Postobón Manzana | The Weird Columbian Apple Beverage The Entire World Just Can't Stop Talking About

I've been seeing this one around for a while, and finally tried it out. This Apple soda, known as Postobón Manzana, is sweet. Not sweet as in Granny Smith sweet nor is it sweet like a Washington Red, but rather sweet like bobbing for Galas at the Fall Festival and then kissing the blond wearing that suh-weet red flannel dress on the hayride, then not calling her the next day because neither of you have reached an age where your parents feel cellular phones are crucial for you sweet.

I only wonder why the color must be pink? Still the stuff easily makes the list of top three apple drinks to come out of South America in the last 110 years. My second complaint would be it tastes a bit on the sugary side. Even for soda. Besides that, it was great.

For once, this time around a wealth of information was uncovered. Postobón is a combination of the names of its creators, Gabriel Posada and Valerio Tobón, who founded their original flavor, champagne cola, way back in 1904. They soon began bottling various other flavors under the Postobón label. Now they've got everything from bottled waters to boxed juices to groundbreaking gardening tools for beginners.

If you find yourself needing a second opinion on this apple drink, you should talk to these guys. Proof enough? You can buy it by the bottle at Soda Pop Stop.

Melon Lanio | The Seedless Sensation

Roll up your Sunday shirt sleeves. Melon Lanio is a lovable beverage that was birthed into the world by the same loving folks that perfected Iron Beer. With love. And boy did they do a number on the sweetest member of the cucurbitaceae family. Eh? We'll try to keep it simple. Drink the melon stuff. It's good shit.

The details: Melon Lanio is highly-sweetened with 53g of sugar. Don't tell Mom that part. You know how she gets. If she asks, you can tell her how there's no caffeine and stuff. She always appreciates that. And you might mention the natural flavors. That'll make her happy. But not the artificial ones. She doesn't like those. Got it?

Seriously. Stop reading. Go get yourself some and drink it by the pool, or better yet, in the pool (preferably laying on a raft while you're trying to catch some rays). And hey, make sure to spit out the black seeds. We don't want you to get sick with exams coming up. And no, you can't leave the reunion early. Aunt Linda hasn't seen you since you in years. And yeah, I know it's kind of weird she bought you and your sister all those Golden Girls DVDs last Christmas, but show that lady some respect. Got it?

Alright. So I probably shouldn't have told you about Melon Lanio, because- you guessed it- it's nearly impossible to find. Luckily I found some cans at Sodamania/Subs n' Such, but there's a good chance you won't find M.L. at all, unless the folks at Sunchy FL Distribution Company can be coaxed into selling you some. And, of course, there are other more common watermelon beverages that we can talk about later. 

Australian RC Ad from The 70s

Green Spot Orange Drink is the New Black

Let's play a game. What looks like a soda, tastes like an orange-flavored juice and has a funny name?

It's Green Spot Orange Drink! And not only is it not half-bad, but it's completely natural, maaaan.
Thought I'd take a can of this citrus treat home from Subs N Such/Sodamania the other day (the only place in the area with a huge, diverse selection of off-the-wall soft drinks, collectible bottles and.. sandwiches!). Without the carbonation, Green Spot tastes almost like a Sunny D. Or rather it brings to mind distant memories of waiting in the juicebox line. Sans overweight lunchlady with the mustache and hairnet.

I must say I was a little surprised at how little fizz there was accompanying the orangey-ness of this drink. But after a few sips, relaxing and watching Motherboy XXX, something in me changed. After that I could've handled two more.

The Green Spot company began in the U.S. in 1934 and relocated to Thailand twenty years later. Today they've continued blending the freshest of ingredients to make this true blue soft drink and fruit juice drink concentrates for restaurants around the globe.

Update: a poet told me a "green spot" is like an "oasis," or "cool drink in the desert." Keeping that in mind, seeing all these colors makes a little more sense. I was getting dizzy. Still can't find anywhere where Green Spot can be purchased, so help me out if you're in the know.