Pepsi Natural

[sudsmaster]

I was shopping (again) at Costco today... and saw something new (to me at least). In unbleached cardboard boxes were 12-packs of something called "Pepsi Natural - all natural cola - sparkling water * sugar * kola nut extract". Naturally, I couldn't resist.

The ingredients: Water, Sugar, natural apple extract (color), caramel color, citric acid, caffeine, acacia gum, tartaric acid, lactic acid, natural flavor, kola nut extract.

I didn't wait for the bottles to cool down in the fridge, but instead poured one over ice in a tall glass.

First impressions: this stuff has a head that would make Guiness Stout jealous. Serious foaming going on. Taste: quite pleasant, actually. A bit herbal, I think. Sweet, of course. Not your usual clobbering pepsi zing, but much more subtle and laid back.

I note the conspicuous absence of one of dentistry's villains: phosphoric acid. The same very strong affinity of phosphates for calcium that makes them such good cleaners in hard water makes them somewhat unhealthy in acid form bathing one's teeth on a regular basis. Certainly the other more "natural" acids - citric, tartaric, lactic - can also dissolve calcium, I think they would take a lot longer so to do than phosphoric acid.

Finally, the stuff comes in rather attractive smooth sided bottles with twist caps and a nice cast-in pepsi logo. The labels are all some sort of very durable clear plastic decals. They can be peeled off at room temp but leave a definite layer of industrial strength adhesive behind. Still, a nice bit of modern product packaging.

I guess some others here may have tried Pepsi Natural already, but this is the first I've seen it and I thought it would be interesting to compare it to the other sucrose-only offerings.

It's not at all like Pepsi Throwback, which seems pretty much to be standard Pepsi just with sucrose instead of high fructose corn syrup. It's actually a bit closer to Mexican coke than Pepsi, IMHO. I think I like it better.

Too bad it's completely devoid of nutrition other than empty calories ;-).

 

[frigilux]

I'm all for sodas that use sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup! Pepsi Natural should make it to store shelves in the rural upper midwest in a year or two, LOL.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Too bad it will probably not be popular enough to be carried "forever".

 

[twintubdexter]

...how about RC?

Is there real sugar in Royal Crown Cola? Can you even buy Royal Crown Cola anymore? It must be good stuff if future Pepsi Vice Presidents loved it.

 

[laundromat]

ceramic pets

I wonder if the dog in her hand is as much of a "bitch" as she was???

 

[jeffg]

Well Crawford is an example of where legends outstrip reality. Much of the animosity toward Crawford came from one of her adopted daughters (who wrote "Mommie Dearest" after Crawford disinherited her from her estate) and people like Bette Davis, who *were* royal head cases.

 

[bugsyjones]

Crown Royal is still avaliable. Most stores around here carry it in cans.

I prefer it in glass bottles, so I buy it online.

~Tim

 

[bugsyjones]

Oops....

Royal. Crown. Cola....

Of course, Crown Royal is still avaliable in glass bottles....hehe...

~Tim

 

[whirlcool]

I can find RC down here in most of the major grocery stores.
My parents preferred RC over Coke or Pepsi. I think its a little fizzier and less sweet than Coke was.

That RC bottle looks like it was "painted" into Joan's hands rather than her holding it. Pre photoshop that's what they often did.

When I think of famous Hollywood bitches, I also include lovely Lucille Ball in their ranks. She could be VERY nasty. My sister once had a run in with her when she was a F/A with TWA.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Can I get you some TWA Coffee? Or will it be TWA Tea?

 

[jeffg]

> That RC bottle looks like it was "painted" into Joan's hands rather than her holding it. <

Good job on the bottle, wish I could say the same about her face. She looks like David Bowie (two different colored eyes).

 

[roto204]

Oh Toggles...

Very nicely done. I'm filing that one away for later.

 

[polkanut]

According to my wife who works for the Pepsi distributor here, Pepsi Natural is currently only available in selected test markets.

 

[sudsmaster]

And what's that thing around her neck?

Were they wearing gold plated chastity belts so high that season?

 

[toggleswitch2]

I always wanted to come into money.

Its a diphragm

 

[danemodsandy]

Neck Thing:

That was Joan's topaz necklace; it was actually hers, not studio jewellery, and she wore it for at least twenty-five years. You see it in old M-G-M publicity shots from the 40's, and in 'real-life' shots of her too. No one seems to know whether it was real or fake (the stone looks to be something like 400 carats, pretty freakin' big for real, even at 1940's prices), or what became of it.

In his autobiography, Salad Days, Joan's first husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Jnr., says something to the effect that Joan's jewels always seemed to be "bargains" with some flaw or inclusion.

 

[sudsmaster]

I wouldn't expect that Pepsi Natural is going to become a permanent product. While I like it well enough, I think the initial taste note - a bit musty/earthy/herbal, perhaps from the kola nut extract, will put off kids. And the overall flavor is a bit bland when compared to regular Pepsi, Pepsi Throwback, and Mexican Coke. Oddly, the earthy note soon disappears after a few sips. Overall it's a pleasant soda, one that doesn't clobber you with acidity or carbonation. Just not exciting enough to make the sales target that is probably necessary to keep it in production. On the other hand, they did spend some $$$ on the new glass bottle design, so they might want to extend production to cover that cost.

 

[jeffg]

It is often described as Topaz, but is actually Citrine.

Jewelry of the Stars, 1930-40-50's - Morning Glory Jewelry & Antiques

www.morninggloryantiques.com

 

[sudsmaster]

You say citrine, they say topaz

Thanks for the link. B&W doesn't do it justice, the color photo is much more informative.

It's still one of the uglier pieces of jewelry every made, IMHO.

Kind of looks like an IUD.