Old Soda is weird and awesome | How to Drink

[@howtodrink]

Are you with me on this journey into soft drinks and sodas?! And don't worry, this doesn't mean quitting cocktails, still doing that. Patreon: bit.ly/H2DPatreon You can get most of these colas here: amzn.to/3YPblba Midnight Local: ‪@MidnightLocal‬ Twitch: bit.ly/2VsOi3d H2D2: bit.ly/YTH2D2 twitter: bit.ly/H2DTwit instagram: bit.ly/H2dIG Blog: bit.ly/H2DBlog Gear: amzn.to/2LeQCbW Can I make zero ABV cocktails you'll want to drink: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKnKfIKhepJ8b5Ysi=vXP_7B_1geOK4DF_ Is non alcoholic booze good? kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGPaoqSPltODetUsi=FKazIDP1CYRsT-Js Would you drink hot coca-cola? kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZC8nouvqZ53aLMsi=a2otCEIWq2ZEYhHD

[@BrentZeimen]

I am absolutely interested in more soft drink content. Especially homemade ones. I'm sure you're aware, but there is an immense variety of root beers out there. I worked at an old fashioned candy store for a while and we carried a wide variety. My favorites were Margo's Bark and Sea Dog

[@jeffstaples347]

I always loved how the term Moxie came from the soda. One of my friends almost favorite sodas actually.

[@stephsaguudefan1753]

This has an easy follow up episode where you take the three of these you think would mix best in a cocktail and see which one comes out on top

[@kevinwillems8720]

One hundred and fifty seven percent Greg.

[@remedyhawke]

Yes. Except that if you call it a Cola, you should include cola in there somewhere, or it's a lie. Kind of like calling candy licorice that has zero actual licorice in it. Or "white wheat" bread. Or "ultra condensed" laundry detergent. Or white "chocolate", which was originally called almond bark. Sorry, but you started this.

[@lexinwonderland5741]

Man, a collab between you and Max Miller (Tasting History) would be a DELIGHT!! I feel like you guys would have a blast nerding out about historical drinks and recipes. And your fans would of course be thrilled!

[@j.m9136]

I would absolutely adore that crossover

[@TheDexCrafter]

Big plus!!!

[@amber_kitty8782]

Totally agreeing with this!

[@nephicus339]

And B Dylan Hollis!

[@Local_Phantasm]

i'd bloody love this

[@colinmartin9797]

Greg is turning into the world's weirdest sommelier. If you want to make a black pepper extract, be aware that many of the flavor compounds in are more soluble in alcohol than water or oil (they're mildly polar) so a vodka or everclear solution would work best to get a "complete" flavor (i'm a biochemist)

[@Finwolven]

Estonians make a black pepper vodka 'extract', it's available commercially. I find it tasty, but not everyone agrees...

[@TehAdrenalinePickle]

I'm disappointed in the lack of Moxie in this video. You won't be able to escape my favorite cough-syrup flavored soda forever Greg!

[@jacobwisner7821]

Smells like bubblegum, tastes like necco wafer... but somehow in a good way? Works well with gin, bourbon, and some dark rums

[@stormtrooperjeepjk]

Moxie isn't a "coke" like product though, it would be in a flavored episode

[@ironageamplification1791]

I'm from Maine and I agree with this.

[@loggers5246]

Sad I can’t get moxie in my state. It’s awful and I love it.

[@TehAdrenalinePickle]

@@stormtrooperjeepjk I'd call it "cola-adjacent" at the very least.

[@lb55500]

12:50 While one could argue Dr Pepper is a spiced cola, back in 1963 they successfully argued in court that they were not a cola because they contain no kola nut extract. Which allowed them to continue to sell to and work with companies that had signed deals with Pepsi and Coca-Cola without actually competing with them.

[@kendalwilkinson9196]

Yea it's classified as a "pepper drink"

[@Smokinjoewhite]

Meanwhile Coke hasn't used Kola Nut for over 90 years. They should probably not call themselves a cola...

[@darklordofsword]

I belive that in conventional use they're considered *a kind* of cola, but sort of a different strain than coke/pepsi.

[@davidam9454]

But in most areas they have been distributed by one of the big two soda companies. Which actually led to the introduction of Mr. Pibb in the areas where Pepsi was the distributor

[@darklordofsword]

@@davidam9454 I thought Pibb was a Coca-Cola product? I distinctly remember only ever seeing it in places that carried coke products in the soda fountains. Just looked it up; yes, Pibb is a Coke product.

