Bottlers

[Larry]

Well, I went to South Carolina for vacation this year.  While I was there, I checked out how far West Jefferson North Carolina was and decided to do a road trip.  I was two hundred plus miles, one way, to West Jefferson.  I figured that I probably wouldn't be that close again for a long time so me and my son, Kyle, took a road trip and bought twenty cases of pop (northern term for soda pop) and on the way I decided to take the mountain road up and stop by Antique Vending, Alan Huffmans place.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get in contact with him.  I talked to his father, who works at the pharmacy, and he informed me that Alan had the kids and wasn't around, so off we went to West Jefferson we went.  Nice highways going up, the best was the Blue Ridge highway.  I had to cut over through a bunch of little roads, which I thought would be rough and wild, but they were all nicely paved and new.  The temperature dropped from 95F to 75F up in the mountains.  That was cool, no pun intended.  What was cooler was all the variety's of cane sugar pop available.  I went for the Dr. Pepper but walked away with R.C., Nehi Peach, Nehi grape, Welches Grape, Sunkist, A&W, Mountain Dew, and 7 Up.  I was able to squeeze in four cases in my car on the way back to Chicago.  My wifes uncle is coming up in September to bring up the rest.  Overall, it was a nice trip.  

Yesterday, since I was already in Tennessee for a funeral, I decided to check out the bottler in Pulaski Tennessee.  They are mainly a Sun Drop distributer.  That was about an 80 mile ride one way.  I was a bit disapointed by this adventure because they do not bottle their own soda.  They buy it from West Jefferson North Carolina.  Since I was there, I picked up some Sun Drop.  Sun Drop doesn't exist in Chicago, so most people are like "What's that??"  It is similar to Mountain Dew.  To me it has a hint of Canfields 50/50 in it, but it is a very sweet drink.  Pulaski advertises many brands, but they do not carry 7 up anymore and RC is very scarce.  If you want cane sugar Sun Drop, they have it, but it was made in West Jefferson North Carolina.

So overall, West Jefferson is the place to shop if you are ever in Appalachia.

[Jacko1070]

Gotta love the small, indepedent bottlers that use artesian well water and cane sugar.   I have two that I visit here in MA and I love 'em.  It's funny, I suffer from acid reflux, and since I've switched over to the natural soda, it's not an issue--doesn't phase me in the least.   It would be great if users could post their local bottlers and contact/flavor info for reference.   Support these guys before they disappear!!

[TomFromJersey]

Larry
  If you ever decide to do a run like that again please let me know. I really miss Dr Pepper and Mt Dew with pure cane sugar. The soda vendor at Pheasant Run doesn't have them at the show anymore.
  TFJ

[Larry]

Tom,

That's why I went.  The Dp is delicious.  The vendor lived less than three miles from my house.  Six miles sure beats traveling hundreds of miles for the same thing.  The funny thing was when I got there the guy said "Oh, we're sold out of Dr. Pepper.  Come back tommorow."  Then he found that they just ran some earlier that day.  So my pop was a few hours old when I got it.

Jacko,

Local bottler for Chicago is Goose Island.  They make excellant beeers and sodas.  Soda flavors are oarnge creme, grape, and root beer.  I like the root beer the best.

Brent has a web site http://www.glassbottlesoda.org/ that will show just about all you need to see.

[johnnyselman]

Hi Larry, you were only 20 miles or so from my house when you went to Pulaski. I too was hoping to buy from them but found out they got theres from WJ. Unfortunatly They didn't get 7up from them which was what I was needing.
,Johnny

[BrianS]

Sundrop is great!  Used to only be able to get it on an occational trip up to the Dakotas area.  Now it has shown up here in Missouri.  Nectar of the gods.  Have not seen it in bottles though.  Hope to find it in glass by the time I get my machines back together.