OH HAI THERE, THURSDAY!

Are you a little thirsty yet?

Lordy, I sure am.

S O F T * D R I N K

“The term was originated to distinguish the flavoured drinks from hard liquor, or spirits. Soft drinks were recommended as a substitute in the effort to change the hard-drinking habits of early Americans.”–from the online Britannica

It’s cool if you want to call it “soda” or “soda pop” or “Coke” or “dope” or even “pop” (though I will definitely NOT be calling it Pop since that is what I called my father, and drinking your dad is just weird) but I call it a “soft drink” generically.

Until I add booze. Then it’s a cocktail 😉

Here are a few things that are in my fridge stash currently!

Cel-Ray Soda, Goombay Fruit Champagne, Materva Yerba Mate Soda

I think I was in high school the first time tried Cel-Ray. It either came from Earth Fare, or maybe the Dekalb Farmer’s Market in ATL, I can’t quite recall. I became a soft drink connoisseur at a pretty early age (see Blenheim’s story below) but it was as a teen that really began to hone my palette for sugar and CO2. Cel-Ray was my first weirdo favorite. It tastes a lot like ginger-ale, but with confusing vegetable undertones. According almost every article I have read about it online (here, here, and here), it pairs well with pastrami. I say it pairs well with gin, but I’m not going to argue.

This Goombay Fruit Champagne is a left over from the last cruise mom and I took to the Bahamas. There is a little grocery store right in Nassau that we’ve gone to both times we’ve been on the island and we end up buying weirdly wonderful things like ginger root scented bath soap and writing booklets for students with the picture of an historic Bahamian prince on the front. We love grocery stores. Honestly, this stuff tastes like Hawaiian Punch, haha.

I can’t even remember where I got the Materva can and I’ve never had it before so I can’t tell you what it tastes like. However, I became obsessed with (and possibly addicted to) yerba mate while in high school. The ritual continued with friends I met early on in my freshman year of college when I spotted the lovely Laura on the patio of my dorm, reading a book and sipping with her kit. She used to add orange drink powder to hers–something that is supposedly popular in Argentina. I’ll report back when I open this can. I imagine it tastes like bubbly grass and sorghum.

BEWARE THE BLENHEIM’S!!!

(This is a scan from a zine {Letters I will never send to you, Volume #4} I wrote years ago where I tell the old tale of “That Historical Day” at Teal’s Seafood, in Cheraw, South Carolina, the “prettiest town in Dixie” in the year of our Lord, probably 1989)

But for real, this stuff is SO GOOD with rye whiskey. Just go ahead and try it! You’ll like it! Also, if you’re lucky enough to live near a Mast General Store they almost always have them not only in stock, but CHILLING in their coolers.

Dr. Enuf  and Red Velvet Cake Soda

I currently can’t find anywhere that you can buy the Red Velvet Cake soda, and according to the guys over at Soda Jerks it’s pallet worthy (their highest rating). I might ought to hang on to it and see if I can pay off a crown with the eBay proceeds. Any takers? $50 OBO, lol. I can’t help but think it’s be great with light rum.

The Dr. Enuf came from my Johnson City, TN supplier “tnCorgi”. This means it is doubly fresh since it’s from there! There are so many weird and wonderful articles to read (here, here, and here). This soft drink is wonderful when mixed with pretty much ANY liquor (vodka, gin, whiskey and rum) and has been known to help a hangover if you imbibed a bit too much the night before. Dr. Enuf was definitely on the list of things I had to import while I lived in Missouri (along with Cheerwine, Duke’s mayonnaise, and Zapp’s potato chips). It’s good stuff. Enuf is ENUF!

Drink up! Tomorrow is Friday! Hooray!