[@DandyCabbage]

9:30 The EXACT same thing happened one time when a family friend came to dinner. Took one bite, grimaced and barely squeezed out “That’s good cheese cake.” trying to be polite. After we told him it’s actually Key Lime pie, his taste buds totally flipped and said it was one of the best he’s had

[@TwoToneSoldier]

I'm convinced on both accounts it is the sour. Our bodies if it isn't EXPECTING sour it will tell our minds ABORT ABORT. Then you know its key lime you are gonna get a bit of a sour note it adjusts and knows it isn't a sour that will kill us

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

In my family we have an expression for this phenomenon where something tastes disgusting when you expect something else: "fyttirakkern-pudding". The expression "fyttirakkern" is a somewhat old Norwegian expression of dismay with about the same severity as "bloody hell" but usually indicating a disgusting taste or feeling. It comes from one time my dads father was served almond pudding but thought it was caramel pudding (which both areoff white puddings that look almost identical but taste very differently, and homemade almond pudding has small grains of grated almonds while caramel pudding is completely smooth), and even though he liked. both kinds of pudding, the wrong expectation made him spit it out in disgust and exclaim "fyttirakkern hva er dette for noe!?" ("yuck/bloody hell what is this!?")

[@tzor]

A good example of "vision" and "expectation" happened in a failed experiment of the early 90's, otherwise known as "Crystal Pepsi." Looks like water; tastes like Pepsi. It also reminds me of my own old joke, where I try to sound like a wine snob: "Dark soft drinks for dark meats, light soft drinks for light meats, and Dr. Pepper for pepperoni."

[@elphive42]

I actually really liked Crystal Pepsi when they brought it back. I don’t know if they changed the flavor profile, or if it was just psychosomatic due to the clear color, but it presented more citrusy in a way that was quite tasty.

[@IloveHamberger]

I loved crytal pepsi

[@z-beeblebrox]

@@elphive42 Did a blindfold test when they reintroduced it, and it indeed was distinctly more citrusy

[@vectorwolf]

Crystal Pepsi is also gently lime flavored. I LOVED it, and hoarded it during its Stranger Things return, but sadly my pleading with PepsiCo did not result in its permanent return. Sad day.

[@jimmytwe1006]

Don't know what happened recently but so glad your videos are being recommended again

[@brandonp7503]

He consciously stopped using the word "jigger," because the KZbin AI thought he was saying a word that rhymes with "jigger" and shadow banning him. He mentioned it several days ago in the Malort video.

[@jimmytwe1006]

@brandonp7503 ooooooooooh I saw the malort video and didn't even put two and two together

[@sweetreamer5101]

@@brandonp7503 People celebrate shadowbanning until it hits something they care about.

[@dominicciarrocchi8124]

re: perception and taste. I once grabbed a bottle Wawa raspberry tea which was sitting next to my bottle of chocolate milk, and my brain IMMEDIATELY screamed "ABORT! THE MILK HAS GONE BAD! ABORT!". Then I realized what I had sipped and everything was fine again. Wild.

[@joenelson]

The Dublin bottling company had the central Texas distribution license. They chose to use cane sugar, not corn syrup and sell it as a separate product, known as Dublin Dr Pepper. They started selling online, outside their distribution agreement so they lost the license. Started producing their own drinks and do pretty well.

[@silasbryan3122]

WACO was the origin town for regular DP. Dublin lost their license when Snapple bought DP.

[@sweaterweatherlady]

​@@silasbryan3122 Kurieg bought out DP. They're the guys behind Snapple!

[@darkscapple]

GREG! okay maybe you've already seen them because you opened with how interested in soft drinks you are, but NileRed has videos of chemically synthesizing the flavor compounds for cherry and grape soda from paint thinner and vinyl gloves, respectively. So yeah if those weren't on your radar you might have fun checking them out.

[@howtodrink]

Ok so, THAT kind of work sounds way WAY beyond my capabilities at present, but I'll keep it in mind!

[@JonManProductions]

@@howtodrink ...This is a potentially galaxy-breaking crossover if you two work together on a video.

[@ChaoticEnigma-]

​@@howtodrink even if you don't make the chemicals yourself, just using pure chemical extracts (benzeldahyde, citric acid, methyl anthranilate, cinnameldayde, vanillin, etc) to make soda/drinks could be fun.

[@Tinil0]

I really hope you aren't suggesting Greg should actually try to replicate any of those because that would be idiotic.

[@darkscapple]

@@howtodrink nah i just thought you would like the video lol

[@HisVirusness]

In Chicago, RC is found in almost every single mom-and-pop pizza place, sometimes exclusively. It's the pop you get when it's pizza night.

[@Puddingskin01]

On the west coast it's just the best combination. You gotta judge your cheap pizza on the soda fountains.

[@kevinwillems8720]

Of you've not tried it, peach jim beam and rc. Perfect.

