Unsoclicted Endorsement

This may be an odd topic, but after last night’s experience, I felt compelled to write something. My nearly abandoned Christmas Blog has been resurrected (no pun intended) thanks to Annie, so I’ll be finishing that up in the following days. In the meantime, grab a Pepsi and enjoy the following read.

My list of guilty pleasures is a short one these days. I find it increasingly seldom that I succumb to the temptations of those things which I know are bad for me. Mostly because as I get older, my metabolism has seemingly come to a screeching halt, and it’s no longer easy for me to burn off a famous Frosty Mill World Burger, or 12 pack of Budweiser every week. When I was in my early 20’s, that's exactly what my weekly menu consisted of. Of course, the guilty pleasures that are on my list aren’t limited solely to food items. I do enjoy a fine cigar and an aged Scotch. #3 on my list, however, will come as somewhat of a surprise to most people; A Pepsi over a glass of ice. Not Coke, not RC. It has to be Pepsi. Not out of the can, not out of the bottle, and not in a cup. It has to be in a glass, and it has to be over ice. I don’t exactly know why this particular combination strikes such a nostalgic chord in me, but each time I take that first sip from the perfectly prepared glass of ice and Pepsi, I’m taken back to when I was about 6 or 7.

I can remember when I was young, it wasn’t a staple in the household. We got it occasionally, and it came in the glass bottles. After we finished a 6 pack, mom would take them back to the store for a deposit on the next 6 pack. I also remember being at my Grandparents’ house and drinking Pepsi over ice with lunch. I think it’s these memories that come back to me every time I enjoy a glass. Besides, even today it’s not something that I keep on hand on a regular basis. I don’t drink a lot of soda in general, so the occasional soda is still a treat for me.

Last year I heard that Pepsi was coming out with a limited time release called “Pepsi Throwback”. A version of Pepsi that, not only came in a cool looking can with a nod to the 1920’s logo, but is made with “Real Sugar”. Unfortunately, living in a rural area, I was never able to find it during the limited time it was in production. I’m not sure if was received better than expected by the public, or if they just wanted to give us unfortunate rural souls another shot, but they recently re-released it for a limited time.

I was as surprised as anyone to happen across it in our small local supermarket about a week ago. This time, it was sporting that great retro 80’s logo that I remember from my childhood. The “Choice of a new generation” era logo, albeit in a 20oz. plastic bottle. I quickly grabbed it up, and in my excitement, drank it straight out of the bottle. It was good…but not notably different from today’s Pepsi. I wasn’t left dissatisfied, but a bit disappointed. I chalked it up to being a sucker for marketing and dismissed it almost immediately.

Luckily, I wasn’t too quick to dismiss this magic concoction before I discovered what a gem it truly was. Last night, we found it in 12 pack, aluminum can form at the same supermarket. Again, being a sucker for marketing and advertising, I decided to give in and buy a 12 pack. As soon as I got home, I decided to do it right this time. I grabbed one of my oversize Guinness glasses, loaded it up with ice and poured my much anticipated “Pepsi Throwback”. The first sip elicited that familiar nostalgic feeling in me, but only at first. Only during the time my nose was in the glass as I was taking a drink. The follow through was completely different than regular Pepsi. It had more of a “spice” taste to it. Not a noticeable difference in sweetness, but a definite difference in taste. It seemed to have a less carbonated feel to it as well. It was, quite simply put, superb. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t notice the subtle nuances the first time I drank it. Then I realized my flaw; I drank that stuff straight out of the plastic bottle. Wasted it, is what I mean to say. I understand most good drinks need to be decanted, or poured in the proper glass in order to truly appreciate and notice the intricacies. But soda?

Shortly after my temporary satisfaction high wore off, a deep sadness hit me as I realized this stuff is only made for a limited time. I suppose all good things must come to an end. This is one of the strongest recommendations you will ever see me make. I urge you all to go treat yourself to a Pepsi Throwback in a glass with ice tonight. I bet it would go well with a bowl of popcorn (Air popped with melted butter. Try to put forth some effort in your enjoyment for crying out loud), and a movie. I was also told a Pepsi and a Hershey bar make for a great Friday night treat.

For those of you in my area, IGA is the only place in town I've found it. They also carry Mt. Dew Throwback if you're so inclined, but I'm not enough of a Mt. Dew connoisseur to give an accurate recommendation.

*A side note: Rachel got me a Pepsi in a glass bottle at a taco stand not too long ago. I had heard that Mexican versions of Pepsi are still made with real sugar, so I wanted to try one. The taco stands around Chico apparently carry this stuff, and she grabbed one up for me. When I tried it, I did in fact pour it over ice in a glass, but the flavor profile was much different. The carbonation actually seemed higher than regular Pepsi, rather than lower. This left it tasting less sweet than normal Pepsi, and with a slightly different “spice” taste. It was good as well, but very different than anything else I had tasted.