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hey so have you ever been to another country and saw a soda that you've never heard of? or saw a lack of the one you thought was common? <br>
i don't mean local flavors of the internationally recognizable sodas (ie fanta flavors), or local knock-offs of big 3 sodas (dobry doing basically cola, sprite and fanta after cola withdrew). i mean local flavors. some under a separate brand, some under a big local manufacturer. and local knock-off of local biggies. <br>
like, for example, in russia (at least where chernogolovka brand ships) there're some "soviet heritage" flavors - baikal, sayany, tarkhun, kryushon (cruchon), kolokolchik, buratino. some are still going strong (baikal, tarkhun, buratino), some are somewhat out of commission from one of the biggest local soda brands (sayany, kryushon, kolokilchik). <br>
baikal and sayany are both herbal sodas, baikal is cola-brown, sayany is very light translucent yellow. baikal is sweeter, sayany is "fresher" (don't quote me on sayany, i haven't had that in years). <br>
never personally tried kryushon. it is based on cruchon, and alcohol beverage, but is alcohol-free. supposedly, it is magenta and of an isabella grape flavor. it's kinda artificial grape by feelings, but it is different. that grape flavor is unapologetically sweet, even without added sugar. i pray that no one tries isabella grape wine. <br>
kolokolchik has a bellflower/campanula on its label, and, supposedly, tastes like a flower. it does! it has that fruit pollen sweetness, but with added sugar it's... far from my fave. the soda is of a pastel purple somewhat. <br>
tarkhun is common in georgia (the country) too, it is the country of origin of the flavor, after all. tarkhun (tarkhuna) is the georgian (and adapted into russian) name of the herb, tarragon. tarkhun soda is the most bright green color i've ever seen. it is visually similar to absinthe, really. it tries to give you a tangy, tart feeling. but chernogolovka brand one sucks ass. kinda ends up like a bad cough syrup. home-made tarkhun with no added sugar>>>store bought. here i said it, since everyone around me seems to love it. <br>
buratino is named after a character in aleksey tolstoy's fairy tale "the golden key or the adventures of buratino". it is apple and orange. it's tart in a way that i don't like, but there're fans. and it is the more "classic" one for its somewhat basic taste. <br>
ALSO i haven't mentioned mandarin (tangerine) and dyushes (duchesse), but those are just tangerine and pear sodas. part of the "soviet heritage" sodas, but kinda just one basic and somewhat common flavor. but for those duchesse sodas just this one sort of pears is used, no other. <br>
all of the above are staples here in russia, but, like, anywhere else? maybe in former soviet block countries, i'm guessing. <br>
again, with the exception of tarkhun. man, lagidze waters! natakhtari! natakhtari has a decent fruit soda collection (all are solid, but the selection isn't 1st world country type wide). special shout out to berberis flavored soda! berberis candy is common here in russia, but i never saw any other brand attempt transporting the berry or candy into soda format. <br>
there's also those brands in russia that bloomed/popped up after major american soda companies withdrew, but there's kinda a lot of them and i haven't gotten around to trying them. fresh bar has like a biiiig line of flavors. there's that one brand that uses some anime characters on packaging. but i never really got around any of those newer ones. <br>
oh and there's also a big distinction between sodas for family gatherings and youth? "soviet heritage" chernogolovka is advertised as the soda for the family. natakhtari's perception is somewhat similar. i guess plain fruit flavors and something that comes from way back in the 80's is familiar to multiple generations. and the youth ones are the crazy experimental flavors that get called "ulcer-inducing" by parents and grandparents. <br>
as for something outside of russian influence. i've tried almdudler when i was in austria, and apparently it's spread to the other european countries not so long ago? almdudler kinda reminded me of sayany, similar herbal flavor. but i haven't drank in what, 3 years? and i only had it once. if anyone is going from austria to moscow bring me a couple of bottles plz. (not serious) <br>
yap-yap ended, now i want to hear what y'all guys have!!!
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Tomate
I think all we have here in my state is cajuina, a cashew flavored soda.
also here we call the knock offs "espoca buxo", theres a lot of them.
Brazil as a whole there's alot more I think? Like guarana and guarana jesus(I only know these two).
makes sense there would be more, same reason i clarified "where the brand ships". moscow, novosibirsk and vladivostok are likely to have diff brands due to the hell of shipping goods between those cities. i imagine the situation in brazil is similar.
thanks for your input^^ never tried the apple part of cashews, i hope i get to try both the fruit and the drink someday
by maiza77; ; Report
Obie Ramsey Doomsday
That's super cool! I've always been enamored by regional sodas as well. I've tried Tarkhun before, and it was like nothing I'd ever tasted! If I ever end up in an Eastern country, I'd love to try more flavours.
Where I am in the USA, we don't have many special sodas, but one that we do have near me is Cheerwine, a unique cherry flavored soda, and a lottt of local brands who are known for their birch beer and sarsaparilla, which are drinks made from birch bark, and sarsaparilla root, respectively. They're similar to root beer both in process and flavor, but they're earthier and more flavorful in my opinion.
oh, birch! birch juice is a seasonal product here, but i am yet to see any carbonated drinks based on it.
never heard of sarsaparilla! but it doesn't grow here, so makes sense. i hope i will get a chance to try it^^
by maiza77; ; Report
catduck
I think region specific soft drink brands are cool. Like hear in Australia there is a brand called Bunderburg and they have lemon, lime and bitters, sarsaparilla and ginger bear among other flavours. Then there is Kirks who have lemonade, ginger ale, ginger bear, and creaming soda among other flavours. Then there are also probably a bunch of other smaller brands as well. And then there are some Mexican drinks I've seen in a couple stores lately which was interesting to try, and was a bit different to what I am used to. Also if your confused by the term soft drinks its what we call sodas in Australia. Also if you ever get the chance to try it lemon lime bitters is an iconic Australian beverage.
i imagine a lemon lime bitter is insanely good.
is creaming soda any different from cream soda? never saw it being named like that, with an "ing" ending
and don't worry, i understood what "soft drink" meant^^ my only question, does that refer to only fizzy drinks or any non-alcoholic beverages in australia?
by maiza77; ; Report
I think creaming soda and cream soda are the same. As for the term soft drink it is only for fizzy drinks. Because I can't think of any instances where some one has ever refereed to a non-carbonated drink as a soft drink.
by catduck; ; Report
all cleared up, thanks^^
by maiza77; ; Report