[@cptrevenant4088]

Love me a cold RC with a hit of limoncello with some cheap ass mom and pop pizza after work. That just hits like nothing else

[@AnnaWillo]

I grew up drinking RC and I still love it

[@Strangwood]

I moved to the Chicago area from England, 20 years ago. I’d never heard of RC Cola but from my first sip, I was fiercely loyal. I was sad to hear a somewhat negative review here. It’s a middle America, working man’s cola. No hints of elderflower or juniper root so not for your liberal, costal elites!

[@timklink5191]

So as to Colas always being dark: Kola Roman (Colombia, bright red, one of the oldest sodas in the world) and Inca Kola (Peru, radioactive piss yellow) would be two widely available Colas that arn't dark. Although not sure if they would meet the criterias you have for Cola, but as they themselves consider their drinks Cola I thought I'll throw it out there. Maybe also just as I wanted to see if you'd hate them as much as me 😅

[@franciscopozole]

Inca Cola tastes like Bubblegum and Irn Bru. Weird stuff.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

I love Inca Kola, but it doesn’t really taste like a cola. It tastes exactly like Double Bubble bubble gum.

[@thejay8963]

​@@franciscopozole All the better.

[@dinviesel4649]

A pilgrimage up to Hosmer Mountain in CT seems in order, one of the oldest bottling companies in the country founded in 1912,. their Root Beer and Birch Beer are legendary statewide. If your looking for a flavor like a cola, but less sweet like you were talking about the sarsaparilla would hit the nail on the head.

[@JJAlexanderDPW]

Cola Red!

[@AirJimInCT]

I used to take flight lessons not far from them and would go there for a case of soda after flying. Good times.

[@Phished123]

Fun fact! up until recently the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team's official in arena soda was RC Cola. They are distributed by the Dr Pepper/Keurig company.

[@alfazagato1455]

I've usually seen it Dr. Pepper/7up. Was there some business moves recently?

[@Phished123]

@@alfazagato1455 yeah I think Keurig got involved in like 2018?

[@alfazagato1455]

@@Phished123 "recently." Shows how little I pay attention.

[@dion8895]

It's awesome that you were able to pick out the citrus, cinnamon, and vanilla so quickly. Those three flavors are what they started blending together to imitate the flavor of the actual cola plant that they used to use to make cola after it became too rare and expensive. You've got stellar taste buds there!

[@ethanbenfield2285]

RC is huge (or at least was at one point) in the Carolinas and Tennessee. They are often paired with the snack cake "moon pies", the pairing is often called "the working mans lunch"

[@DEC3TheWokeProject]

Working man's breakfast. Before I hit the site I always get an RC and Moonpie. (Augusta GA native.)

[@chetmanley1885]

Moon pie. What a time to be alive.

[@Swagmaster65]

My local thrift store sells a "Birch Beer" soda. I want you to imagine a chilled Spearmint soda with no coloring whatsoever. Spun me good before i realized what I was tasting. I'd argue if a Cola has cola nuts in it, then Dr pepper is the most cola as a result.

[@AirJimInCT]

I get more wintergreen from birch beers. Used to cut bits of birch wood off and suck on them. Tastes great.

[@dedmanzombie]

Birch beer is super good it's like if root beer was better

[@AutumnIsNigh]

Fun fact: The guy who made the original recipe for Dr. Pepper explicitly stated it did not have prunes in it If it's main imitator, Mr. Pibb/Pibb Xtra spicy cherry soda, is anything to go by it's probably cherry , which like plums is also a stone fruit

[@taejaskudva2543]

In college, mid 90s, my best friend and I had a thing where we'd get a bag of salted peanuts or Beer Nuts brand peanuts and dump them into a bottle of specifically RC Cola - drink and eat. Not sure where we got it from, but we loved the heck out of it, both taste and as a ritual. I'm honestly not sure and can't remember why we started, but I want to say it was a story we heard about his dad or grandpa who were both veterans? But I've never met anyone since then who's heard of it.

[@STSSD-3161B]

that's called farmers coke keep's the muddy hands off the peanuts.

[@taejaskudva2543]

@@STSSD-3161B Cool! Ty.

[@roringusanda2837]

It started with the boiled peanuts that used to be more popular, softer and salty, but they're sold almost nowhere now. So it just transferred over to the regular dry or roasted peanuts. But if you ever get the chance, you should try that!

[@Duganator]

This was definitely a cool episode. Do you think you might try a similar episode with other old school sodas, such as root beers, sarsparillas, birch beers, lemon lime sodas, etc? Or perhaps using some international sodas, such as Mexican or Italian style sodas?

[@FixtheGodofBiscuits]

This. Maybe a spinoff about regional favorites, like Cheerwine or Crater Lake?.

