12-13 years ago I went to Belize a small country in Central America at the tip of Mexico.

While I was there I and one of the other guys on the trip discovered a fruit flavored soda that was called champaigne. (like the bubbly alcoholic drink) I was a highschool student so I don't remember much beyond that it was hard to find, it was very good, and that It was called Champagne. I remember we only found it in two stores during our whole trip and that when we found it they only ever had 2 or 3 bottles in stock. I also remember contacting the manufacturer when I returned to the states (I think it was Coca-cola) and was told that it wasn't available in the US because US citizens want cola not fruit flavors.

Anyway, I returned to Belize last month and spent the whole trip asking for Champagne. Also on this lastest trip was the teacher that also enjoyied it with me 12-13 years ago. He said he thought it was a flavor of Fanta which made sense to me since I was nearly sure that Coca-cola was the business I had contacted years earlier. Anyway, we both spent the entire trip this year looking for "champaigne" fruit soda and never found it.

Does anyone please know 1. what brand it was, 2. who makes/made it, and 3. can it still be gotten?

Thanks for any help, all my research is coming up empty!

Frustrated,
Glenn

Email or call the Coca-Cola company. Maybe they can help you.

Or, here is the local bottler's info:

Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry

First thing I tried was contacting Coke via e-mail. Amazingly I did get a response and they said that it was not one of their products. I still say it was/is but they say it wasn't.

I'll try the belize link and hopefully I'll find something there that will help. I'm thinking it doesn't exist anymore and that even when it did it was very rare. I asked store owners in belize last month and I only found one that vaguely remembers such a product. Its to bad it had a awesome taste. Kind of a Orange, Pineapple, Tangerine, Tropical taste. (Orange/yellowish in color if memory serves)

PS Are you a Fanta "expert/fanatic?" I'm thinking that, if it was a fanta product, I need to find a total Fanta addict.

I couldn't find any mention of a Fanta Champagne. The closest was Fanta Chamoy.

Do you remember what it tasted like?

I'm terribly sorry if I'm patronizing you, but are you sure it's not a kind of Champagne or "golden" cola? They're really not colas by any means. Anyway, if you've been to Latin America, then you've probably had those as well. Further than that, I'm afraid I can't help.

I was thinking the same thing.. Champagne colas are fairly common. And I have seen them in stores around here.

Well the answer to that is nope, I'm not really positive of anything. It was 12 years ago after all. I do know that the group was a religous one and that none of us drink. Also I had enough the first year to have felt the effects if it had been alcohol. I was like 16 and wieghed 90 pounds so I would think it wouldn't have taken much for the adults to notice the effects. That all said, I don't drink and have never drank in my entire life so I don't know what the effects would have been.

At this point I'm just interested in finding out what in the world it was and not so much in getting some.

As for taste. All I remember is that it was really good and had kind of a tropical fruity taste. Something like pineapple, orange, tangerine, and maybe other tropical fruits. Didn't have a "bite" past that of normal cola so I really don't think it was alcoholic.

I do remember that it was in a product line of some sort because there were other flavors with the same bottle design, this is why I was thinking of Fanta.

Champagne colas are not made with alcohol.

I bet you are talking about Tropical. It's a line of sodas made by Coke - I have bought them from Hispanic grocers - imported from El Salvador.

I have seen grape, strawberry, banana..and they also have superchampán, which is probably what you remember.

.:Coca-Cola:. Conecta Productos - El Salvador

I think you may just have it. One thing though, the tropical logo is not something I remember. Actually I don't remember any writing on the bottle at all. The flavor was printed on the bottle cap. However, the bottle shape is very close and the color of the cola is right on. I'm assuming that in a third world country it is very possible that this cola could have been placed into a relativly unmarked bottle? If so I think you might have figured it out.

Now the real question? Is there some place that I can order this and have it shipped into the states?

Glenn

I just bought a bottle of Fanta Strawberry last week from a store near my house - it was from Mexico. The bottle had to be a good 10-15 years old - it was the old Fanta logo, and no mention of any flavor on the bottle whatsoever.

There are various importers that get stuff from Central and South American countries. I have been finding a good bit of Peruvian stuff lately, myself.

Where are you located? If you are near a sizeable Hispanic population (I am), there are bound to be small stores that carry various Hispanic products, and often a selection of US produced and imported sodas. The larger the store, generally the better the selection. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw what they get in, and sometimes you have to visit a lot of stores to find what you're looking for.

Last week was the first time I had seen Fanta Strawberry from Mexico, myself. Usually it was just orange. I haven't seen Tropical in a store in quite a while, though it is out there somewhere, I'm sure.

You might also try some other brands, like Goya, Tropi Cola, D&G, and others.

Some grocery stores have a separate Hispanic section (not the section with the Americanized taco shells and such) with beverages. Look there.