Availability in VA

[teamtitan512]

Winchester - just a cool place overall. DPSU/RC holds everything here...literally. Pepsi holds nothing, Pepsi Blue is seen as much as Mountain Dew would be in a normal place.

Harrisonburg/Staunton/Waynesboro/Woodstock - This region is fascinating. Pepsi still controls 7Up (and now also dnL), but Sierra Mist still is in this region - with Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, A&W, Sunkist, and Canada Dry is one operation. Coke is Central, and has standard Central products, including Remix Sprite now. Pepsi in addition to still having 7Up, also has Mr. Green still, along w/NuGrape and Sun Drop. RC is interesting as it is separate from Dr Pepper in these parts, and bottles some interesting stuff. I saw Hires, Diet Rite Kiwi Strawberry (not seen otherwise), Crush, Vernors, Tahitian Treat, Cheerwine, and other stuff.

One Coke oddity - Northern Neck Ginger Ale. Saw it in 12 packs, and in 20 oz. bottles in a Kmart going for .25 each. Should have bought one, as I've never seen it before. Is this something new or am I missing some information again?

[Boris]

You can still get surge in staunton

[teamtitan512]

No you can't. I looked at a Kroger and at a Super Wal-Mart, and no sign of Surge.

[Boris]

Well no, I meant to say in the area near staunton, (bluegrass) at the one store they have for 50 miles you can find 4 12 packs of surge...

[T.I.A.]

Northern Neck and Carver's Ginger Ales are bottled by, IIRC, Northern Neck Bottling Company of Montross, VA. It was an independent company until about six months ago.

Northern Neck, which I've only seen in 12 oz. cans, is an excellent ginger ale. It's not spicy, but it does have a good ginger taste.

Carvers is bottles in 12 oz. glass. The ginger taste as very light, but this is a very nice ginger ale.

I haven't had either in a while, or else I'd gove a little more detail about them.

Carver's and Northern Neck are both widely available in the Charlottesville, VA, area, including my restaurant on Elliewood Ave.

[fusion]

Actually, Northern Neck Coca-Cola was bought out before that. Arbor Private Investment Company (http://www.arborpic.com/pr_09172001.asp)
Coke acquired the Northern Neck Ginger Ale (http://www.realgingerale.com/) and Carver's brands last year. CCE sells it in part of their territory, and bottles/cans it in Richmond. Northern Neck Coca-Cola still bottles NNGA in Montross for their own territory, but buys their cans from Mid-Atlantic Canners.

Central Coke tried to sell NNGA in their Pennsylvania territories, but the stuff bombed.

NNGA is pretty good Ginger Ale. I hear the diet is outstanding, for a diet ale. They are made with real ginger. Sure, they may not be as great as the glass bottled stuff, but they are good for a Coke-branded beverage.

If you were in Staunton, did you stop by the Super Wally? Last time I was there, they had the Temple Dr Pepper 8 ouncers. Yummy.

Oh, and for those interested, here's a picture of Northern Neck Coca-Cola's office.

http://members.aol.com/dialasong/montross.jpg

[ 04-28-2003, 03:04 AM: Message edited by: fusion ]

[teamtitan512]

Yes, I was at the Wal-Mart in Staunton. No sign of those there.

[teamtitan512]

Yes, I was at the Wal-Mart in Staunton. No sign of those there.