[@lexinwonderland5741]

@@Duganator he did a ginger beer episode that was great EXCEPT the sponsor, which Greg quickly dropped when he found out from the comments. Sadly it nuked that video in the algorithm.... Still worth watching! I agree with you, I'd love more?

[@kibert135]

It is very funny that the Green brothers talk a lot about being confused with each other and you call out Hank Green for a Dr. Pepper lover when you probably meant John Green, who has a blind tasting video on vlogbrothers where he talks about loving Dr. Pepper ^^

[@ciaranheikeclark]

yes, wanted to comment this, but i'd not have put it so well as you :)

[@howtodrink]

I absolutely meant John

[@ethanrueckheim]

A pepper soda collab episode with John Green is the next logical step in the series!

[@ciaranheikeclark]

yes yes yes, this would be great, dr. pepper cocktails with John Green (or even Hank Green for extra deep cut irony)

[@jman5675]

Dr. Pepper is delicious, fight me

[@davidfurr6004]

RC cola is popular in the deep South. An RC and a Moon pie was practically a ploughman's lunch when I worked construction.

[@howtodrink]

My grandma was from St. Louis

[@slindish]

Your story about the cheesecake/key lime pie reminded me about a time when I was a kid at a friends house. It was me, my friend, and his younger sister and we were being looked after by their aunt. She had the idea to do a blindfolded taste test (probably as something to do, we were EXTREMELY... spirited children). So we were about three quarters of the way through tasting things, when we got to some hard boiled egg. I was chowing down as it was a favourite snack of mine, when my friends sister took off her blindfold and looked and shouted "It's not egg, it's cream cheese!" I think my reaction was basically instant, and that reaction was to start projectile vomiting EVERYWHERE. Their poor aunt. It took me years to even try cream cheese again (it's absolutely delicious) and I have no idea how I ever thought it was hard boiled egg.

[@Segafishy]

I will look out for 1891, it's ironic in a way as there was actually a court case where Dr Pepper was declared not a Cola but a Pepper drink, not so sure on Root Beer or Saspirilla being mixed with Cream Soda to get the flavour (although its possible components are in there) as you really notice the Cream soda component in the cream variants of Dr Pepper and they'd otherwise blend in if it was cream soda forward.

[@Apsburner9717]

I can’t believe you put cocaine in your 1906 Coca-cola to be accurate. Great video!!😁

[@justinadams3892]

Just like how drinking can make the episode fall apart towards the tail end, getting a little zooted can make it all come together from the start.

[@Lu-db1uf]

Wrong video lol

[@valritz1489]

The other Greg at Lofty Pursuits has an interesting video about the lime sour that seems to lie tangent to this. In particular he brings up why phosphoric acid is in so many of these things (acid/tart stimulates saliva production and feels more refreshing), and the "phosphate" soft drink genre.

[@koryjohnson5933]

Was surprised not to see Moxie cola in this selection ,but really cool love trying all kinds of sodas

[@howtodrink]

In my mind moxie isn’t cola… it’s moxie. I’m planning to do an episode on all the real weird stuff like Moxie and Cel-Ray at some point in the near future

[@koryjohnson5933]

@@howtodrink oh that be cool one with cel-ray. You gotta also add iron beer! Love that stuff

[@AnAardvark]

Peppercorn extract is wonderful. It has a spicy and floral taste.

[@seijuruhiko]

This video reminded me of my old love, the Pepsi 1893 line of drinks pepsi put out 5 or 6 years ago. I am a coke die hard but man did I love these pepsi drinks. The ginger one particularly mixed very well.

[@RAnthis]

I miss the Pepsi with bitters. I adored that. Thanks for bringing that up!

[@SignumImperativ]

Fun Fact: Cola was also quite popular in the former East German Republic during the Cold War. Since they obviously couldn't get Coca-Cola they developed their own variants. Some of them, like Club-Cola or Vita-Cola are still produced today. In fact in Thuringia sales of Vita Cola even surpasses those of Coca Cola or Pepsi.

[@cubee4108]

Didn't know that! Might try one day.

[@abbeyhudec9566]

The Czech/Slovak variety, Kofola, is still served everywhere in the two countries.

[@pixeljacked8047]

And there's also cockta, which is also still sold that comes from the same source

[@ericazimmerman4110]

Isn't that where Fanta came from?

[@JonathanBerry-nk4fz]

I love soda in general and every time I walk into my local Cracker Barrel I instantly go over to the shelf of old sodas and just cry at the beauty

[@Nozferatu46]

My house is an RC house. Definitely my favorite mass market cola. Fancy cola... I occasionally get a 6 pack of Sprecher's Puma Cola.

