Soda / pop / fizzy drinks discussion

I went away to boarding school at the age of eight in 1965. We were allowed 30/- (£1.50) pocket money a term and were allowed to take out no more than 2/6 (12.5p) each week. The only place to spend money was the school tuck shop although one was also encouraged to give money to various charitable causes.

The tuck shop had a small selection of sweets and, in the summer term, cheap ice lollies. It also had one brand of soft drink; Fling, a brown liquid which was somewhat fizzy in a bottle like a Coca Cola bottle. I have no memory of its taste other than it tasted brown and sweet. I never heard about the drink anywhere outside school although I now see that one can buy used Fling bottles on Ebay for considerable sums. Back in the day, we returned them for the halfpenny deposit.

A couple of years after I started at the school, there was a sudden change; almost a revolution. The school came into the modern age and Fling disappeared. Instead we had a choice of flavours of a drink called "Hubbly Bubbly". One was very sweet and red in colour. There was also a clear version which exceeded all sweetness measures and was called Ice Cream Soda. I think there was also a cola. A quick bit of internet research shows that it was originally a South African drink that was made and bottled in the Chilterns in the 1950s and 1960s. The bottle had little indents to represent the bubbles within. It was very fizzy. Again, I never saw it outside the school.

The tuck shop also sold AirFix models and minature toy soldiers. I still have a tin (Quality Street of course) which contains my AirFix toy soldiers. They cost 2/9 a set and one had to seek special permission to take out so much pocket money in one go. I often went without sweets and fizzy drinks as I built my collection.

You should have saved the old bottles to fund your future bike collection

BIG fan of this stuff. my partner's mum got me several cases of it recently for a birthday - all gone pretty quick. I like this much more than bundaberg, a certain creamsoda-ness to it which I prefer. I would like to broaden my horizons a little though - any more root beer recommendations?

really enjoyed this post. I wish I had such a thorough and intricate memory of my childhood (and I started school in the 90s).

That stuff is good, I buy so much when I'm stateside.

Soda Folk is decent, Bundaberg is great.

Check the International aisle in Tesco (or supermarket of choice) and see what's about.
My local has a few different bottles that appear in a rotation (I tend to err towards the cream soda over root beers though)

Avoid 'carters' root beer in Asda, it's horrific.
(£1.80 for 6 cans should tell you enough)

Anyone got a source for Spezi and Club Matte in the UK that isn't extortionate?

This is in the American bit of my local big sainos.
Less overpoweringly sweet than a&w. The best root beer is whatever they sell in In n Out burger. Think it’s call big mug or chug or something.

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I really love Jarritos the mexican drink.

The Pret Ginger Beer has a sharp bite, not so sweet, but I like it.

Mug Root Beer? Barq's is my personal favourite.

That’s the stuff.
It was a long flight and my first taste of root beer and the concept of free refills. My mind was blown.

Personally I found Boylans to be the best root beer available in the UK. They also do a drink called Birch Beer which is good but doubt you can get it over here. Interestingly McDonalds used to sell root beer when they first franchised in to the UK many years ago. I assume it didn't go down that well.

Oh and Virgils is good and available through Ocado. The label is oddly unsettling though.

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#1

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been enjoying Sprite/7 Up with Salty Limes/lemon here in HK.

Are you also drinking yeunyeung?

only had it a a few times it's quite nice but if I'm out and have a choice I'll have iced tea or coffee, had a posh yeunyeung at a hipster cafe that had used posh coffee and tea with a hint of salt, it was v nice but pricey and hipster points were many!

can't get enough of The salty lime and sprite tho,had in a great cheap Thai place here for The 1st time it's an acquired taste but I find it quite refreshing, has to have ice tho

This is pretty awesome. They do a cola too.

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When we were travelling had a real addiction to coke zero, since I got back had it once and could stand it just tasted really sweet.

Do like a bundy ginger beer, also getting a taste for root beer.

Try Carter's if you can find it (Sainsbury's). It's the closest I have found to my favourite American root beer Barq's. Bundy is also a perfectly acceptable root beer and I love the stubby bottles.

Will have look thanks

These guys sell Club Matte, or were at least 3 weeks ago, across from the Rio Cinema

Best Supermarket
109 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB
https://goo.gl/maps/yQEuns2rK6A2

Dog Kennel Hill Sainos?

Yup. Tins look like an American flag

Cool. Is it in the seppo section or with the patriotic, sovereign, UK drinks?