Hey kid. So you really think you've got what it takes? Champion George Prince is on your side to help you get there, but don't assume it's gonna be easy. With a strict diet of carbonated water, cane and/or corn sweeteners, citric acid, RED D&C #40, caramel color and plenty days skipping school to play video games in your pajama pants, you too can become the best.
Champ's Cola is one of many sodas produced by CAWY, easily the most successful bottler of soft drinks in Cuba. Known in the industry as "champagne cola," it's actually a lighter tasting version of Quinabeer (which I haven't found a can of yet). Throughout Latin America this sort of cream soda-meets an orangesicle-with Coke flavoring is actually quite common. Think Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibb with a bit of freshly squeezed citrus thrown in for fun. Like bubblegum, it's the taste of artificiality. Not for the faint of heart.
I can only imagine Quinabeer came about sometime after Iron Beer (E-run-beer), another Cuban drink popular around West Tampa (and one of my personal favorites, especially when mixed with rum). Many Cuban-Americans are proud drinkers of Iron Beer, and the stuff is sold in most supermarkets and some gas stations throughout Central Florida.
Both products also feature an illustrated guy on the can who's mysteriously either a bodybuilder, weightlifter, boxer, or normal yet very muscular person. Since the Iron Beer* guy is merely a simple drawing, Quinabeer and Champ's decided to put a name with the face, using "Champion" George Prince for marketing (he's an obscure yet real person, famed and idealized kind of like Chuck Taylor).
Take that! Whoa.. Easy, kid.
If you're not in Florida, you can always snag a Quinabeer six-pack for fairly cheap at cubanfoodmarket.com.
(*Note: I desperately tried to make this post more about Champ's than Iron Beer. I guess the outcome was inevitable. There will be much more to come on Iron Beer later. Trust me.)
(*Note: I desperately tried to make this post more about Champ's than Iron Beer. I guess the outcome was inevitable. There will be much more to come on Iron Beer later. Trust me.)
2 comments:
we should create Chostagev Cola
i've been thinking a lot about new york
i love that we are communicating via our blogs.
also...i think, if this isnt too lame, that one day here on the weekly fizz there should be a brutal throw down between all the Dr. Drinks / Mr. Drinks (ie faux dr pepper drinks)
my favorite of all time was Mr Green. a product of pepsi + sobe, it was a dr-style drink that had ginseng in it and just had a unique edge to the whole soda genre.
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