[@joshuarosen359]

Puma Kola is slept on, hands down best craft cola. RC underrated too. W take, well done

[@brandonp7503]

I didn't realize Sprecher made a cola 😮

[@RednekGamurz]

Puma Cola's pretty good. I wish Sprecher's was more wide spread in the US, cause it's mainly just a midwest brand.

[@TXMNZero]

Dublin was one of the first distributors of Dr Pepper when the cola was first bottled. They were only allowed to sell Dr Pepper in a six county area, and they refused to switch to corn syrup. To get it, you had to bootleg it out of Erath County (although the local PD didn't care if you did or didn't). Dr Pepper claimed that they started selling outside of their area, but it was really because Dr Pepper wanted all of the sales that they were splitting with Dublin, so they dropped them. The Documentary "Bottled Up" is a good reference. They still bottle in Dublin, TX, and they are miles better than Dr Pepper.

[@woodrobin]

The "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" song seems like it's from the 1960s, but it's really from 1971. The lag between social movement and commodification of said social movement is about that long generally. Sometimes longer -- how long it took Snoop Dogg to be the NBC's flagship spokesperson for the Olympics is a particular outlier.

[@GordonFreeman445]

So excited for Greg to start looking into soft drinks more! I've always loved mixology, and I have been a huge fan of this channel for years, but I do not really drink much alcohol, so it's so cool to see him taking a look at other alternatives!

[@MrBenfranz]

Lawd, I LOVE Royal Crown. RC Cola is popular in Indiana; or at least it was when I was a boy in the 80's.

[@jacktingey7886]

No trip to Cracker Barrel is complete without picking up some Moxie and any other craft brand I can find.

[@justmutantjed]

I remember being head-over-heels for Pepsi 1893, which had kola nut extract, malt of all things, and claimed to have "aromatic bitters" in it. It didn't last long on store shelves (at least not here) but it was good while I could get it.

[@kwabrams]

I’m always impressed by Greg’s ability to put names to what he is tasting. I’ve tried to do it, but can never quite identify flavor notes.

[@scottishcomedian1769]

Put some salted peanuts into the RC next time, it's a southern classic

[@dylanmcgregor6496]

RC was known as Royal Cthulhu in our group and was our preferred mixer for coke-related drinks. Great episode, your Nuka Cola and Soda Jerk episodes are 2 of my favorites.

[@misterhyde2817]

You’re heard of black cherry soda I prefer black cherry sodas over cola anyday

[@stephensteele3553]

I dated a girl back in college that graduated and became a analyst. She said there were several products/companies that are signals that logistics are breaking down. Logistics doesn't just break down, it's usually a process of problems building up. She didn't say much but than that. My take away was that since logistics is such a vital part of keeping people fed, that once things like coke start to break down, more important things are quick to follow. Once this things go, you're probably on the verge of societal break down.

[@tee_nanners]

You get hundreds of comments every video, hopefully you can read this. Your Dune Spiced Soda/Coffee video from a few years ago set me up to start making my own soda, and I still do to this day. I've actually been sober since the pandemic but I still watch your videos because I just find you super entertaining. But whenever you talk about soft drinks, I do get really excited, because it's something I can join in on haha

[@robdoyle2223]

I like to add a couple dashes of angostura bitters to coca-cola; it’s brings out that Christmas-y spice even more. It’s delicious.

[@debranelson1987]

I was recently just thinking this same thing before I saw your comment. Good idea!

[@SeanIsAnxious]

“Santa would like to know your location” made me laugh more than it should have

[@patriciaaturner289]

24:13 If 1891 and Dr Pepper were both originally from Waco, their formulas could very easily overlap or be derivative of each other.

[@chrisdaasian]

This man will literally put coke into his coke for that historical accuracy!

[@howtodrink]

I *did* buy the chemicals to mix up synthetic cocaine flavor recently, but the reality is- those flavors are in fact already in your coca cola

[@bassdasdwadsasdasw]

@@howtodrinkHow does the synthetic cocaine hold up to the real stuff?

[@wafflesthewookiee4716]

More Soda episodes please! This was a treat

[@shutterbug8860]

Oh that visuals affecting flavour thing is so real. When I was a kid my Dad poured me a sarsaparilla and it tasted so bad! I asked him what was wrong with it, turns out he actually gave me lime flavoured soft drink. It was in a dark cup so the colour didn't look right. Enjoyed it afterwards.

[@samfisher6606]

One of my favorite soda companies is Boylan's. Their Cane Cola isn't my favorite but I love their Root Beer and Cream Soda. Would love to see you do a taste test.

[@Ramonatho]

I remember picking those up on sale at Big Lots of all places.

