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I was looking for a smallish plastic bottle of the regular stuff at Family Dollar recently. I wanted to give $1, but they wanted $1.25. I'd already noticed a rather unusual looking glass Fanta bottle (any glass Fanta bottle isunusual around here, though). So I kept looking and there were glass bottle Cokes in the bottom row, with a $1.00 tag on the front. I thought, well why not. Pull it out and start looking it over. I noticed it was sweetend with sugar (!), and commented to the woman tending the register. As I turned the bottle round, she replied that they were "Mexican Cokes." I looked on the label, and sure enough it was in Spanish.

They were made by Bebidas Mundiales (I'm guessing "Wordwide Beverages", I never learned Spanish). The clerk had to open it for me, which I wasn't real thrilled with, but at least I got to try it.

It wasn't too bad. It really wasn't cold enough. As I was expecting, it was missing that "snap". For some reason or another the HFCS Coca-Colas just seem to have a lot of bite, not sure what it is.

I kept thinking "they're no way Coca Cola would allow this", but the bottle had a UPC code and Nutrition Facts label on it. The nutrition label was an add on sticker, which meant it was fully prepared for sale on the American market. The size was something of a surprise- 355mL, the same as a 12 fl oz can. I would have figured they would have used round metric measure, like 300ml (~9 fl. oz.)

I'll probably get another one at some point, but I'll want my own bottle opener. I don't see the taste as superior to the HFCS product, though the sugar stuff is probably healthier, at least relatively.

Sounds like the same bottles Costco sells for $20 per case r'ound here. Spokane, WA.
In the mom/pop stores can get Fanta, Orange,Grape Pepsi light, Pepsi, Sprite. $1.25 a bottle though.

Mexican bottled Coca-Cola is great for a rum mixer.
I like it 34 or so degrees. It's a twist off cap but a really stout one.
Wish the bottles were return. Think they are in some states. Not WA.

I just use the Vendo RT-56 opener.
Since it dispenses cans these days seems fitting. :-).

Enough babble.
Creighton

       Creighton, did you convert an electric can stack over to mechanical to work in a RT-56?

Electric can stack? Does it have a solenoid that unlatches the vending when the vend relay is tripped?

I also like the Mexican coke it has a great taste. Not trying to hijack but I tried a Moxie today. I haven't had one since I was a kid. My grandfather was a huge drinker of Moxie and I remember him letting me have some and thinking it was gross. Today many years later I didn't think it was to bad. I guess my taste buds have changed. I gave some to my son and he said it taste like coke with a disgusting after taste. I do agree that the initial sip is like coke but it has kind of a vanilla and sarsaparilla after taste. As the slogan says Distinctively Different.

Didn't Dr. Pepper use "Distinctly Different" as a slogan at one time? That would be ironic.

You are correct they did use the same slogan. Very interesting. Wonder who used the slogan first.

I still can't get over the irony. Distinctly different except for *that other brand that is "Distinctly Different"  :biggrin:

I haven't seen Moxie for sale anywhere nearby, though I didn't think to look at Cracker Barrel.

NuGrape is one of the unusual soft drink brands around here. It can be difficult to get, but it's pretty good if you like grape soda.

Sam's Club used to sell Mightee grape drink. Good stuff, had a very stout snap. It was enough to nearly knock you back if you weren't expecting it.
Might not have been too good for the throat.

We uses to get them out of the Coke machine at the local volunteer fire department. I think the first machine they had may have even been a Choice
Vend like the one I had, but maybe a bit bigger. It had the arch-shaped vend chute openings. Now they have a 70's Cavalier punch button. We don't
buy drinks over there anymore.

Pardon the slight detour.

>>Creighton, did you convert an electric can stack over to mechanical to work in a RT-56?

No, just put the electric can stack and shelves into the RT-56. Didn't hook up any arms or electric.
You can put quarter into the coin slot crank the handle and get change, then pull a can. Or just skip the feed the coin mech part.
99 percent of folks wouldn't know there isn't a link between coin box and vend rack. Think Jared has done the same.

Shoot me, but I drilled two extra holes to mount the can stack. Think they were a 1/2 " lower than the bottom bottle stack holes.

Works fine.
Creighton
  

So if I understand you correctly, the machine is effectively full-time free vend, it's just not obvious?

I'm new here, so I don't know if there is a general consensus here on HFCS vs. cane sugar, but reading your statement really surprised me! I've had HFCS Coke, Mexican Coke, and Canadian Coke. I find the Canadian Coke to be superior - it's still made with sugar and has a clean, crisp taste to it. Mexican Coke is good too, just makes me a little nervous drinking it (don't know what their water source is for it). But Coke with HFCS just gives me a distinctive, lingering aftertaste. I don't get an aftertaste with the sugar Cokes.

You would have to have a solenoid at the bottom of the stack to push open the lower stack parts to free the lift gates. 

Commonly found in the Vendo 81 when they removed the vending cam and added a solenoid.  This allowed for higher prices, and electrical coin mechanism.

So, the current set up would need to have the lower stack parts would have to be removed on the can stack, to make free play.  The original mechanical coin mechanism is there for display.  But you could put a coin in, crank the handle and the coin would drop in the box.  The linkage arm in the inside would move but since the vending cam would not be present.  Normally when the crank handle is pushed down it would move the linkage arm and turn the vending cam from the inside to free the lift gates.

Jared

I tried the fanta grape , orange and Nehi cola did not like the taste of any of them