[kelly]

A sucker is born every minute and in this case I was that sucker. Since you guys were discussing gourmet sodas a little while back (something I've developed an affinity for), I thought I'd share with you what I discovered at "Super Target" last night. Yes, as the title foreshadowed -- coffee soda.

I read the ingredients on the four pack before purchasing, of course. It included cane sugar and not corn syrup so I was encouraged to experiment. The thick layer of dust on each bottle was simply not enough to disuade me from wasting my $5.

When I got home, I poured it over a glass of crushed ice. Now, keep in mind I like coffee drinks. I love frappacinos and thai iced coffee (think French roast coffee with sweetened condensed milk over ice). I took one drink and had already made a decision. I forced myself to take a second drink just to reaffirm myself. The rest of that bottle and the contents of my glass went into the sink drain. Yuck.

Anyone else care to admit to such foolishness?

 

[Gergor]

I wouldn't call it foolishness. I'd call it adventurous.

I kind of did the same thing when I first tried Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke, except I did not even take the 2nd sip.

No offence to those drinks, they're not just for me. However, I kind of like the taste of the new vanilla coke.

 

[john_jcb]

I too like frappachinos but stay away from most other cold coffee drinks. THanks for the warning Kelly.

Not exactly a gourmet soda but a new one Mountain Dew Code Red. Cherry flavored. I liked it the couple of times I have tried it at work.

 

[markl]

When I was a grad student getting my MBA, I was employed by one "Big Head Coffee Cola". This was about '96/'97. They were essentially the originators of a new market niche, "coffee-cola". They had 5 flavors, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Regular, and I forget the rest. It was called "big head" because the combo of cola and coffee fizzes A LOT, creating a Big Head.

My assignment was to perform the basic market research to break down the potential market for this new product and to help them figure out how to market the product to the consumer. First thing we did was run a bunch of taste tests with its target market only to discover that people HATED the taste of the product. Some people actually spit it out rather than swallow!

In the end, we told them to stop marketing the product and give it up because "coffee cola" was a bad idea.

Mark

 

[zbuddah]

hahah Coffe Soda sounded like a good delicious drink since I'm a Coffee Whore I had to check this link... sadly its not that good eh?

 

[balcar]

There is a soft drink -- pop -- soda pop -- whatever you call it -- that is available in the New York City area called Manhattan Special, which is a coffee soda. It's available in both regular and diet versions, and is quite good if you like coffee flavored drinks.

It may be available elsewhere--it's good, so it's worth checking into.

 

[markl]

As a "Big Head Coffee Cola" intern/marketing manager (bastards didn't even pay me, but hey, I got "experience"), I had tons of the product on hand. My roomate and I couldn't get rid of the stuff. No one liked it. It sat in the fridge and the cupboard for two years and we finally just threw it away.

Based on our reco and the scathing report we wrote up, they discontinued production of their "innovative" product.

Coffee + cola = bad idea.

Mark

 

[kelly]

I left the three unopened bottles at someone's house yesterday so I had to have her check for me for the name. This one is called Borgnine Coffee Soda. It could be the same company as Big Head but I doubt it since there wasn't a great amount of fizz. Then again, the bottles could be years old judging by the layer of dust on them.

I don't know whether coffee soda is a bad idea across the board or not but this certainly was a tragic implementation of that idea. Maybe if you mix it with whiskey you could sell it to the Irish.

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly the bottles could be years old judging by the layer of dust on them.

Maybe it tasted that bad because it was old. I like cold coffee drinks, but only those with milk. I drink cold coffee also, but just because it had been sitting in my desk for a couple of hours. I drink it with a lot of sugar, and it's not that bad.

One thing about coffee, it degrades really fast and alluminium cans affect its flavor. So far, the best way to preserve a drink with coffee is using plastic or crystal bottles, just like milk.

 

[kelly]

Onix
Yeah, I considered that - the soda aspect of it wasn't flat at least. It did still have some fizz. I think it was probably more of not hitting the right balance of whatever than it was the coffee part just being old, though you may be right - it may have been at least part that too.

When I was working 18 and 24 hour shifts back in the good ol days, we used to munch on chocolate covered espresso beans and wash them down with Mountain Dew. Definitely a better solution.

 

[zbuddah]

heh I think they need something to the like of Carbonated Coffee serve chilled

instead of coffee cola...

btw those "thai" coffee drinks (its called vietnamese coffee, cuz the VN coffee shops usaully sell em as that) are awesome... only a buck fifty here cheaper than starbucks and yet its a good treat.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by zbuddah heh I think they need something to the like of Carbonated Coffee serve chilled instead of coffee cola... btw those "thai" coffee drinks (its called vietnamese coffee, cuz the VN coffee shops usaully sell em as that) are awesome... only a buck fifty here cheaper than starbucks and yet its a good treat.

On Thai menus they are called "Thai Iced Coffee."
On Vietnamese menus they are called "Vietnamese Iced Coffee."

Want to see an agitated asian? Forget which restaurant you're in and call it the opposite. I've done that. Looks that kill, I'm tellin' ya.

 

[Budgie]

Asian Iced Coffee gets my vote! Any way you say it, thats some tasty bean squeezen's!