[@TheEyesofSyn]

I really liked this episode quite a bit! The thing that stood out to me was your tasting notes on RC Cola- I'm a huge fan of RC, I can get it for far cheaper here than Coca Cola or Pepsi, but I entirely agree, compared to Coke it's more one note, but I think that's what I like about it. I mostly get clove and cinnamon at the front and center of it, just gently there. Coke has an aftertaste that can be lovely but also isn't always what I want. I think it would be really interesting to see you taste test weird and regional soft drinks, Sprecher, Maine Root, Olipop, Cheerwine, Clearly Canadian, Green River, Irn Bru, Sioux City, O-So, Boylan, Hubert's Lemonade, Green Cola, etc. Just for the hell of it.

[@johnoneil9188]

We got a local German brand of cola called Fritz Cola. They pride themselves on being the cola with the most caffeine in it. You can actively taste the caffeine, never tasted it that strongly before. And I actually kinda hate it.

[@daddsfasdasd]

My favorite cola of all time is Boylan bottling co's grape soda. So good

[@MrAdomus]

In New Zealand we don't have "Official" RC cola, we have Royal Crown Draft Cola which as far as I know is the "International" version because reasons and I think the recipe is different but I know that the Draft Cola version we have uses cane sugar so has a strong caramel flavour

[@LLyzabeth]

"It tastes like the smell of new plastic, but not in a way you don't like." I remember going on a wine tasting with a friend who encouraged me to go with whatever tasting note I noticed because nothing was wrong. We got to a particular red and I said "....like Off bug spray, but not in a bad way?" All the notes are good notes right?

[@nvalidwerdz1078]

Instead of increasingly drunk Greg we got increasingly caffeinated Greg.

[@evilsqirrel]

I've been loving the soda content recently. Soft drinks have always been very cool to me, and I've even made my own journey with flavor making, thanks to you and Darcy. Cool to see tasting notes of the older colas 😁

[@wasd____]

"Make mine a Spiffy!" Somehow, that phrase manages to sound old-fashionedy and dirty at the same time.

[@Twisted_Logic]

I went to college right near Dublin Bottling Company (my roommate at the time grew up in Dublin) and it has a special place in my heart. Always cool to see it appear out in the wild!

[@jacobwisner7821]

No Moxie? Moxie works really well in rum and bourbon cocktails. It's also older than dirt!

[@ChickenxBoneless]

The Obsessives - Soda Pop video is one of my favorites. It began my love of cucumber soda, a hard flavor for me to find until the past 5-6 years. The history of soda is pretty cool as well!

[@DEC3TheWokeProject]

RC Cola and a moonpie is the working man's breakfast. It's deep south classis. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina.

[@TheDoctor423]

I actually did an experiment on how perception affects food's taste when I was a child. Helped my mom make normal hamburgers... and then applied food dye to make another set of them look rotten... and it fooled everyone including my mother who helped make them.

[@RudeKeyser]

Love that red, black and white design of Nichol Cola, with that real clean design reminiscent of the 1930's.

[@michaelfourie]

this is something i got into in the last few months as well. almost every time i go shopping at the grocery store i go down the soda/pop isle down to were they have all the smaller brands (often ones that have been around in some form for ages and never got main stream/ really big, or are only big in certain areas) in single glass bottles and get one or two. it is especially fun to get ones from different brands that are supposed to be the same flavour (rootbeer being the most common) and seeing how they compare.

[@jnsmith111]

4:06- RC is popular in Chicago. If you go to Lucky Sandwich Company in Wrigleyville for example, they have RC products on tap.

[@MobiusChickenStrip]

Former soda jerk here (used to work at a soda fountain). Greg, I'd love to see you do an episode of making cocktails (alcoholic ones) out of traditional old soda fountain recipes. Egg creams, phosphates, etc. The method for making the foam head on an egg cream is something that could easily be adapted to the cocktail world.

[@darthbek]

I don't have a super refined palette, but Coca-Cola hits different, and for whatever reason, artificial sweeteners disappoint me far more in Coke Zero, than regular coke. Coca-Cola is such a specific experience for me. Dr, Pepper is the same.

[@donovanchilton5817]

Mexican coke. Real cane sugar.

[@darthbek]

@@donovanchilton5817 It's amazing and my favorite.

[@lexinwonderland5741]

I love the soft drink content!! I think it complements the alcoholic cocktail content nicely, especially since you do the history AND the chemistry justice in both topics. Keep up the great stuff, Greg!!

[@gintarazimu642]

5:59 - Oh no Coke also definitely had some squads out there

[@jehoda9897]

The cola wars between Coke and Pepsi is crazy. Both went more or less full united fruit company. Cokewith deathsquads etc. and Pepsi did things like false flag Molotov cocktail attacks on their own shipments to make protestors look bad. Both still more or less own entire towns

[@deltagc545]

Hey Greg, you should do more episodes on different sodas from across the country. There are so many vintage and state sodas. Like Moxie, Jones, Sherry Temple, and others.

