Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Pepsi Throwback Is Definitely That..a Throwback!

When I was 16 I went out to visit my Uncle George in the Northern part of Idaho, just a few miles from Sandpoint and Lake Pond Oreille, maybe 50 or so miles from the Canadian border. We planned a fishing trip in the wilderness area for just the two of us. Before we left, he was having me practice my casting so that I could put the bait out where I needed to, in order to catch the better fish. The intent was to go fishing in a mountain stream, with rushing waters and some fo the best fishing available. We ended up getting rained out with a 3 day long downpour. We had obtained a 3-day non-resident fishing license for myself, and despite the rain still coming down, my uncle decided that since we spent $20 on the license we were going to fish regardless. So we went to a nearby pond that is stocked every year.

Uncle George explained to me how big the fish needed to be for us to keep them, and which ones were too small and had to be released back into the water. So in other words, we had Keepers and Throwbacks.

Which brings me to my point. Pepsi. Now I don't know how they made Pepsi way back in the day, but I know I prefer the current version that I grew up with all my life. I am also one, who often times finds a product he likes, and hates it when they change formulas. Dr Pepper for example is good. Diet, caffeine free, cherry vanilla, whatever other flavor Dr Pepper may make...well they suck. The original product can stand on its own two feet, and has no business getting into the variety wars with the other soda companies. Coke found this out with their New Coke, idea. Pepsi found out that Pepsi Clear sucked. Both of those companies adding the lemon or lime flavors to their regular product is also a huge flop. Despite some genius thinking he has come up with the next best thing in the soda industry, no amount of marketing was going to make those products worthy. Stick to the Buy one Get One cap strategy, it works!

Anyways, so I have noticed the Pepsi Throwback product in select locations here lately. As a senior member of the "I HATE CHANGE" club, I have been rather weary of this. I buy things or order food at restuarants that I already know I like. To hell with adventure, these are my unchanging tastebuds we're talking about. But, I finally succumbed. I bought two Pepsi Throwbacks. The big thing about the Throwback is that instead of using High Fructose Corn Syrup (The next victim to be in line from the people who have effectively taken away my choice to partake in transfatty acid-laced food products, they use strictly sugar as their sweetener. Now, I am not against sugar at all. I use copious amounts in my coffee, and in my tea, as well as one bland cereals, and I like Jones Soda which uses pure cane sugar for sweetening. Well, let me tell you....238472308427042 thirsty people in China have suffered because I threw the crap into the garbage (I always loved that baseless argument....my trhowing away crap food and drinks, which i consider to be poison (think tater tot casserole when you were little) is helping save their lives if anything)rather than consuming it, barely managing to stomach 1/4 of the first bottle. The stuff is NASTY. If this was in fact the original formula of Pepsi, the changeover to HFCS was definitely the kind of change I can believe in and get behind. The Pepsi Throwback is most definitely an inferior product. If it were a fish, I would've tossed it back in the lake, and tried for something worth consuming. And to the makers of Pepsi Cola......STICK WITH WHAT WORKS!

5 comments:

All In said...

As far as diets go I think dr. pepper does by far the best job of making their drink consumable. I don't mind the cherry drinks, and Naomi is a big fan of the "throwback". I don't care for it. Although my theory is that she only says she likes it because it is made from wyoming sugar beats.

Mookie said...

Wyoming sugar beets?? You tell her that IIIII said (notice the stressing of how important my opinion is here) that wyoming sugar beats are only good when they are ground up, pureed, liquified and then put thru a still and into my gas tank!!

Ugh...I have phantom nasty tastes in my mouth still!!!

Anonymous said...

Well IIIIIII think that all of your taste buds blew away with the last tornado that went through IA. *humf

All In said...

Sorry Mike. I can't say for certain. But if I had to bet you dollars for doughnuts I'd say "anonymous" is my wife. I better get off to bed before she humfs at me again.

Mookie said...

WOW!!!!
I am facing a duality of emotion here. One one hand I'm hurt by such vitriol that suggests I should be the victim of a natural disaster. On the other hand, however, I am impressed by the amount of bite your wife has. I never knew she had it in her.

PS: Hope you didn't get humf-ed at too much last night!