Coke vs. Pepsi Challenge

[whirlcool]

Last weekend I tried Coke Zero for the first time. I almost gagged. It has a very heavy cyclamate type taste that leaves a synthetic sweetener taste in your mouth for hours to come. I threw the bottle away after only three sips.

I, for one have never been able to stomach the taste of artificial sweeteners save for Equal. And I don't even use that one anymore. So I have never really been into the diet drink scene. I'll save my calories by eliminating gravies, starchy type foods and fried foods. Just about everything we eat is either broiled or baked or zapped. And of course the is the good old stand by, eat with moderation.

 

[rp2813]

I'm with Allen. If I'm eating out, I order a non-diet soft drink or a beer. Wine is way too much of a rip-off. Once in a while at home I'll take a swig of my partner's diet Coke or whatever, and I will drink diet Canada Dry ginger ale on occassion because I drink ginger ale so infrequently I can't tell the difference. A few people I know who generally don't drink diet stuff will also tolerate diet A&W and I agree it's more drinkable than diet cola, but I'll cut out other things rather than drink only diet sodas. Better than any soda is a nice cold bottle of sparkling mineral water.

Ralph

 

[whirlcool]

And believe it or not, Ginger Ale is one of the most requested drinks for our onboard service. A lot of people say they don't often have the opportunity to drink Ginger Ale, so when they fly that's what they ask for. I think it also helps settle stomachs too.

Periodically, I'll buy a 6 pack of Scwepps Ginger Ale. Has anyone tried any of those "hot" or "Spicy" Ginger Ales that are popular around Virginia and the Carolinas? Now those ARE spicy!

And now that I am with Delta, good bye Pepsi. We now serve Coke products on board. After all, we both share the same corporate headquarters.

 

[maytagbear]

Oh, ginger ale!

Blenheim is just too hot for me, even in a float as a "Boston Cooler."

My favourite ginger ale is Vernor's. Either regular or diet. I do drink diet sodas, mostly because if it has no vitamins, minerals, or protein, why drink calories? I'm not consistent, because I will drink regular lemonade. And the hazelnut iced coffee from McDs, but I usually do drink diet.

Last time I was in Ontario, the Canada Dry brand ginger ale was far better than the version sold here in the lower 48.

I have a recipe for homemade ginger syrup (made with ginger root), and it's great (you add it to chilled sparkling water), but I don't always want to go to the (minimal) trouble of preparing it.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[rp2813]

It's weird I like ginger ale because I'm not into ginger that much and am a bit dismayed by the culinary love affair with it over the past decade or so. My sister loves the stuff and makes biscotti with it, gives them to us and I end up throwing them out. I do like pickled ginger with my sushi, though, and I love the smell of the ginger plant's flowers. I've never been to Hawaii but when our patch of ginger blooms, it transports me there.

Just yesterday found a deal on CD ginger ale at Safeway so bought some 12-packs of diet and one green tea flavored non-diet. I tried the green tea one today and it was interesting. Not overly sweet and a very mild overall taste. A good compromise between plain mineral water and super sweet regular soda pop. But I'd only buy it on sale.

Ralph

 

[butch-innj]

Throwing in my 2 cents here.........

I'm really not much of a soda drinker.
But, when I buy soda I usually get it in glass bottles because
I think it tastes better.
I do like the Pepsi Throwback though.
For me, and I'm sure its just a matter of personal taste but
what I really don't like about sodas is all the carbonation
in them.
I don't see the point of it and it just makes me belch.

Actually, I'm a coffee and iced tea freak.
Hot coffee, iced coffee....it don't matter to me.
I brew mine on top of the stove in the old pyrex percolator.
And I like Maxwell House Master Blend the best.
For my iced tea I like Lipton made the "sun tea" method.
Or sometimes I get ambitious and do it the "old fashioned way"
of boiling the water on the stove and steeping the tea bags in it...etc..etc

I dont know if everyone here can get it or not but my absolute
favorite soft drink is Stewarts Root Beer.

 

[sudsmaster]

Most ginger ale doesn't have a spec of real ginger flavoring in it. Or so I've read.

I used to sail on racing boats. Powdered ginger put into gel caps (big ones) was a very effective anti-nausea med - as long as you took it before you got on the boat. And it doesn't make you sleepy like Dramamine can.

I've heard you can grow ginger here in the bay area, but the little bit I planted one winter seems to have never suvived. I'll have to try again this summer in a warm wet spot in the yard.

I ran across a field of ginger flowers in Maui, on my way to the Hana garden spot. They were lovely.

I use ginger when I do stir fry, or make home-made kimchee. My last batch of kimchee has just about run out, so it's time to hit the asian market and stock up on napa cabbage, fresh ginger, daikon radish, green onions. Already got the fresh garlic, chili flakes, and fish powder. My kimchee goes great as relish with hot dogs!

 

[whirlcool]

Correction:

I meant to say that we share the same hometown as Coca Cola, not the same HQ building in ATL! My writing skills have gone to hell lately....

 

[rp2813]

Hey Rich, next time you're down my way I'll turn you on to a chunk out of the mound of ginger over here. It needs to be in the ground, not a container, and can probably handle full sun in your neck of the woods because it needs heat to bloom. A Hawaiian lady my mom used to work with smuggled this back from a visit there in the 60's. It has plain white flowers late summer into fall and they smell great.

Ralph