[@EchoByrnes]

4:03 The Appalachians, for sure. Btw, if you're diving into soft drinks, look into ones from the southern Appalachians, theres a surprising amount around here. Pepsi was invented in New Bern, North Carolina; and Mountain Dew in Johnson City, Tennessee

[@evildude109]

Don't forget the best soda, Cheerwine from Salisbury, NC!

[@patrickmuhwheeney6518]

As I get older my taste-buds seem to be dying a slow death, so your ability to identify tastes so specifically amazes me. If I have a cold Coka-Cola I think "mmmmmmmm" and that's essentially the end of it...

[@DissertatingMedieval]

The Dublin bottler had a deal where they were allowed to bottle Dr. Pepper to the original recipe, but they started to get traction outslde of their distribution network and Dr. Pepper wanted to make their throwback versions so they had to stop. I went to grad school in College Station, Texas, and for most of the time I was there you could actually get Dublin Dr. Pepper as a fountain drink in a convenience store next to Highway 6. I wonder if that 1891 edition is the same formula with the serial number filed off. Dublin Dr. Pepper tasted like Dr. Pepper, but it did have more of a cherry note, at least to my palate. I won't be back in Texas until next April, but I will have to check that out.

[@richardcantrell1100]

I love this stuff, man! Recently, I've had to give up alcohol due to a heart condition. So I appreciate the nonalcoholic content more now.

[@MattWinkler1]

A Dr Pepper tasting would be fun too - I did a blind tasting with some friends and the universal verdict was that the cup with the authentic Dr Pepper was... Pibb Extra.

[@redmanish]

I will die on the hill of Mr. Pibb supremacy.

[@alticia]

the thing i like about coca cola is that at face value, without really trying to think about it too hard, it's just a bottle of sweet bubbly nostalgia that anyone and everyone has some sort of memories of, but once you actually try to digest the flavour combination, it's this weird and layered thing that most still don't even know how to properly describe or categorize

[@TocsTheWanderer]

I don't really have any memories of it, as I've never liked it. The flavor is alright, but drinking it, it seemed like I could feel it dissolving my teeth. Same with Pepsi and every other cola I've ever had. Something about them just feels uncomfortable in my mouth in a way that other sodas don't.

[@sharpstevengg]

Great video! I love exotic sodas so this video was right up my alley!

[@guyman91]

RC cola is one of my favorite colas to exist, they're so good

[@somedudesstuff801]

The Cleveland show bit where they have to go to Kentucky to get rc cola. That's a real thing. It's the only place I've seen in the country that actively advertises it on signs.

[@ItsDaJax]

Couldn't tell you the last time I seen any here.

[@somedudesstuff801]

@@ItsDaJax I was in the state for a summer a while back, after the episode aired for sure. The project involved seeing literally the entire state. Obviously that would mean more small towns than cities. My part of the project was mostly in the east part of the state but I did visit most everywhere. I remember the signs on stores advertising it everywhere but it could be more regional than I remember.

[@ItsDaJax]

@@somedudesstuff801 Yeah, I don't really look for it, but I don't really see it in Louisville. I do remember seeing the 20oz bottles up until a point, and the packs of cans in Krogers, which MIGHT have been replaced with Big K. With my memory, it could've been Winn-Dixie that sold it.

[@RadRiley]

A Dr. Pepper video would be well warranted. There's an old ad talking about how it's not a cola, but a "blend of deep fruit flavors." Could just be them trying to make it stick out for marketing, but, the taste is certainly different from most colas. I've never cared for cola beverages, but Dr. Pepper's delicious. AND the high fructose corn syrup version's better, IMHO; cane sugar Dr. Pepper's Too sweet, and cuts through all the fruity citrus. Thrilled to see more soft drink content from you! This was such a splendid deep dive into all the different nuances of cola flavor, and your Nuka Cola video was delightful!

[@claframboise]

Someone needs to tell John Green about the Dublin 1891 22:30

[@KoruChaos]

I'm familiar with Nichol Kola from a metal poster in a 1940s-themed café I love going to. The Nichol Kola mascot is really neat, he's on the poster

[@Warlocke000]

Make Mine Moxie! RC, for whatever reason, gives me a headache (a bad one), guaranteed. One sip is pretty much enough to do it, too. I doubt I'll ever need a cola badly enough to drink one, ever again.

[@Chickeneater5000]

love how the perk bottles on display are not the og four. What a man

[@verdatum]

I wish I could try unsweetened versions of nearly every soda. I like unsweetened ice tea, I bet lots of other things would be good unsweetened.

