Idaho’s Favorite Soda Pop is a Familiar Brand
Idaho’s favorite soft drink is nothing unusual. Earlier this week we looked at what people here call soft drinks. Pop is still the most common reference, but soda is making inroads. I grew up saying pop, but then lived most of my adult life in soda country. I now usually say the latter and it makes me feel like a turncoat. Soft drinks would actually be the name used in some parts of the country. In parts of Massachusetts, they say tonic, though. Soda is gaining on the tonic.
Most famously, in the old south, they just say Coke, as if it’s a generic term.
I grew up in a Coca-Cola family but if Pepsi was on sale, it’s what we drank. There were also a lot more regional options available. One of my favorites was Vernors Ginger Ale. When I lived in the Tidewater region, I liked a cherry pop called Cheerwine.
Idaho’s most popular soda/soft drink/pop isn’t simply Coca-Cola, it's Diet Coke. The brand is popular in several states but I was surprised to see it not dominant. I like Coke. I’ll buy it when on sale. For a time, I boycotted it because of the company’s woke policies. Over the years, my taste buds have evolved. Dr Pepper has become my go-to beverage. Especially the cherry flavored. And the vanilla-flavored, cherry vanilla-flavored, and cream soda blend. By the way, the spelling is Dr without a period. The logo has flipped back and forth between the period and the lack of the dot.