VANILLA COKE
Thanks to eBay and my cousin's husband (a soda fanatic himself), I have consumed mass quantities of Vanilla Coke in the past month. As with the subject of the previous edition of "The Soda Jerk," this beverage is hard to find. For some reason, it's harder to find than Cherry Coke and Coke Zero. That's just not fair. Being a fan of vanilla extract and any cream soda, I knew that Vanilla Coke would be worth the shipping charges on eBay. It rivals IBC's cream soda, which is no small feat. Before I get into the meat of the review, I'll say that in most cases, if you bother your local supermarket enough, they'll stock fugacious items if it's within their power. Heh, I sound like the Native American mystic in Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Bet you weren't expecting that reference, were you?
Vanilla Coke is refreshing as soon as it's poured into your mouth. It's always the right temperature, even if it's been sitting on the kitchen table for 30 minutes. If you're not a Coke person, you may not find Vanilla Coke to be to your liking. You need a built-in immunity to that inexplicable Coke aftertaste. Having said that, the vanilla flavor isn't sponged in carbonation. You'll taste the vanilla before you taste the Coke. That's important because some folks are simply anti-Coke, and they won't try anything if it's a Coke product.
This pop does have a tendency to taste flat right out of the can, but it won't happen every time. The packaging is a tad mundane. I'd like to see this flavor relaunched and the label redesigned with it. I recently visited the World of Coke in Atlanta, GA, and Vanilla Coke is given just as much love by the company as the other flavors. So why is it hard to find? The answer is obvious. I've spoken with some vendors, and apparently, you have to be in the right town. Well, no shit! How do we get Vanilla Coke shipped to more towns? Spread the word!
One of my goals with this column is to put a bright spotlight on some of my favorite carbonated beverages that are hard to find in certain parts of the country. If you're a soda junkie and you'd like to see Vanilla Coke in your local supermarket, make some noise. Talk to a manager, send an e-mail, forward a review...hey, there's an idea! Everyone has a self-important cause these days; why not get behind one that doesn't matter? Makes sense to me. Read the first two editions of "The Soda Jerk" below. They're delicious.
The Soda Jerk #1
The Soda Jerk #2
I've always wanted a coke machine for home. at the dvd talk forums some have home theatres and they buy coke machines for a few hundred. Worth investing in instead of paying for fountain cokes, 2 liters, once that's all added up. Want to do this someday, just a small one that has coke (my favorite) and maybe another. I was never a vanilla coke fan myself.
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