[@howtodrink]

I think it would be a very interesting experiment, but I also think they would wind up tasting like almost nothing. Flavor is a combination of Aroma & Taste, and taste really actually does boil down to the things you learned about taste buds in grade school: Sweet, acid, bitter, salt, and Umami (maybe.), and without those carrier tastes for aromas to ride on top of, aromas are just smells. That's why you need to add salt (or acid) to food in order for it to taste like much of anything usually.

[@verdatum]

@@howtodrink Counterpoint: La Croix seltzers.

[@kkr227]

​@@verdatum i mean, la croix doesn't really have a strong taste though? even the company website describes la croix as having "hints of flavor"...the whole point is that it doesn't have nearly as much flavor as traditional sodas or even most flavored waters because it's supposed to be completely sugar free, that's just the downside of most unsweetened drinks

[@Furluge]

@@verdatum La Croix tastes like fetid bog water, why would you ever drink it? I bought some and hated it, and I could not even give it away at work.

[@verdatum]

@@Furluge You are more than welcome to your opinion. But it does sell extremely well, and it basically sparked a nearly four billion dollar market; not even including the even larger hard-seltzer market. Based on that, I'd say that there's some interest in flavored unsweetened soft-drinks, even if you're not a fan.

[@michaelgrant6332]

This series looks like fun. Can't wait to see rootbeers and especially Brownies.

[@daleharden1749]

Can't wait for Wendigoon's next video on Coca-Cola death squads.

[@Jesperschill666]

Since you're talking about Coca-Cola and Christmas, you should try swedish "Julmust"! Sweden is the only (I've heard) market where Coca-Cola isn't the biggest drink during Christmas season due to Julmust. Many foreigners are surprised that it is non alcoholic! 😃

[@snorpenbass4196]

13:40 This is where the caffeine really kicked in... 🤣 A future retread of this episode could be colas from all over the world. I'm a huge fan of the Swedish Cuba Cola, which dates back to the 1950's (...pre-revolution, hence the name), but the caffeine meddles with my ADHD brain and makes me overtired.

[@Werewolf_Korra]

I'd like to see a sequel where you try diet sodas. I was always a Diet Pepsi drinker, but my mom swears by Diet Coke. Then you have the reigning champs of diet soda: Dr. Pepper, Canada Dry, and Mountain Dew, because a lack of sugar only heightens the citric acid, ginger, and "23 flavors" in them.

[@Prof_Dex]

Rc is the best Soda in existence.

[@autobotjazz1972]

Every time i hear Coca-Cola I can't help but think of the New Coke Debacle of 1985. Mind i realize that doesn't fully fit the topic but it is amazing that Coke screwed up so badly and yet was still able to come back from it.

[@RollMeAFat1]

23:50 oops I think you meant John Green

[@jonathanyun7817]

I'm screaming JOHNNNNN from my seat lolll

[@Boots_McScoots]

Leave my dad out of this!

[@JasonXLV1]

I don't drink alcohol so it's always nice when Greg does non-alcoholic videos

[@sprankton]

At least in America, Dr. Pepper isn't considered a cola. It's classified as a "pepper style soda". I forget why, but Dr. Pepper fought in court to not be a cola.

[@howtodrink]

It’s weird that they had to fight though, right? They needed a legal injunction to get people to stop calling them cola, which to me implies that in the late 1800’s there were probably a LOT of now defunct cola brands that would taste absolutely nothing like anything you’d now consider cola

[@jperilous]

@@howtodrink its because major distributors often had deals with stores and restaurants to only sell coke or pepsi as a cola, Dr Pepper being a legally distinct product let them be sold alongside both major competitors.

[@Undersol83]

I think that's the reason Dublin lists Kola in the ingredients. I only looked it up on Wikipedia so don't quote me, but Dublin is legally not allowed to sell Dr. Pepper-like-drinks as part of the legal fallout between them and Dr. Pepper. So them drawing attention to their soda containing Kola might be them loophole-ing it. Y'know Dr. Pepper isn't a cola (legally) and this contains Kola so (legally) it must be a cola and not a "pepper soda" so they're not breaking the agreement.

[@kevek42]

3:30 from what I have been told the image of St. Nick wearing a red jacket with white fur and decorations is hundreds of years old and based on the look of Russian mushroom shamans. These shamans would collect and cook _Amanita muscaria_ mushrooms, the iconic red with white spots ones. During their hunts, they would dress up like the mushrooms, wearing red robes with white decorations.

[@Furluge]

Would you consider Moxie a cola? Ironbeer? Both of those are pretty old and still bottled.

[@apocolototh1948]

An interesting tidbit about Dr Pepper: it differs between continents even more than many other sodas. In america it has one of the higher sugar contents between big sodas and embraces the candy aspect, while in europe it has one of the lower among the sodas and tries to be more an herbal taste