It is POP, dang it. :)
Posted on 03/09/2006 2:25:29 PM PST by nickcarraway
The next generation may not be the Pepsi generation — or the Coke generation, for that matter.
For years, soda has been the quintessential American drink, considered the perfect thirst quencher, morning pick-me-up or accompaniment to lunch or dinner.
But that is slowly changing.
As Americans look for greater variety in their drinks and strive for healthier diets, consumption of soda — with its 250 calories and 67 grams of sugar in a 20-ounce bottle — is slipping.
Data released yesterday by Beverage Digest, the industry trade publication, shows that for the first time in 20 years, the number of cases of soda sold in the United States declined. Case volume in 2005 was down 0.7 percent, to 10.2 billion cases.
Coke's flagship brand, Coca-Cola Classic, was down 2 percent, and original Pepsi from PepsiCo was down 3.2 percent.
In recent years, soda has come under increasing fire from critics who see it as little more than liquid candy and blame it for contributing to America's looming problem of childhood obesity. Results of a study that was released on Monday link soda to weight gain among teenagers.
While soft drinks are still the country's most heavily consumed beverage, the category is losing ground to bottled water, sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade and energy drinks like Red Bull and Full Throttle. Last year's volume data for these drinks is not yet available, but John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest, said he expected that the growth in these three categories would be up by double digits.
"Traditional carbonated soft drinks have got a tough road ahead," Mr. Sicher said. "The migration to water and sports drinks and other noncarbonated drinks seems to be permanent."
In a research report yesterday, William Pecoriello, a beverage analyst at
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I really wanted to give up DIET COKE, but I am addicted!
Is there a 12 Step?
I love diet rite.
I went cold turkey. Totally astonished my son. And others.
We call it soda in New York--downstate NY, that is--too.
You mean canned burps are fading as a fad?
A buck a can have anything to do with it?
Maybe the obesity factor exceeded the rehydration factor?
Now that GatorAde doesn't taste like dead fish with cherry syrup anymore it's finally making a dent in sales?
Can we just go back to water, wine or beer?
How come there's no cranberry soda?
It is POP, dang it. :)
Bingo. The Splenda is the key for me. I try to stay away from the aspartame as much as possible. I had switched to Diet RC there for awhile. So Coke got me back when they put out a product with Splenda. Now if they can get the Lime/Splenda combo that would be great. I didn't like the Vanilla stuff at all. Cherry is good though.
Interesting map, Karl!
In Minnesota, we call it "pop" just like the map indicates.
Where did you get the map from?
Energy drinks are making a big dent in the sale of sodas at bars?
What about Diet Barq Root Beer? Or Diet IBC?
1 part any kind of pure fruit juice, 1 part club soda or sparkling water. You've got to mix it, but it's worth it.
Can someone explain, regarding the "pop"/"soda" map, who calls soda "Coke"? Since when (and where) is "Coke" a generic name for a carbonated soft drink? Does this mean that grape soda is called "grape coke"?
.
"Coke" is generally the generic term for cola type sodas (ie, Coke, Pepsi and RC) but not sodas in general. I encountered it when I worked in food service because most places carry either Coke or Pepsi but not both and people ask for "Coke" as basically "whichever baaic cola you carry". So grape soda wouldn't be "grape coke" because grape soda isn't a cola.
hmm....
We always call it pop.
I remember seeing a map about this....the midwest seemed to be mainly "pop," the northeast and west coast "soda" and the south, "coke."
I love Root Beer! It does not agree with me.
My fave all time drink from childhood.
I think if I was to drink it now I would drink the non diet as in ordering a RB Float.
Makes me want some warm summer days. :)
I've been drinking more wine lately. Has anybody noticed that wine prices seem to be dropping? I pick up on the bargain wines.
"Coke" is like "band-aid" or "kleenex" in the South.
Southerners are more apt than others to use brand names for products.
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