Soda Sales Down for 8th Consecutive Year

One interesting concept about collecting soda cans is that they are in decline.  Yes, they everywhere, but soda also seems to be a disappearing beverage.  Sure, it will always be around, but it doesn't have many friends.  Politicians seem to think its trendy to fight against it.  And healthy people know to avoid it.

According to the New York Times, soda consumption in the United States fell 1.2 percent in 2012. This is the 8th consecutive year of decline in soda sales.  The top selling sodas of the United States were Coca-Cola (17 percent), Diet Coke (9.4 percent), and in third place Pepsi (8.9 percent).  Just interesting little statistics.

Wal-Mart Limeade and Lemonade

At work today my friend brought in two cans she saved over a vacation for me.  They are Wal-Mart's Cherry Limeade and Raspberry Lemonade.  I've had the Cherry Limeade before and found it delicious.  They are also both a diet drink and rather inexpensive being a generic brand.  Thank you!

Wal-Mart Cherry Limeade and Raspberry Lemonade 2013

Bubba Cola

I already posted about Save-A-Lot's Mountain Holler soda that is one of the many Mountain Dew clones.  I didn't particularly like it.  In fact, I still have cans of it in my fridge.  Nonetheless, I still would like to add Save-A-Lot cans to my collection.  So imagine my surprise when out running a week ago and came across this can below!  Now, Bubba Cola may taste great, but now I don't need to find out to get the can.

Save-A-Lot Bubba Cola 2013

Aldis Root Beer

I am a couple of days behind in posting.  Fortunately, I have some more cans to add to the collection.  We had some friends over for pizza and root beer and the root beer I decided to break out was the Aldi's brand called SUDS.  It appears below.  I have always believed root beer was once of the best sodas to drink with pizza.  Coca-Cola would also work well.  (You can also see in this pic that I am trying to use a black jacket as a consistent background for the photo ops!)

Aldi's Root Beer 2013

Soda Scare Graphic

I ran across this scare image on the internet the other day.  Yes, soda is not the best thing for you, but neither is pizza.  (And ironically, the two go so well together.)  I thought I'd toss it up here because even though I think it's disgustingly heavy-handed, it is important to enjoy soda in moderation.  Now those soda cans on the other hand, as long as you have the space for them and a tolerant wife, you can go hog wild with those.

Soda Scare Tactical Graphic  2013

Soda Syrups

On our Washington D.C. trip we ate at Cafe Rio, a Mexican chain restaurant we would like to visit again.  The food was delicious.  However, they also have a soda bar where not only are plenty of soda's offered, but there are six different syrups you can add to your soda such as cherry, vanilla, grape, lemon, or lime.  This made me wonder exactly how many different soda flavored syrups there are.  Well, I found one company that sells over a hundred of them.  I would love to get some of these in my house to add to my favorite sodas.

Soda Syrups...the way to make a good thing better!

Caffeine Free Pepsi

For Easter, one of our kid's asked for "gold" in their Easter basket.  Another one, and this melts my heart, asked for a new soda so he could add the can to dad's collection.  Well, this Caffeine Free Pepsi worked out perfectly.  It was gold and it certainly did add a new can to my collection.  They each found one in their Easter baskets and loved it!

Caffeine Free Pepsi 2013 

Tops Root Beer

Coming home from our Washington D.C. trip, we thought it would be a nice gesture to buy dinner for my wife's little brother.  He was a real trooper playing with the kids over a few days.  We got take out and we stopped at Tops.  I picked up a deck of playing cards I needed and told him to pick out any brand of Tops soda to go with our dinner.  He selected root beer, the classic stand-by.  I took a can home to add to my collection.  That gives me three soda cans from Tops.  I think there are still over ten Tops soda flavors to go.

