Black Lemonade | Welcome to the Other Side

Pirates are all the rage these days. Or was that a few years ago? I never saw the final Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Got kind of bored in the second one. Either way, pirates love this drink. I have evidence of this because I have some pirate friends. Seriously, I'll show you where they live.

Black Lemonade Private Reserve is one of the strangest, bitterest things I've ever tried. It's the kind of thing thirteen year-old boys pass back and forth and dare one another to finish at slumber parties (no wait, girls have 'slumber parties' and boys have 'sleepovers,' right? or was it the other way around?). While we're on the subject, it's not sissy thirteen year-old boys who might drink this either, but the kind that sneak weapons into school on the days they actually show up. 

I enjoyed the herbal lemonade/motor oil experience quite a bit, but probably wouldn't drink more than two bottles a year, if you catch my drift. There are several warnings on the label to not take lightly, including "once you drink black you never go back" (really.. their words, not mine). The drink is made by the alternative beverage group Skeleteens (and is it my imagination, or wasn't there a ska band with this same name sometime in the 90s?), and can be obtained via the web from the Sodaking. 

Bubble Up | Cool Drink, Even Cooler Jersey

The day has finally come. All of us here at Weekly Fizz can now say we have a favorite caffeine-free lemon-lime beverage. We've been drinking it around the offices all week long and asking each other "Why didn't we know about this stuff at the beginning of summer? (chuckle chuckle)." Unlike Sprite or 7Up or Ting or Weis Up! or That Lemon-Lime Drink Your Uncle Used to Swear By, Bubble Up packs an unexpected, special lemon kick in the blue jeans.

As for the taste, it's extra crisp, and best served chilled. Even better than drinking one bottle cold though is chilling several thousand, filling up an entire pool with 'em and inviting a dozen or so scantily-clad ladies over for a snorkeling party. Just make sure your goggles are on tight-- don't wanna get any in your eyes. As your mother and I know, it could send you to the hospital, and bills could get rather expensive since we had to cancel your policy a couple months back.

Alright, now open your textbooks to page 137. It's history time:
The Bubble Up product was first introduced in 1917 and later sold to the Dad's Root Beer dudes (and later on, overseas, to the Monarch Beverage Company). I like to think of it as the orphan child of lemon-lime bevs, since it was first made in Ohio, then in Atlanta, and now has found a special home in Indiana. Hey.. in the back of the class.. stop yawning or I'll saw your toes off!

I got my bottle, along with others to minimize shipping costs, from my good buddy the Sodaking.

Vimto | Purple Stuff, Dad's Pants, etc.

Vimto is big stuff in the U.K. I kid you not. The concoction seen to your left comes straight from the fruit of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants (yeah, I had to look it up). Upon first glance I expected the purple stuff to be from somewhere in India, since my can was retrieved from a hookah lounge.

And most anyone would agree, this Sparkling Vimto Fruit Flavoured Drink is mighty delicious. If you could see my face you would detect no disappointment. And as of 2008, folks have been "Shlurpling The Purple" (as some have called it) for 100 years*.
(*some creepy instructions on how to perform this task, which I feel rather uncomfortable disclosing)

Unlike several of the soft drinks we've reviewed, the powers that be have chosen a mascot with an actual name: Purple Ronnie (no, not him). Let's see.. What can I tell you about the guy? Well, what all would you like to know? We used to be roommates. OK, just messin'. Purple Ronnie is a stick figure. He might be the world's most famous stick figure for all I know. And, don't take this the wrong way, because I really do love this beverage, but please don't get me started on how much I despise stick figures. Show me a man/woman drawing a stick figure and I'll show you a man/woman that is utterly lazy. LAZY! On the contrary, I happen to find stick insects* quite fascinating. They are ACTS OF GOD and DEFINITELY something worth going on and on about.
(*for the scientific mind, these are really called Phasmatodea)

(*forgive me today for being overly caps-happy)

I expect to drink a little Vimto on my European travels next week, amongst other things. Order it from Vimto International or ask somebody at an import-friendly local grocery store to help you out.

Drowning at the Soda Fountain

All's been pretty quiet on the blogging front lately, and for that I apologize.

It's just that the lease on my house in Tampa has ended, and for the time I've been staying in Brooksville, Florida, debating my next move and failing to locate any sodas looming. I was gonna say this guy lives in the neighborhood, but he died last year.

Solution: I ordered a bunch of bottles on the internet. As soon as the mailperson delivers them, I'll be hitting it hard again.. weekly and even more fizz-ly.