've never seen it before, so I don't know how widespread it is. I found it in Illinois. Is it available elsewhere? Anybody?
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*The only other citrus drink available at the time. Yes, this was before Sprite. Yes, I'm that old...
**Also in the ancient days, when their ads still made hillbilly jokes.
***Yeah, I know about Mello Yello. I try not to think about it. Tastes like medicine...

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