Tops Root Beer 2013

Refreshe Diet Lemon Lime

My wife and I traveled to Washington D.C. for a little childless get away.  After a day of seeing the free museums and a dinner out, I stopped at a Safeway to pick up some soda for the hotel fridge.  Safeway's generic soda is called Refreshe.  I ended up purchasing the Diet Lemon Lime.  It tasted fine.  I don't know when I will be able to pick up more of the Refreshe soda cans, but at least I have a start.

Refreshe Diet Lemon-Lime 2013

Moutain Holler: Red Howl

Mountain Dew has an army of clones.  Save-A-Lot's is happened to be named Mountain Holler.  A few weeks ago, I picked up a twelve pack of Mountain Holler Red Howl, the clone of Mountain Dew Code Red.  My wife and I each tried one on our way to a regional church meeting 45 minutes away.  We weren't terribly impressed, but I think it was probably because it wasn't what we were expecting.  It didn't taste very much like Mountain Dew.  It was actually rather sour-cherry tasting.  It wasn't bad, but it seems to be an acquired taste. It also packs an insane 200 calories a can, 30 more than Mountain Dew.  I have heard rumors that Mountain Holler has a cult like following.  If you like your citrus drinks sour, I could see how this could be.  But for us, the rest of the 12 pack will probably be chilling in our fridge for a bit until unsuspecting guests come over.

Mountain Holler 2013

Opening Soda All On His Own

This is just a quick posted to celebrate the good news my son shared with my wife.  He took a can of LeBron James Sprite from the fridge, tried to open it on his own, failed, then tried again, got a little closer, tried a third time, and finally opened it.  He was so proud of himself.  Now, we find several opened soda cans in the fridge.  He gets a kick out of opening them, even more then actually drinking them it seems.  What a champ.

LeBron pauses to congratulate my son opening his
first soda can.  In a later interview, he said he was
"honored" to be the image on the can used.

Syracuse Crush

Go 'Cuse!  Here is the 2013 Crush can honoring so-called "real" Syracuse basketball fans who supposedly drink orange.  It's a nice advertising gimmick really because I can't think of any other sports team that is associated so clearly with a single color.  I emptied this can while watched the 'Cuse vs Indiana game on March 28th.  Syracuse won, 61 - 50.  I'm not sure yet how far they will end up going...I am scheduling these posts to be posted later since my wife and I are going out of town...but for the soda can's sake, I hope they go all the way.

Syracuse Crush 2013 

Micheal Carter-Williams celebrating the news Dr. Pepple/Snapple
Group put his team on a soda can.

Pepsi Next

My wife was getting ready to leave for a baby shower the other morning and she asked if we have any Diet Pepsi in the basement.  I thought we did.  I bounded downstairs and looked at the soda collection.  We didn't.  She asked what we did have.  "Wild Cherry Pepsi," I said.  "And Pepsi Next."  "Oh," said my wife.  I'll try that.  So I brought some cans up, gave one to her, and put the rest in the fridge.  She drank it and now I can add it to my collection.  Pepsi Next is advertised as having 60 percent less sugar.  That gives it a tidy 60 calories per can, a happy middle ground.

Pepsi Next 2013

Best Selling Sodas 2010

I've been trying to discover the current best selling sodas.  The best I have been able to come up with is a list generated in 2010 providing the top ten best selling sodas.  I was actually surprised at how far ahead in the market Coca-Cola was over Pepsi.  I men, I always thought it was 50 - 50 thing.  Apparently not.  The top ten best selling sodas of 2010 appear below.

1.  Coca-Cola

2.  Diet Coke

3.  Pepsi

4.  Mountain Dew

5.  Dr. Pepper

6.  Sprite

7.  Diet Pepsi

8.  Diet Mountain Dew

9.  Diet Dr. Pepper

10.  Fanta

Yeah, I was surprised by number 10.  Fanta?  Really?  Who drinks Fanta?  Must be a third world thing.  Is that a mean thing to say?  I bet it is.  But I don't feel bad.  I mean, the The Fantanas  are just bizarre.

Surprisingly coming in at #10...